MASSACHUSETTS 4-H NEWSLETTER. WESTERN REGION Spring 2016

Transcription

1 MASSACHUSETTS 4-H NEWSLETTER WESTERN REGION Spring 2016 UPCOMING EVENTS April 2 State 4-H Visual Presentations Day Bedford 3 Paint Party Fundraiser-Cummington Mustangs 4-H Club, 2:00-4:00 P.M. (see article) Cummington Community House, Cummington 5 Berkshire County 4-HFair Inc. annual meeting 6:30 P.M. Misty Moonlight Diner, Pittsfield 9 State 4-H Horse Hippology and Quiz Bowl St. Williams School, Tewksbury 8 Berkshire County 4-H Fair book cover contest entries due (theme: Crafty, Creative Critters) 12 Berkshire County 4-H Fair Association mtg. 6:30 P.M. 600 Williams St., Pittsfield 13 Hampshire County 4-H Fair meeting, 7:00 P.M. Michael s, Rt. 9, Hadley 16 Franklin County 4-H Fair Ham Dinner, 6:00 P.M. Shelburne Grange 16 Amherst Sustainability Festival, 10:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M. Amherst Town Common 18 Hampshire County 4-H Awards Banquet Bluebonnet Diner, Northampton 18 Hampden County 4-H Fair Pillowcase Workshop Quilts & Treasures Southwick Town Hall 21 State 4-H Teen Leadership Conference Ashland 21 Franklin County 4-H Advisory Council meeting, 6:30 P.M. Montague Police & Fire Station 23 Berkshire County 4-H Fairgrounds cleanup, 10-noon 4-H Fairgrounds, Pittsfield 23 Whately Grange Ag Day Whately Elementary School 26 Volunteer Association mtg. 7 P.M. 600 Williams St., Pittsfield 30 Hampden County 4-H Fair Apple Pie workshop Southwick Town Hall 30 HAY Conference, 9:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. Hawlemont Elementary School, Charlemont May 1 Sixth Annual Spring Consignment Auction, 10:00 A.M. Berkshire County 4-H Fairgrounds 1 Horse Fever 4-H Club Riding Clinic UMass Horse Farm, 110 N. Maple Street, Hadley 7 NE Small Farms Institute Day, 9:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M. Jackson Street School, Northampton 10 Fair Association mtg. 6:30 P.M. location TBD. Pittsfield 12 Franklin County 4-H Fair meeting, 7:00 P.M Shelburne 13 Hampshire County 4-H Fair Challenge Class Pick-Up, 4:30-6:30 Hadley Farm, UMass, 110 N. Maple Street, Hadley 14 Cummington Mustangs 4-H Club Open Partnership Show 140 Ball Road, Goshen 14 Home Depot Spring Festival, 10 A.M.-2 P.M. Rt. 9, Hadley 14 Hampden County 4-H Fair Canning Workshop Southwick Town Hall 19 Franklin County 4-H Advisory Council meeting, 6:30 P.M. Montague Police & Fire Station UMass Extension 1 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

2 May (continued) MA 4-H Dog Camp Camp Farley MA 4-H Beef and Dairy Camps 3-County Fair, Northampton 24 Volunteer Association mtg. 7 P.M. 600 Williams St., Pittsfield 28 Hampden County 4-H Fair Soap making workshop Southwick Town Hall 30 Tally-Ho 4-H Horse Show Mt. Holyoke College June 4 FISHING DERBY, Sharks 4-H Fishing Club Windsor Lake, North Adams 4 Exploring Vet Science Camp UMass, Amherst 4 Hampshire County 4-H Fair Auction, 4:00-8:00 P.M. Hopkins Academy, Rt. 9, Hadley 8 Hampshire County 4-H Advisory Council meeting, 6:30 P.M. Hadley Police & Fire Station 14 Fair Association mtg. 6:30 P.M. (location TBA) 15 Franklin County 4-H Fair Set-Up, 6:00 P.M. Heath Fairgrounds 18 State 4-H Dog Show Barnstable Fairgrounds 25 Franklin County 4-H Fair, 10:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M. Heath Fairgrounds 28 Volunteer Association mtg. 7 P.M. 600 Williams St., Pittsfield July 12 Fair Association mtg. 6:30 P.M. 4-H Fairgrounds, Pittsfield 26 Volunteer Association mtg. 7 P.M. 600 Williams St., Pittsfield August 9 Fair Association mtg. 6:30 P.M. 4-H Fairgrounds, Pittsfield 12 ENTRIES DUE Berkshire County Youth Fair 17 Fairgrounds set up 18 Fairgrounds set up 19 Exhibit Hall entries due, Berkshire Youth Fair 3:30 6:30 20 Berkshire County Youth Fair 9 A.M. 5 P.M. Western Massachusetts 4-H Staff Thomas M. Waskiewicz, Extension 4-H Educator Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Slobody Building, Suite A4 101 University Drive Amherst, MA Phone: Fax: Toll Free: waskiewicz@umext.umass.edu Angelica J. Paredes, Extension 4-H Educator Berkshire 78 Center Street, Suite 206 Pittsfield, MA Phone: angelica@umext.umass.edu Mary Phelon, 4-H Program Assistant Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Slobody Building, Suite A4 101 University Drive Amherst, MA Phone: Fax: Toll Free: mphelon@umext.umass.edu Laurie Cadorette, 4-H Secretary Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire 78 Center Street, Suite 206 Pittsfield, MA Phone: or Fax: lauriec@umext.umass.edu UMass Extension 2 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

3 From Berkshire 4-H Berkshire County VP s a Huge Success! What a great turn out! Congratulations to all the youth who came out and participated in Berkshire County 4-H Visual Presentations!! We had a wide range of topics covered and many even took the challenge of Extemporaneous Speaking!! You should all be very proud of yourselves. A special Thank You to those who helped make the day happen; Bill & Donna Chandler, Jane Diaz, Larry Heyman, Krista Mangiardi, Sherry Mangiardi, and Natal Paredes. Also, we mustn t forget to thank the Boys & Girls Club of Pittsfield that allowed us to host the event at their building. Though every youth did an amazing job, 5 youth were recommended for the Big E and 7 to go on to states! Big E nominees are: Fiora Caligiuri- Randall, Angus Kerr, Faith Motta, Nicholas Soldato, and Thomas Williams. The nominees for states are: Fiora Caligiuri-Randall (4-H Fair Association), Angus Kerr (Trailblazers), Hope Motta (Fluffy Bunnies), Faith Motta (Fluffy Bunnies & 4-H Fair Association), Nicholas Soldato (Fluffy Bunnies & 4-H Fair Association), Thomas Williams (Trailblazers & 4-H Fair Association), and Marley Zorn (Money Bunnies, Trailblazers, & 4-H Fair Association). Do You Belong on Stage? The Berkshire County 4-H Fair Association would like to extend an invitation to any 4-H er or group of 4-H ers who would like to perform during the Berkshire 4-H Fair. Contact the 4-H office and let us know what you would like to do and how long you would need and we will work with our events scheduler to help you shine! Dancing, singing or even magic tricks. Berkshire County 4-H Volunteer Association Should you be attending? The Volunteer Association meets once a month to plan county wide events and fundraising, there are only a few of each all year. This group funds awards night, gives scholarships to 4-H ers and volunteers for camps, workshops, etc. EVERY CLUB should have representation on this board! If you are unsure of who represents your club, ask. Volunteers, parents and teens are more than welcome to represent a club, or just be a part of the group. Upcoming Events by the Berkshire County 4-H Volunteer Association Keeping programming running is costly (awards, scholarships, etc.) so the Berkshire County 4-H Volunteer Association will be coming up with a few events that all of Berkshire County 4-H will be asked to help out with. Legislative Visits This has become a staple of the 4-H year. Some of you have gone out to legislator s offices, and that has been great, but you don t have to invite them to one of your club meetings! If you have a legislator coming to one of your meetings, please contact Angelica in the 4-H office before the meeting so she can supply you with a folder of information to give to the legislator. Also, as always, don t forget to take great pictures and share them with Angelica and with the Mass 4-H Foundation, your club could apply for a Legislative Awareness Award and earn money from the Foundation! Scholarships Berkshire County has limited scholarship money for 4-H events and camps. If you are interested, call or the office to receive a form or angelica@umext.umass.edu UMass Extension 3 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

4 Berkshire 4-H Tech Wizards The Berkshire 4-H Office is pleased to announce it has applied for and received a grant to implement Tech Wizards as a part of the 4-H National Mentoring Program for a sixth year! There will be sites in Gt. Barrington, Pittsfield, Adams, and North Adams. The 4-H Tech Wizards engages youth in a tiered mentoring program with science, technology, engineering, art, & math education, and after-school tutoring (topics vary based on group interest). During the year, youth engage in an intensive series of afterschool experiential, hands-on learning activities with real world applications. These programs will be continued into the summer. At the same time, parents of the students are offered the assistance and education they need to support their children in their educational achievement. Three key principles are infused into the 4-H Tech Wizards program including small group mentoring, community service, and extensive cultural outreach. Two Teams One Competition One Mission Let me tell you a story about two robotics teams S.W.A.T. (Students Winning at Technology) & Another Brick in the Wall. The S.W.A.T. 4-H Club started out as an afterschool club in the North Adams Public Schools needing help financially. Berkshire 4-H received a grant called Tech Wizards and partnered with the school to make the program viable. After a while the school could not keep up their funding, so S.W.A.T. became a 4-H club funded by the Tech Wizards grant and has been going strong ever since (approximately 3 years now). Another Brick in the Wall is a newly formed group. It is a joint program with the North Adams Public Schools Colegrove Grant and the 4-H Tech Wizards grant, bringing youth from the elementary schools to the high school to work on robotics. On Saturday, March 19 th the Berkshire Robotics Challenge held its annual competition in Lenox. The S.W.A.T. 4-H Club entered the Great Eight round in first place! They did not place after that, but heading into that round first out of 32 Berkshire County teams is an AMAZING accomplishment we are all very proud of them!!! Another Brick in the Wall did not do so well, you see, for various reasons only one member of their team was able to attend the competition. This young man, in 6 th grade, was not going to let that deter him he was going to compete! When our S.W.A.T. 4-H Club learned that one of their own was all alone, they were not going to let that happen. They did what they could they became his team. They turned their hats around, began cheering for him & one member got into the pit to help him. What the S.W.A.T. team did was admirable, Another Brick in the Wall I know that guy would ve fought on no matter what, but I think he was glad S.W.A.T. was there. S.W.A.T. won the Sportsmanship Award Another Brick in the Wall won the Against All Odds award Berkshire County 4-H Fair Cover Contest Crafty, Creative Critters The Berkshire County 4-H Fair Association would like to invite youth 5-18 to enter our Premium Book Cover Contest. What you need to know: The premium book is the book youth will look through to enter the 4-H Fair. This book will be distributed throughout Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley. Approximately 250 copies will be distributed. The winning image will also be on the online version of the premium book. Posters advertising the fair may also display the winning artwork. THERE IS A THEME THIS YEAR What you win! The winning entry will win $20. Your drawing will be put on the cover of 250 books. A press release stating your name, age and the town in which you reside, will be released to the newspaper. UMass Extension 4 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

5 Your original drawing will be displayed, with other entries, the day of the fair in the Exhibit Hall. (Special attention will be drawn to the winning entry.) RULES 1. Youth must be between the ages of 5-18 to enter the contest. 2. All entries must be postmarked no later than April 8 th, and sent to: 4-H Office, 78 Center St., Ste 206, Pittsfield, MA All entries must be on white paper and fit in a 6 H X 7.5 W area and be easily photocopied. 4. There MUST be a 4-H clover on the entry. The clover cannot have anything on top of it, or going across it. You may place the clover on other things but nothing on it. 5. The winner will be notified by June 1 st. All entries will be displayed the day of the Fair. Youth may retrieve their entries at 5:00pm the day of the Fair (August 20, 2016). Any entry not retrieved the day of the fair will be disposed of. Berkshire County Volunteer Opportunities This article is being put in here because it was realized at the 4-H office that we get a lot of requests for assistance with help at locations; projects going on, events, community needs, etc. This is by no means a promotion of any of these programs; it is simply a way to convey messages left with the 4-H office requesting that the information be shared with 4-H volunteers and members. If you wish to become involved with something listed below, contact them directly. I hope you find this useful. Berkshire Mountains Faerie Festival June 25 th Berkshire 4-H has been asked to assist with activities (arts/crafts/etc.), contact Angelica Paredes if interested in helping. angelica@umext.umass.edu Melody Connections IPod donations Melbourne Place in Pittsfield is looking to work with some groups to help with its IPod drive. They are working to get donations of new & gently used IPods to use with patients that have issues with memory impairment (Alzheimer s & Dementia type diagnosis). Music has been proven to help recover memories, stimulate recognition, and enhance the quality of life. Contact: Sherry Pease at Melbourne or BCC student Judy McNutt, who is assisting with this project, at jlovemcn@nycap.rr.com. Berkshire Botanical Gardens Educational Animal Exhibit (formerly known as a petting zoo) BBG has already contacted the office twice hoping that one or more interested parties would bring animals to exhibit the weekend of their Harvest Festival, held on Columbus Day weekend Oct. 8 & 9 th. Last year they had over 12,000 visitors during their Harvest Festival. There is also a small stipend available through the BBG. If interested contact Dana Audia at or via at daudia@berkshirebotanical.org. SIXTH ANNUAL SPRING CONSIGNMENT AUCTION On May 1 st, the sixth annual Spring Consignment Auction will take place at the Berkshire County 4-H Fairgrounds. The event itself starts at 10 A.M., but you can preview the items from 9-10 am. There will be all types of farm, agricultural, landscape related items, and tools. Farm and Country antiques accepted. There will be a 50/50 Raffle to Benefit Berkshire County 4-H Fair Association. Bathrooms and Food Booth Available! To consign items or for more information, please contact: Chris Brielman or Donald Raucher UMass Extension 5 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

6 Management reserves the right to accept or reject any consignment at their discretion. Not responsible for errors, omissions or consignments removed prior to auction. Photos and Directions available at ID #9337. Terms of Sale: Cash/Check with proper ID/ Most Major credit cards. 10% Buyers Premium on items $1000 or less. 6.25% MA sales tax-tax exempt buyers must bring a copy of their resale/tax exempt certificate when registering for a buyer s number. RAUCHER BROTHERS AUCTIONEERS Don Raucher MA lic #AU2233 This Festival is hopefully the first of many and Berkshire 4-H is getting in on the ground floor! On June 25 th this Festival will take place at Bowie Field in Adams (Where the Adams Aggie Fair is held), with music, dance, vendors, food, and so much more. Berkshire 4-H is going to help out with some activities, promote the program and hopefully encourage some of the younger festival goers to keep the enchanted items they create at the Festival and enter them in the Berkshire Youth Fair. This event will take place from 10 am to 10 pm. Please watch s for more information on this opportunity. From Pioneer Valley 4-H (Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire) From Pioneer Valley 4-H (Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire) It's time to sign-up for H Challenge Classes. The "Challenge" program is sponsored by the 4-H Fair and it provides a wide variety of classes to make or grow for the 4-H Fair. Complete Challenge class information can be found on the Pioneer Valley 4-H face book page and also on the Mass. 4-H web site (mass4h.org) listed with the Hampshire County 4-H Fair book. The distribution of Challenge materials will be from the UMass Hadley Farm on May 13th from 4:30-6:30 P.M. The Hampshire County 4-H Fair Auction This will be held Saturday, June 4th at Hopkins Academy, Rt. 9, Hadley. This is the major fundraiser that makes our 4-H Fair possible. This auction features a wide variety of items including - plants, household items, animal supplies, a wide variety of gift certificates to area businesses plus much, much, more! Each 4-H club is asked to help in this important fundraiser by donating a "theme basket" or other item/s. To view the many items offered, arrive at 4:00 P.M. on June 4th. The auction bidding will begin at 4:30 P.M. The 2016 Hampshire County 4-H Fair This fair for the entire family returns to the Cummington Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 9th. The fair catalog will be available on the mass4h.org web site and on the Pioneer Valley face book page. Look for it in early May. Hampden County 4-H Fair Assoc. Sponsoring Workshops Information was just mailed to Hampden County 4-H families with information about the workshops being offered by the 4-H Fair Association. Cost is $5.00 with the fair association paying the rest of the cost. Dates are as follows: Pillowcase Workshop April 18 th Quilts & Treasures Apple Pie Workshop April 30 th Southwick Canning Workshop May 14 th - Pickles & Jam Southwick Soap Making Workshop May 28 th - Southwick Thank You As we move into fair season, we need to remember to thank the many volunteers who serve on each of our 4-H Fair Associations and work yearround to plan and prepare for these fairs. A lot of time and effort goes into getting ready for each fair for months before the fairs actually occur. There are UMass Extension 6 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

7 also many volunteer youth and adults who serve as superintendents and judges during the fair and assist with set-up and take-down. As you visit the 4-H fairs this summer, take time to say thank you to these wonderful volunteers. These groups are also always looking for additional volunteers to assist with the fairs so be sure to sign up at the fair if you have time to donate to help plan the 2017 fairs. Maggie s and Meadow s Ultrasound By Mackenzie Champagne, Hawlemont 4-H Goat Club Reporter; edited by Sheila Litchfield, Hawlemont 4-H Goat Club co-leader. Our Hawlemont 4-H Goat Club got to watch Veterinarian Dr. Amy Tuominen do an ultrasound test on our goats Maggie and Meadow. We wanted to know if they were pregnant and how many kids (baby goats) they might have. An ultrasound test uses sound waves to ping the shape of things we can t see inside a body, kind of like how a bat sends sound waves out to see in the dark. Ultrasound waves are too high a frequency for humans to hear. The ultrasound did not hurt the goats. Maggie stood nice and still and munched on the treats we gave her, but Meadow kept trying to sit every time the probe was placed on her belly because the probe was cold with gel. Eventually the gel warmed up and Meadow settled down too. An ultrasound picture is not clear like a regular black and white photograph; it s kind of shadowy and it s also hard to tell what you are looking at because the kid moves around making it a lot harder to see clearly. We saw parts of the placenta, which is the organ that attaches to the wall of the doe s uterus where the fetus develops. The placenta provides the kid oxygen and nutrients and removes waste through the umbilical cord. Dr. Amy said it would be easier to count the number of fetuses if the goats weren t so far along in their pregnancies. We think Maggie has 2 kids but we won t know for sure until she kids-out or delivers her kids. Maggie is due to deliver her kid (or kids) around May 3 and Meadow around May 17. They are both French Alpine goats registered with American Dairy Goat Association, and were bred to a registered French Alpine buck (male goat). We are learning about how to prepare and care for newborn kids and their moms, and we hope to be there when the kids are born! Pioneer Valley 4-H Robotics Club Open to New Members Interested youth, ages 12+ and families who are interested in joining should contact Lisa at aiken251@gmail.com. The Giving Garden From Pat Barry: 2015 was our second year as a gardening club. We donated all of our 1,032 pounds of vegetables grown to 5 local food pantries and the senior center. Our plans are to expand our garden as we continue to teach our youth how to grow their own food and share what they grow. We are working with the Western Mass Master Gardeners. As we club leaders would listen to the quiet conversations, we realized that our garden is an intergenerational experience as the Master Gardeners and parents shared their knowledge and stories. We plan to encourage more of our elderly to participate. As our club grows, we will find ways to make it easier for youth with disabilities to garden. If we received this grant, we would be able to purchase our own tools, pay to have more of the land turned over, buy the kids t-shirts and promote our good work. The Gardening Club s submission to the 2016 Grant Program has been approved. The entry has been added to the Gallery of Growers. Check it out now! Please tell your friends to visit the Gallery of Growers and to vote for this entry. The voting period is from 03/31/16-04/18/16 and people can vote once per day, per garden. UMass Extension 7 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

8 Support 4-H Fairs! Franklin County 4-H Fair will be held on June 25 th at the Heath Fairgrounds and then there are still three more fairs to go! All 4-H ers are eligible to enter and the volunteers who plan and support the fair are anxious to have exhibitors participate. Fair Books are on the 4-H web site or available from the 4-H Office so save the following dates and exhibit or visit one of these fairs. Hampden County 4-H Fair & Horse Show July 23 rd Mallary Complex and outdoor horse arena. Entries due July 13 th. Hampshire County 4-H Fair July 9 th Cummington Fairgrounds. Berkshire County 4-H Fair August 20 th Berkshire County 4-H Fairgrounds. Special Awards for Hampden County Youth Each year the Hampden County 4-H Fair Association offers several special awards to Hampden County youth exhibiting at their 4-H Fair. They include: Zoafia Demko Award This award is given to an exhibitor 13 years of age or older who is active in 4-H and community service activities. An application is available at the back of the fair book. The award is given in memory of Mrs. Zoafia Demko who dedicated her life to community service in 4-H and in her community. Bertha Tower Award Given in memory of a long time 4-H clothing and home economics leader, three awards are available to exhibitors showing clothing, food preservation, foods and/or needlecraft. An application is also available in the back of the fair book. Sweepstakes Award This award is given to the Hampden County exhibitor who accumulates the most number of blue Danish ribbons in hall exhibit entries. The fair secretary collects this information and announces the winner. Merritt Wright and Michael Demko Awards These awards are given to youth exhibitors who are active in their club and/or county program, assist in the set-up and clean-up of the fair and assist during the fair. Two awards are given to senior exhibitors and one to a junior exhibitor. These awards are in memory of two longtime supporters of our fair. Exhibit a Pumpkin at the Big E! Use your imagination and decorate a pumpkin and exhibit it in the Farmarama Building at the Big E. You may grow or purchase a pumpkin to decorate. Entries are due the end of August. Go to the Big E website for complete information (thebige.com then agriculture then Native Produce). Youth who have grown their own Big Pumpkins or Squash may also enter the Youth Giant Pumpkin Contest on September 16 th. Pre-entry is required. Information is also available on the Big E website. Hope to see you there! Volunteers needed for Big E Sept. 18-Oct. 4 4-H Milk Booth Two or three volunteers (adults or youth 12 and over) are needed to cover three shifts each day of the fair selling milk shakes and milk products. Shifts are: 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. Proceeds from this fund raiser support the Hampden County 4-H Fair. Call Sue Wright ( ) to volunteer. Volunteers receive an admission and parking ticket and are free to visit the fair before or after their shift. We welcome volunteer who are not in 4-H! 4-H Apple Booth Youth and volunteers are also needed all seventeen days to sell apples, Indian Corn and gourds and answer questions on the native produce and giant pumpkin exhibits in the Farmarama Building. Proceeds from this booth support the Hampden County 4-H Program, camperships and scholarships and our County 4-H Awards Program. Shifts available include: 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. Admission and parking tickets are also provided for those volunteers in we accept non-4-h volunteers as UMass Extension 8 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

9 well. Contact Mary Phelon ( ). We look forward to hearing from you! Hampden County 4-H Scholarships Hampden County has two scholarships available for 4-H members. Applications are available by contacting Mary Phelon at the 4-H Office ( ). Hampden County Improvement League Scholarship Offered by this volunteer group to 4-H members or youth interested in pursuing an agricultural field. Hampden County 4-H Scholarship Offered by the Special 4-H Fund to 4-H members. Money comes from apple sales at the Big E. Franklin County 4-H Fair Ham Dinner Come join us for a delicious Ham Supper! Support the Franklin County 4-H Fair! Appetizer, Rolls, Salad, Potatoes, Vegetables, Home Baked Ham and Maple Pudding Pie for Dessert April 16, 2016 at 6 P.M Fellowship Hall, 18 Little Mohawk Road, Shelburne Call Cindy at for reservations and any questions. Join Us at the HAY Conference April 30, :30-3:30 Hawlemont Elementary School 10 School Street, Charlemont Workshops include: -Growing a Tea Garden -Sugaring Basics -Worm Composting -Chickens in the Classroom -Seed Starting -Let s Make Cheese -Fruit Tree Pruning -Bee Keeping -Solar Energy at Home -Wind Turbines -and Much More For more information visit the Hawlemont Elementary School Facebook page or call H Painting Party Join us on Sunday, April 3 rd, 2-4 P.M. for a Painting Party to support The Cummington Mustangs 4-H Club. Learn to paint this beautiful image of "Haflinger Horse" on a large 16x20 canvas. At Cummington Community House, 33 Main St, Cummington, MA All painting materials and instruction included for $35. No alcohol permitted. Reserve your seats at or call (413) UMass Extension 9 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016

10 Franklin County 4-H Banquet Dozens of outstanding 4-H ers and volunteers were recognized by 180 attendees at the Franklin County 4-H Awards Banquet. Thanks to Anne Stuart, President and the entire Franklin County 4-H Advisory Council for sponsoring this annual event. Thanks, also, to Greenfield Community College and President Bob Pura for hosting the gala. As you can see, it was a 70 s Theme! UMass Extension 10 Western Region 4-H Newsletter Spring 2016