Colorado County 4-H Newsletter

Transcription

1 316 Spring Street Columbus, TX Colorado County 4-H Newsletter January/February 2013 Read the Newsletter on line at Look for Colorado County 4-H on Facebook at 4-H Members Participate in District Food Show Three 4-H Junior/Intermediate Food Challenge teams from Colorado County participated in the District 11 Food Challenge on Saturday, December 1, 2012 at the Wharton County Fairgrounds in Crescent. Jaycee and Kenna Ferguson, Nicole Hoelscher and Amelia Stavinoha of Frelsburg 4-H comprised the Kitchen Queens team and they placed first in the Fruits and Vegetable category. The Festive Foodies, including Clara Henke, Danielle Hilley, Annie Rabel, Caitlin and Madison Klam of Wild Clover 4-H, Shooting Sports, and 4-H Horse Club placed second in the Main Dish Category. The Spice Girls team composed of Laurece Silcox, Sydney and Abby Psencik, Karsen Lacina, and Malarie Mican also of Wild Clover 4- H, Shooting Sports and 4-H Horse clubs placed third in the Fruit and Vegetable Category. Teams were given a set of ingredients and a clue about the dish. The team had 40 minutes to create a recipe, prepare the dish and complete a presentation to be given to the judges. The presentation included listing the ingredients and the steps to make the dish. They also had to know how the dish fits into MyPlate, what nutrients it provides, and the number of servings and cost of each. The presentation was given to a panel of judges who also could ask questions about the dish the team prepared. Zena Woods of Eagle Lake 4-H participated in the Junior Division of the District 11 Food Show on December 1, The Food Show includes three age groups with four categories in each group: Main Dish, Bread and Cereal, Fruits and Vegetables and Nutritious Snacks. Participants must prepare their dish and show it to the judges. They had to answer questions about preparing their dish and how it fits into the new MyPlate Guide. They were also expected to know how many servings of each of the five categories in MyPlate are needed daily and what nutrients their dish provides. Woods prepared Gingered Ambrosia for the Fruit and Vegetable category. She received a blue ribbon. Ready! Aim! Fire! Rifle Project Will Begin The Columbus Area 4-H Shooting Sports Club will sponsor a rifle project sign up Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013 at the Colorado County Fairgrounds H.E. Building. A short Shooting Sports Club meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. followed by the rifle signup. The rifle project is open to boys and girls, ages 8-9 years old, and in the third grade through 18 years old throughout Colorado County. All interested individuals need to attend this sign up so that we can get an accurate count so that we can squad the shooters. The project will begin January 13 th and continue January 20 th, January 27 th, and February 3rd. The first rifle project shoot will be held at the fairgrounds and the following practices will be at the Bailey Range. Participants will shoot each week, under the supervision and instruction of certified rifle coaches serving as volunteer 4-H leaders. For more information, contact (979) , (979) or (979)

2 4-H Day At The Capitol All 4-H members, parents and leaders are invited to join Texas 4-H at the 4-H Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 in Austin, Texas. This event will be a day filled with 4-H being recognized in both the House of Representatives and Senate Chambers. In the afternoon you will have time to spend with your legislators and let them know about the great things 4-H is doing in your community. Registration is $20.00 per person and is open on 4- H Connect now and will close January 18, Registration will include a t-shirt, registration materials, approved tokens of appreciation for members to present to legislators, and insurance for the event. Lunch will be on your own. A new feature to assist with last minute schedule changes from the legislative offices will be a text messaging system. If you would like to receive these notices, please sign up during your registration. Council & Club Manager Meeting Date Change The Colorado County 4-H Council & Club Managers January meeting date has been rescheduled for Monday, January 28, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at County Agriculture Building. Scholarship Applications Available The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Foundation has released the application and instructions for the 2013 Opportunity Scholarship for senior high school 4-H members and current college students. The application form is being offered in Microsoft Word 97 and the application and instructions are separate documents for easier completion and direction. New for 2013: 1) Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has increased the value of their scholarships to $18,000, and 2) All grade point averages (GPA s) must be in a 100 point un-weighted scale. Applications and instructions are available at the Extension Office or at Completed applications must be submitted to the Colorado County Extension Office no later than February 1, County Photography Contest Set The 2013 Photography Contest will be a strictly digital contest for Junior, Intermediate and Senior 4-H members. The Texas 4-H Photography contest encourages self-expression and allows youth to demonstrate skills learned in the area of photography, including the use of photographic equipment and process of photographs. Following are the 15 categories for the 2013 contest: Animals Domestic Photos focusing on the various animals that have been tamed and made fit for a human environment. Examples include: Dog, Sheep, Pig, Goat, Cow, Cat, Chicken, Horse, Camel, Goose, Duck, and Hamsters Animals Wildlife Category focuses on animals not tamed or domesticated and commonly found in the wild throughout the country and world. Photos can be of wildlife in nature, zoos, and/or petting zoos. Catch-All Category for photos that do not fit into one of the other categories. This includes such photos as still-life, motion-blur, Polaroid transfers, SX-70 images, hand colored photos. Details & Macro Getting in close is the name of the game for this category. Pictures of small details that suggest a larger story are encouraged. Examples include detail of a knot, a lock, or an abstract close-up. Macro examples include parts of a flower bloom, insects, stamps, ice crystals, etc. Digital Darkroom Photos are for digital art images created or drastically altered in software like Adobe Photoshop. Although digitally manipulated images are also allowed in the other categories, this is a category exclusively showcasing such art. Dominant Color Photos with a dominant color. The dominant element in the image must be a specific color. Elements of Design Images use of graphic elements of design. Photos that showcase line, shape, pattern, form, texture, perspective, etc. and can consist of any subject matter. Food Category is a still life specialization of photography, aimed at producing attractive photographs of food for use in advertising, packaging, menus and/or cookbooks. No photos of alcoholic beverages are allowed. Examples include Thanksgiving dinner, cakes/pies, fruits and place settings, Easter eggs, sandwiches, ingredients, etc. Marine/Aquatic Photos of any living organism in bodies of either fresh or ocean water. Examples include fish, stingrays, whales, starfish, etc. Nature & Landscape the focus of this category includes landscapes, outdoor scenic s, nature images, sunsets, urban landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, and farms. Images focus on the beauty of the outdoors. Night Photography Photos taken outdoors between dusk and dawn. Generally these photos are achieved by using artificial light or using a long exposure. People Photos focus from all walks of life parenting and family, children, babies, model/fashion, sports and couples. Plant/Flora Photos of interesting, unique, and beautiful flowers and flora. Photo subject should be that of a single flower, plant, bush, tree, etc. Photography can occur indoors or outdoors.

3 Storyboard A storyboard is one digital entry that contains three photos and minimal text that tells a story. The story should be easily understood by the viewer. Examples include: Three images depicting the blooming of a rose bud at different stages, with the title of Beginning of Beauty. Theme The theme is Holiday Season in Texas. This theme allows 4-H members to take photos of any holiday from January 1, 2012 to time of entry. The Holiday in Texas theme should have photographs that depict a Texas theme/flare or western heritage. Photographs can include nature, landscape, people, and/or animals as long as the subject of the photograph is related to a holiday with a Texas/western basis. For a complete set of contest rules contact the Extension Office or visit the Texas 4-H & Youth Development webpage. Registration fees will be $10.00 per youth for the Junior and Intermediate District 11 contest and $10.00 per picture for the Senior State 4-H contest. The deadline for submitting photos by to colorado@ag.tamu.edu is March 1, Format of Photograph: Photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible. Photographs must be in a.jpeg,.jpg, or.gif formation. Files submitted may not be larger than 2,048k (2MB). Best of Show winners may be asked to submit a high-resolution file or an original negative, print, or slide. Labeling/Naming your Photograph: Each photograph will need to be clearly labeled with the category, county, last name, and first name. File name should include an _ between each of the items, category_county_last_first.jpg. Example: John Smith from Dallas County entering the Details & Marco category would upload a file labeled: Details_Dallas_Smith_ John.jpg Livestock Judging Practices Set Livestock Judging practice sessions will begin for any 4-H members interested in participating in the Livestock Judging contest at the San Antonio Livestock Show. Practice sessions will be held every Tuesday evening from January 8, 2013 through February 19, 2013 from 5:30 6:30 p.m. The practice sessions will be held at the Colorado County Extension Office. Anyone wishing to participate at the S.A.L.E. contest on February 24, 2013 must attend the judging practices and pay the $10.00 entry fee. Teams will be formed based on practice attendance. Please bring a clipboard, paper and pencil to the practice sessions. County Roundup and Fashion Show Date Set County Roundup and County Fashion Show will be held Thursday, March 7, 2013 at the Colorado County Ag Building. The contests will begin at 6:00 p.m. Roundup is a contest held for 4-H members. It includes method demonstrations, illustrated talks, Share-the-Fun acts and team judging. The judging events (usually a team of four) include soil judging, livestock judging, plant identification, consumer judging and horse and food and nutrition quiz bowls. One individual or team from each age level can advance to district competition which will be held in Victoria on April 13, Information on each of these contests is available at the Extension office. Deadline to register for this event is Friday, March 1, 213. The 2013 County Fashion Show will also be held at the County Ag Building on Thursday, March 7 th. The fashion show consists of two divisions: construction and buying. Each division has three age levels, junior intermediate and senior and four categories. Senior categories include specialty, formal, casual and dressy. The junior and intermediate categories include dressy, active wear, specialty and casual. Information and record forms will be available at the Extension office as of January 31, Deadline to register and turn in completed forms will be March 1, Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with sop and clean, running water. If clean, running water is not accessible use soap and available water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean hands. When should you wash your hands? Before, during and after preparing food Before eating food Before and after caring for someone who is sick Before and after treating a cut or wound After using the toilet After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing After touching an animal or animal waste After handling pet food or pet treats After touching garbage

4 Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them. If soap and water are not available, use an alcoholbased hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs. Hand sanitizers are not as effective when hands are visibly dirty. How do you use hand sanitizers? Apply the product to the palm of one hand. Rub your hands together. Rub the product over all surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. What is the right way to wash your hands? Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap. Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the Happy Birthday song from beginning to end twice. Rinse your hands well under running water. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them. Train Like a Champion Equine Workshop A Train Like a Champion Equine Workshop will be held May 4, Mark your calendars for this one of a kind 4-H Horse Project Clinic and Workshop. We will talk about horse judging, District Horse Show, State Horse Show, Showmanship, and much more. Plans are in the works to have a Speed Events (Barrels, Poles, Roping) Clinic and/or a Cattle Working (Working Cow Horse/Team Penning) Clinic following the workshop. Keep this date on your calendar and we will send more details out as they are finalized. SAVE THE DATE to Train Like a Champion! Train Like a Champion Livestock Clinic and Show A Train Like a Champion Livestock Clinic and Show is scheduled for August 10-11, 2013 If you are showing at the 2013 Colorado County Fair then this is a clinic/show that you need to be at! This is a great opportunity to hear from the experts on Show Day Prep, Fitting/Clipping, Showmanship, and more at the Species Clinics. As an added BONUS, we will be having species Shows and Showmanship Shows throughout the weekend. This is a GREAT opportunity to get those county fair animals out and to a show before the big day! Judges will evaluate the animals during the species shows and will critique the exhibitor during the showmanship show, all to help improve their success at the county fair. SAVE THE DATE to Train Like a Champion! If you no longer wish to receive this letter please contact the Extension Office. 4-H Make It Yours! Janis Pfeffer CEA FCS Colorado County Kara Matheney CEA AG/NR Colorado County

5 Colorado County 316 Spring Street Columbus, TX The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating. Educational programs conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, handicap, or national origin. Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any Extension activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office for assistance ten days prior to the activity.