By Karen Soule, 4-H Activities Coordinator 4-H in Jefferson County has nearly 1,000 youth enrolled! The enrollment numbers include youth in our 4-H afterschool programs, two clubs at Fort Drum Youth Services and School Aged Center, and our traditional 4-H clubs that are scattered throughout the county. Since October 1, 2017, we have served over 4,500 youth in direct programming in 4-H and nutrition education. Members of the Lucky Clovers pin fabric while their leader studies the pattern. This youth models the hat he made in one of the Sew In Saturdays. Animal Science Clubs The Peeps and Squeaks 4-H Club meetings have started doing a jeopardy style game featuring questions in categories like poultry, rabbits, cavies and 4-H. This is very popular and other 4-H clubs are using the same model. At their March meeting they had a costume contest for their animals with ducks, chickens, and rabbits attending! Their next meeting is April 11. The 4-H Livestock Club meetings offer a variety of educational and fun activities. Earlier this year they learned the art of needle felting. This process uses a sharp needle to turn wool roving into 3D objects. The Livestock Club is running a fundraiser bake sale at Tractor Supply on April 28. The Furry Friends 4-H Dog Club is participating in a dog jeopardy game, learning canine anatomy. The youth prepare a craft at the end of the meeting. Members of the 4-H Livestock Club learn needle felting. 4-H Scholarship Opportunity The Jefferson County 4-H Leaders Association is offering a scholarship to one or two high school senior 4-H ers who will be attending college in the fall. Applicants should exemplify a well-rounded 4-H member, with preference given to youth that have participated in both animal and non-animal projects throughout their 4-H years. Applicants should submit an essay to the Extension office by Friday June 8, 2018. The essay should include an overview of their 4-H experiences, why they are applying for the scholarship, and their educational goals. The winner(s) will be announced during county fair. To receive the scholarship, the winner (s) must send proof of a passing GPA after they complete their first semester. For more information about this opportunity, contact Karen at 315-788-8450 or kes68@cornell.edu.
Spring Paper Clover Campaign Tractor Supply is promoting 4-H leadership experiences and 4-H camps throughout the country! The Tractor Supply Paper Clover Campaign is an in-store fundraiser that benefits the programming that 4-H provides to youth. This year it runs from April 11-22, 2018. 4-H clubs and members are encouraged to set up a booth for a few hours at Tractor Supply in Watertown, to promote their club and what they learn in 4-H. Customers will be asked to donate a dollar to 4-H when then check out at the register. All proceeds will benefit 4-H youth participating in leadership experiences and 4-H camps. If you are interested in promoting 4-H at Tractor Supply during the paper clover campaign, contact Karen at 315-788-8450 or kes68@cornell.edu and let her know what date and time you are interested in. It s Time to Get Your Animals Ready for Fair The following are pre-fair guidelines to help ensure that your animals will be ready by the time fair approaches. Don t wait until the week before fair to call your veterinarian and schedule an appointment! If you are showing: Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Swine, Llamas, Alpacas, Cervids, or Miscellaneous Ruminants Review the animal health requirements booklet including information for your species before your veterinarian arrives to inspect your animals. If you have any questions, don t be afraid to ask your vet. Your veterinarian is responsible for inspecting your animals and completing the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI). Make sure official ear tags are present on cattle and swine, and USDA approved scrapie ID is in place on sheep and goats. Llamas and alpacas require a microchip or ear tag. If a microchip is utilized, make sure the veterinarian confirms the microchip ID or places one on the animal. All identification must be recorded; it is your responsibility to make sure that it is. Review the CVI carefully upon receipt to make sure that all information is correct including any required test or vaccination information. If you are importing livestock from out of state, make sure the interstate requirements are met and that you have a valid interstate certificate of veterinary inspection. Poultry Schedule a Pullorum flock inspection and testing well ahead of the fair if your flock is participating in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). Horses If you re having your birds tested within 90 days of the fair, you must go to a Pullorum clinic. A clinic will be held at your local extension office and clinics are listed on the Ag and Markets website. Birds qualified by a 90 day test must be identified by an official leg band. Bring documentation with you to the fair. Horses originating in New York must be accompanied by a negative Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) test report. The date of sample collection for the qualifying EIA test must have been on or after January 1, 2017. Imported horses must be accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection with a negative EIA test within 12 months. Rabies vaccination can be incorporated into the CVI.
The drawing or photograph on the Coggins paper must match the horse. Rabies vaccination must be within 1 year of arrival at the fair and be documented by a signed rabies certificate or a signed statement on the EIA test chart with the required information. When you are loading your animals for the trip to the fair, take the time to check them. It is imperative that these are the same animals that are on the paperwork and if they are showing any signs of illness, please leave them home. For more information, go to: https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/ai/fair_health_requirements.pdf or contact Karen at 315-788-8450 or kes68@cornell.edu. By Sabrina Dreythaler, 4-H Program Educator The Teen Council has been working hard on figuring out how to market the teen council to get more teens to join. In previous meetings, the teens have designed T-Shirts which they would like to finalize and have printed at Victory Promotions in Watertown. The teens also decided to design a business card for the members to have to be able to give to teens they know, to hopefully get more youth to join. The teens continue to work on a proposal for State Fair, along with the teen councils from Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Lewis County Teen Council started a recycling program at their county fair last summer, and now the three teen councils are working together to get the same thing started for the New York State Fair. The teens are very excited to be a part of something that could make a very big difference to our environment! The Jefferson County Teen Council is seeking new members! This club is free to join and will provide leadership experience as well as possible community service opportunities. For more information about the Teen Council or to join, contact Sabrina at 315-788-8450 or sld95@cornell.edu. 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club The 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club is gearing up for summer! Youth in the club are excited to get back out on the trails without snow! In April the club will meet at Poor s Island in Black River to hike a two mile trail, as well as look for geocaches! In May the club will go to the Chaumont Barrens, which is home to one of the last alvar ecosystems in the world! Youth will get to see the unique ecosystem which sits on limestone bedrock that is over 450 million years old! The Chaumont Barrens are also home to a very unique flower, Prairie Smoke, that will hopefully be in bloom when we meet for our hike! For more information on how to join the 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club or about the meetings, contact Sabrina at 315-788-8450 or sld95@cornell.edu.
True Leaders in Service 4-H ers are passionate about service! Research shows that youth who participate in 4-H are significantly more likely to make a contribution to their communities. In April, 4-H ers show their civic engagement by participating in National Volunteer Month. All month long, 4-H ers throughout the country will participate in community service projects. In 2017, there were 394 registered community service projects throughout the country, with nearly 7,000 4-H youth volunteering their time! At the end of the month, April 28 th, 4-H youth are invited to participate in the National 4-H Youth Day of Service, where Jefferson County 4-H will plan multiple ways for 4-H ers to give back to their communities! 4-H ers can choose to volunteer with the Thompson Park Zoo and Conservancy, The Salvation Army, or the Thousand Islands Land Trust. 4-H ers are also welcome to come up with their own community service project ideas! If you are a 4-H youth or 4-H Leader and you are planning a community service project, let your Jefferson County 4-H office know so that we can recognize the impact you are having on your community! For more information on National Volunteer Month, National 4-H Youth Day of Service, or to register a community service project with 4-H, contact Sabrina at 315-788-8450 or sld95@cornell.edu. Raise Your Hand 2018 This year s Raise Your Hand campaign runs from April 1-May 15 and is for 4-H alumni and FRIENDS of 4-H. What this means is that anyone who supports the mission of 4-H can raise their hand this year! What does it mean to Raise Your Hand? Raising Your Hand means that you are showing your support for the state of your choice s 4-H Program. At 4-H we believe in the power and future of America s youth; however, only one in three youth say they have the skills they need to handle what life throws their way. Together, we can change that! National 4-H is asking 4-H alumni and Friends of 4-H to Raise Your Hand so that more youth can benefit from the opportunities 4-H provides. Raising your hand is a vote towards a $20,000, $10,000, or $5,000 award for the three states with the most hands raised. How do you Raise Your Hand? There are two ways to Raise Your Hand for your state 4-H program. The first way is to go online to 4-H.org/RaiseYourHand, select which state you are voting for from the dropdown menu, and submit your contact information and alumni status. The second way to Raise Your Hand is to pick up a paper copy of the Raise Your Hand form from your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office, fill it out, and mail it to state 4-H office. Raise Your Hand votes will only be counted through May 15, 2018. For more information on how to Raise Your Hand or about the Raise Your Hand campaign, contact Sabrina at 315-788-8450 or sld95@cornell.edu.
By Christi Carter, 4-H Program Educator It s time once again for the annual Farm and Home Safety Day! This program is an educational event for fifth graders in Jefferson County. The program consists of speakers covering various types of safety in a rural community. Each speaker will present a twenty minute lesson. The students rotate from station to station throughout the day. The objectives of the program are to help students and teachers better understand the safety risks and precautions to take when living in the North Country. Some of the activities of Farm and Home Safety Day include demonstrations on animal safety, safe digging practices, firearm safety, lawnmower safety, as well as a tour of the onsite dairy farm. Students will receive a special visit from the Jefferson County Dairy Princess who will hand out dairy samples to the students in attendance. Farm and Home Safety Day is a team effort of individuals from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District, Watertown City Fire Department, Jefferson County Sheriff s Department, and many others. Farm and Home Safety Day will take place on Thursday, May 17, at Old McDonald s Farm in Sackets Harbor. We are looking forward to a day of fun and learning! Contact Christi Carter for more information on registration at 315-788-8450 or clc283@cornell.edu. By Alyssa Couse, Agricultural Outreach Educator There are many new faces in the Jefferson County 4-H Dairy Club this year, and they have been practicing hard for the past few months for the 2018 District Dairy Bowl Competition. The event was held on March 10, 2018, at South Lewis High School with participants from Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, and Madison Counties. The Jefferson County participants consisted of two novice teams, a junior team, and one senior, who joined a Lewis County senior team. Participants were Madelyn Greene, Kirsten Widrick, Jocelyn Widrick, Wyatt Phelps, Collin Porter, Landon Porter, Charles Hyman, Garrett Phelps, Elizabeth Hyman, Garrett Hyman, and Katie Burger. The novice teams placed first and third in their division, and six members placed in the top 10 individuals! The first place team will go on to the novice dairy bowl event at the New York State fair.
The Junior team placed third, with Elizabeth Hyman placing third as an individual; she is on her way to the NYS Dairy Bowl Contest on April 28 at Cornell University! The Lewis/Jefferson Senior team placed second overall and Katie Burger was a top 10 individual. I am looking forward to seeing Jefferson County 4-H Dairy Club grow and thrive in the next year! A big thank you goes out to all the kids, parents, and coaches for such a successful event! The Jefferson County 4-H Dairy Club will now switch gears to prepare for dairy judging and, of course, the Jefferson County Fair! By Kaci Evans 4-H Youth Development Educator Jefferson County 4-H is happy to announce that the 2018 Jefferson County 4-H Junior Iron Chef contest will take place on Saturday, April 14, 2018, from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM at the Exhibition Hall on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds! Registration is now open online at: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/jic2018_222! The registration fee is $15 per team, which must be received no later than April 14 before the contest begins. Also, in order to participate, each team member must have current 4-H Enrollment forms on file with the Jefferson County 4-H office. If you need the forms or are unsure if you have filled them out already, contact the 4-H office at 315-788-8450. A Junior Iron Chef contest is a team contest showcasing youth s culinary and nutritional skills. It is similar to the TV show, Chopped, where teams are given a mystery ingredient and one hour to create a healthy dish utilizing the mystery ingredient plus a community pantry of shared ingredients. Youth are judged in five different categories: taste, presentation, healthy choices, floor skills, and an oral presentation to the judges. Each team consists of 3-5 middle or high school youth between the ages of 12-18 plus one adult coach. All equipment and ingredients are provided by Jefferson County 4-H the day of the event! For more information about Junior Iron Chef, visit http://ccejefferson.org/4-h-youth/4-h-junior-iron-chef or contact Kaci at kg465@cornell.edu or 315-788-8450. April/May 2018 Green Ink Contact us for more information at 315-788-8450 or jefferson@cornell.edu. Visit our website at www.ccejefferson.org Find us on Facebook at: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County and Jefferson County, NY 4H