County Youth Coordinator

CLOVER POWER APRIL 2017 MEGAN FREEL Youth & Nutrition Internal Coordinator meganmae@iastate.edu (515) 957-5763 JEFF JACKSON County Youth Coordinator jsjack@iastate.edu (515) 957-5771 MARCI VINSAND County Youth Coordinator vinsand@iastate.edu (515) 957-5770 4-H Ramblings Greetings 4-H Family, My wife and I recently experienced a pretty tragic loss in our family. I won t go into details, but loss is something we all experience in our lives. It shakes us. Loss is a form of change and change is really hard. We all have experienced change recently as we changed our clocks forward an hour for Daylight Savings Time. Even that change is hard as scientists say it takes your bodies 3 days to get used to the time change. But change isn t always bad. Some change is actually good even though it may seem painful at first. Change such as: a new baby, a promotion, a new job, a new house, moving to a new city, starting college, the transition from Jr. High to High School, even the change from Clover Kids to 4-H. All of these changes seem scary and might even be painful at first, but the joy and the fruit that comes from that change almost always puts us in a better place than we were before. It is amazing that Polk County Extension and Outreach is 100 years old. That doesn t mean it hasn t changed over the years. Being a vibrant youth organization means welcoming change because with change comes growth. Adding a baby to a family can be scary and requires great changes, but that change means your family and love is growing. Changing from Jr. High to High School can be a scary change, but that change means greater learning and personal growth. It also leads to more opportunities. Polk County 4-H is growing, which means changes. Remember though that not all change is bad. It may feel scary at first, but it leads to so many great things. For example: We are having the first ever Clover Kids Graduation for Polk County on July 22nd at 2 pm at the Polk County Fair. Another example is that we have quite a few new Clubs starting, some new community programming, a new Leadership Experience at the Adventure Learning Center, and are working on ways to reach more diverse populations. We believe that 4-H is too great to keep to ourselves and want to reach more youth throughout Polk County. The key my wife and I found through our change is that we need to stick together through the change. We as a 4-H family need to continue to support one another and work for the greater good of those we serve. Change is never easy, but the extra effort we put forth can truly help us see the fruit and joys so much sooner. Remember that we are better as a team. Changing for the better, Jeff 1625 Adventureland Drive Suite A, Altoona, Iowa 50009 1 515-957-5760 Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00 LEARN MORE AT WWW.EXTENSION.IASTATE.EDU/POLK

UPCOMING DEADLINES Focus May 15-4-H youth must be enrolled and fees paid, to be able to exhibit at the Polk County Fair. May 15- Livestock ID s are due for all cattle, all goats, all horses, all sheep, all swine, dogs and pets in 4-H online to be able to exhibit them at the Polk County or Iowa State Fair. May 15- Application for the Polk County King and Queen are due. July 1- All State Fair entries are due. July 1- Livestock ID s are due for rabbits and poultry in 4-H online to be able to exhibit them at the Polk County or Iowa State Fair. July 3- All Polk County Fair Entries are Due. CLUB BASKETS ARE NEEDED It s that time to get CREATIVE! At the Polk County Fair the Polk County Advisory Board hosts a silent auction featuring themed baskets. Previous basket themes include movie night, BBQ, local gift cards, game night, swimming/water fun, picnic, Friday night lights, etc. Clubs donate the themed baskets and bring them to the 4-H Building on Tuesday evening (same time as booth set-up). Your club can purchase items as a donation for the baskets or you can practice your communication skills and go to businesses you know and ask for donated items. Clubs should type a list of items included in the basket and include their club name on the sheet! Money from the silent auction supports the Annual Awards Ceremony, new programming, support for underserved youth in programming, youth trips, and scholarships to various 4-H events. If your club plans to donate a basket please email Jeff at jsjack@iastste.edu. Please include your Contact Name: Contact Email: Club Name: and Basket Theme. 2

CLOVER KIDS GRADUATION events Mark your calendars for Saturday July 22nd at 2 pm for the FIRST ANNUAL CLOVER KIDS GRADUATION. If you or your child is a 3rd grader moving to 4th grade in the 2017-2018 school year we want to celebrate with you. Details are still being finalized but consider this your Save the Date. Please email Jeff at jsjack@iastate.edu to let us know you plan to come to help our planning. Please RSVP by June 30th (*Rock Star* status given to those that register soon :-) ) 4-H ERS FOR 4-H 4-H ers investing in 4-H ers. This is the essence of the 4-H ers for 4-H Campaign, sponsored each year by the State 4-H Council. The campaign raises money to fund projects that benefit 4-H members throughout the state. This year, we have set our goal at $29,000 with a suggested $3.00 per member donation. We also want every county in Iowa to participate! Let s $trengthen 4-H! The 4-H ers for 4-H Campaign helps to ensure that 4-H remains available and affordable for young people like us from across the state. 4-H ers investments contribute to: Providing financial assistance to help 4-H ers attend 4-H camps or conferences. Helping members from low-income families pay part of their annual 4-H program fee. Funding speakers and entertainment at the State 4-H Youth Conference, keeping registration fees affordable for everyone. Please share this in your upcoming club meetings and encourage your club members to consider contributing whether as a club or as individuals. We are asking each 4-H club in Iowa to donate a minimum of $3.00 per member to the campaign. All clubs that meet the $3.00 per member goal will receive a special campaign certificate for their donation. The deadline is May 15. LIVESTOCK WORKSHOPS Polk County 4-H is working with Des Moines FFA to hold a large and a small animal workshop. These workshops are designed to allow youth to explore different species and also better prepare being exhibitors. Do not need to own animals to attend and learn more about what it would take! Pizza and t-shirts will be given to youth participants at the end of the workshops. Registration is required at https://goo.gl/forms/mcbjpha8hd9pvun13. See Flyers at the end of Clover Power for full details. Small Animal- April 30 Large Animal- May 14 3

Events cont d. BATTLE CAPE SEWING WORKSHOP We will be hosting a workshop to make Battle Capes to donate to Blank Children's Hospital. This workshop will take place on April 22. See flyer for full details! 2017 TASTE OF CAMP Experience the sights, smells, and sounds of camp by attending Taste of Camp. Campers will expand their interest, appreciation, and knowledge of the natural environment and sciences. Youth entering grades 1-8 in Fall 2017 are welcome to attend. Membership in the 4-H Youth Development program is not required to attend. Campers entering grades 5-8 attend Full Camp on Wednesday, June 14 through Saturday, June 6. Campers entering grades 1-4 attend Mini Camp on Thursday, June 15 to Friday, June 16. Taste of Camp is located at the Clover Woods Camping Center in Madrid, Iowa and is conducted by the Region 13 County 4-H Youth program staff in conjunction with Clover Woods Camping staff.. The deadline to register for Taste of Camp is May 8, 2017. To learn more visit http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ madison/tasteofcamp2017 IOWA 4-H YOUTH CONFERENCE Registration is now open to Start your Future Here on June 27-29, 2017 at the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference, an event at Iowa State University for youth who have completed grades 8 and above. You can register between now and June 1 for the regular registration cost of $180. Between June 10 the rate goes up to $200. All registration closes on June 22. Check out the financial aid application, due April 25 to the Iowa 4-H Foundation. For more information and to learn how to register, visit http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/ iowa4hyouthconference. 4

TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM Events cont d. Save the date for the Teen leadership Program at the Adventure Learning Center. It will be on May 6th from 9am- 4pm for those in grades 8th-12th. Cost will be $35 and you can register for the event here https://goo.gl/forms/c8gmgnbpvw4zqcej3 WRITE UP & FAIR INFORMATION WORKSHOP Do you need help with your write ups for the County Fair? Need help with Fair registrations? Trying to determine what classes you need to enter? Bring your questions and come to this workshop on June 18th from 3-5 pm at the Polk County Extension Office. You can sign up for the workshop here https://goo.gl/forms/wf8vupgtcv1y9k6o2 5

CATALYST TOUR 4-H ers from Polk County participated in a feed plant tour at Catalyst in Urbandale. The Catalyst crew gave the tour and a presentation to those in attendance. Catalyst makes pet and livestock feed/ supplements as well as an all natural tomato plant fertilizer and supplements for tigers. They are one of the only suppliers in the Midwest that have the equipment to make individual packets of supplements. spotlight SEED STARTING WORKSHOP On March 25, Senior 4-H Ellen Sattler hosted a seed starting workshop. 5 youth and about 10 adults were in attendance at the workshop. CALLANAN CLUB PICNIC Callanan 4-H club a club picnic on the 11th. Club members each received a canvas to decorate however they wished. Club members could paint, cover with fabric, match stick sculpture, clay whatever they could imagine. While working on the canvas, club members wrote out their goal and recorded their steps. 6

Classifieds FIRST LEGO LEAGUE JR. Are you interested in FIRST Lego League Jr.? Are you a student (6-10 yrs old) looking to learn and have fun? Are you an adult wanting to help? Please reach out to Jeff at jsjack@iastate.edu or call him at 515-957-5771 to learn more. IOWA FOUNDATION FOR AGRICULTURAL ADVANCEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS College-bound Iowa youth active in 4-H and/or FFA livestock projects and current undergraduate students may apply for $178,500 in scholarships available from the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement (IFAA). There are 67 scholarships available to freshmen entering any Iowa two or four-year, post-secondary institution fall 2017. Applicants must major in animal science or a curriculum in agriculture or human sciences that is related to the agriculture industry. Applications and additional information are available by visiting the Sale of Champions section of the Iowa State Fair s website (http://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/competition/sale-of-champions/scholarships/) or by calling Harold Hodson at 515-290-8875 or Linda Weldon at 515-291-3941. Applications for current undergraduate students must be postmarked by April 1, and applications for incoming freshmen must be postmarked by May 1. SUMMER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Love working with children? Love inspiring a-ha moments? The Science Center is looking for volunteer Summer Camp Jr. Counselors. 14 to 18 year-olds can apply for this dynamic position. Applications are now open! To sign up, please contact volunteer@sciowa.org, and we'll send you more information on how to apply. Applications are due Friday, April 14, and we will set up group interviews for the end of April. 7

Animal & Livestock news WEIGH-IN DATES Please mark your calendars with the following weigh-in dates: Swine Saturday, April 8, 2017 from 8:00-11:00 am at Don Timmin s Farm Sheep and Meat Goats Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 8:00-11:00 am at the Iowa State Fair Grounds Sheep Barn SWINE WEIGH-IN INFORMATION Swine weigh-in is Saturday, April 8, 2017, 8 am-11 am at Don Timmins farm: 8409 NE 54 th Ave, Altoona, IA 50009 2017 Reminders *You are only required to weigh one pig for the derby. You may weigh every pig you plan to exhibit at county fair. If you only weigh one pig for the derby, you will not be able to change your derby pig at county fair. Everyone is required to show one derby pig at county fair, even if you are only showing breeding/commercial gilts. *Only pigs that are ID'ed at weigh-in are eligible to show at county fair *You are able to exhibit 6 crossbred market animals, 6 purebred market animals, 4 commercial gilts, 4 purebred breeding gilts and 4 derby animals. You may only tag-in 15 animals at weigh-in per exhibitor and may only show a total of 15 animals at fair. *Weight limits are 230 lbs-300lbs for market animals. Commercial and breeding gilt do not have a top weight limit. *This year's show will be Non-Terminal 2017 Weigh-in For biosecurity reasons, we are going to do things the same way we did them last year. *Please Stay in your vehicle until it is your turn to weigh. If you must exit your vehicle, please change the boot covers before getting out again. *You will fill out your ID sheet while waiting in line to weigh. Please bring with you a list of your animal's (ear notch, color pattern, barrow/gilt). *If you are unable to read ear notches, someone will be available to help at weigh-in. *We will verify that the animals on your ID sheet are present and that tag numbers match up. *If you need help tagging animals on your trailer that (animals that are not being weighed) we will have someone available to help. Direct any and all questions to Don Timmins and Amy Weldon prior to April 8; you may also contact Marci Vinsand at the Extension Office. Thank you! See you on April 8! Swine Department 8

Animal & Livestock news cont d. DOG PROJECT INFO MEETING It s that time of the year. Now is the time to plan projects. If you have a dog over six months old, it is time to start training. Our class will start on April 13, 2017 with an organizational meeting at the Polk County Extension office in Altoona at 6:30 pm. We will discuss everything about the project including what you need. Then, Starting on the Sunday April 23 at 1:00 pm we will have classes to learn how to train our dogs. We will have classes every Sunday--except Mother s Day, Father s Day, and the Fourth of July--through mid-july. Hope to see everyone on April 13th! If you have questions please call Marci at the Extension office. LIVESTOCK WORKSHOPS Polk County 4-H is working with Des Moines FFA to hold a large and a small animal workshop. These workshops are designed to allow youth to explore different species and also better prepare being exhibitors. Do not need to own animals to attend and learn more about what it would take! Pizza and t-shirts will be given to youth participants at the end of the workshops. Registration is required at https://goo.gl/forms/mcbjpha8hd9pvun13. See Flyers at the end of Clover Power for full details. Small Animal- April 30 Large Animal- May 14 POLK COUNTY 4-H & FFA OPEN YOUTH HORSE SHOW See the flyer at the end of this month s Clover Power for more details. LIVESTOCK ID S ALL livestock ID s will be done through 4-H Online (iowa.4honline.com) Non weigh-in species ID s are due by May 15 (they can also be done today!). To enter non weigh-in species, you will need to log into your 4-H Online family record and add the pertinent Animal ID s to the member rec ord. Weigh-In animals will be entered into 4-H online by county extension staff. It will be the responsibility of the members to log into 4-H Online to verify that all information is correct within one week of the weigh-in date. Information that is not verified by the members within the verification timeframe will be locked and will not be able to be changed after that date. If you have questions about this process, contact Marci at 957-5770 or vinsand@iastate.edu 9

Animal & Livestock news cont d. POULTRY REQUIREMENTS Once again in 2017: ALL poultry will be required to have pullorum typhoid testing performed within 90 days of the Polk County Fair. Certificates from the hatchery or store of purchase do not qualify as current testing; this certificate is invalid once the birds have entered your farm. Again this year NO testing will be done at the fair. Instead, we will hold a pre-fair testing day on July 1, 2017. We ask that you please come between the times assigned to your club name. 8-10 am- Clubs A-J 10-11:30 am- Clubs K-Z 10

4-H ERS FOR 4-H Attention: leaders! 4-H ers investing in 4-H ers. This is the essence of the 4-H ers for 4-H Campaign, sponsored each year by the State 4-H Council. The campaign raises money to fund projects that benefit 4-H members throughout the state. This year, we have set our goal at $29,000 with a suggested $3.00 per member donation. We also want every county in Iowa to participate! Let s $trengthen 4-H! The 4-H ers for 4-H Campaign helps to ensure that 4-H remains available and affordable for young people like us from across the state. 4-H ers investments contribute to: Providing financial assistance to help 4-H ers attend 4-H camps or conferences. Helping members from low-income families pay part of their annual 4-H program fee. Funding speakers and entertainment at the State 4-H Youth Conference, keeping registration fees affordable for everyone. Please share this in your upcoming club meetings and encourage your club members to consider contributing whether as a club or as individuals. We are asking each 4-H club in Iowa to donate a minimum of $3.00 per member to the campaign. All clubs that meet the $3.00 per member goal will receive a special campaign certificate for their donation. The deadline is May 15. ANNUAL APRIL LEADER MEETING Mark your calendar! The Annual April Leader Meeting is Thursday, April 27 from 1:00 3:00 pm OR 6:30 8:30 pm. We will share updates about upcoming events, as well as county fair updates! CLOVER POWER SUBMISSION DEADLINES Email submissions for Clover Power to Megan and Marci and Jeff, especially if you send on deadline day. For May, submit by 4/26/17 For June, submit by 5/25/17 For July, submit by 6/27/17 For August, submit by 7/28/17 11

2017 Polk County Fair 2017 POLK COUNTY FAIR DATES Mark your calendars for July 19-24, 2017! Poultry testing: July 1, 2017 Clothing Event: Saturday, July 15, 2017 3RD ANNUAL CLOVER DASH 5K Please join us for the 3rd Annual Polk County Clover Dash 5K on July 22nd, 8:30am at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. This race is in memory of former County Youth Coordinator, Joy Niklasen. All 4-Her's, Clover Kids, families and friends are invited to participate as a runner in the 5K/Clover Trot or as a volunteer. All proceeds go to Polk County 4-H youth activities. Follow your clover-paved trail for a great run with lots of amazing prizes, food and 4-H fun! Registration for runners and volunteers is now open: polkcountycloverdash.org For updates, follow us on Instagram: @polkcountycloverdash And on Facebook: @polkcountycloverdash5k POLK COUNTY FAIR BOOK The fair book has been updated and is live at polkcountyfairiowa.com. We have some new livestock classes please check the fairbook for full details. Meat Goat- Production Class and Costume Class Dairy Goat- Wethers and Costume Class to take place after the Meat Goat Show Breeding Heifers- Breed Classes Rabbits- New breed colors & Doe/Litter Class 12

Calendar 2016-2017 April 2017 2 Fair Prep & Write up Workshop 3-5 pm 4 4-H Program Advisory Board 7:00 pm 5 County Council Meeting 7:00 pm 8 Swine Weigh-In 8:00-11:00 am 12 4-H Night at Meals from the Heartland 6-8 pm 19 Fair Board Meeting 7:30 pm 22 Battle Cape Workshop 1:00-4:00 pm 27 Leader Meeting 1:00 3:00 pm or 6:30 8:30 pm 29 Sheep Weigh-In 8:00-11:00 am 30 Small Animal Workshop 1:00-5:00 pm May 2017 2 4-H Program Advisory Board 7:00 pm 3 County Council Meeting 7:00 pm 6 Teen Leadership Program 14 Large Animal Workshop 1:00-5:00 pm 15 Livestock ID s Due in 4-H Online 15 Last Day to Enroll in 4-H 15 Polk County Fair King and Queen Applications Due 17 Fair Board Meeting 7:30 pm 29 Office Closed June 2017 6 4-H Program Advisory Board 7:00 pm 7 County Council Meeting 7:00 pm 10 King and Queen Candidate Interviews 14-16 Region 13 Taste of Camp 18 Fair Prep & Write up Workshop 3-5 pm 21 Fair Board Meeting 7:30 pm TBD Intermediate Trip TBD State 4-H Conference 27-29 State 4-H Conference July 2017 1 Iowa State Fair Entries Due 3 Polk County Fair Entries Due 4 Office Closed 5 County Council Meeting 7:00 pm 11 4-H Program Advisory Board 7:00 pm 12 Fair Board Meeting 7:30 pm 15 Clothing Event 19-24 Polk County Fair August 2017 10-20 Iowa State Fair and justice for all The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer 13

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