POLK COUNTY EXTENSION CL VER P WER April 2014 People Are Amazing! You never know when you might run into a potential volunteer or donor for a program. On this special occasion Dave Johnson, a former Iowa 4-H supporter who just recently moved to Ankeny, contacted the Polk County Extension Office about a possible donation. We talked to him about his past beef history with the 4-H program. At the end of our conversation he mentioned that he had a wooden tack box that he would like to donate to a current Polk County 4-Her new to the Beef Department. We then passed that message along to one of our livestock clubs that had six members new to the Beef Department. One of the leaders of the Bondurant Go -Getters 4-H Club, Shonda Hay, then contacted him about his possible donation and they talked about the new interest in the Beef Department and his possible donation of a tack box. Come to find out, he had given away the tack box just days before to a relative who is involved in the 4-H program in another county. Dave felt so bad that he was unable to donate to the Bondurant Go-Getters 4-H Club that he decided to make another box to donate. Shonda decided the fairest way to determine who receives the tack box would be to have a drawing between their six members new to the Beef Department. As Dave brought the box to the next 4-H club meeting, he also purchased gift cards to Mills Fleet Farm for the remainder of the kids that did not receive the tack boxes so they could construct one of their own. Dave looks forward to watching the new beef participants at the Polk County Fair for years to come. People s generosity to a particular program is always a pleasant surprise. We appreciate everything that volunteers and donors do to support the 4- H program in Polk County. 1625 Adventureland Dr., Suite A, Altoona, IA 515-957-5760 Monday - Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM LEARN MORE AT WWW.EXTENSION.IASTATE.EDU/POLK/
2014 Polk County Fair Dates MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The 2014 Polk County Fair is scheduled for July 16-21 at the Iowa State Fair Grounds. Painting Workshop We will be painting Moonlit Owls on Saturday, April 5 th from 2:00-4:00 PM at the Polk County Extension office. Bring your friends and family and have some fun! Preregistration is required as all supplies will be provided by Creative Spirits from Ames. We will make sure that 4-Hers leave with a completed goal sheet, for an instant 4-H project! The cost is $20 for 4-H members and $25 for friends/family. To assure your spot in this workshop, be sure to register by April 3 by contacting Marci at 515-957-5770 or vinsand@iastate.edu. Payment is required at the time of registration. Make checks payable to Creative Spirits and mail or drop off at Polk County Extension at 1625 Adventureland Dr. Ste. A, Altoona, IA 50009. There needs to be a minimum of 25 participants to have the workshop. Hollowed Out Books Workshop Have you ever wanted to hide something in a very secretive spot? If so, join us as we make a hidden compartment out of books to be used as a centerpiece or even a coin bank. The workshop will be led by our Polk County volunteer, Barb Timmins at the Polk County Extension Office on Saturday, April 26 th from 10AM-12PM. 4-Her s in grades 4-12 are invited to attend. There will be a $5 fee to attend, as the books and glue will be provided. Please bring an X-Acto Knife if you have one. To register, please contact Joy at 515-957-5771 or niklasen@iastate.edu. New 4-H member? Have Questions? Come join other 4-H members and their families in this series to learn about what it means to be a 4-H member. We ll answer your questions about goal setting, projects, the Polk County Fair, conference judging and everything else about 4-H that you would like to know. Join us for the fun, the learning and the rewards that come with being a member of Polk County 4-H! Please RSVP to Carla at carlav@iastate.edu by the day before the event. All meetings will begin at 6:30 PM at the Polk County Extension Office in Altoona. May 8 Topic: Record Keeping June 12 Topic: County Fair Preview Babysitting Clinic Polk County Extension and Outreach and the Grimes Community Center are partnering to hold a babysitting clinic on Saturday, May 17th, 9AM-3PM at the Grimes Community Center (410 SE Main Street in Grimes). The clinic is designed for kids coming out of 5 th grade and above. The registration fee is $30.00, which includes the Babysitting Clinic workbook, snacks, lunch and other child care resources. Your registration will be complete when payment is made by Friday, May 16th. To register, call Marci at the Polk County Extension office at 515-957-5770. The fee can be paid over the phone via a debit or credit card OR can be mailed or dropped off to the Polk County Extension Office. Please make checks payable to ISU Extension. 4-H Night with the Iowa Cubs! Join us on June 6 th when the Iowa Cubs take on the Colorado Springs Sky Sox for a fun night of baseball and fireworks. 4-Hers will sit together during the game and be recognized on the big screen. Tickets are $6 and may purchase tickets at the extension office ahead of time. Please contact Joy at 515-957-5771 with any questions or email at niklasen.iastate.edu. Go Cubs!
2014 Iowa 4-H ers for 4-H Campaign Begins! The 2013-14 State 4-H Council is putting the finishing touches on this year s campaign. Their goal is to raise $26,513.14 for projects and programs that will benefit a number of 4-H ers across the state. One campaign project is raising support to finish building a tornado-safe room at the Iowa 4-H Center. Donations and contributions can be sent directly to the Iowa 4-H Foundation or delivered to the Polk County Extension Office by May 15. Why support this campaign? Approximately one-third of the funds support the State 4-H Council program, which in turn provides the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference experience for your 8-12th grade 4-H ers. Almost half of the funds are distributed back to 4-H members in the counties in the form of scholarships for out-of-county 4-H experiences and financial assistance to help cover program development fee costs. In 2013, Polk County donated $1,123.50. With that amount we placed 3 rd for the total amount donated. Let s see how much we can get this year! Contact Joy Niklasen, niklasen@iastate.edu or 515-957-5771 IFAA Incoming Freshman Scholarships College-bound Iowa youth active in 4-H and/or FFA livestock and agricultural projects may apply for scholarships available from the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement (IFAA). The scholarships are available to freshmen entering any Iowa two- or four-year post-secondary institution this fall. Applicants must major in animal science or a curriculum in agriculture or human sciences that is related to the agriculture industry. The deadline is May 1, 2014. For more information on the 2014 IFAA Winner s Circle Scholarships available go to www.iowastatefair.org/competition/sale-of-champions/winners-circle-scholarships. If you have questions, contact Linda Weldon at linda@slweldon.net or call 515-291-3941. Adult Volunteer Opportunity The Polk County 4-H Shooting Sports Club (Hot Shots) is in need of a coordinator. This position requires a leader certification which will take place on May 2-4 th in Madrid, Iowa. The Polk County Extension Office will cover the cost of the class. Please Contact Marci at vinsand@iastate.edu or 515-957-5770. Little Hands on the Farm The Iowa State Fair would like to invite your club or county to participate in a shift of volunteers at Little Hands on the Farm. As a participant, your club or county would commit to providing the volunteers for the exhibit for an entire shift. In return they will list the name of your club or county on the entrance and exit gates of Little Hands on the Farm, as well as on the Iowa State Fair website as a volunteer group. Shifts are filling up quickly so if you would like further information on what days and shifts are still available, please contact Emily Brewer; ebrewer@iowastatefair.org; Iowa State Fair; Agriculture Education Coordinator; 515/262-3111 ext. 244 Spring Camp Volunteer Day, Iowa 4-H Center The Iowa 4-H Center is gearing up for the 2014 summer camping season and they need help with several projects to be ready in time for summer! These projects will take numerous helping hands- both big and small- so they are looking for youth and adults! On April 26, come as an individual, family, 4-H club or volunteer group for some awesome bonding time in the great outdoors. Volunteer projects will range from simple to complex and include: splitting and stacking wood, trimming bushes, painting, staining, raking leaves, cleaning cabins, trail work, picking up trash, and other spring cleaning activities. Pack a picnic lunch, load up the crew and join them as they prepare the 4-H Center for the upcoming camping season! Call the camp office at 515-795-3338 or email 4hcentermail@iastate.edu to sign up. 4-H PLEDGE I PLEDGE MY HEAD TO CLEARER THINKING, MY HEART TO GREATER LOYALTY, MY HANDS TO LARGER SERVICE, AND MY HEALTH TO BETTER LIVING, FOR MY CLUB, MY COMMUNITY, MY COUNTRY, AND MY WORLD.
Discover The Twin Cities Intermediate Trip (7 th & 8 th grade) Make plans to join the fun on June 16-17 to discover some great places in Minneapolis & St. Paul. along with 4-H ers from Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Polk, Poweshiek and Warren counties. This is a great opportunity to meet other Iowa 4-H ers! The itinerary includes stops at Cabela s, Mall of America, tour Target Field, Como Zoo and visit Valleyfair. The bus will leave Des Moines at 7:30 AM on June 16 th and return home in the evening on the 17 th. The price for the entire trip is $215. If you are interested in attending please contact Joy Niklasen at 515-957-5771 or niklasen@iastate.edu, Taste of Camp Polk, Madison, Dallas, and Warren counties will be hosting the 2nd Annual Taste of Camp at the Iowa 4-H Center near Madrid, Iowa on June 18-21, 2014. This is a great opportunity for 4-H ers and Clover Kids to experience all the fun at camp! A 4-day 3-night experience is offered for Junior and Intermediate 4-Hers, and a shortened 2-day 1-night experience is offered for Clover Kids. Senior 4-Hers are offered a leadership opportunity as cabin leaders. To learn how to register, visit http://www.extension.iastate.edu/polk/news/taste-camp. Financial aid is available through the Iowa 4-H Foundation due by April 25th. To learn how to apply, visit https://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/fundingopportunities. Please contact Joy with any questions at 515-957-5771 or niklasen@iastate.edu. Online Registration for 2014 State 4-H Camps Registration for the four State 4-H Camps to be held this summer at the Iowa 4-H Center is now live. The camps are open to students in grades 5-8; 4-H membership is not required. Registration for the statewide camps can be made online at www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/camping. The fee for each session (five days/four nights) is $240. Additional information about the themed camps is available online as State Camp FAQs. Contact Bill Beckley at wbeckley@iastate.edu with questions about registration and for more camp session information. 2014 Iowa 4-H Youth Conference: Ticket to Success The dates have been set for June 24-26, 2014 for a great three-day adventure on Iowa State s beautiful campus! The registration cost has been set at $175 per person. This is the same fee for both youth and adults, which covers 2 nights of lodging, 7 meals, 3 keynote speakers, transportation for workshops and community service, facility rental, 2 dances, and a t-shirt, among other supports, services and activities. When you look at your return on investment, it s priceless! If you have any questions about the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference, check out the website for updates at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/iowa4hyouthconference or contact Marci, 515-957-5770 or vinsand@iastate.edu. OUR VISION A WORLD IN WHICH YOUTH AND ADULTS LEARN, GROW, AND WORK TOGETHER AS CATALYSTS FOR POSTIVE CHANGE
Weigh-In Dates Please mark your calendars with the following weigh-in dates. CANCELLED- Swine Saturday, April 5 th from 8:00 11:00 at Don Timmins farm in Altoona. Sheep and Meat Goats Saturday, May 3 rd from 8:00 11:00 at the State Fairgrounds Sheep Barn Remember, the sheep department of the Polk County Fair Board requires that all female and intact male animals being weighed-in have scrapie tags at the time of the weigh-in. Please bring all breeding sheep to the weigh-ins to be ID d. Commercial ewes for State Fair will also need a 4-H tag and to be retinal scanned this year. 2014 Swine Show Changes The following changes have been made for the 2014 Swine Show. Polk County will NOT hold a swine weigh-in. Instead, you will need to tag your pigs, and then register them in 4-H online by May 15. You can pick up your tags (and a tagger if needed) from the extension office, along with the instructions to enter them into 4-H Online. If you have any questions about the entry process please contact Marci at vinsand@iastate.edu or 515-957-5770. Please call ahead to be sure we have a tagger available, in case they are all checked out. Due to not having a swine weigh-in, there will not be a derby class at the county fair. This is because a beginning weight is required to do the calculations for a derby. This year there will be a carcass class, which will use the same ultrasound information. Rabbit Workshop Series It s time to prepare your rabbit for the county fair! Throughout this series, you will learn about the different rabbit breeds, tattooing of rabbits, and proper showmanship. All workshops are FREE and will be held at the Polk County Extension office in Altoona. To register, please contact the rabbit superintendent, Bill Wolfe at 515-556-5123. Saturday, May 3rd, 1:00-3:00 PM Grooming, Tattoos, Showmanship, General questions Sunday, June 8th, 1:00-3:00 PM Carriers, Tattoos, Showmanship, General questions LIVING HISTORY FARMS 4-H RABBIT PROJECT OPPORTUNITY Living History Farms has invited the Polk County 4-H Rabbit Project youth to participate in their Easter Celebration on Saturday, April 19, 2014 from 8:30- Noon. Tables will be set up in the LHF Party Barn for 4-H ers to display their rabbits. Visitors will walk by the tables to pet and talk about the animals. This is great practice for 4-Her s to talk about their animals to others. Sign-up deadline is: April 12, 2014. A Living History Farms Volunteer Form is required for each person participating as a volunteer. To sign-up for this event or ask questions, contact Carol Stock, at 515-447-1012 or carolstunes@yahoo.com The 2014 Polk County Fair is scheduled for July 16-21 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Have an interest in goats? Do you have an interest in goats but don t know where to get one? We have received information about upcoming goat sales that will be taking place this spring. If you would like the details about any of these sales, please contact Marci at 515-957-5770 or vinsand@iastate.edu. Stock Show University ATTENTION CATTLE EXHIBITORS: Stock Show University will be hosting a Hands-On Cattle Fitting Clinic in Marshalltown on May 3 rd and 4 th. It is a free clinic that is sponsored by Sullivan Supply. For more information, contact Marci at 515-957-5770 or vinsand@iastate.edu or visit http:// www.sullivansupply.com/ssu_clinic_schedule.html Livestock ID s NOW it the time! ID your livestock today. ALL livestock ID s will be done through 4-H Online (iowa.4honline.com). As always, non-weigh-in species ID s will be due by May15, but don t let that stop you from entering them today! Non-Weigh-In Species: Login to your 4-H Online family record and add the correct Animal ID s to the correct member record. Weigh-In Species: County extension staff will enter animal ID s and information into 4-H Online. It will then be the responsibility of the members to login to 4-H Online within one week of the weigh-in date and verify that all information is correct. 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 feel free to contact Marci at 957-5770 or vinsand@iastate.edu. FSQA (Food Safety & Quality Assurance) MAKE-UP Session All food-producing livestock exhibitors currently in the 4 th -6 th grades are required to attend FSQA training. 4-H ers currently in the 7 th -9 th grades will be eligible to take the intermediate test or attend a workshop, and those in 10 th -12 th grades will be eligible to take the senior test or attend a workshop. These include exhibitors in Beef, Dairy, Sheep, Swine, Goat, Poultry and Rabbit project areas. This also includes breeding divisions of those exhibits. Many Polk County 4-H ers completed FSQA training last month, but there are still a few that need to complete this requirement to be allowed to exhibit food-producing animals at county and/ or state fair this year. If an exhibitor was a 4 th, 5 th, or 6 th grader this year, they will be required to attend a training session. The final make-up session in Polk County will be, Tuesday, June 10 th, 1:00 3:00 PM at the Polk County Extension Office. If you are in the 7 th Grade or above you are eligible to test out. Exhibitors interested in certifying by exam, please make an appointment with Marci at 957-5770 or vinsand@iastate.edu. Exams need to be completed by June 23rd.
NEWS FOR HORSE EXHIBITORS From Horse Superintendent, Sondra Feldstein The best way to stay in touch with communication about the fair is to join our Facebook page, Polk County 4-H and FFA Horse. The page has the current fair book including class list, sponsorship form, and clinic/ show participation form for 1st & 2nd year exhibitors. You may have to scroll down a bit to find everything but it s all there to view and download. We also post information about clinics and horse shows that Polk County horse exhibitors might be interested in. ALL FIRST- AND SECOND-YEAR EXHIBITORS will be required to attend a clinic on show ring etiquette and horse handling at 10 a.m. Thursday, August 17 in the show arena UNLESS you attend at least one horse show or clinic before the fair, and turn in the proper form signed by show or clinic officials. The form is available on the Facebook page and at the Extension office. HIGH POINT AWARDS will be given for English performance, Western performance, and timed games. GET YOUR HORSES ID D! May 15 is the deadline as always. If you re using an animal you ve ID d in the past, that information is retained in 4-H Online and all you have to do is click activate. If it s a new horse or pony, enter the information in 4-H Online by May 15. FFA members, turn in the forms to your advisor no later than May 15. If you re leasing a horse, please get that form uploaded into 4-H Online as well. WE NEED SPONSORS! All those wonderful door prizes and awards have to be paid for; the fair itself pays for ribbons and premiums but nothing else. We d like to be able to offer all exhibitors a gift at check -in, door prizes for all exhibitors, and give high point winners the choice of a jacket or chair, but it has to be paid for. Our show is growing steadily and that means it costs more to buy those nice gifts. Sponsors will be recognized in the show bill and during announcements at the show. Sponsorship forms and class lists are available on the Facebook page. The Polk County Fair is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, so donations are generally tax-deductible. CLINICS: We would love to offer more clinics. Some of you have expressed interest in hosting clinics for 4-Hers. They could be clinics with or without horses; on any topic (showmanship, show ring etiquette, fitting horses, pleasure classes, trail, games, etc) and for any specified number of participants. This is a good community service or leadership project for senior members. We can charge a minimal amount to cover costs but for insurance purposes you do have to go through the Extension Office in order to offer a 4-H clinic. Please contact Sondra Feldstein, sondraf@uchicago.edu or 515-250-2330 or Marci Vinsand at the Extension Office if you have an interest in hosting a clinic. Spring 4-H Horse Clinic Sunrise Stables which is just 6 miles south of the Des Moines Airport (8926 Fulton St, Indianola, IA) will be hosting a horse clinic directed by Howdle Performance Horses on May 10th. Morning Session: 10:00 am 1:00 pm: The morning session will be for our 1 st and 2 nd year 4H students who are required to have a clinic before fair. This session will cover basics from clipping, grooming and prepping for the ring as well as showmanship. It will also cover safety and riding etiquette. Afternoon Session: 2:00 pm 5:00 pm: The afternoon session will be a more advanced session. It will cover horsemanship, trail point system and how to properly maneuver a pattern. It will also touch up on ranch horse pleasure and western pleasure. It will end with showmanship as a nice cool down for the horses. The fee is $25.00 per rider per session with a max of 10 riders. $5.00 to audit all day. (If riding in either session, free to audit the other session) arena will be open to ride after clinic until 9:00pm. Please register by May 9 th by calling 515-664-0668 or emailing Stephanie@Rohlfsen.com
Leaders Corner ATTENTION Leaders Volunteer Opportunities Spring Plant Sale at The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden May 8-11 Plant runners will help customers carry and load plants into their car during the Spring Plant Sale Contact Susan Cory at 515-323-6293 or scory@dmbotanicalgarden.com Little Hands on the Farm at The Iowa State Fair August 7-17 Your club would commit to providing the volunteers for the exhibit for an entire shift. In return they will list the name of your club on the entrance and exit gates of the exhibit, as well as on the Iowa State Fair website as a volunteer group Contact Emily Brewer at 515-262-3111 ext. 244 or ebrewer@iowastatefair.org Spring Clean-Up Volunteer Day at The Iowa 4-H Center April 26 Help prepare for the upcoming summer camp season! These projects will take numerous helping hands- both big and small- so they are looking for youth and adults! Come as an individual, family, 4-H club or volunteer group Contact the camp office at 515-795-3338 or 4hcentermail@iastate.edu What is your club doing? Is your club participating in a fun community service opportunity? If so, we would love to hear about it! Please share with us your happenings, and we will place it in next month s Clover Power. Spring Leader Meeting Please make plans to attend the Spring Leader Meeting on April 24, 2014 from 1:00-3:00 pm OR 6:00-8:00 pm at the Polk County Extension Office. Volunteer Training Makeup If you were unable to attend the training on February 11 th, the webinar and materials are located at https://learn.extension.org/events/1261. Following the presentation, you must go to https:// www.surveymonkey.com/s/793h7bx and fill out the online evaluation via Survey Monkey. This survey collects anonymous data and will not verify that the volunteer participated in the training. To verify your participation to county office, you must send an email to niklasen@iastate.edu with the following information to get credit: volunteer name, title of webinar, date viewed, and three things I learned or will use. Please complete this by May 15 th.
10 Phone Numbers, E-Mail and Website Addresses Joy Niklasen 957-5771 niklasen@iastate.edu Polk County 4-H Club Page http://www.extension.iastate.edu/polk/4h 4-H County Youth Coordinator Marci Vinsand 957-5770 vinsand@iastate.edu 4-H County Youth Coordinator Carla Vanderheiden 957-5763 carlav@iastate.edu Youth & Nutrition Internal Program Coordinator Andrea Nelson 957-5775 nelsonar@iastate.edu Executive Director Jeff Macomber 993-4281 jmacombe@iastate.edu Youth Development Specialist The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326- W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.
DATES TO REMEMBER April 1 4-H Program Advisory Board 7-8:30 pm 2 County Council Meeting 7:00 pm 5 Swine Weigh-In 8:00-11:00am- CANCELLED 5 Painting workshop-2-4 PM 16 Fair Board Meeting 7:30 pm 24 Leader Meeting 1:00 3:00 pm or 6:00 8:00 pm 24 Deadline for Financial Aid for Conference from the 4-H Foundation 26 Hollowed out books workshop 10 AM- 12 PM 3 Sheep Weigh-In May July 1 Polk County & Iowa State Fair Entries Due to Extension Office 4 Office Closed 8 4-H Program Advisory board 7-8:30 pm 9 County Council Meeting 7:00 pm 9 Fair Board Meeting 7:30 pm 12 Clothing Event 16-21 Polk County Fair August 7 th -17 th Iowa State Fair 12 AkSarBen Entries Due to the Extension Office 3 Rabbit Workshop 1:00-3:00 pm 6 4-H Program Advisory Board 7-8:30 pm 7 County Council Meeting 7:00 pm 15 Livestock ID s Due 15 Last Day to Enroll in 4-H 15 Polk County Fair King and Queen Applications Due 17 Babysitting Clinic 9AM-3PM 21 Fair Board Meeting 7:30 pm 26 Office Closed June 3 4-H Program Advisory Board 7-8:30 pm 4 County Council Meeting 7:00 pm 7 King/Queen Candidate Interviews 8 Rabbit Workshop 1:00-3:00 pm 16-17 Intermediate Trips to the Twin Cities 18 Fair Board Meeting 7:30 pm 18-21 Taste of Camp 24-26 State 4-H Conference FIND US AT: EXTENSION.IASTATE.EDU/4H/POLK 222