Ashland 4-H/FFA Newsletter December 6, 2024

4-H PetPals

Ashland County 4-H is looking to start up PetPals! This program links youth and their pets (dogs, cats, rabbits and more) with senior adults in various healthcare facilities. Youth gain a greater appreciation for their pets, and experience compassion and caring for senior citizens through the 4-H PetPALS program.

Young people learn to train and prepare their pets so they can participate in animal-assisted activities as a team. Youth learn about animal behavior, animal handling techniques and proper pet care. They gain a greater appreciation for their pet and form a stronger human-animal bond.

For a video explaining more about this program visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWuRHs_M75U

There are training sessions to complete prior to visits and dogs need to be Canine Good Citizen certified (CGC testing provided free of charge).

Please contact Renee Nalley at reneemlucas@gmail.com if you are interested in participating in Petpals.

DNA kits for Ohio State Fair

DNA kits for Market Beef showing at the Ohio State Fair are now available to be picked up at the Extension Office. Please call ahead as Jackie needs to sign the form. The state is no longer providing EIN tags for state fair market beef projects, so you will need to obtain your own EIN tag if your animal does not already have one. DNA kits must be RECEIVED byt he State office by January 15 so please mail them early!

 

Market Lamb Pool

Interested in taking a market lamb project? Consider buying your lamb through the lamb pool.  Information and the order form can be found on our website at:

https://ashland.osu.edu/sites/ashland/files/imce/2025%20Lamb%20Pool.pdf

 

 

Scholarship Opportunity

Farm Credit Mid-America Scholars Program
We are thrilled to announce the FARM CREDIT MID-AMERICA SCHOLARS program for 2025 (our 9th year!). This program provides $5,000 in scholarship support over a two-year period and includes leadership development workshops and experiential travel. We are seeking the next generation of leaders who are passionate about making a difference in agriculture. Ideal candidates are current freshmen or sophomores in college, pursuing a degree in agriculture from universities in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee or Arkansas, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. For more details, please visit our website featuring last year’s Scholars: Meet the FCMA Scholars.

Customer Scholarship Program
We also offer $1,500 scholarships to students attending accredited two- or four-year colleges, universities or vocational/trade schools. Recipients of the CUSTOMER SCHOLARSHIP must be children or grandchildren of Farm Credit Mid-America customers pursuing a career in the agricultural industry. Current high school seniors, as well as college freshmen, sophomores and juniors, are welcome to apply.

If you know someone majoring in agriculture who would be a good candidate for either of these scholarships, please feel free to share this information with them. Applications can be found on our website. The deadline to apply for the Farm Credit Mid-America Scholars program is December 15, 2024, and the deadline for the Customer Scholarship program is January 15, 2025.

Over the past decade, Farm Credit Mid-America has awarded more than $2 million in financial and educational support to deserving students pursuing careers in agriculture. We greatly appreciate your support in helping us expand the impact of these scholarships on the next generation of agricultural leaders.

For questions about the scholarship programs, please email or call randy.barbee@fcma.com or 502-494-5713.

 

Reminder:  Volunteer Background Checks

If your background check is due to be renewed this year, you have already received an email AND a postal mail letter alerting you it is time to do so. Please remember to enroll in 4honline first and send us the BCI instruction sheet with your signature at the bottom so you can get reimbursed.  THANK YOU!

 

 

Time to Enroll in 4-H!
The new 4-H year began November 1.  You may now enroll in 4-H at https://4honline.com/

NEW THIS YEAR! VOLUNTEERS WILL NEED TO ENROLL IN 4HONLINE BY FEBRUARY 15 TO CONTINUE SERVING AS A 4-H VOLUNTEER. Volunteers need to be enrolled as a volunteer each year before starting to work with youth. 

Deadline for members to enroll in 4-H with ALL of their projects is April 15!

FFA Members: If you are taking an animal project to the fair, even if it is through FFA, you will need to “enroll” in 4Honline so you will be able to log in and identify your animal later in the year.  By choosing your FFA Chapter as your ‘club’ in 4Honline, it is recognized that you are an FFA member and not enrolling in 4-H.

 

  • PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK YOUR FAMILY ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL WHEN YOU ENROLL!  This is VERY important as 4Honline is our main resource to find your contact information, mail out Jr. Fair livestock checks, etc..

  • Make sure 4honline and our office emails are not going to your junk/spam folder. Look for the confirmation email from 4Honline that you have submitted your enrollment request. You will receive a SECOND EMAIL FROM 4HONLINE STATING YOUR ENROLLMENT WAS APPROVED after one of the Ashland County Extension Staff reviews and approves your enrollment.

  • Enroll your projects under the club you are taking them through.

    EX: FFA projects should be enrolled under your FFA Chapter

    Enroll Shooting Sports projects under Top Shots

  • If you need a second club, click the EDIT button by CLUBS.  DO NOT CLICK ADD CLUB!! This requests a new club to be added to the county.

For help with enrollment, visit our app or our webpage at https://ashland.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/4-h-online-enrollment-information

 

 

QR Code for the 4-H/FFA Newsletter page

Although you will no longer receive an email with the link to this newsletter, you may access the newsletter page at any time by using the QR code below or book marking/adding to favorites the newsletter webpage  https://u.osu.edu/ashlandcounty4h/

Submit News to the County Extension Office

If you have some news you would like to share with the Ashland County Extension Office please use the link below to share that with us. We will review the information and include it in our 4-H Newsletter, Facebook page, website or other avenue as appropriate.
Ashland County Extension Office 4-H information submission

Find us on Facebook at: Ohio State- Ashland County 4-H Facebook page

Visit on the web at: https://ashland.osu.edu/