There are two upcoming fundraisers to support the 4-H youth who volunteer to be camp counselors and 4-Hers raising money for their books or camp fees.  Please consider supporting one or both of the following (you do not need to know a youth member to help.)

• Thursday, January 20, 2022: Penn Station Fundraiser (show them the flyer at the bottom when you order on Thursday from 10:30 AM-9:00 PM)
• Due February 18, 2022: Little Caesars Fundraiser – Any member can sell pizza kits.  Pick up and order form from the Extension office or orders can be placed online at pizzakit.com  Online orders ONLY: Greene County 4-H Fundraiser ID# 402236
  

From a SNAP-ED Program Assistant:

My name is Aaron Fowler and I am finishing up my master’s degree in Agricultural and Extension Education at The Ohio State University. As part of my master’s project, I am conducting a community needs assessment around the potential development of a 4-H youth farm stand program in Greene County. The program’s intention would be to provide 4-H youth the opportunity to learn how to grow, market, and sell their products. The program’s goal is to help youth develop skills in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, leadership, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and community outreach. The community needs assessment will help in determining interest and needs among 4-H families and the agriculture community in Greene County. The data from the needs assessment will be used within the county to determine if the program is achievable and what the next steps would be in development.

If you are involved in 4-H or the agriculture community in Greene County, please follow this link: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7ZEX3rhLaHbL1pI and complete the survey by December 29th, 2021. The survey should only take about 15 minutes to complete. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at fowler.440@osu.edu.

Are you ready to order your project books for the new 4-H year?  We are ready for you!  To review projects, check out the 2022 Family Guide here.  New this year, we have brought back all 6 of our county only projects.  They are:

#1001 Baking Pies and Pastries

#1002 Candy Making (Go Buckeyes!)

#1003 Nifty Knitting and Cool Crochet

#1004 Play with Your Food

#1005 Stuck on Duct

#1006 Trash to Treasure

Please email Pat at zehring.5@osu.edu or call the office at 937-372-9971 with a list of the books you would like to order (including the county only projects), or stop by our office.  We place orders weekly and we are receiving them in a timely manner.  Once your order is complete, we will contact you so you can stop on by to pay and pick them up.  Order early to avoid the wait.

It is getting to be that time of the year in which our local food pantries have a greater need for assistance.  Our office is looking to help 4-6 local pantries over the next year.  We have chosen to start with Xenia Area FISH Food Pantry because they assist not only Xenia residents but others in Greene County.  If you would like to help a local pantry, check out the list below, or contact one in your town, to see what specific needs their location might have.  A little bit can go a long way.

Local Food Pantry Listing

THANK YOU BUYER POSTER CONTEST

4-H will sponsor the Buyer Thank You Poster Contest for members taking market animals.

1. Posters should be no bigger than 11”14”

2. It is suggested to use a foam board or laminate the poster since it is sturdy and easier to mount. Posters must be up by Saturday, July 31 at 8:00 p.m.

3. Posters must include first and last name as well as club name. Place or hang poster up.

Winning posters will be notated and  recognized by ribbons on their pens. Top 2 posters from each species will be chosen  and recognized with a ribbon and an additional 4-H prize. If you win, you must claim your prize at the OSUE Office.

As with 2020, we will continue to use an Online Drug Use Notification Form (DUNF). This form will need to be completed by Friday, July 30, 2021 at noon if you already have your animals tagged. As a reminder, this form is REQUIRED for each MARKET/LACTATING animal. In addition, a few other species require it. If your animal will be tagged at weigh-in (poultry), please complete this after you receive your tag numbers.

Please review this document to help you complete this. https://greene.osu.edu/sites/greene/files/imce/Program_Pages/4H/Livestock/Online%20DUNF.pdf

VISIT WWW.GO.OSU.EDU/GREENECODUNF  TO COMPLETE

Cattle
•Large Market Beef (steer/heifer)
•Veal Calf (not a feeder)
•Dairy Steer
•Lactating Dairy Cattle (cow not a heifer)

Swine
•Market Hog (barrow/gilt)

Goat
•Dairy Market (wether/doe) Must use scrapie ID#
•Meat Market (wether/doe) Must use scrapie ID#
•Lactating Dairy Goats (even if currently dry)

Poultry
•Market Chicken pen
•Each Market Turkey
•Each Market Duck

Sheep
•Market Lamb Must use scrapie ID#

Rabbit
•Meat pen

We tend to think of tomatoes as easy-to-grow garden vegetables, but that isn’t always the case.  There are many different issues that can make an easy-to-grow plant into a nightmare! Learn to identify, avoid, and treat most common tomato issues from Garry Abfalter, OSU Extension Greene County Master Gardener Volunteer.

One of the most exciting parts of growing your own tomatoes is finally getting to taste the fruits of your labor. Laura Hallaway, OSU Extension Greene County Family and Consumer Science Educator will give some tips and recipes to make best summer favor from your garden-fresh tomatoes.

Date: July 29, 2021

Time: 12:00 Noon

Location: Virtually via Zoom

Registration: go.osu.edu/gctomatoes

Cost: $7.00

Contact: Kim Hupman at hupman.5@osu.edu or 937-736-7209

Butterflies are beautiful and interesting creatures which color our gardens and a joy to observe.  What makes butterflies so interesting? They undergo a process called complete metamorphosis during their life cycle. This means that the butterfly changes completely from its early larval stage, a caterpillar, until the final stage, a beautiful and graceful adult butterfly.

Please join Jane Worth, OSU Extension Greene County Master Gardener Volunteer and Project Leader for the Bellbrook Petrikis Butterfly Garden on Thursday, July 8th at Noon as she presents “Butterflies 101 – Butterflies in the Garden”. You will learn about our beautiful butterflies and the garden plants that sustain both adult butterflies and their caterpillars.

When: Thursday, July 8, 2021

Location: Zoom

Cost: $7.00

Register: go.osu.edu/gcbutterflies

In the United States, pumpkins go hand in hand with the fall holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Harvested in October, this nutritious and versatile orange fruit features flowers, seeds and flesh that are edible and rich in vitamins. Pumpkin is used to make soups, desserts and breads, and many Americans include pumpkin pie in their Thanksgiving meals. Numerous varieties, shapes, colors and sizes of pumpkins exist for fall decorating and carving as well as pie types suitable for baking.

Join Kim Hupman, OSU Extension Greene County Horticulture Program Assistant, and Laura Halladay, OSU Extension Greene County Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, on Thursday, June 24^th at noon to learn tips and trick for growing and cook home-grown pumpkin. Kim Hupman will explore different cultivars and strategies for making sure your pumpkins mature later in the season. Laura Halladay will talk about preparing fresh pumpkin and using it to produce a home-grown desserts for the holidays.

When: Thursday, June 24, 2021

Location: zoom – To guarantee all paid registrants receive the Zoom link in time for the program, we close registration at 11:00 am on June 24^th and cannot access registration after this time. If you have issues with the link contact Pat Zehring at zehring.5@osu.edu

Cost: $7.00

Contact: Kim Hupman at hupman.5@osu.edu or Laura Halladay at Halladay.6@osu.edu

Registration: go.osu.edu/gcpumpkins