I’m sure a number of you have now experienced teleworking (for those essential workers…THANK YOU!) So, I would love to share a little bit of the things I have learned while teleworking.
1. My Dogs Telework with Me: My dogs want to meet everyone on video conferencing, and no matter how serious the call, everyone seems to love pets.
2. Keep Moving: I take a morning walk for 15 minutes, and an afternoon walk for 15 minutes. It helps clear my mind of the new stresses of working digitally from work.
3. I Miss Your Kids: I gain so much energy and happiness from your youth – that this has been so hard. I can’t wait to share them again once this is all over!
4. I’m trying to organize way ahead, but my heart aches thinking about the what ifs. Don’t be surprised if I give you a, “I don’t know right now” response to if an event will happen. It’s not that I don’t care, but I literally don’t know.
5. I’m trying to balance keeping resources coming to families and understanding that you may just not want them right now. If you do nothing else, please do your enrollment for us. It helps me plan and plan ahead for what I hope to be a successful summer!
National #LittleRedWagonDay
On the last Wednesday in March, National Little Red Wagon Day celebrates the memories in the making and the ones already made. One iconic toy wields the power of imagination for adults and children alike as it brings us together to explore, laugh and play.For nearly 100 years, Radio Flyer has been bringing smiles to kids of all ages and creating warm memories that last a lifetime. As a brand, Radio Flyer has always supported unstructured outdoor play and its positive impact on children. With their 100th anniversary on the horizon, Radio Flyer would like to establish a day that not only celebrates kids’ imaginations but the vehicles that help them explore it – their wagons.
This iconic toy is one of the most enduring toys of all time. For generations, children have led little red wagons down Independence Day parade routes, carried out infinite imaginary missions and voyages of childhood fantasy. It is not unusual for a little red wagon to be handed down from one generation to the next, treasured like a family heirloom. The adventures are enjoyed by all, regardless of age. Source: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-little-red-wagon-day-last-wednesday-in-march/
But there is a song!
Now, most 4-H’ers know Little Red Wagon as something else– a 4-H CAMP SONG! To keep everyone ready for 4-H Camp, I give you, “Little Red Wagon” (Please note it is a little different, but a great practice, If anyone who has been to camp wants to record themselves singing the song, I will be MORE than happy to post it!)
Bored? Check Out Officer Books
Congratulations on being an officer in your 4-H club! You deserve a lot of credit for taking on the responsibility of keeping your club organized and moving it forward. Below are links to some publications and tools that you will find very helpful. Click on the ones that interest you, print them out, and continue playing an active role in your club. Good luck!
Were you lucky enough to be selected as a Leader for club? Selected and voted to become President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Recreation, Healthy Living, or Community Service? While your club may not be meeting for a while, Ohio 4-H has your back! New Officer Books can be found:
https://ohio4h.org/officerresources
Tell about what you like about your new officer books! What might be better if you had more resources for it?
Van Wert County Extension Physical Office is Temporarily Closed
Our physical office is temporarily closed starting Tuesday, March 17 due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. The office will remain closed until we are notified by Ohio State University administration that we can resume normal operations within our office space.
At this time, all staff will continue to serve clientele remotely during normal office hours. Please feel free to contact Rachel Hoverman at hoverman.22@osu.edu or (419) 203-8570 if you need immediate assistance.
Thank you for your patience, understanding and support during this challenging time. We sincerely appreciate it.
The OSU Extension – Van Wert County office team, Curtis, Deb, Rachel, Melissa, and Heather
Van Wert County 4-H Response to COVID-19
Dear 4-H Families, Volunteers and Supporters:
As you may be aware, The Ohio State University has announced the suspension of face-to-face instruction and the move to virtual instruction effective immediately through April 20, 2020.There will be evaluation whether they should continue in person beyond this time. Our primary concern is for the health and safety of all our people. Virtual meetings are encouraged.
Based on these guidelines, all 4-H Clubs must postpone/cancel all face-to-face meetings between now and April 20, 2020. The 4-H Enrollment deadline will be changed to May 1, 2020. In addition to all 4-H club meetings, the following list of 4-H events qualify as non-essential between now and April 20. Based on these guidelines, these non-essential activities must be postponed/ cancelled/ or held virtually. Examples include (this list is not exhaustive and subject to change at any notice):
- 4-H committees, including advisory, saddle horse, endowment, etc.
- Club kick-offs, open houses, etc.
- Community service projects
- Educational clinics
- Events put on by advisory or county committees or clubs, including fundraisers
- Fundraisers
- Social events (egg hunts, square dances)
- Teen leader groups
NOTE: Senior Fair Board will need to make the determination for fair-related committees.
One of the best ways to prevent the spread of viral illnesses is to minimize the circumstances in which individuals might interact and transmit the diseases. The safety of our community is our top priority. We realize that our COVID-19 policy guidelines will cause disruption, but the risk of not acting outweighs the inconvenience of these temporary measures. We will share updates as more information becomes available.
Please read through the following date changes and mark your calendar accordingly.
Schedule changes for the next 4 weeks:
4-H Enrollment Deadline will be Extended to May 1, 2020.
Postponed:
- All 4-H Club Meetings, Field Trips, and committee meetings.
- 4-H Leadership Night, Mar 12
- SENIOR 4-H BANQUET- Mar 22
- Swine Educational Clinic- Mar 29
- Rabbit QA – Apr 4
Cancelled
- Ambassadors Meetings 6:00pm Mondays
- 4-H Camp Counselor Meetings for Mar 23, Mar 30, April 13
- 4-H Endowment Board, Mar 16
- 4-H Council, Mar 16
- Scholarship Interviews, Mar 18
The best way to reach us is via email:
Heather Gottke, 4-H Educator, Gottke.4@osu.edu
Rachel Hoverman, 4-H Program Coordinator, Hoverman.22@osu.edu
Fight the Stigma!
I recently was given the opportunity to speak at the National 4-H Healthy Living Summit at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD. The topic that was selected was Mental Health, specifically for the Ohio Health Heroes and I to discuss the Stigma of Mental Health and what we can do through our Clubs, Communities, and Action Plans to Fight the Stigma!
The presentation and notes are posted here online to my portfolio to look over and help you in your own journey of Fighting the Stigma!
Ohio 4-H Makes a Difference in Van Wert, Ohio
For more than 100 years The Ohio State University has been home to the largest out-of-school, educational program in the United States with over 7 million young people participating last year. This program, known as 4-H, was first developed in 1902 by A.B. Graham, Superintendent of Clark County Schools in Springfield, Ohio. Since those early days, 4-H has grown to include rural, suburban, and urban youth and continues to focus on critical issues facing young people in their local communities.
Heather Gottke, Educator, 4-H Youth Development, further explained that Graham first initiated the concept of 4-H with the idea that if young people could “learn by doing” in the environment around them. According to Gottke, Graham’s philosophy was that by learning about the soil, studying plants and how they grow, conducting experiments and research, youth could become more productive people and have a better quality of life.
Today, Ohio 4-H is still an exciting program for young people, said Gottke, with over 318,000 members “learning by doing” and developing themselves to their greatest potential with the motto “to make the best better.” The vision of Ohio 4-H is developing youth to become positive, productive citizens and catalysts for effective change to improve our diverse society. The Van Wert county 4-H program currently reaches over 500 youth.
Ohio 4-H programs are designed to engage youth in healthy learning experiences, thus increasing self-esteem and problem solving skills. Gottke said programs address topics such as stress management, parent-teen communication, personal development, careers, environmental stewardship, and global understanding. A wide range of content offerings encourages youth to explore science, technology, and citizenship. Gottke also talked about the statewide 4-H effort she said Ohio 4-H offers over 200 different projects related to the needs of people living in a complex society.
“4-H is a dynamic program because of the many volunteers who support youth who are involved in clubs, special interests groups, and school enrichment programs, and many other programs Gottke said. “Nearly 22,000 adults in Ohio give their time, energy and talents to guide and teach youth through various educational programs and activities.”
Gottke reported that 89 volunteers are involved in the Van Wert county 4-H Youth Development program.
For more information about the 4-H program, contact the Van Wert county Ohio State University Extension office at (419) 238-1214 or by emailing Heather at gottke.4@osu.edu.
4-H Project Carnival
Purpose: To promote 4-H in Van Wert County, and 4-H Projects in a way that is fun, inviting, and allows for easy and safe interaction of the public with possible advisors and members!
Goals:
- Invite all local schools 3rd graders to attend.
- 20% of those invited attend event.
Date/Time/Location: March 31, 2019 from 3:00pm-6:00pm at the Jr. Fair Building
Topics to be covered:
| Smoothie Bike |
| MyPlate Bracelet |
| Show Pig Game |
| Club Leadership |
| Fishing |
| Woodworking |
| Cooking/Snacks |
| Animals |
Audience: Families of Youth ages 5-18 are invited. Members in the 3rd grade are invited directly, and the public will be invited through other channels (Media, newspaper, social media, word of mouth, etc.).
Stations- 22 total
FAQ About Livestock Books
These instructions are for Van Wert County, OHIO only. Please contact your local Extension Office for details on your own county’s judging.
CAN I USE MY OLD BOOK?
No. The new packet is designed to have everything you need, and judges will only be familiarized with that format. Bringing an old book will result in your transferring the information to a new book at judging before you can be interviewed, or no score.
I TAKE A RABBIT PROJECT. WHAT BOOK DO I NEED?
You will need to take the market project book, and the breeding book. There are things such as Pedigree Records, and Breeding records that will need to be recorded, but your feed can be the same as the market book if you feed them together.
HOW MANY MARKET/BREEDING PROJECTS CAN I HAVE IN ONE BOOK?
You may only circle one of the project areas per book. Example: If you take a Market Beef Steer, and a Dairy Beef Feeder, you will need two books. Or if you have a dairy heifer and a dairy cow, you will need two books. This is a change from the past, but the correct way to keep records for your books.
ARE ANY OF THE PAGES OPTIONAL FOR MY CHILD? THEY ARE ONLY A FIRST YEAR?
No. All pages are mandatory, but judges take into account their age when judging books. If your child is unable to fill out their own book, please contact Heather for an accommodation Winning Plan Request form to allow you to scribe for them. Filling the book out for your child is noticeable and not acceptable practice.
HOW MUCH ARE THE BOOKS?
The books are $2.00 each from the Extension Office. Advisors will ask you how many you need or if you wish to print your own and will order them with the other project books. They come stapled down the side like a book, and hole punched to be put in a binder. If you wish you are permitted to download the book online, but we find the $2.00 is worth it instead of fighting with your printer.
WHAT IF I AM GOING TO THE OHIO STATE FAIR WITH MY LIVESTOCK?
You will need to fill out a packet for our livestock judging, and a book for the Ohio State Fair. Just fill out the packet and transfer the information to the book.
HOW WILL MY BOOK BE SCORED? WHEN WILL MY BOOK BE SCORED?
Your book will be scored based on the criteria listed on page 3 of both books. The judge has the right to deduct points for incomplete records. Books should be completed as far as possible, and note that the Profit Loss Statement is projected, not final and must be completed. Books will be scored Monday, July 31 at Vantage Career Center. Appointment times will be available from 3:00pm-6:50pm that evening.
DO WE NEED TO COMPLETE A SKILLATHON? HOW DO WE PREPARE?
Starting in 2017 skillathon is a mandatory requirement. All youth will be expected to complete a skillathon. To prepare for this, we have free study packets at the office for each species. Clubs can also check out the skillathon kits (but they cannot be checked out one week prior to Livestock Judging or Black Inc. Judging).
WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO COMPLETE SKILLATHON?
New in 2017 we are adding an “Outstanding Livestock Exhibitor Program” where factors such as your market/breeding class placing, showmanship placing, skillathon, and project interview will all be taken into account. Our goal is to showcase those youth by denoting them on the sale program. We are currently working to include FFA with this program. We also believe that in order to fully engage in your livestock project that you should know basic things such as body parts, meat cuts, breeds, etc.
I CAN’T MAKE IT TO JUDGING BECAUSE WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE IN TOWN! WHAT DO I DO?
You will need to speak with your Club Advisor, and set up a time for their book to be judged. They will be following the same guidelines as the judging on July 31. Make up skillathon will be on Monday, August 14, 2017 from 3:00-6:50pm at the Extension Office. If needed we can also do make up interviews at this time but will be limited to the amount of youth we can judge.
WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS WILL THE JUDGE ASK? HOW CAN I PREPARE MY CHILD?
Judges will ask questions about the records in the book, such as the following:
- Tell me about your animal.
- What do you feed your animal?
- Describe your animal’s pen/cage.
- What was the most surprising expense for your project?
- Point out information on the feed tag (based on the questions below the feed tag).
- Did you have to treat your animal with any medicine? What did you learn from that?
- Can you tell me what rate of gain is?
- What was your favorite part of your project? Least favorite?
- What was the most important thing you learned?
Judges will most likely not ask every single one of these questions, and may ask a variation of the questions above. If you feel your child may struggle with interaction with one of our judges and requires accommodation, please contact Heather to complete a Winning Plan Request.
ARE THERE STILL RESOURCE GUIDES FOR PURCHASE?
Yes, but only for the following species: rabbits ($10.50), dairy ($13.00), goats ($17.00), llama and alpaca ($12.00), sheep ($22.00), and swine ($15.50). These books are a one-time purchase per species and most likely would only need one per family to share. It is a good investment especially if you are just starting to learn about your animal.
Additional suggestions for supplements can be found in the 2017 Ohio 4-H Family Guide.
CAN MY CLUB ADVISOR GRADE OUR ENTIRE CLUB’S LIVESTOCK PROJECT BOOKS?
That decision is to be made by the club advisor. They are not obligated to judge the entire club (only asked to do make up or find someone to do make up). If they choose to grade the entire club they will need to check out the skillathon kits to complete skillathons as well. Skillathon kits cannot be checked out one week prior to livestock judging, or one week prior to Black Inc. in order for us to prepare for those judgings.
Download Links (books are available for purchase $2.00 each if you don’t wish to print)
FAQ About Project Judging (Non-Livestock)
These instructions are for Van Wert County, OHIO only. Please contact your local Extension Office for details on your own county’s judging.
CAN I USE MY OLD BOOK?
Yes. But you must be able to show the judge what you learned this year. We do suggest that you try another project unless it is a more open-ended project with varying skill levels (like cake decorating, or scrapbooking).
ARE ANY OF THE PAGES OPTIONAL FOR MY CHILD? WHAT IF THEY ARE ONLY A FIRST YEAR MEMBER?
All books are different. It can be very hard for us to answer this question with over 200 books. If you flip to the first couple of pages, most books have an outline of the expectations of the project. There it will tell you how many areas you will need to complete. See the next question for a more full explanation.
HOW DOES MY CHILD KNOW WHAT TO COMPLETE?
In each of the project books, there should be a loose sheet of paper that has a table on it. The table lists project number and name, skill level, project completion requirements, county requirements, and Ohio State Fair requirements. This is a great resource for making sure that you have it all completed before judging.
WON’T THE ADVISOR DO THE PROJECT FOR THEM IN THE CLUB MEETINGS?
Club meetings are a great chance to ask questions, socialize with other club members, give demonstrations, and learn about general 4-H opportunities (camp, swim day). Many of the clubs are a general club and advisors are not expected to help your child complete the book in the meetings. Many will help you complete it, practice judging, or talk to you about your project, but actually completing the book should be a family affair with your child in the driver seat of the project.
HOW MUCH ARE THE BOOKS?
The books are $6.00 each from the Extension Office. Advisors will ask you how many you need to turn in a club order. It is preferred that you get your books through the club as we have a limited stock of project books here at the Extension Office and cannot guarantee any book at any given time.
Note: There are some books that vary more in cost. They are marked in the Ohio 4-H Family Guide with their price. Unmarked books mean the price is $6.00.
HOW WILL MY BOOK BE SCORED? WHEN WILL MY BOOK BE SCORED?
Your book will be scored based on the criteria listed from the project completion requirements. The judge has the right to deduct points for incomplete records. Books will be scored Tuesday, July 18 at Van Wert Middle School. Appointment times will be available from 3:00pm-6:50pm that evening.
WHAT ABOUT SEWING PROJECTS?
Sewing projects are scheduled into time blocks. They cannot be scheduled in the system like the others. You will receive a letter than explains when you will be expected to attend judging.
I CAN’T MAKE IT TO JUDGING BECAUSE WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE IN TOWN! WHAT DO I DO?
You will need to speak with your Club Advisor, and set up a time for their book to be judged. They will be following the same guidelines as the judging on July 18. Please note that if you do not attend the July 18 judging that you cannot be selected as a participant for the Ohio State Fair, or as a County Trophy Winner.
WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS WILL THE JUDGE ASK? HOW CAN I PREPARE MY CHILD?
Judges will ask questions
- Tell me about your project.
- What did you like?
- Knowledge-based questions
Judges may ask a variation of the questions above. If you feel your child may struggle with interaction with one of our judges and requires accommodation, please contact Heather to complete a Winning Plan Request.
WHAT GRADING SYSTEM DO YOU USE?
We are implementing a grading system this year that is worded differently.
SUPERIOR-4-H member went above and beyond the project requirements. They had superior knowledge of project and developed an extensive exhibit.
OUTSTANDING-4-H member met all project requirements. They had basic knowledge of subject matter and a nice exhibit.
GOOD-4-H member met only some project requirements. They needed more project knowledge and more extensive exhibit.
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT-4-H member met none of the project requirements.
We feel with this model that the majority of projects will receive an outstanding grade, and the ones with superior will be our highlighted projects.
When will I know if my child will win an award?
Awards will be given at the 4-H Awards ceremony the Sunday before Fair begins. You will receive a post card if you are getting an award to invite you to attend.
What other things can my child participate in with their project?
IF MY CHILD DOES NOT GET THE GRADE I THINK THEY DESERVE, WHAT CAN I DO?
Judges are given score sheets to express what they feel is maybe a good or needs improvement project. If you feel your child was treated unfairly, please contact the Extension Office to set up an appointment to speak with Heather regarding the decision. Heather will review the grade and comments along with the book to look over the grade received. Arguments the day of judging will not be tolerated as they provide a hostile environment for the youth that are already tense about the judging process.
