September 2020 4-H News

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Greetings 4-H Families!

In this issue:

  • 2021 Junior Fair Board Applications due September 1
  • End-Of-Year Award Applications due September 30
  • Camp Counselor Applications due November 2
  • Thank You Note Reminder
  • Extension Office Hours
  • Ohio 4-H Updated Guidelines
  • Ohio Youth Skillathon Result

COUNTY 4-H UPDATES

2019 Jr. Fair Aglympics

Junior Fair Board 2021 Applications Available – Due September 1

Time to start thinking about 2021! If you are a teen and interested in helping make decisions about the Jr. Fair and serve your community, apply now to be a 2021 Junior Fair Board member!

Applications and information on meeting dates and expectations are available at go.osu.edu/madcojfb. Applications are due September 1st to the Extension Office or emailed to madisoncountyjfb@gmail.com or nicol.115@osu.edu.

 

End-Of-Year Award Applications and Forms available – Due September 30th

2019 4-H Honor Members

Want to be recognized for your 4-H accomplishments? Nominate an outstanding member or friend of 4-H? All end of year award applications are due September 30th to the OSU Extension office or emailed to duffey.2@osu.edu. Awards are annouced at the end of year banquet in December. You can find all the forms below or linked to our website here.

2021 Camp Counselor Applications Available!

We want to make sure individuals interested in applying for Madison County 4-H Camp Counselor have plenty of time to work on and submit their applications! We’re trying to be optimistic and eager for 2021!

Help us plan to 2021 Madison County 4-H Camp!

For more information, tentative meeting dates or to apply visit: go.osu.edu/madco4hcampcounselor

 

Thank You Notes

Now that fair is over, please make sure that you take the time to write a thank you note to the sponsors of your awards and buyers. It is very important to show appreciation to these supporters! While you are at it, feel free to write a letter of appreciation to others that helped make your 4-H year memorable and possible. This could be your parents, club leaders, volunteers and fair, and older youth member, etc.

The buyers list from the 2020 Jr. Fair Livestock Sale is available here!

Remember, the sponsors of awards and buyers did not have to do this for you. Please do these thank you notes in a timely manner to show your appreciation!

When writing a thank you note, remember to include the following:

  • Greeting (Dear ____,)
  • Express your gratitude (Thank you so much for sponsoring ___ award OR thank you so much for all your help with my project)
  • Discuss Use (Say something nice about what you got and how you will use it/what it means to you!)
  • Grace (Thanks again for your support)
  • Regards (Sincerely)

For additional help writing a thank you note and to see a sample, click here!

Jr. Fair Results

Congratulations to all who exhibited at the 2020 Madison County Jr. Fair! To view results from livestock classes and special interest awards, as well as the project showcase for special interest, click the links below!

*There are some awards that need claimed in the Extension Office. If you are waiting for a banner/plaque, please call ahead to make sure it is in before making a trip to the Extension Office!

OSU Extension Office Hours

The Madison County Extension Office is now open to the public! We are open Monday for open hours (no appointment needed) from 7:30am-4:00pm and Tuesday-Friday by appointment only. Please contact our office to schedule an appointment at least 24 hours in advance.

As an additional note, Frances will be out of office on vacation starting Thursday, August 27 through Monday, September 7. If you need anything feel free to contact Arlene Duffey at duffey.@osu.edu or call the office at 740-852-0975.

There are still plenty of Farm Bureau sponsored fair shirts available as well!

 

 

In-Person 4-H Meeting Update

As we head into fall, we want to take a moment to thank you for remaining flexible as we work together to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. By following recommended guidance, we’re helping to keep our families and friends safer, our kids learning, and our economy going. We also want to take a moment to share updated in-person 4-H meeting requirements and a reminder to continue to follow our 4-H guidelines.

Updated information, effective as of today, September 1, 2020 includes:

  • Hosting virtual meetings and events is preferred.
  • If activities are critical/essential and are in-person, they must be education-focused.
  • Group cannot be larger than 50 people, including adults, youth, presenters, etc.
    • This directive is dependent on local health department guidelines.
    • The group size may need to be reduced to 10 (or other amount), based on the directives of your local health department.
  • Face masks are required.
    • This includes inside AND outside at all times.
    • Program participants and parent/guardians ages five and older must wear a mask.
    • The exception is shooting sports where safety is a concern when on the line. Refer to the full guidance document online for additional shooting sports guidance (link below).
    • Medical conditions or disability exceptions are also permitted.
  • Potlucks and buffets are not permitted

Any time your county is designated a Level 4 Public Health Emergency (color-coded purple) by the Ohio Department of Health, all in-person 4-H club meetings and events must be held virtually or postponed until the designation changes to Level 3 or below.

Ohio’s Public Health Advisory System updates are at https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/publichealth-advisory-system/

All other guidance we provided July 22 is still in effect. That information, along with these new updates, is at https://ohio4h.org/families/stay-connected.

Statement on 4-H Membership Eligibility

Ohio 4-H membership begins with Cloverbuds when a child is five and ends on December 31 of the year they turn 19. Due to cancellation of activities in 2020, there have been requests to extend a year of eligibility for 4-H members. This was given strong consideration at the national and regional levels. The decision was made that national 4-H programs will follow existing age requirements and another year of eligibility will not be granted. Following conversation with our 4-H professionals, Ohio will follow that policy.

Changing the policy would set an unsustainable precedent for youth participation for years to come. It would create increased unfairness when considering competitive events with the cascading impact on those who would have aged out taking spots of current youth down the line. COVID-19 has created a loss of experiences for everyone however, I am confident in the resiliency of our youth. Over the past few months, their ability to adapt and willingness to persevere has been evidenced by their participation in virtual camps, meetings and other 4-H activities.

Ohio 4-H is proud of how our volunteers and young people have adapted in this unprecedented time.

Visit the 4-H STEM Tent During this Year’s Virtual Farm Science Review

We’re excited to offer virtual STEM-focused programming during this year’s online Farm Science Review. Plan to join us on September 22, 23, and 24 to take virtual tours and field trips, learn about watershed and stream health, explore careers in agriculture, and more. The schedule for our virtual 4-H STEM Tent is below. More information, including how to register to participate in these free sessions, will be coming soon.

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020

9 AM-10 AM – Virtual Video Tour of Myers Hatchery and Dialog

10:15 AM – Explore Agriculture in Hawaii Using Google Expedition

11 AM-Noon – Egg Catcher STEM Challenge

12:15 PM – Virtual Video Tours of Young’s Jersey Dairy and/or Guiggsberg Cheese

1:15 PM-2:15 PM – From Moo to You Dairy Science Lab at GISA

2:30 PM – Career Explorer

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020

9 AM-10 AM – Soil Health Challenge

10:15 AM – Soil Broken Down

11:00 AM – Clean Water STEM Pathways Challenge

Noon – 1 PM – Water Quality Challenge

1:15 PM-2:15 PM – Watershed and Stream Health

2:30 PM – Finding the Right Career Path, Assessing Your Employable Skills

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020

9 AM-10 AM – Virtual Video Tour of Robotics Dairy Systems

10:15 AM – Cookie Prospecting STEM Pathways Challenge

11:00 AM – A Boost Against Arthritis STEM Pathways Challenge

Noon to 1 PM – Agriculture Mechanization STEM Challenge

1:15 PM-2:15 PM – From Pasture to Plate Virtual Video Tour and Meat Science Lab

2:30 PM – Virtual Video Tour of John Deere Tractor Simulator and Ag STEM Career Discussion

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 1 – Jr. Fair Board applications due

September 7 – Extension Office Closed – Labor Day

September 30 – Honor Club Apps, Community Service Club Awards, Jr. and Teen Honor Member Forms, Outstanding Member Nomination forms, Cloverbud, Volunteer Honor Form, and Friend of 4-H Nomination forms due

October 5 – 4-H Committee Meeting @ 6pm

October 7 – Junior Fair Board Meeting @ 6pm

STATE 4-H OPPORTUNITIES

Be sure to check Ohio4H.org for the most recent state 4-H information and follow the “Ohio State – 4-H Youth Development” Facebook page!

Ohio Youth Skillathons

Registration has closed for the online Ohio Youth Skillathons. For those participating, don’t forget to show proof of your score (70% or higher) at Vallery’s Farmhouse Bakery in London to redeem a free cookie!

Congrats to those that have completed skillathon so far: Results for each day can be found here: ohio4h.org/animalsciences/ohio-youth-skillathons (click on each species for results by county and placings)

  • Callie Jenkins, Born in a Barn – Horse, Dairy, Dog, and Beef
  • Jacob Hiles, Country Bunch – Poultry and Swine
  • Isabel Hiles, Country Bunch – Poultry and Swine
  • Garrett Vance, Clover Clippers – Poultry
  • Olivia Seaburn, Beginners to Winners – Sheep

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