Monday, April 28, 2008

Alexander County Spring Goat Show

The 4th Annual Spring Goat Show in Alexander County will be held on May 10th. This show will be ABGA sanctioned and there will be a youth showmanship and wether show. The youth show is free to all participants. There will also be an educational clinic from 10:00 am to 11:30 am on pasture management and forages for goats, along with a small goat skillathon. For more information or to print the entry forms, visit the Alexander County Extension website.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

North Carolina Youth Dairy Day


Mark your calendars to attend this fun and educational youth dairy day on Friday August 8, 2008 at the Rowan County Fairgrounds, Salisbury, NC. This is a new event that is designed to educate youth ages 5-13 about the animal and food aspects of the North Carolina dairy industry and to spark their interest in 4-H dairy youth activities. Youth will attend various "hands on" 30 minute workshops to learn about the following topics:

** dairy cattle judging
** dairy skillathon
** dairy quiz bowl
** dairy cattle fitting and showmanship
** dairy foods

Lunch will be provided and awards and certificates will be presented at
the closing session.

Please check the 4-H Dairy Program website for updated information on this event and other 4-H dairy activities.



April - May Clover News


The April - May Clover News is now available online. Click here to view.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

2008 State WHEP Contest


On Saturday, April 19th, 60 4-hers converged at Carolina Beach State Park in New Hanover County for the 2008 State WHEP Contest. Eight counties put forth 5 Senior Division teams and 11 Junior Division teams. In addition, four individuals and one Cloverbud participated in the contest. The contest consisted of wildlife identification, wildlife foods, aerial photo interpretation and on-site habitat recommendations. Alleghany County was the first place Junior Division team. Team members were Ben Huysman, Gretchen Huysman and James Hall. In the Junior Division, Gretchen received the state contest highest score and a perfect score in the wildlife foods portion of the contest. Ben placed third and James placed fourth. Great Job & Congratulations to all of you!

Dairy Quiz Bowl


Several Alleghany Youth traveled to Iredell County on April 12th to participate in the annual Dairy Quiz Bowl and Skill-a-thon Contest. The Dairy Quiz Bowl is a contest with dairy topic questions. Teams competed with each other in giving oral answers to questions posed by a contest moderator. A written exam was also part of the contest. Participants were able to identify equipment, dairy products, judge hay, judge cattle and work on a team question. Brittany Sturgill and Brigett Sturgill participated in the Senior Division. Natasha Hamm and Tiffany Mount participated in the Junior Division. The Junior team finished third in the skill-a-thon portion while the Senior team won second place in the skill-a-thon portion. Congratulations to all of them.

Teen Retreat


Several Alleghany 4-Hers made the trip to Betsy-Jeff Penn on March 15-16 to attend the annual Teen Retreat. Participants enjoyed workshops on a variety of topics including Public Speaking, Team Work, Expressive Arts and a Dance. Those who attended from Alleghany 4-H included Victoria Hall, Corissa Wilson, Cate Hall, Natasha Hamm, James Hall, Marlin Dean, Inna Zhekova and Kaylee Yates.

Achievement Night Celebration


Volunteers and members of Alleghany County 4-H came out to celebrate the achievements of 4-Hers during its Achievement Night Friday, March 14. The annual event is an opportunity to recognize accomplishments of participants. We celebrated with an ice cream sundae buffet as well as cake and punch made by Victoria Hall. Project Record Awards went to: (9-10 category) Zachary Kupner, McKayla Madden and Ben Huysman (11-12 category) James Hall and Bryanna Lindberg. Senior awards were presented to Brittany Sturgill, Cate Hall and Inna Zhekova. A big thank you to the volunteers who helped with decorations and set-up.

2008 Ag-Discovery Summer Camp Applications Now Available Online

Ag-Discovery is an outreach program to help students learn about careers in animal science, veterinary medicine, and plant pathology. This program allows participants to live on a college campus and learn about Agricultural science from university professors, practicing veterinarians and professionals working for the U.S. Government. This 2 to 3 week summer boarding program targets youth ages 14-17 who are interested in learning more about animal science, veterinary medicine and plant pathology. Students chosen to participate in Ag-Discovery will gain experience through hands-on labs, workshops, and field trips. Students will also participate in character and team building activities and diversity workshops. For more information or an application, click here.

4-H Investigates


Do you like watching CSI??? Then come join us for a great crime solving adventure and learn about all the careers possible with forensics. The camp will be held at East Wilkes Middle School. Contact the Extension Office for more information. Registration deadline is May 30!!

When: June 17-19
Grades: 6th-8th
Cost: $30 (transportation, meals and snacks provided)
Limit: 5

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Application, Resume, Interview

ARI, also known as Application, Resume, Interview is a 3-step process by which youth are chosen to attend National events such as National Congress, National Conference, and International Leadership Conference. All applications are due to the State Office by May 15th. You must be between the ages of 14-18. Age is determined by age as of January 1 of the current year. Visit this website for more information or contact the Extension Office.

County Activity Day


Our County Activity Day will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at the County Office Building, 2nd Floor Conference Room. If you are interested in giving a presentation at the county or district level, here is your opportunity. Your presentation can be on any topic you choose. There are three age categories,
9-10, 11-13, and 14-18. If you would like additional information about presentations at the county, as well as the district level, contact me.
RSVP by May 14, 2008.

Careers in the Equine Industry Workshop


Ever thought you might like to work with horses and get paid for it? Come learn how to make a living out of what you love. Horse industry professionals will be available to discuss career options. This session will be offered at the Rowan County Agricultural Center on April 29th, 6:30 PM. RSVP by Friday, April 25 by calling 704-216-8970!

Talent Show POSTPONED

The First Annual 4-H Talent Show has been postponed until fall 2008. The Area Expressive Arts Showcase that was scheduled for May 2 has also been postponed. For more information, contact the 4-H office at 336-372-5597. We will reschedule this event for later on in the year.

4-H NC Citizenship Focus



The 4th Annual 4-H North Carolina Citizenship Focus will be held June 16-18, 2008 in Raleigh at the Sheraton Downtown. This is open to two (2) 4-Hers from Alleghany County, ages 14-19. Participants gather information about local issues and political structures prior to attending, gain knowledge of state government and advocacy skills during the conference, visit with government officials, and develop a Personal Action Plan to address issues in their community following the conference. Applications must be received in our office by Monday, April 28, 2008!! Cost for the event is $60. For more information or an application, call the Extension Office at 336-372-5597.

Photography Contest Reminder


All Photo Contest entries are due to the Extension Office by 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2008. Visit the original blog entry or call 372-5597 for more information.

Ashe County Open Horse Show

Ashe County Cooperative Extension has announced an Open Horse Show on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the Ag Expo Property (Highway 163 between the intersection of Highway 221 and Mt. Jefferson Road) in West Jefferson. Registration starts at 10am and the show will begin at 11am. This event is open to all ages, Youth and Adult. All proceeds go to the Ashe Friends of Agriculture Ag Expo Center. For more information contact 336-846-5850, or to obtain the complete list of classes, entry fees, etc., click here.