RC Car Race

During the intermission of the 2009 Carquest Spring Mowdown Lawnmower Race on Saturday, May 9th there will be a RC(remote control) Car Race. If you are a student in grades 6-8 or an adult and would like to participate in the race, click here for your entry form. Entry forms are due to Joe Whisnant or to the Extension Office by Thursday, May 7th.

There is also a raffle taking place. If you would like a chance to win a RC Car (valued at $200) stop by Carquest in Sparta to enter. Tickets for the raffle are $1 each or 6 for $5.

April/May Clover News

The April/May edition of the Alleghany Clover News is now available. Click here to view.

NC 4-H Photo Contest

Show off your photographic talents in the Alleghany County 4-H Photo Contest with the theme “4-H Centennial”. All entries are due to the Extension Office by Friday, May 15 by 5 p.m. Junior and Senior entries in some categories may be eligible for competition at the state level. You must complete a separate form for each entry. You may make as many additional copies as you need. For complete rules and entry form click here.

Did you know it is National Park Week?

National Park Week is an annual Presidentially proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of National Parks. Consider visiting one of the National Parks in North Carolina!

Here is a little challenge-can you name all the National Parks in NC? (there are nine).
http://www.nps.gov/state/nc/

For more information and a list of National Park Week events in NC, go to http://www.nps.gov/npweek/

Miss America gives credit to 4-H

Ask Katie Stam about her passion for community service, and she'll tell you it all started with 4-H. Long before winning her title as Miss America, Katie Stam from Seymour, Ind. would spend hours in 4-H performing in creative dramatics, competing at the Jackson County fair, and visiting with 4-H friends and family. It was there that she learned the values of leadership, mentorship, and community service. And like most 4-H kids, she collected blue ribbons and trophies along the way to mark her accomplishments.

In January the Indiana farm girl was crowned Miss America 2009 and now that she's in the national spotlight, Stam is getting the message out that community service is important and rewarding. Stam's platform, Promoting Community Service and Involvement, aims to get youth involved in their own neighborhoods.

With community service as her national platform, Stam could potentially transform the way millions of young people think about giving back to their communities and 4-H. "4-H is such an advocate for community service," says Stam. "It encourages you to reach out to people in so many different ways."

She is also the National Goodwill Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network and is the official spokesperson for Zerosmoke.Stam is currently being considered for Time Magazine's annual 100 Most Influential People List. The annual list asks the public to rate each candidate on their influence on the world. Those recognized fall in one of five categories: Leaders & Revolutionaries, Builders & Titans, Artists & Entertainers, Scientists & Thinkers, and Heroes & Icons. Within each category, the 20 most influential people are selected, for a grand total of 100 each year.

This article was reprinted from The Cattle Business Weekly

NC 4-H Centennial Ice Cream For Sale!!

North Carolina 4-H and the NC State Creamery are proud to announce that the winning ice cream flavor of the North Carolina 4-H Centennial Ice Cream Cone-test, 4-H Campfire Delight, is now available for sale! Please see the attached order form and place your order today! Limited quantities of the 2 runners-up are also available.

Here's a sneak peak at the flavors:

* 4-H Campfire Delight, entered by Tyrrell County 4-H, is a graham
cracker flavored ice cream with chocolate chunks and a marshmallow
cream swirl.
* Clover Crunch, entered by Gates County 4-H, is a chocolate ice
cream with toffee pieces and a butterscotch swirl.
* 100 S'More Years, entered by Johnston County 4-H, is a chocolate
ice cream with graham cracker pieces and a marshmallow cream swirl.

Order forms can be found here.

Ice cream can be picked up with advance notice at the North Carolina 4-H Development Fund, 512 Brickhaven Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606.

For more information, contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597.

2009 Dairy Poster Contest

The theme for the 2009 Dairy Poster Contest is "Fuel Up with Milk - June Dairy Month ". Youth should incorporate this theme into their posters. You can see the June Dairy theme and logo here. Please note the following rules:

1. Competition in this contest will be conducted on an individual basis in Division I (9-12 years of age), Division II (13-15 years of age), and Division III (16-19 years of age) at the county and state level. Youth in Division IV (5-8 years of age) will participate on a non-competitive basis at the county level only.
2. Posters should be a standard 22" X 28" size.
3. Posters MUST NOT contain copyright material such as cartoon characters, etc.

Individual county winners will be sent on to the state competition.

All posters at the state competition in Division I, II, and III will be displayed in a prominent place at the Junior Dairy Show in the Jim Graham Building at the NC State Fair.
The following awards will be provided to state winners in Division I, Division II, and Division III by the Southeastern United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA):

• First Place: $100 cash
• Second Place: $75 cash
• Third Place: $50 cash

Deadline for entries is June 1st. Entries must be submitted to the Extension office in person at 90 S. Main St, Sparta NC. For more information contact the Extension Office at (336) 372-5597.

Youth Poultry Club Meeting

The Youth Poultry Club will be meeting on Thursday, April 23 at 6pm at the Stoneman House. The meeting is open to all youth between the ages of 5 and 18. Come out and learn about different breeds of poultry and how to care, raise and show them.

For more information contact Steven Stoneman at (336) 572-9185 or the 4-H Office at (336) 372-5597.

Stoneman Address: 410 Brooks Rd., Glade Valley, NC. Directions can be found here from Sparta.