April

1 - Possession Deadline for Horses

6 - Parish Award Application Due (For 4-H Camp & Outstanding Club Member)

10-13 - Jr. Leader Educational Trip to Fort Worth

19 - 4-H Adult Volunteer Leader Banquet

22 - 4-H Engineering Contests

25 - 4-H Senior Night

27- Jr. Leader Meeting (8th - 12th Graders)

May

2 - Outstanding Club Member Banquet (qualifying members receive invitation)

11 - Jr. Leader Club Meeting (8th - 12th Graders)

Anna Barras is a life long resident of Vermilion Parish. She is a graduate of Vermilion Catholic and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she earned a degree in Kinesiology, with an Exercise Science concentration. She is married to her husband Jeb and they have three children, John Luke, Reagan and Ryder. She is a former Vermilion Parish 4-H member and has been involved in many 4-H events over the last few years. She has been a Nutrition Educator at the Vermilion Parish office since 2019 and is also a dance instructor at Dance Connection studio in Abbeville. In her free time she likes to attend livestock shows, help John Luke with his livestock and 4-H projects, teach her daughter’s dance classes, go boat riding with her family, spend time tending to the animals on their family farm, and watch rodeos. She looks forward to working with the parish 4-H members and promoting 4-H, helping people learn it’s not just about the animals. 4-H has something for EVERYONE!

Keep track of everything you do in 4-H throughout the year easily on our annual 4-H Award Application found here: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EWQVIHVOIB5AkPogFpKNRq4BIADMxGKYWsJ0tL2-DiSG2g?e=zqINPY

These are due in the 4-H Office on April 6, 2023 and will be used to identify Outstanding Club Members and also for invitations to 4-H Summer Camp.

Junior Archery Results: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EVJ6t1DC8e9CtkAkZkLIz10BJTfaIGaQIlN9Fo82WT1BOQ?e=UAB5J3

Senior Archery Results: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EVOWkN5ksG5GrSGQGpU8UCwBXWAWCa7Ctd7PM4caMnp2lw?e=vVcuka

Exhibits: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EpMGn1T4GjdIoBLMZnxcaNsBtjfYrFUE7sBf_sFwpK8h6g?e=uou8N7

Computer Tests (All Grades): https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/En4UpbSU6U9MtnXKAKgjNagBYvHFBkquQmkWNzfouAXDCQ?e=VCfFds

Judging/ID Tests (6-12th Grades): https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EnTvkgnnJxFMohJzipidEWwBxjsNMF6O-nQHEOv3i6X8fg?e=3i0PW0

Click this link to see photos of entries: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EhIZvkU3Hu9GnFaoyG-zzi4BlrZ-mdEgeUm1wk_z0PyrgA?e=lmSncn

Click this link to access contest results: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EXY40J-kdXxEgLqYQHi2Mt8BzvyUssQZkZfIlbOmlun7Lw?e=CDEerb

Click this link to access 4-5th grade results: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/ERCf4py6LLtDiqDbHeshKrQBA6fig4nJB_CptzutQKyw3Q?e=dWitWr

Click this link to access 6th grade results: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EcT4isBdNKpCumew-Rha_-4Bql0on8QwZrjD8hrEs8KA5w?e=FFYkE6

Click this link to access 7-8th grade results: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EeRP4OlE0T1NgIApbvVnRTYBt86qQINQwK0gRqCt4gNR0Q?e=QRBkLn

Click this link to access 9-12th grade results: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/Edi2WO3yNoxOiombPkpOgy4B0P4o3iBcdzrwKdfO1eGsWQ?e=uwMIkx

The Vermilion Parish 4-H Junior Leader Club held its monthly meeting on March 9th with 30 members attending. Each month the Junior Leader club has focused on a specific aspect of agriculture. For this meeting, the club members learned about the honey bee industry from a Kahoot made by the club Vice President, Kinsey Waits, and a presentation from Mrs. Timmie Melancon, a local beekeeper who operates Wright Honey. Honey bees are crucial insects for pollinating numerous fruits and vegetables that we see on our tables, such as apples, avocados, cherries, cucumbers, and more. Hives can consist of thousands of workers producing honey and beeswax. Mrs. Timmie displayed some of the products she makes and sells with Wright Honey, including beeswax candles, raw and creamed honey, and even a children’s book about bee behaviors.

In addition to the fun bee activities, many other events are happening in 4-H. Information can be found in the online newsletter. It’s essential that all 4-Hers stay up to date because the opportunities in 4-H don’t stop at the end of the school year. The April club meeting will be held on April 27th rather than the 20th. The parish program would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Friends of 4-H Steak Dinner on February 25th. The event raised nearly $20,000 in profits. Half of this will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The rest will fund the Jr. Leader Club educational activities. The Vermilion Parish Achievement Day is Saturday, March 18th at Kaplan High School. At this event, club members can earn over a hundred points by entering items in over 20 arts and crafts items and taking over 30 different tests. Winners in some of these competitions can compete at 4-H State University in June. Parish awards applications will be due on April 6th. This application will show how many points you have gained in the last year, which will determine who is accepted to go to 4-H camp, 4-H LOST Camp and invitees to the Outstanding 4-H Club Member Banquet. The deadline for entries in the Beef Poster Contest is March 31st. Anyone interested in joining the parish horse program must register by April 1st. The Engineering Contests(ATV Course, Compact Tractor Course, and Tractor Course) will be held on April 22nd.

The 2022-23 Vermilion 4-H Engineering Contest will be held Saturday, April 22 at 1:30 pm at the 4-H Barn in Abbeville. The contest is open to 8-12th grade members. The contest will offer Tractor Driving, Compact Tractor and ATV operation. To be eligible for a placing contestant must complete both the written test and driving portion of a contest. Contestants are not required to compete in all three events to participate. Course descriptions and diagrams are included below to help you prepare. Reminder all three of these contests are 4-H University qualifying – winners will have first choice to take part in the state contest. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Hilton at 898-4335 or email at hwaits@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Beans, Greens, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, oh my! In the Garden Contest, 4-H members have the opportunity to grow their own food while learning some awesome lifelong skills. There’s nothing quite like eating fresh produce grown in your own backyard.

This contest includes 3 divisions: Elementary (4-5 grade), Junior High (6-8 grade), and Senior High (9-12 grade), who each will compete for Overall Best Garden in Show! Members are encouraged to read the contest rules carefully at the link below. Make special notes of what the judges are looking for when they visit your home garden! The scorecard and rules for garden judging can be found here:

2023 4-H Garden Contest Score Sheet.pdf

To register for the Garden Contest, 4-H members must complete the following online form by midnight on Friday, April 28th: https://forms.office.com/r/fjyxzXmTGB

DESCRIPTION OF CONTEST OPTIONS: https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/Ed2C1fed9vVBpgEGVO8qJzYBgri3VGCLWxwUuJtiht-E8A?e=nbrwZR

4-H University is the premier 4-H event of the year for 4-H members in the 8th - 12th grades. If you are in 8th - 12th grade during the current school year—you are old enough to attend!

This year marks the 106th annual celebration and will be host to both new-and-improved contests as well as the traditional contests, plus Clover College tracks, educational programs and campus tours.

Formerly called 4-H Short Course, 4-H University has expanded to offer both competitive and non-competitive activities along a range of interests from theater arts to technology.

There are over 40 contests offered in the competitive track providing individual and team competitions in demonstrations, interviews and project related examinations. A member may only participate in one (1) event at 4-H University. All members are trained by Extension Service Staff to prepare for their event.

Parents are welcome to attend 4-H U as a chaperone. Overnight Chaperone Training Certification is required if you are planning to chaperone any overnight 4-H event. Please contact the 4-H office if you are interested in chaperoning and need to get certified.

Find our 2022-2023 Vermilion 4-H Calendar, complete with club meeting schedule here:

https://lsuagctr-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/swaits_agcenter_lsu_edu/EYYJOiPQodtBiVvfKYgvi8cBfiRWlgbqCs_6y_nxqH6psQ?e=mJKj2N

Membership and participation in activities and events are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, veteran status or disability. Should you need an ADA accommodation, please contact our office at (337) 898-4335 no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. The LSU AgCenter provides equal opportunities and employment. Cooperating agencies: LSU AgCenter, Louisiana parish governing bodies, and United States Department of Agriculture.

For more information about the Vermilion Parish 4-H Program contact:

Vermilion 4-H

LSU AgCenter

1105 W. Port Street

Abbeville, LA 70510

337.898.4335