MURRAY COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) is a 4-H civic engagement experience for high school youth.

Rooted in legacy but reimagined for today, CWF is the event for teens to learn leadership and communication skills through history, democracy and our amendments.

For six days, teens from around the nation will gather to have meaningful discussions and learn the skills they need to lead their local communities and become change agents to build a brighter future.

Minnesota 4-H will attend CWF June 21-27, 2025, with a potential for an additional travel day on either end. Approximately 15-20 teens from Minnesota will be selected to attend through a competitive application process.

To view more information about this great opportunity, please click here.

Youth interested in exhibiting Market Beef (Market Steers, Market Heifers, or Dairy Steers) need to have a 4-H RFID tag (unless animals currently an official ID RFID tag - please refer to this document for more details) that is registered within 4-H Online and tagged by February 18, 2025.

Tags and taggers are available in the Murray County 4-H Extension Office. Office is open Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Please call to make different arrangements if you are unable to make those times work.

Youth in grades 3 and up are invited to join 4-H Animal Discovery, an exploratory learning series highlighting animal species: llama-alpaca and general livestock (beef, sheep and swine).

In this five-session virtual series, youth can expect fun, interactive lessons, at-home challenges and group reflection supported by 4-H members, volunteers and staff.

Learn more and register here.

The Minnesota 4-H General Livestock SkillaThon is held at regional 4-H Project Bowl competitions and focuses on many of the same topics as 4-H Project Bowls. However, in the SkillaThon, youth apply their learning to hands-on situations and stations.

Participants rotate through stations identifying feedstuffs, livestock tools, livestock breeds, meat science and more!

Learn more about this contest, see locations near you, or to register, click here.

Exciting experiments, creative plant science, and curious young minds come together in this highly popular program geared towards grades 3-5, but everyone is welcome. Through three interactive 30-minute Zoom sessions taking place on the fourth Monday of January, February and March, your child will explore how plants grow in surprising ways, from avocados to cucumbers and even sweet potatoes—no backyard needed!

Learn more and register here!

Take on the challenge and form a 4-H/FFA crop scouting team! Teams can be made up of youth in grades 6+ from one or multiple counties. Contact your local Extension office if you want help finding a team. If you don't have a team but still want to participate, we have coaches ready to coach youth across Minnesota who don't have anyone else participating in their county (this includes both the plant science project bowl and crop scouting). If you're not sure what crop scouting is, or if you want to gather a team, we encourage you to participate in virtual 4-H plant science trivia nights, and the 4-H plant science project bowl on April 12. 4-H/FFA crop scouting registration opens on May 1 and the state event will take place on Monday, July 28 at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus.

Learn more about the 4-H plant science virtual teams.

Learn more and sign-up for crop scouting.

Please complete your re-enrollment for the 2024 -2025 year, visit 4-Honline to complete this task.

Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Extension staff!

We are looking for a coach to lead our General Livestock Project Bowl team(s). If you have any interest, please reach out to Kim Hause as soon as you are able!

Project Bowl is a long-standing program in Minnesota 4-H and is the second most attended event of the year. In Project Bowl, teams of 3 - 6 youth members build skills working and thinking together while testing their knowledge in these 4-H areas: dairy, dog, general livestock, horse, llama-alpaca, plant science, poultry and rabbit.

If you have youth that are interested in doing project bowl in any of the areas listed above, please let us know! (See contact information at the bottom of the newsletter).

Youth and adult members are welcome to attend the Statewide Livestock Program Development Committee kick-off webinar on January 23, 2025, via Zoom from 7 - 8 p.m.

Members of the state 4-H animal science team will cover the basics of a PDC, its purpose, policies and rules, finances and ideas for educational experiences.

Individuals will need to register to attend the webinar!

Do you have an idea you’re passionate about but need help getting started? The Helping Hands Award is for Minnesota 4-H youth who want to turn their ideas into action! This award funds project ideas that are led by 4-H youth in partnership with supportive adults, local businesses and non-profit organizations. Average awards are between $300 and $2,000.

The project focus can be on STEM, agriscience, healthy living, outdoor adventures, equity, leadership, global connection, social inclusion, the arts, creative writing and photography. But don't hold back if you have an idea that falls outside these categories.

The 4-H Helping Hands Award is funded by generous support and donors to the 4-H General Fund, Tessman/Christiansen Endowment, Wildung Endowment, and Kern 4-H Teen Leadership and Ambassador Endowments.

Visit here for more information and to apply!

Deadline is February 14, 2025!

Compeer Financial champions a strong future for agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s High School Senior Scholarship Program* awards 123 scholarships (41 per state it serves) to students based on a combination of academic achievement, agricultural and community youth organization involvement and essay response. Each scholarship is for $1,500. Deadline is March 15, 2025!

Apply for Compeer Scholarship Here!

With a new year, that means new scholarship opportunities are available for high school seniors and college students. Please take the time to check out the scholarship site, to learn about upcoming opportunities this spring.

Get started in filmmaking! If you’re in grades 3-13 and enjoy making TikToks, creating short videos, or editing film together, this online program is a fantastic way to meet youth with a similar interest and connect with professional filmmakers who can help you develop your skills. Learn more and register at z.umn.edu/4HIntroToVideo

Our After School Adventures program will be held for MCC and Fulda school districts for youth in grades K - 6. This is open to all youth; they did not need to be members of 4-H to participate in these sessions. Please see the session dates and themes for both school districts:

Murray County Central

• February 11 - Same supplies STEAM basket
• March 11 - Size vs STEM
• April 1 - Using STEAM to grow

Fulda

• January 16 - Snacks or STEM
• February 13 - Same supplies STEAM basket
• March 13 - Size vs STEM
  
• April 3 - Using STEAM to grow

$5/ per session or $30 for all seven sessions - per one youth

Please click HERE to register your kids for this great opportunity!

See flyer below for more details!

Are you ready to take your agronomy project to the next level? Join us for an exciting two-part workshop series designed to help youth in grade 3 and above prepare their seeds for the county fair!

Both sessions run from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on the following dates:

• Monday, Jan. 27

In this hands-on series, you will gather seeds from the fall harvest and learn the step-by-step process to prepare them for display at the county fair. Participants will be guided through everything from proper seed selection and cleaning techniques to tips on creating an award-worthy presentation. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to secure your very own display box for your seeds.

This is a 101-level class geared toward youth looking to complete their agronomy projects with confidence. By the end of the workshop, you’ll be able to set your project aside, knowing it’s ready to impress the judges come summer 2025!

Click HERE to register for this event!

Minnesota 4-H outdoor education offers a variety of programs, from outdoor skills to summer camps, shooting sports, and ATV safety.

The 2025 Minnesota 4-H WHEP contest will be held at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in East Bethel, Minn. on Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Individuals and teams will compete in wildlife identification skills and develop wildlife management plans. The top senior team (grades 9+) will earn a trip to the National WHEP contest to be held in July 2025.

Learn more about WHEP.

Need activity ideas for your 4-H club? Check out our Youth Development Curriculum Library for fun, educational lesson and activity resources designed for youth workers, 4-H volunteers, and youth themselves! 86 resources and counting! More content is added every month. Current categories: Animals and livestock, civic engagement and leadership, Cloverbuds (K - 2), environment and earth science, expressive arts and communication, family and consumer science, gardening and agriculture, healthy living, icebreakers, games, and reflection activities, including youth of all abilities, independent learning, outdoor adventures, STEM, and themed 4-H club agenda samples. If you have specific content you’d like to see, contact Jessica Russo at pier0239@umn.edu.

Please take a moment to download or print the 2024 - 2025 Murray County 4-H calendar.

Join the Murray County 4-H Ambassadors! We meet typically once a month for leadership opportunities, youth engagement, ambassador outings and service projects. Youth grades 8 and up are invited to join the Murray County 4-H Ambassadors. Fill out the attached https://z.umn.edu/MC4HAmbassador24-25

During National Volunteer Week (April 20-26, 2025), the Minnesota 4-H Youth Development program honors its 7,500 incredible volunteers and celebrates their contributions to Minnesota communities. Throughout the week (and the program year), we will feature stories of special volunteers who share their time and expertise to improve the lives of youth across the state.

Northern Lights is a volunteer recognition program designed to celebrate volunteer impact in key priority areas for our department. Unlike other volunteer recognition efforts, this nomination process does not distinguish volunteer tenure and can be completed in about 15 minutes.

In 2025, we encourage nominations of volunteers who:

• Welcome our youngest 4-H members and families through designing and delivering Cloverbud and/or public programming.
• Create learning environments for older youth (aged 12 - 18) that improve their self-concept, personal agency, resilience and community connectivity.
• Champion diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) by creating spaces of belonging and empowerment for Minnesota youth of all identities.

Please consider nominating volunteers who bring light to their local program and community regardless of tenure with the 4-H program. Stories of first-year volunteers and/or volunteers who did not participate in 4-H as youth members are warmly welcomed. Selected nominees will be featured on our website and social media channels.

Please fill out this form to nominate a volunteer you feel has gone above and beyond.

Kim Konkol is one of our newest Murray County 4-H volunteer! Kim is a familiar face in Murray County and serves on the Murray County Fair board.

Genna Scripture is one of the club leaders for the Bondin Belfast 4-H Club, along with her husband, Todd. They have four kids that are involved in Murray County 4-H.

Thank you for your willingness to give back!

Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development

University of Minnesota Extension, Murray County

📍2848 BROADWAY AVE 📞(507)-836-1144 ✉️hausek@umn.edu

SLAYTON, MN 56172

Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development

University of Minnesota Extension, Murray County

📍2848 BROADWAY AVE 📞(507)-836-1145

✉️thoms531@umn.edu

SLAYTON, MN 56172

Administrative Assistant, Murray County Extension

📍2848 Broadway Ave 📞 507-836-6927 ✉ carl5049@umn.edu

Slayton, MN 56172

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