Carlton County 4-H

December:

• 1st - Registration Opens for BLU and TEEL
• 4th - Rowdy Wrangler 4-H Club Meeting, 1:00 p.m. - Salem's Mahtowa Hall
• 6th - 4-H Coding Group, 6:30p.m. - Carlton County Extension Office
• 8th - Shooting Sports Club Meeting, 6:00 p.m. - Carlton County Extension Office
• 11th - Esko Cloverleaf Club Meeting, 2:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. - Carlton County Transp. Bldg
• 11th - Nemadji Club Meeting, 3:00p.m. - Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Barnum
• 11th - Barnyard Buddies Club Meeting, 6:30p.m. - Barnum City Hall
• 11th - Sunshine Acres Club Meeting
• 10th - 4-H Cloverbud Project Day, 10a.m. to 11:30a.m. - Carlton County Extension Office
• 12th - Club Federation Officer Training, 5:00p.m. - Carlton County Extension Office
• 12th - Federation Meeting 6:30p.m. - Carlton County Extension Office
• 17th - Butter Braid Pick up
• 23rd - 26th - Extension Office Closed
• 30th - 2nd - Extension Office Closed

For all of the latest 4-H news and information, please visit our website at www.extension.umn.edu/carlton and look under EVENTS.

All Butter Braids will be available for pick up on Saturday, December 17th from 12:00 Noon to 6 p.m. at the Carlton County Extension Office. Families must come to pick up their orders that day. Distributing pre-ordered Butter Braids are each members responsibility.

If you are interested in volunteering with unloading and organizing orders please fill out this google form https://forms.gle/4g4ABVExfCvKaBsx8

The federation officers were installed at our meeting on November 14th. Congratulations to Emily H on becoming president, Amber L becoming vice president, Jackson H becoming treasurer, and Carley L becoming secretary!

At the November 14th meeting, we discussed our endowment fund and how we can get it started. The endowment is a great resource for Carlton County 4-H members as it accrues interest every year which the Federation can determine where the fund would be best spent. A representative from the Esko Cloverleafs Club brought a proposal of their club wanting to help with repairs to the 4-H Building at the Carlton County Fairgrounds. The Federation discussed options of what types of programs they would like to see in the county including photography classes, sewing classes, wood burning classes, and pottery classes. The Federation also voted on adopting a highway as a community service project. Federation meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month.

We will be having a Federation meeting on Monday, December 12th at 6:30 p.m. at the Carlton County Extension Office. It is VERY important that we have a good representation of our 4-H youth and volunteers (including parents!) at our Federation meetings so that plans for the year can be made and programming can be decided. At this meeting, we will be having a short meeting and afterwards, we will be making gingerbread houses and ornaments and having a ugly sweater contest!

Please let Katie know if you will be attending so we have enough supplies for all youth.

BLU is for youth in grades 6-9. They will participate in hands-on activities where they build leadership skills, form relationships with other youth, learn to work together and make a difference in their communities. BLU is facilitated by youth leaders from the Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador program and supported by a team of adult chaperones.

TEEL is a workshop for youth in grades 10+ to gain valuable leadership skills while connecting with peers from other counties and regions. This workshop builds on the leadership skills older youth have developed at BLU and through their lived experience both within and outside of 4-H. Teens will engage in large and small group discussions. It is designed and facilitated by a team of older youth and young adult leaders.

Northeast BLU/TEEL - February 11-12, 2023

• Location: Long Lake Conservation Center, 28952 438th Lane, Palisade, MN 56469

Registration opens December 1st via 4-HOnline. Youth are invited to register for any of the BLU/TEEL events across the state.

Carlton County 4-H Member dues are in place to cover the cost of programming in the county along with the insurance that is due for youth to participate in programs such as clinic, camps, and county fair. Families unable to manage paying their yearly dues should contact Katie Siltanen, 4-H Extension Educator, for other possible arrangements. As always, if you have any questions regarding dues and insurance or the payment process, please call the Extension office at 384-3511 or email: mnext-carlton@umn.edu

The Carlton County Extension Office will be closed on Friday, December 23rd and Monday, December 26th, 2022 in observance of Christmas and Friday, December 30th, 2022 and Monday, January 2nd, 2023 in observance of the New Year. If you need assistance during the office closures, staff can be reached by email or by leaving us a voicemail. We will get back to you as soon as we 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 build skills working and thinking together while testing their knowledge in these 4-H areas: dairy, dog, general livestock, horse, llama/alpaca, poultry, and rabbit.

There are four regional bowls, which lead to the state competition. Each has two divisions: Junior (grades 3-8) and Senior (grades 4 through 4-H graduation). Regional winners advance to the 4-H State Project Bowl. Winners at the state level in dairy, general livestock, horse and poultry go on to national contests!

Get your friends together, recruit a coach, study hard, and most of all have fun during the project bowl season!

Tentative 2023 Dates:

• March 4
• March 11
• March 18
• March 25 (snow date)
• April 15 - State

If you are interested in being a coach for Project Bowl, please contact Katie at silta006@umn.edu. More information can be found at https://extension.umn.edu/4-h-events/regional-and-state-project-bowls

Join all your Cloverbud friends on December 10, 2022 and spark your creative side by having fun with arts and crafts. We'll have hands-on activities and learn all about art. Sessions are available either virtually or in person. Session runs from 10 a.m. till 11:30 a.m. There is no cost to attend. Event is open to all Cloverbuds (Grades K-2) who are registered for 4-H. https://z.umn.edu/CBArtsCrafts

The Dog Project will be starting up again soon. In order for us to have a better idea of how many youth will be participating, please fill out this google form:

https://forms.gle/KcbXi2iEUkHb85aAA .

This year we will be focusing our training on preparing youth and their dogs for a qualifying dog show which will allow participation in the State Dog Show.

Please reach out to Katie if you have any questions.

December’s challenge is to get educated about fast fashion, its impact on the environment and how it can be lessened. Fast fashion is a growing issue and has become a significant polluter of the world.

The meaning of fast fashion stems from markets creating trendy and cheap clothes for consumers to buy when it's popular and then thrown to waste after a couple of wears. Many large companies contribute to fast fashion.

The industry uses toxic textile dyes and cheap textiles like polyester, which adds to global issues of clean water and global warming. You can help by supporting sustainable and ethical brands, buying fewer products, picking high-quality fabric and thrifting at local stores near you.

With the new 4-H year just beginning, Club Leaders should consider welcoming new members with a ceremony. Find out how:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ABVhyL3hr2Y4tPczCzTuUgJllpFUi_FRFu3Poqoa_8/view

Holidays aren't only for getting but also for giving. Here are some ways to give back to the communities our youth live in:

• Holiday cards for nursing homes and hospitals
• Adopt a family for the Holiday season
• Donating items to a food shelter or animal shelter
• Fleece blankets for hospitals

Helping youth find their sparks is the key part to 4-H. Here are some tips for Club Leaders and Volunteers to help youth strive. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CndX9VS9oAiQeyEqoqKAcsFkcl2IzNOQOa7vQSrQG7M/edit

4-H Youth Development: Katie Siltanen, silta006@umn.edu

General Information: Tracey Hartung, thartung@umn.edu

Email: mnext-carlton@umn.edu
Website: extension.umn.edu
Location: 317 Chestnut Avenue, Carlton, MN, USA
Phone: 218-384-3511
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarltonCounty4H