Douglas 4-H Buzz

Good luck to our general livestock project bowl teams as they participate in the regional contest in March. Thank you to the coaches, parents/guardians for helping the youth learn more about this project.

Brush up on your goat interview skills and crush it at your next county fair interview! Join us Saturday, March 28 and learn common goat interview questions and how to prepare for county fair. Walk through numerous demonstration learning opportunities discussing various goat tropics ranging from showmanship, fitting/clipping, urinary calculi, worming, embryo transfer, digestion and more!

This clinic takes place at Douglas County Public Works Meeting Room (526 Willow Drive, Alexandria) at 1 p.m. Youth and adults are welcome. Register is mn.4honline.com before the Wednesday, March 25 deadline. Search for Douglas County 4-H Goat Science Olympiad. If interested, refer to this guide on how to register for events in mn.4honline https://z.umn.edu/eventguide.

YELLO (Youth Exploring Leading and Learning Opportunities) is June 9-12 at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. This is a leadership experience for youth grades 7 and up. Engage in team-building exercises and build life-long skills while connecting with youth from across the state.

Youth learn and practice a variety of leadership skills, explore careers, college and other topics of interest through interactive workshops. Develop positive connections with youth and adults through small and large groups, workshops and sessions. Take health breaks to recharge and process learning.

Registration deadline is Tuesday, March 31. For those registered by deadline, the cost is $300; Douglas County 4-H pays half. Total scholarship is $150.00. Anyone registering after March 31 pays $350. Register at http://mn.4honline.com, search and click on YELLO. For assistance, refer to the event registration guide or contact yello@umn.edu.

Are you looking for an opportunity to gain knowledge on the fundaments of showing your dog with hands-on experience? Build a greater bond between you, the handler, and your dog? 4-H'ers who selected dog as a project interest should watch their mail for a packet with details on the dog training program this spring.

Douglas County 4-H is lucky to have a dedicated team of 4-H volunteers that offer a dog training program that kicks off April 12 and runs through early August. If interested, now is the time to log into 4HOnline and make sure dog is listed as a project interest for your 4-H'er(s) or call the office at 320-762-3890 and let us know if you are interested. By doing this, you will be included in future mailings on the dog training program and registration links when available. If you don't have a dog, remember there is always an option to lease a dog from a family or friend.

Now is also a good time to print and complete dog ID and have your veterinarian complete their portion with vaccinations and signature. This must be completed prior to starting dog training. The state animal ID deadline is May 15 but because training begins prior to May 15, this form needs to be completed and uploaded to mn.4honline.com or turned into the Extension office prior to attending a dog training session.

If you have questions, please contact the Extension office at 320-762-3890 or email Jackie Kokett at jkokett@umn.edu.

The annual 4-H rabbit fun show will be Sunday, April 26 at the Brandon Auditorium in Brandon. Registration starts at 10:30 a.m. and judging at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $ 3 per rabbit entered. Medallions awarded. There will be food stand, door prizes, silent auction and Rabbit Tracks on site selling supplies and equipment. Be sure to mark your calendar for April, you don't want to miss out!

Campers (currently grades 3-6) will experience a traditional overnight camp, including games, songs, crafts, educational programs, a reflective campfire and more! Camp takes place June 11-12 at Faith Haven Camp in Battle Lake. Teen counselors will lead campers in activities allowing them to gain knowledge and develop social skills while meeting new friends. 4-H staff and high-school-aged camp counselors are prepared and ready to deliver an exciting overnight camp for you!

Cost is $ 120 but Douglas County 4-H pays half that cost for enrolled members; your cost is $ 60, payable by cash or check (written to Douglas County 4-H) to the Extension office no later than Thursday, May 7! If you pay by credit card (online only), you will pay the full amount and your $ 60 scholarship will be paid to you after the event.

To register, visit mn.4honline.com, login, select events on the left and search for 4-H Junior Camp at Faith Haven. You may refer to this event registration guide to walk you through the process. If you need assistance, please contact Sarah Downhour at sarahu@umn.edu or Jodi Hintzen at hintz010@umn.edu. Registration deadline is Thursday, May 7.

Regional 4-H camp is scheduled June 23-25 at the University of Minnesota Morris campus. Youth in grades 3-6 are invited to attend this unique camp experience. Youth participate in program offerings packed with educational sessions, large and small group activities and a whole lot of fun! Youth learn new skills and make new friendships. Includes water activities, various speakers, games, evening programs and campfire!

This year's track topics to choose from include:

• Kid biologist: DNA and dissection
• Junior farmhands: buzzing barnyards
• Youth artists: sculpt it
• Lil' grillers: charcoal and chicken
• Junior performers: speak away
• Excavators: p0rehistoric pioneers
• Wild card

Cost is $ 160 but Douglas County 4-H will pay $ 80 towards this fee for enrolled Douglas County 4-H members (active status) that attend. Fee includes lodging in a secure dormitory, meals and transportation. Cash or checks payable to University of Minnesota Extension can be brought to the Extension office no later than May 9. If you pay online with a credit card, you will pay $ 160 and Douglas County 4-H will pay you the $ 80 scholarship after the event.

Register now for best selection in mn.4honline.com or contact the office for assistance. Registration deadline is May 9. If interested, refer to this guide on how to register for events in mn.4honline https://z.umn.edu/eventguide.

Families enrolled in beef, dairy, dairy goat, dog, horse, meat goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep and/or swine, watch your mailbox in early April for details on the ID process. Information on requirements and birthdates can be found here. If you have questions, please contact the office.

As we enter this season of competition, we want to remind everyone that parents, volunteers, members and guests need to abide by the Minnesota 4-H Code of Conduct while at the county fair. The Minnesota 4-H Code of Conduct applies to both face-to-face and online environments and will be enforced with 4-H members, 4-H parents and 4-H volunteers as follows:

• While participating in or attending a 4-H sponsored program (e.g. club meeting, project meeting, activity, event, learning opportunity).

• At the county fair while participating in or attending a 4-H event or while on premises used for 4-H purposes (e.g. show ring, exhibit building, 4-H tie outs, livestock barns, food stand).
• At the state fair, during their (or their child’s) assigned encampment or assigned volunteer responsibility.

Check out the full code of conduct here and contact us with questions.

Are you thinking of starting spring cleaning? Got treasures you’re ready to part with? Donate them to 4-H for our spring garage sale fundraiser! Your gently-used goodies will help raise funds to give our beloved food stand a much-needed new roof.

🧺 We’re looking for:

• Sellable items in good working condition

• Reusable shopping bags

• Brown paper bags

Please see this list of wanted items.

We also need reusable bags and brown paper bags for this sale.

📅 Sale Dates: May 8–9

Can’t hang onto your items until the garage sale? No problem! Swing by the Extension office to grab a key and drop off your donations at the food stand. Let’s make this sale a huge success!

It can be confusing as to what is available to do or learn about in the many different project areas that Minnesota 4-H offers, and how that might connect to creating an exhibit for the county fair to showcase what you learned. To discover more about a specific category check out the Douglas County 4-H project guide to learn more.

It's County Fair Time workshop on Wednesday, June 10

County Demonstration Day on Thursday, June 25

Day camps grades K-3 on July 8, 15, 22 and 29

Day camp for grades 3-5 on July 9 (new)

Jodi Hintzen, Extension Educator, hintz010@umn.edu

Jackie Kokett, Extension Educator, jkokett@umn.edu

Douglas County Extension

Email: mnext-douglas@umn.edu

Website: extension.umn.edu/douglas

Address: 305 8th Ave W, Alexandria, MN 56308 (Courthouse, 2nd floor)

Phone: 320-762-3890

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MNDouglasCounty4H/

Twitter: @UMNExt

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