Mower County 4-H Newsletter
May 7, 2024
Welcome to our 4-H Newsletter! The most up-to-date information about events and activities going on in Mower County 4-H! This newsletter is sent to all enrolled 4-H members and volunteers every other week. Be sure to also check your inbox for the 4-H Clover Update from Minnesota 4-H, which features state 4-H news, events, and opportunities.
Have something that you’d like to see added to the newsletter? Please send any newsletter additions to Mower County 4-H staff at mnext-mower@umn.edu.
Upcoming Events
May 7: Dog project orientation, 4-H Building
May 8: Horse Project Kickoff meeting, 4-H Building
May 8: Club leader meeting, 4-H Building
May 13: Dog training, 4-H Building
May 15: Animal ID deadline
May 16: County fair registration opens
May 17: Deadline to register for Youth Exploring Leadership and Learning Opportunities
May 20: Ribbon Auction Committee meeting, 4-H Building
May 20: Dog training, 4-H Building
May 22: Horse practice, Horse Arena at Mower County Fairgrounds
May 24: 4-H Office closed
May 26: Deadline to register for the Ranch Pleasure Clinic with Shane Vaughan
May 27: 4-H Office closed, Memorial Day
May 28: Engineering Design Challenge Info session, Austin Public Library
May 29: Horse practice, Horse Arena at Mower County Fairgrounds
May 31: Deadline to register for 4-H Regional Summer Camp at Whitewater State Park
Full calendar of events can be found at: z.umn.edu/MowerCalendar
Animal Science Projects and Information
Animal ID deadline - May 15
The deadline to ID all 4-H animal projects in 4-H Online is May 15. Animal projects include breeding heifers, cow/calf pairs, prospect calves (steers and heifers), dairy, dairy goats, dog, horse, llama-alpaca, meat goats, poultry (doves and pigeons), rabbits, sheep, and swine. Review the email sent by staff on March 5 and the animal ID website for more information and resources.
Register for upcoming horse clinics!
Ranch Pleasure Clinic with Shane Vaughan
Sunday, June 9, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Horse Arena (Mower County Fairgrounds)
Expand your skills for Ranch Riding! Learn the basic skills of ranch riding, how to perform movements and complete a ranch rail class. All levels of riders are welcome. Limited to 12 horse and rider combos. No limit on number of auditors/observers.. Auditors/observers, please sign up at https://z.umn.edu/MC-HorseClinicsObserver.
This clinic is free! Register in 4-H Online by May 26. For assistance, refer to the event registration guide.
Gaming Clinic with Renee Kenney
Saturday, July 6, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Horse Arena (Mower County Fairgrounds)
Learn to improve your skills for barrel racing! All levels of riders are welcome. Focus will be on barrel racing, other gaming events if time allows. Limited to 12 horse and rider combos. No limit on number of auditors/observers. Auditors/observers, please sign up at https://z.umn.edu/MC-HorseClinicsObserver.
This clinic is free! Register in 4-H Online by June 22. For assistance, refer to the event registration guide.
Please note for both clinics: A current Coggins must be on file in 4-H Online or brought with the day of the clinic. Horses cannot be unloaded until a current Coggins has been confirmed. Bring water and snacks for yourself, and water and hay for your horse. Lunch will be provided.
Horse practices start May 22
The first Wednesday night practice and clinic will be held on Wednesday, May 22 at the Horse Arena on the Mower County Fairgrounds. The schedule for practices are below:
5:30 p.m. - Warm up/open ride time
6:00 p.m. - Practice starts
8:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Clinic
Clinic dates and topics
May 22 - Equipment Check
May 29 - Open Riding, Arena Safety
June 5 - Timed
June 12 - Pleasure
June 19 - Timed
June 26 - Patterns
July 10 - Timed
July 17 - Trail and Showmanship
July 24 - Training
July 31 - Cloverbud & Fair Prep
Topics subject to change.
Programs and Events
Register for the Agriculture and Food Science Exploration Day
Mower County 4-H has partnered with Riverland Community College, Nexus Cooperative, and Austin Community Education to bring youth in grades 6-9 an opportunity to explore agriculture and food science through hands-on learning and tours. Join us on Wednesday, July 10 for the Agriculture and Food Science Day. Participants will explore possible careers in agronomy, animal science, and food science by participating in engaging tours and hands-on learning labs. Activities and topics for the day include:
Local corn/soybean/alfalfa farm and field where youth will learn about crop growth and development, pest identification, the uses of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and ways to properly raise plants.
Animal science activities at Read’s Brown Swiss dairy farm
Leadership Development Workshops With Minnesota State 4-H Leaders
Hands-on Food Science activity to learn about cooking skills and nutrition with Hormel Foods’ Research & Development Labs
Registration fee is $12 and the deadline to register is June 28. Learn more and register at https://z.umn.edu/AgandFoodExplorationDay
Register for project workshops!
Interested in learning more about photography or arts and crafts? We will be holding two project workshops this summer. Both workshops will be held at the Austin Public Library and are open to youth who have completed grades 3+. The cost is free.
Photography: Tuesday, June 4, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. at the Austin Public Library
Arts and Crafts: Tuesday, June 11, 3:00 - 4 :30 p.m. at the Austin Public Library
Register in 4-H Online by May 31. For assistance, refer to the event registration guide.
Register for 4-H Day Camps by May 29
Are you looking for fun-filled activities this summer? Join us for 4-H Day Camp experiences! For youth who have completed grades 3-6. Day camps will be held on June 5 and June 12.
Campers will be guided in fun activities ranging from science, wildlife, arts, recreation activities, and more! Additionally, all camps will include the start (or completion) of a project they can exhibit at the Mower County Fair! Campers will enjoy hands-on activities, games, and new friends for only $15 per day! Register in 4-H Online by May 29. For assistance, refer to the event registration guide. To learn more go to https://z.umn.edu/MowerDayCamps.
Join us for the Engineering Design Challenge information session
A hands-on Engineering Design Challenge information session will be held on Tuesday, May 28 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Austin Public Library. All youth in grades 3+ who are interested in engineering and building machines are invited to attend. During the Engineering Design Challenge, teams of youth work with volunteer coaches to create a machine that solves a theme-based engineering challenge.
To help us get an estimate of how many people to expect, please RSVP by May 21.
Register for 4-H Regional Summer Camp at Whitewater State Park by May 31
June 17-19, 2024: Grades 6-8
June 19-21, 2024: Grades 3-5
*Families have the option to enroll their 5th grade youth in the 6-8th grade camp. Please see registration for information!
Have fun, meet new friends and explore new things at 4-H Regional Camp at Whitewater State Park! Campers will spend three days and two nights at camp enjoying swimming, hiking, nature activities, games, the arts, music, crafts, educational programs, great food, cabin life, reflective campfires and more! Throughout camp, you will experience and learn leadership, teamwork, cooperation and self-responsibility, while making healthy lifestyle choices. 4-H staff and high-school aged camp counselors (9th – 12+) are prepared and ready to deliver an exciting and safe camp for you! You don’t want to miss 4-H Regional Camp this summer! Camp is open to all youth, so invite your friends to join!!! Learn more and register in 4-H Online. For assistance, refer to the event registration guide.
Thanks to our countywide fundraising efforts, this event qualifies for reimbursement from Mower County 4-H. See more information.
Register for Youth Exploring Leadership and Learning Opportunities (YELLO) by May 17
Youth in grades 7 and up are invited to attend Youth Exploring Leadership and Learning Opportunities (YELLO) on June 12-15! YELLO is the statewide leadership conference and includes educational workshops, group networking experiences, inspiring messages from nationally-recognized speakers, field trips, and opportunities to contribute to the local community through service projects. To learn more and register visit https://z.umn.edu/4hyello.
Thanks to our countywide fundraising efforts, this event qualifies for reimbursement from Mower County 4-H. See more information.
Register for the Junior Master Gardener Program
Registration for the Junior Master Gardeners is now open! Through this program, youth will get hands-on learning about gardening and nutrition. This program is for youth in grades 3-6. Register in 4-H Online by June 11. For assistance, refer to the event registration guide.
The cost to participate is free! The first session will be held on June 18 at the 4-H Building. More information can be found at https://z.umn.edu/MC-JMG.
Register for the Dodge County 4-H Farm Camp
Join us for a 4-H Day Camp at the Red Barn Learning Farm. Youth grades K-4 will be able to explore the farm, learn about agriculture, and even help with farm chores! Visit our website for more information. Register by July 1.
Thanks to our countywide fundraising efforts, this event qualifies for reimbursement from Mower County 4-H. See more information.
County Fair Information
2024 Premium Book Now Available
The 2024 Premium Book is now available. You can access it at https://z.umn.edu/MowerFairBook. It is a resource to help you determine which classes you need to enter your exhibit/animal in. It also has the different rules and guidelines, as well as schedules and other information for the fair.
2024 Challenge Project: Grow Your Own Herbs
Grow your own food by choosing to grow your favorite herb. Explore how to plant, water, fertilize, and prune your plant and how to manage weeds, insects, and diseases.
To help you get started, the 4-H office will provide you with a herb gardening starter kit. This kit is free of charge to 4-H members. Learn more and request a kit at https://z.umn.edu/MC-ChallengeProject by June 1.
Fair registration opens May 16
Registration for the Mower County Fair will open on May 16. We will send you more information as we get closer.
Fair Exhibit Ideas
Need help with coming up with ideas for general projects? Check out the Fair exhibit ideas guide at https://z.umn.edu/ExhibitIdeas.
State Fair Information
Livestock Encampment - August 21-25
Llama-Alpaca Encampment - August 28-30
General Encampment - August 31-September 2
We are looking for livestock and general encampment chaperones. If interested, please fill out this interest form. All chaperones must be screened volunteers.
Committee Resources
Ribbon Auction Committee Meeting - May 20
There will be a Ribbon Auction Committee meeting on Monday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the 4-H Building. The Ribbon Auction Committee meets to plan and make recommendations around the ribbon auction. If you are interested in joining this committee, you can attend the meeting or contact Adam.
Advisory Board meeting - June 3
The next Advisory Board meeting will be held on Monday, June 3 at 7:00 p.m. at the 4-H Building. Learn more about the Advisory Board.
April Advisory Board Minutes
View the minutes from the April 8 Advisory Board meeting.
Chaperone Interest Form
Complete Chaperone Interest Form
As we approach the season of overnight events for 4-H youth, we are in need of volunteer chaperones. Having chaperones is vital in ensuring the safety and well-being of all attending youth. If you're interested in becoming a chaperone, please complete our chaperone interest form. This will help us make sure you receive information about upcoming chaperone opportunities. Thank you for considering this opportunity!
4-H Scholarship Deadline
4-H Scholarship due May 15
The Mower County 4-H scholarship is due May 15! Applicants must have graduated high school in 2023 or 2024 and be attending, or plan on attending, some sort of higher education institution (e.g., vocational, technical, 2- year college, 4-year college). Winners will receive up to a $500 scholarship. Apply at https://z.umn.edu/mower-4H-scholarship.
Resources for 4-H Families
Contact 4-H Staff
Adam Stevermer
Jessica Moreno
Cindy Stahl
Email: stahl225@umn.edu
Phone: 507-437-9552
Contact the 4-H office
Email: mnext-mower@umn.edu
Website: extension.umn.edu/local/mower
Location: 1105 1/2 8th Ave NE Austin, MN
Phone: 507-437-9552
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mowercounty4h