Tarrant 4-H

Howdy!

It's hard to believe it is already the first week of December! I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and time to relax/recharge. Please note some important dates regarding:

• Tarrant County Junior Livestock & Project Show
• Scholarship opportunities
• Tarrant County 4-H Food Show

Sincerely,

Miss Kate

kate.marshall@ag.tamu.edu

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Kate Marshall, CEA 4-H & Youth Development, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

kate.marshall@ag.tamu.edu

Jordan Peldyak, EA 4-H & Youth Development, Prairie View Cooperative Extension Program

Jordan.Peldyak@ag.tamu.edu

Andrea Amador, 4-H Administrative Assistant

andrea.amador@agnet.tamu.edu

Traveling to the Tarrant County AgriLife Extension Office:

The entrance to our building is on the West side facing our surface parking lot and Burnett St., it is not on Taylor St. The surface parking lot entrance is on West 2nd Street (Parking will be validated for those participating/staying at an event. Please bring the ticket up with you and we will provide a sticker barcode that scans to get you out free of charge). You will enter the building on the 2nd floor and then take the elevators to the 5th floor where our office is located.

Email: tarrant4-h@ag.tamu.edu
Website: https://tarrant-tx.tamu.edu/
Location: 200 Taylor Street suite 500, Fort Worth, TX, USA
Phone: 817-884-1291
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TarrantCounty4H

Please use this link to access the 2024-2025 Tarrant County 4-H Calendar.

*Please note that we do our best to list a majority of dates, events and opportunities but this list is not all inclusive.

Make sure to mark your calendars for Monday, December 16. ALL Tarrant County 4-H members are welcome (including siblings of members who may not be registered in 4-H Online)! No meeting, just fellowship and FUN! Please note the white elephant exchange and PJ's. Also, this is not a drop off event.

The Tarrant County 4-H Food Show Contest will be held Tuesday, January 7, 2025, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Extension Office.

What is Food Show?

The goal of the Texas 4-H Food Show is to provide an opportunity for 4-H contestants to highlight their culinary skills while also improving their presentation and interview skills.

2025 Food Show THEME: COOKING THROUGH THE DECADES... Take a trip back in time and explore different dishes that were popular in years past! Some of our most favorite recipes and dishes were made popular in a different decade than we live in today. Get the full contest guidelines and details here.

Youth will prepare their dish/presentation and bring it to the office on January 7th. *Seniors will NOT have to prepare their dish onsite.

There will be a Junior (3rd-5th grades), Intermediate (6-8th grades) and Senior (9th-12th grades) division. Register here by Tuesday, December 31 at 5 p.m.!

*First place winners in each category/age division will be eligible to enter the District Food Show held February 8, 2025 at North Central Texas College in Gainesville. *Please note - this is the same day as the Fort Worth Stock Show Youth Rabbit Show.

Dear 4-H Members and Families,

A great opportunity is coming up in January to promote 4-H and your clubs! We will once again be marching as a group in the Fort Worth Stock Show Parade. This year’s parade takes place Saturday, January 18, 2025, parade begins at 11am.

This is a great event that counts as community service for the 4-H members that march, and parents are encouraged to participate as well.

Register Here to march in the 2025 Fort Worth Stock Show Parade. The deadline to register is Friday, December 6, 2024, by 5 p.m.

This is a fun event where 4-Hers can get to know families from other clubs.

• Every participant must complete the release form included in the registration link. One form per person marching in the parade.
• Forms may be mailed to 200 Taylor St, Suite 500, Fort Worth, TX 76196, email to andrea.amador@ag.tamu.edu or fax to 817-884-1941 by Friday, December 6, 2024 by 5 p.m.
• The route is little over a mile long. It starts at the Tarrant County Courthouse, goes to the Fort Worth Convention Center, and then back to the Courthouse.
• We will meet at 10am at the Extension Office at 200 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, TX 76196, and head over to the start location at 10:30am. (We can validate your parking if you get to the lot early!) We are usually done by 12 p.m.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to having a great turnout for the parade!

-Miss Kate

Make plans NOW for your 4-H Talent Showcase entries! Thursday, December 12 at 6:30 p.m.

Youth will compete in their Age Division (Jr. 3-5 grades, Int. 6-8 grades, Sr. 9-12 grades).

• 4-H Skit
• Variety Show
• Vocal
• Solo/Band
• Instrumental Music
• Poetry/Prose
• Choreographed Routine

A complete guide with descriptions of each category can be found here.

The 4-H Talent showcase is earlier this year than normal. We will be having the 4-H Talent showcase on Thursday December 12th at the Meadowbrook United Methodist Church in Fort Worth. This is a fun evening for everyone and don’t worry if this is your first time we always want 4-Hers to come share a fun talent with us with no pressure. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jordan Peldyak at the Extension office at Jordan.Peldyak@ag.tamu.edu.

District Talent showcase Memo. Talent showcase contest registration: Talent Showcase 2025

The Tarrant County 4-H Roundup Contests are scheduled for Thursday, March 6th, 2025. We will schedule appointments for youth to come into the office starting at 4:00 p.m. that day. This will include:

• Public Speaking
• Educational Presentations
• Fashion Show
• Fashion Storyboard (*This is a virtual contest).

The National slingshot challenge is a environmental challenge through National geographic. The challenge is to come up with a solution to an environmental issue in your community and create a 1-minute video that outlines your solution. The winner of the challenge can win up to $10,000 for your club or group. Contact Jordan Peldyak for more information to get started.

Are you getting ready for college? Operation college access is a college readiness program through Prairie View A&M University Extension for youth in 9th-12th grade. If your club is interested in this project contact Jordan Peldyak: Jgpeldyak@pvamu.edu for more information to get started.

Dear 4-H Members and Families,

The 2025 TCJLS Rulebook is now updated and online. www.tcjls.org

Entries are now open and Showorks is live for the 2025 show. All entries are DUE January 18, 2025.

*Please see your 4-H Club Manager or FFA Chapter Advisor to submit entries.

Entry deadline is January 18, 2025.

Fancy Poultry - December 12, 2024 - $2 per animal

5pm - 7pm at the Crowley Ag Barn

Livestock and Horses - December 7, 2024 - $5 per animal

8am - 10am at the Eagle Mountain Saginaw Ag

11am - 12pm at the Crowley Ag Barn

Market Rabbits - January 28-30 - $2 per animal

6pm - 9pm 1/28/25 at Keller CTE

6pm - 9pm 1/29/25 at Birdville Ag Science Center

6pm - 9pm 1/30/25 at Crowley Ag Barn

****Please bring cash for all validation fees.

The Texas 4-H Dog Show will be held on July 8-10, 2025 at the Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville, Texas. To be eligible for this show, dogs must be validated by January 10, 2025 in 4-H Online. Video instructions are available here.

Save the Date! Please refer to the flyer for more details.

Save the Date for the annual Grayson County Fur, Feather and Friends Show!

NATURAL RESOURCES PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

We are excited to announce the continuation of the state-level Natural Resource Photography Contest. It is open to junior, intermediate, and senior members, and categories are focused solely on the Natural Resource project areas. Here are a few key points:

• Open contest (no qualifying required) to all counties
• Open to juniors, intermediate, and senior age divisions
• 10 Natural Resource themed categories
• Same scoring matrix and general rules as the state contest
• Entry timeline is December 1-15
• No late entries accepted

Please see the flyer below for more details!

Please see the flyer below for more details!

New practice sets have been added to the Texas 4-H website that you can use in coaching your teams or putting on your own practice contest. As a reminder, youth DO give oral reasons at the state contest. Click here to view the resources.

Texas 4-H now has an official podcast: Deep in the Heart of Texas 4-H! Check it out where you get your podcasts or click here to listen to Episode 1: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/callie-grace-cline/episodes/Episode-1-All-Things-NEW-e2nm5r2. Check for a new episode every other Monday.

The Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarships are awarded each year to applicants based on their academic record, 4-H experience, and financial need (for scholarships for which it is a required criterion).

The Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarship Program is conducted by the Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation. Over 200 academically-competitive scholarships will be awarded in the 2025 Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarship Program ranging in amounts from $1,000 to $30,000.

The Texas 4-H Foundation seeks to ensure that each recipient receives the highest dollar amount of scholarship for which that recipient is eligible. For the majority of the total scholarships and scholarship funds available, participation in a livestock show is not a requirement for consideration.

Important Dates/Deadlines

November 1, 2024 – Application will be available online
February 15, 2025, by 11:59 PM – Deadline to Apply
April 25-27, 2025 – Interviews in College Station
May 2025 – Award Notifications
June 2025– Scholarship Banquets in College Station

Rules_Guidelines_2025.pdf

Please see a detailed list of the rules below. Applications MUST be postmarked or received no later than January 16, 2024.

Did you know that there are funds available for camp scholarships? Be sure to check out the details (below). There are some steps you need to take to be eligible. Contact Miss Kate if you have questions.

Here are some handy links for our Club Managers and Adult Leaders!

• Tarrant County 4-H Calendar: https://secure.smore.com/n/mb3qj

• Texas 4-H Management (Complete Listing of 4-H Resources and Official Logos): 4-H Management - Texas 4-H (tamu.edu)

• Texas 4-H Curriculum and Resources: Curriculum and Resources - Texas 4-H (tamu.edu)

• Tarrant County AgriLife Extension 4-H Webpage: Tarrant County 4-H – Making the Best Better | Teaching, Research, Extension, and Service (agrilife.org)

• Club Activity Report: (Google Form)
• Individual Activity Report: (Google Form)
• Club Manager Forms (Sign-in Sheets) link

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is an equal opportunity employer and program provider. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides equal opportunities in its programs and employment to all persons, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.