Washington County 4-H Newsletter

Welcome to our County Newsletter! The most up-to-date information about events and activities going on in Washington County 4-H. Please pass along to friends and family that might be interested in attending a 4-H event. You will also receive the monthly Clover Update at the beginning of each month highlighting regional and state events.

Things to do to get off to a good start

• Enroll/Re-enroll youth for the 2023-2024 4-H year through 4honline. (4-H year runs from Oct. 1 - Sept. 30) To participate fully in county fair and state events you must be enrolled by May 15.
  

• Enroll/Re-enroll as an adult volunteer. Complete the process now so you are ready to step in when you want to or are needed. Volunteer application.
• Pay County membership fee $25/youth or $100 max/family (youth only). Scholarships available.
• Once your enrollment is complete you can start registering for events and activities. Save time and complete the enrollment process now. 4honline
• All links and information about enrollment/fees can be found at the end of this newsletter.
  

• Still looking for a club to join?? Contact the club to confirm their meeting place and time. Feel free to attend multiple club meetings to find the right fit for your family. Once you have decided what club to join, please contact the club to make sure you are on their email list.

  4-H Clubs in Washington County

  4-H Club Bios

• Feel like you missed something? All Family Newsletters are posted on our county website under 4-H family newsletter.

If you have not re-enrolled this will be the last newsletter you receive and your family account will be made inactive. To avoid this, please re-enroll BEFORE May 15.

If you have been getting monthly email reminders about enrollment fees, now is the time to pay. Washington County has a yearly enrollment fee of $25.00 per member (youth only) or $100 max per family for 4 or more children. We ask that you please send payment to our office address below. We do not have online payment for enrollment at this time. There is a drop box at the outside of the main entrance of the Stillwater Government Center (not courts entrance). Clearly mark an envelope addressed to Washington County 4-H and we will receive it, you can drop off at any time.

Washington County 4-H
14949 62nd Street North
Stillwater, MN 55082

**For those using online banking, please be sure to include Washington County 4-H as checks made out to just Washington County go directly to the property tax office**

We do not want anyone to miss out so if you need scholarship funds, please let us know by completing the scholarship form.

• Shooting Sports has an additional fee of $40 per member with an $80 max per family.

• Dog Training has an additional fee of $40 per member with an $80 max per family.

Please write in check memo what payment is for. Thank you!

Washington County 4-H would like to honor the class of 2024. 4-H wants to celebrate your accomplishments by highlighting you on our Facebook/Instagram accounts in the coming weeks.

To participate please email the following to Kathy at; eber0002@umn.edu no later than May 31st.

• A photo of yourself
• Include your plans after graduation
• Favorite 4-H memory

Many summer parade applications are available now. If your club is interested in using the county float, dog trailer, shooting sports trailer please let us know. The county office will pay the application fee or reimburse your club and have some promotional supplies. We need time to get insurance documentation together, so please decide soon! Please contact Ashton at ashton@umn.edu for assistance.

Attention new 4-H families! Please join us for an info session about the county fair and other summer events. We will meet at the Washington County fairgrounds to talk about registration, deadlines, and dates to mark on your calendar, then take a tour of the fairgrounds.

Register at z.umn.edu/WashCoNewFamilyNight

Thurs. May 2

6pm-7:30pm

Hooley Hall

Contact Ashton with questions, ashton@umn.edu

Join 4-H for a fashion upcycling workshop taught by the great staff at Basic Needs Thrift Shop! Youth and their parent/caregiver will learn about upcycling principles and why recycling clothing is so important. Participants will have approximately 30 minutes to shop in the store and find items that could be upcycled into a new, fun outfit! We will share our fashion plans with each other and learn how to bring a finished upcycling project to the county fair.

REGISTER HERE: z.umn.edu/basicneedsupcycling

Wed. May 15, 2024

6pm-7pm

Basic Needs Thrift Shop

6990 80th St S #200, Cottage Grove, MN 55016

$20 (paid to Basic Needs at the workshop. Upon payment, you will receive a $10 gift certificate towards a clothing purchase that evening.)

If you have questions, contact Ashton Kulesa at ashton@umn.edu

Save the Date!

Join Washington County 4-H Summer Staff on June 1st from 9 AM - NOON for a Foods & Nutrition Day Camp! Camp will be open to youth in grades K-6. Some of the activities will include baking, learning about nutrition and My Plate, planting herbs, bingo, and more! Event registration and location coming soon.

Contact Megan at slate187@umn.edu with any questions!

Registration is open for the 2024 Dog Training season! To complete registration, you will need to complete the registration form, and a Dog ID, and pay the $40 registration fee (& $25 county dues if you haven’t already).

Dog ID must be uploaded to your family account in 4hOnline before attending trainings. Bring a copy of your ID to training so trainers know your vaccinations are up to date. Everything must be completed by May 15.

Contact Megan Slater at slate187@umn.edu with any questions.

Washington County Horse Camp still has some openings!

A reminder to Horse project members,

1. Must be enrolled in 4-H
2. Pay your membership fee $25.
3. Have a current Coggins paper
4. ID your horses, if you have any thoughts of showing at the Washington County Fair you must ID BEFORE May 15. You can ID multiple horses in case of injury.
5. Sign up for Horse Camp!

The McLeod County Dairy project is hosting its 2nd annual spring dairy workshop, focusing on fitting and showmanship. This year, attendees have the option to bring their own animals for the fitting portion. Attendees may partner up with each other to share an animal.

Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024

Time: 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

Location: McLeod County Fairgrounds in Dairy Barn (Agribition Building); 840 Century Ave SW, Hutchinson, MN 55350

Audience: All Ages (Cloverbuds through one -year post high school)

Cost: Free to McLeod County 4-H members; $10 per youth ($20 family fee) all other counties.

Registration link: https://dairyspringtuneupworkshop.4honline.com

Deadline: May 1st

Do you have a passion for the Horse Project? The Horse PDC (Project Development Committee) will have the summer planning meeting on Monday, Monday, May 13, beginning at 7;00 pm at the Stillwater Gov’t Center. Youth and adults are welcome to attend! We can offer a variety of events and experiences for our 4-H youth based on the volunteers who step up to assist! Many hands make for light work! Is there one area of the horse project you can help with? If you cannot attend this meeting, but would like to help with an event, please contact Ann at; churc109@umn.edu

4-H animals that will be exhibited at the county fair need to be Identified (tracked) in 4honline. This requirement ensures health, safety and fairness of animals/exhibitors. Animals that need to be identified by the May 15th deadline include; beef(breeding and prospects), dairy, dairy goat, dog, horse, llama-alpaca, meat goat, poultry (breeding), rabbit, sheep and swine.

4-H’ers currently enrolled in the Animal Science projects will receive an email explaining the Identification process.

This is a state requirement. If you miss the May 15th deadline, you are not eligible for any championship, state trip, premium money, or auction eligibility.

Identifying your animal(s) is different from ‘registering’ the animal(s) for the county fair! The county fair registration deadline is July 1 and completed through Fair Entry. Watch for more information on Fair Entry coming out in May!

4-H Horse Project Members,

It is that time of year that 4-H members identify their project animals! Please read over the attached letter carefully and complete your Identification information on 4honline.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our office!

Would you like to learn more about the beef, sheep, swine and meat goat projects? Here is your opportunity to learn about daily livestock care, disease prevention, nutrition, along with tips and tricks for raising and showing these species. Come meet other 4-H families involved in the livestock projects! There will be refreshments and door prizes!

The Clinic will also include a Swap/Consignment Sale! Gently used livestock equipment may be brought, or dropped off before the clinic at the farm. Please tag and label with price and contact information!

Washington and Dakota County 4-H families are welcome to attend this event on Sunday, May 19 from 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm at the Krueger Farm located in Hastings.

Krueger Farm
9819 Neal Ave. S
Hastings, MN 55033

Free event!

Deadline to register is Wednesday, May 15. Register here!

Questions should be directed to Ann Church at churc109@umn.edu

Mark your calendars for the 2024 Livestock Quality Assurance and Ethics training (LQA&E). Training will be held on Friday, June 21 from 8:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Dee Brothers LLC in Farmington, MN. Must register in 4hOnline through your family account.

LQA&E training is required for any youth 6th grade and above that would take a state fair trip. It is required for youth exhibiting dairy, beef, sheep, swine, goats, llama, rabbit and poultry to complete this course every three years.

If you are unable to attend the in-person training on June 21 you have the option of completing the YQCA online training, good for one year, or attending a training hosted by another county.

All LQA&E training needs to be completed before Washington County Fair to be eligible to accept a MN 4-H state fair livestock trip, if given the opportunity. Please register through your family account in 4hOnline.

The Minnesota 4-H Youth Development Cloverbud policy creates a uniform set of rules for participation to maintain developmental appropriateness and safety for our youngest 4-H members. A rule related to Cloverbuds and animals has been updated.

When Cloverbuds and animals are together at a 4-H program, families may now choose one of two acceptable ways to guide and monitor involvement in non-mounted activities:

1. The responsible person is in control of the animal with the Cloverbud at their side.

2. The Cloverbud is in control of the animal with the responsible person at their side to assist or take control of the animal when needed or as directed by staff, volunteers, or show managers.

In the horse project, the second option does not apply to mounted activities. When a Cloverbud is mounted on a horse, the horse must always have a lead line and be under the control of the responsible person.

Cloverbud families may choose either option. Either way, Cloverbud exhibitions will continue to be non-competitive. Complete Cloverbud rules are found in the Cloverbud information sheet.

It’s time to start thinking about summer, which means Arts-In will be here before we know it! County Arts-In is a performing arts and leadership experience for youth that have completed grades 7-13. Participants will work together with a team of talented Directors and Student Directors to put together a 30-minute musical that will be performed at the Washington County Fair and Minnesota State Fair. Participants will choose which major they would like to participate in: performing, band, or technical. Auditions will take place on July 7, with the encampment starting the following week, July 14-17. See registration form for specific dates and times of auditions, encampment, and performances.

Registration fee is $90. Deadline to register is July 1. Late fees of an additional $25.00 ($115 total) will apply after July 1!

*Participants will also need to purchase gate passes for the County Fair and State Fair general encampment.

Volunteer Requirement: 2+ hours of adult volunteer time is required for each child participating in Arts-In. A separate $100.00 check per family must be included with registration. This deposit will be shredded if volunteer commitment is completed.

You will need to complete all three forms:

Arts-In Registration

Attendance Conflict Form

Volunteer Form

Questions can be directed to Avis Peters at avisapeters@hotmail.com or 651-430-8163. Or
Washington County 4-H Office at 651-430-6800 or mnext-washington@umn.edu

You must be enrolled in 4-H and in the Shooting Sports & Wildlife project area in 4honline. Log into your family account and make sure you are enrolled in the project area and that a consent has been signed. The consent form will automatically pop up when adding the project.

4-H’ers registering for 22 Rifle, Trap, and/or Black Powder must have completed a Fire Arms Safety course prior to participating in these 4-H disciplines. A copy of the certificate showing that youth have completed Fire Arms Safety will be required on the first night of training.

Summer sessions for Archery, BB and Pellet will take place on Monday nights at the Washington County Fairgrounds for grades 3 and up. Training will take place on the following Mondays:

June 3, 10, 17, 24, July 1, 8, 15, 22, Aug 5, 12, 19, 26

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Summer sessions for 22 Rifle, Trap, and/or Black Powder will take place Tuesday nights at the Oakdale Gun Club for 4-Hers who have their DNR gun safety certificate and have completed 7th grade. Training will take place on the following Tuesday’s:

June 4, 11, 18, 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 August 6, 13, 20, 27, September 3

Training: 6 pm – 8:00 pm

State Shoot

In 2024, the State Shoot will take place September 6– 8. Youth must have logged 15 hours/

discipline with certified trainers and must attend 8 hours of wildlife training to be eligible for the State Shoot. More information will be shared over the summer months.

Cost

There is a $40.00/participant or $80.00 max per family to help cover expenses of the program. Payment must be received before attending training. Checks should be made out to Washington County 4-H sent to the following address.

Washington County 4-H

14949 62nd Street North

Stillwater, MN 55082

To register: If you are interested in participating in the upcoming 2024 Shooting Sports Training, please register here!

Questions can be directed to Ann Church churc109@umn.edu

We are in desperate need of a Shooting Sports WIldlife Certified Trainer! To learn more, go to; Shooting Sports Certification Each county is required to have a ‘Certified Trainer’ for Wildlife. On April 27th, there is a training that will be offered in Mora. The role of the Wildlife Trainer is to help youth meet the required 8 hours of wildlife training prior to the State Shoot in September. There are plans in place to complete a pollinator garden at the Oakdale Gun Club. If this is something you can help with, please contact Ann at; churc109@umn.edu

Would you like to take your leadership skills to the next level? We will be electing the 2024-2025 Washington County Executive Board on Monday, June 24 beginning at 7:00 pm at Hooley Hall on the fairgrounds. The Exec Board is a leadership team similar to club officers, but on the county level. The officer team is made up of a; President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and 6 District Reps. We also have 6 adults who serve 2 year year terms. If you are interested in serving as an adult on the Board, please let Ann know at; churc109@umn.edu and you will be put on the ballot. All 4-H members and volunteers are invited to attend this Federation Meeting. We need at least one half of all the clubs ‘present’ to vote!

If you are a 4-H member who has completed 7th grade or older and would like to apply, Federation Application

What is the Washington County 4-H Federation?

The Washington County 4-H Federation is the county-level program and policy decision-making body for the Washington County 4-H club program. The full Federation is composed of youth and adult leaders from all 4-H clubs. The Federation meets quarterly, in October, January, April, and June. The organization is guided by an Executive Board composed of eleven youth and six adult representatives. The Executive Board meets the months between Federation meetings; September, November, February, March, May.

Who is eligible to be on the Executive Board?

The Washington County 4-H Federation Constitution states that youth officers "shall be elected for a term of one year only, but any given 4-H youth leader can hold a different office or position in ensuing years, providing it is not the same office or position held in a previous year. At the June Annual Meeting, youth who have completed grades 7-12 are eligible to vote and run for office. Youth must be enrolled in the Youth Leadership project in the year in which you are a Federation officer."

What is the time commitment?

Officer candidates should consider their other time commitments when applying. Please make sure you are available to attend meetings on the fourth Monday of each month. We cannot run a meeting without officers

Please direct any questions to Ann Church at churc109@umn.edu

Youth enrolled in grades 7-13 who want to take their leadership skills to the next level are invited to join current Ambassadors on June 24 @ Washington County Fairgrounds for a Taco dinner and social. Becoming an Ambassador can include:

• Planning and leading cloverbud workshops, service projects, and social events

• Serving as a counselor at workshops and day camps

• Running the Ambassador Booth at the County Fair

• Serving as a spokesperson for the Washington County 4-H Program

• Other outreach opportunities as assigned

• Meeting new friends throughout the county and state!

If these opportunities interest you, fill out the Ambassador Application here! If you have questions, contact Megan Slater at slate187@umn.edu or Abbey Rademacher at abbeyrademacher25@gmail.com for more information.

Have you been an involved 4-H’er? Have you served in multiple leadership capacities? If so, you may be a candidate for a Washington County 4-H Scholarship! 4-H youth who are graduating from high school and going on to post secondary education have an opportunity to apply for scholarships. See requirements on the scholarships listed below:

• Farm Bureau Scholarship (Due June 1, 2024)

• Washington County Federation Scholarship (Due June 1, 2024)

• Washington County Memorial Scholarship (Due June 1, 2024)

Cloverbuds

• Cloverbuds Rule Change - Cloverbuds will be able to exhibit at the Washington County Fair. General rules can be found in the Cloverbud Information sheet.

Dog Project

• Dog Training has started. Turn in your Dog ID paperwork and training fees. 2024 Dog ID Form
• July 27-28 - County 4-H Dog Show
  
• Sept. 21-22 - State Dog Show

Horse

• June 9 - 12 - Washington County Horse Camp (Registration link above)
• July TBD - Practice Horse Show
• July 31 - County 4-H Horse Show
• Sept. 13-16 - State Horse Show

Livestock

• February 15 - Market Beef/Dairy Steer ID deadline
• May 15 - Animal ID deadline (Dog, Horse, Llama, Rabbit, Dairy, Breeding Beef, Sheep, Swine, Goat (market & dairy) and leased poultry). Start entering your animals now.
  
• May 19 - Washington County General Livestock Clinic
• June 13 - Barnyard Bonanza Livestock Clinic - McLeod County Fair
• June 21 - In person Livestock Quality Assurance Training - Dee Brothers LLC in Northfield, MN - 8:45AM-12:00PM (Registration through 4honline)

New Family

• May 2 - New Family Night - Learn about the County Fair experience. Register at z.umn.edu/WashCoNewFamilyNight

Performing Arts

• County Arts-In registration due July 1

  Arts-In is a 30-minute original musical performed daily at the Washington County Fair and twice at the Minnesota State Fair. The show is put together over the 4-day encampment held at the Washington County Fairgrounds in July. The cast consists of performers, band members, and the technical crew. The 2024 dates include: July 7 - auditions, July 14-17 - encampment and July 31-Aug. 4 - performances at the county fair. Additional performances and dates will be listed on the registration form.

Project Workshops

• May 15 - Upcycling Workshop. Register and learn more at; z.umn.edu/basicneedsupcycling

Shooting Sports

• May 15 - Pre-registration for Shooting Sports deadline. If you are interested in participating in the upcoming 2024 Shooting Sports Training, please register here!

STEM

• May 9 -Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Center Tour - FULL
  

• June 25 - Pond Mucking with Wild Rivers Conservancy
  

• July 17 - Field Trip to the Bell Museum
  

Summer Camps

• June 1 - Save the date! Our Summer Interns will be having a day camp.
• June 10-12 - Our popular 4-H Summer Resident Camp will take place at Baker Outdoor Learning Center. Grades 3-8. CAMP IS FULL, possible room for a few boys. Contact Megan at slate187@umn.edu
• July 8-11 - 4-H Summer Day Camps will be held at the Washington County Fairgrounds, Day Camps are open to grades K-6. Registration available early June.

Washington County Fair

• July 1 - County fair registration deadline. Final selection of projects and animals need to be entered in FairEntry by this date.
• July 27 - 4-H General project judging (Saturday)
• July 27-28 - County 4-H Dog Show
• July 31- Aug. 4 - Washington County Fair

Youth enrollment and animal ID deadline

• May 15, 2024
• Participation is limited after May 15 (Not eligible for champions, auction, premiums or state trips) Blue, red and white ribbons only.

Summer is right around the corner, which means that the Washington County Fair will be here before we know it! Now is the time to not only identify your project animals, but to start making plans for general projects! The 2024 Washington County 4-H Information Book will give you many exhibit ideas on what to bring to the county fair! Check out the fair schedule, rules, project ideas, etc. Plan ahead, let’s make this the best fair ever! Remember that July 1 is the Fair Entry deadline to let us know what you plan to bring to the fair!

Have any of your projects made a positive difference in your community? Earn recognition at the county fair for your Community Impact by showing it in your exhibit and telling the judge about it.z.umn.edu/4HCommunityImpact

Please pass on your knowledge and skills by becoming a 4-H volunteer! Join an upcoming event or pitch us your idea. Sign up here: z.umn.edu/washington4-Hvolunteers

This year youth will have the chance to learn more about sharing their dairy stories, experience fun at Grand Slam and meet other youth throughout the Midwest. We are also excited for our campers to gain showmanship and fitting experience from those who have been recognized at the state and national levels! Attending Gopher Dairy Camp gives campers the chance to hop in the show ring to dust off those skills, shake off some jitters and receive one on one feedback from a judge!

Registration closes May 1st! Here is the link to register: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScufota7rHIep.../viewform

Do you want to enhance your livestock evaluation and selection skills? Do you want to become better at oral reasons? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then the 2024 Minnesota 4-H Livestock Judging Camp is for you! Presented by the University of Minnesota livestock judging team and Coach Kyle Rozeboom, you’ll learn the basic fundamentals of livestock judging and evaluation, receive instruction with oral reasons, and become more confident with livestock judging! Camp begins with check-in at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 17, at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus, and concludes with an awards program at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19. Learn more and register.

Join us, as well as our partners at FFA, for Ag Academy: Passion to Career– a unique opportunity for youth in grades 7-11. This 3-day, 2-night camp runs from June 20-22, and is held at Minnesota State University (MSU) and South Central College (SCC), Mankato, Minn.

At this camp, youth will have the chance to explore different careers in agriculture, food and natural resources while experiencing a college campus. In addition, college professors and industry leaders will provide hands-on learning experiences on topics like animals, communications and more.

Learn more and register.https://extension.umn.edu/event/ag-academy-passion-career

Registration deadline: May 31.

Learn how to grow pumpkins with the Central Region 4-H Pumpkin Challenge. Choose from 3 registration types: virtual (we will mail seeds to you), in-person kickoff option one, May 21st in Isanti, MN, or in-person kickoff option two, June 4th in St. Michael, MN. In-person kickoff participants receive 2 started pumpkin seedlings (1 normal pumpkin and 1 giant pumpkin), a greenhouse tour, and education on caring for their pumpkins by master gardeners and volunteers. Virtual participants meet May 6th at 6:30pm. Some participants (virtual and in-person) will be randomly selected to receive giant pumpkin seeds from the 2020 world record-winning pumpkin "Tiger King" grown by Travis Gienger. Audience: K-13. Cost: $5 for virtual and $10 for kickoff 1 and kickoff 2. z.umn.edu/PumpkinChallenge24

YELLO is a 4-day, 3-night leadership development experience that is planned and facilitated by the Minnesota 4-H State Ambassadors. This event will take place June 12-15 at the University of Minnesota-Morris for youth in grades 7+. YELLO includes messages from nationally-recognized speakers, group networking experiences, field trips, and opportunities to contribute to the local community through service. Additionally, YELLO has educational workshops, group networking experiences, inspiring messages from nationally-recognized speakers, field trips and opportunities to contribute to the local community through service projects.

The cost to attend YELLO is $300, with an additional $50 fee for opting in to ride the bus. Youth will register via 4-H Online by May 10th.

Direct any questions about YELLO to yello@umn.edu.

This year at Youth Exploring Leadership and Learning Opportunities (YELLO), we are having 'Major Classes'. These are project-based learning opportunities for diving deeper into a project area that youth are interested in. All majors involve six hours of content and are taught by Minnesota 4-H staff, community and/or campus partners in Morris, or both.

We're offering twelve different classes in six different major areas. Please see major classes being offered below. Learn more about each class here.

Minnesota 4-H Photography is excited to offer a multi-state photo contest to youth in grades K-13. In the "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" 4-H photo contest, youth are encouraged to select their best photo and tell the committee why it’s special to them. Submit one (1) image (with no or minimal editing) with up to three sentences on why it’s important to you by 11:59 p.m. (CST) on May 1, 2024. Find more information here: 4-H Hit Me with Your Best Shot Photo Contest | UMN Extension with rules here.

Dive into the world of plants with our 4-H sensational soybean kits - perfect for youth in grades 3+. You'll receive everything you need to grow soybeans, except the bucket and soil. Join us to explore soybeans, learn from local farmers, and experiment with soil dynamics. Register by May 1. Please go online and order your kit. We will meet and plant together on a later date after they are mailed or you can do on your own. But you must order your free kits!

https://extension.umn.edu/.../4-h-sensational-soybeans-kits

Share the Fun:

1st - Happy Hornets

2nd - St. Croix Clovers

Share the Fun Outstanding Performers:

• David Gerboth (Scarecrow)
• Grace Sahli (Wolf)
• Evelyn Sahli (Red Riding Hood)
• Joseph Hoffman (Moon)

One Act:

St. Croix Clovers

One Act Play Outstanding Performers:

• Spencer Richter (Aunt)
• Everette Bye (Rumplestiltskin)
• Elise Kleppe (Grizelle)
• Mary Margaret Foley (Shadow)

Talent - Junior:

Grand Champion - Katie Matvick singing "I've got the Sun in the Morning"

Reserve Champion - Lucy Matvick singing "God Bless the USA"

Talent - Senior:

Grand Champion - Henry Richter playing guitar and singing "House of the Rising Sun"

Reserve Champion - Matteo Gutierrez playing an original piece on the piano, titled "Further Nightmare"

Thank you to Kara & Linnea Topper and Jayleen Stolzenburg for their efforts in putting on the Rabbit workshop on April 21. Be sure to look for upcoming dates for Rabbit Agility!

We had a wonderful Textile Arts Project Day this past Saturday! Our 4-H'ers learned sewing, weaving, cross-stitch, and wool felting from an INCREDIBLE crew of volunteers. Thank you to Andrea, Emily, Grace, Cynthia, Angie, Amber, and the rest of our 4-H volunteers. We could not have pulled it off without your generosity and knowledge!

If YOU have a skill you'd like to share with the 4-H community, please let us know! We are looking for adults with skills in woodworking, metal work, household repair, industrial tech, and more. Email ashton@umn.edu or call 651-430-6807

Please send a short report about your club's activities. Email Kathy at eber0002@umn.edu after you have had your monthly meeting or an event! Include 1-3 photos if you can. Thank you!

Washington County Master Gardeners Plant Sale

Saturday, May 18, 2024

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Washington County Fairgrounds

University of Minnesota Extension works across the lifespan. We create and support positive non-formal learning opportunities for youth. We foster resilient, healthy and secure futures for families and seniors. Extension works with Minnesotans to make informed decisions leading to better health and well-being. Learn more at: https://extension.umn.edu/families-and-youth

University of Minnesota Extension improves food literacy, physical activity, food safety and healthy food access for Minnesotans and the food service industry. Learn more at: https://extension.umn.edu/food-health-and-nutrition

The best plants and gardening practices for Minnesota gardeners, homeowners and hobbyists to grow healthy lawns, landscapes and gardens. Learn more at: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden

Families are encouraged to enroll/re-enroll early to get the most out of 4-H in the coming year. The most important part of re-enrolling is updating your information. Maybe you have a new email, new projects to add, changing to a different club, updating the grade you are in or any health updates. All of this and more can be done though your family account in 4honline. https://v2.4honline.com/

Remember you must re-enroll yearly to participate in 4-H! If you have any problems with registrations or need more information on enrollment please contact our office by email at mnext-washington@umn.edu or phone at 651-430-6800. While the 4-H year is a year-round organization, you must be enrolled BEFORE May 15th to avoid any penalties. This is also the deadline that all animals must be identified in your family account.

As you will notice, shortly (perhaps a day or two) after you enroll online you are approved. Monthly email reminders are sent to families to pay their membership fee. Membership fees help keep our programs affordable for all, please pay your membership fee or fill out a scholarship form below. We accept checks/cash at any time. Sorry no credit cards.

Washington County has a yearly enrollment fee of $25.00 per member (youth only) or $100 max per family for 4 or more children. We ask that you please send payment to our office or use the drop box at the main entrance of the Stillwater Government Center in a clearly marked envelope.

Checks should be made out to Washington County 4-H and sent to the following address:

Washington County 4-H

14949 62nd Street North

Stillwater, MN 55082

**For those using online banking, please be sure to include Washington County 4-H as checks made out to just Washington County go directly to the property tax office**

We don't want anyone to miss out so if you need help, please just let us know by completing a scholarship form.

Show your 4-H pride with our new 2023-2024 t-shirt! This year’s design is printed on heather gray.

Youth who have paid their yearly enrollment fee can order a shirt for $10. Adults shirts are $20.

Use this link to order shirts for you and your family: z.umn.edu/Washington4-Hshirts

Consent to the code of conduct is part of enrollment. The code of conduct for youth, parents and volunteers has been updated to prohibit the possession or use of marijuana.

Ann Church - Livestock (Beef, Dairy, Llama, Sheep, Swine, Poultry, Rabbit), Horse, Shooting Sports, Federation, Community Clubs, Fair, Charters and Finance, Grant writing, Foods & Creative Arts projects.

Megan Slater - Youth Teaching Youth, Ambassadors, Performing Arts, Resident/Day Camps, Dog, Goat, Cloverbud.

Ashton Kulesa - STEM, Project Workshops, New Families, Promotion, Food Stand, Outreach and Libraries.

Contact information is listed below.