Hello 4-H Families and Volunteers!
Happy Monday!
I would like to remind everyone to re-enroll in 4-H Online and pay dues for the 2023-2024 year! Please see the following link for help, if needed:
I apologize for the delay of this week's newsletter, but better late than never! I hope you all have been able to enjoy the outdoors as spring seems to be marching on with the recent warm weather! I want to share another update on the 2024 Premium Book before you read through this week's newsletter. We are still looking at the end of March/beginning of April as a release date. In the meantime, should you have any questions regarding any project area, consult last year's premium book for reference. If you would like extra clarification on any questions you have, please reach out to the office and we are happy to help!
Have a great weekend!
Josiah
As always if you need help please contact the office. Our hours are M-F 8-4:30 pm*. Please call to make sure someone is in the office to help you, at times our schedules lead us out of the office.
*NOTE: Josiah is only in office Monday-Wednesday. He can still be reached by email (colex300@umn.edu) on Thursday and Friday.
Ashlyn R.
Age: 15
Years in 4-H: 10
Years as an Ambassador: 3
Favorite Project Areas: Veterinary Medicine, Dairy Goats, Dairy Cattle, Poultry
Favorite 4-H Memory: Showing cattle at the county fair especially my first novice cattle show.
Why You Chose to be an Ambassador: I chose to be an ambassador to learn more leadership skills and help promote 4h.
Favorite Part of being an Ambassador: Building friendships and meeting new people.
Purple Loosestrife Management
Become a volunteer scientist and raise, rear, and release biocontrol beetles in areas of heavy purple loosestrife populations and be rewarded by helping to restore healthy native habitats! Help create a more vigorous native plant community within the St. Croix River watershed, protecting the natural areas you know and love!
What You Will Do: Raise Galerucella beetles for release! Starting in May, volunteers will receive a kit with everything needed to properly raise Galerucella beetles, including purple loosestrife plants, netting, and of course, beetles! Plants will require watering once a week, and a weekly plant evaluation form must be filled out. As the purple loosestrife plants grow, so do the number of beetles in the enclosure, and by the end of the summer, the beetles will be ready for release!
How to Get Involved: To see if you are eligible to contribute your time and resources to this effort, please complete the application by March 18, 2024. Upon review, eligible volunteers will be notified by March 22, 2024. Once selected, you will be required to attend a training session to learn more about the volunteer expectations and to pick up the supplies you will need.
Gain experience in planning, preparing, and serving foods as part of a meal or snack. Select a recipe and prepare that food item for exhibition at the food show. A professional baker will show participants how to decorate cookies, and there will also be a sourdough bread station.
- Date: Saturday, April 20, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Location: Isanti Community Center, 208 1/2 1st Avenue Northwest, Isanti, MN 55040
- Cost: Free
- Audience: All youth in grades K-13 are invited to join us for this hands-on learning experience.
Register via 4-H Online. The registration deadline is April 12, 2024. This event is open to Isanti and Chisago 4-Hers. No late registrations will be accepted to ensure we have enough supplies for all participants.
Submit a copy of your recipe(s) by Friday, April 12th. Recipes submitted after this deadline will not be included in the Food Show Cookbook. Please email recipes to Cora Rost at rostx034@umn.edu.
Want to learn about or show an animal, but you don't own one? Take advantage of the 4-H animal leasing program!
You'll gain valuable hands-on experience managing and showing animals, and you'll learn from caring adults.
Visit https://extension.umn.edu/4-h-projects/leasing-animal for more information!
When it comes to providing your child with a life-changing experience, there’s nothing quite like 4‑H summer camp. Camp provides the full benefits of a 4‑H experience coupled with the fun and wonder of camping in the great outdoors.
Try something new at a wonderful overnight 4-H summer camp, East Central 4-H Camp! Experience all of the fun that comes along with a resident camp, with a 4-H hands-on learning twist! East Central 4-H Camp is a fun overnight summer residence camp for 4-H’ers brought to you by Isanti, Chisago, Mille Lacs, Sherburne, Carver, and Scott counties and available to all youth.
Who: Open to 4-H members, grades 3 to 8. (Grade completed in May 2024)
Location: Timber Bay Camp & Retreat Center (18955 Woodland Rd, Onamia, MN 56359)
Date: June 24-26, 2024
Cost: $190/ camper until April 15th, $200 from April 15th to June 1st
Additional Details: Registration closes on June 1st, 2024
Registration: Register on 4-H Online
Contact: colex300@umn.edu or 651-277-0151
Belonging and creating a welcoming environment is core to every 4-H program. All 4-H volunteers are invited to participate in a two-part series focusing on fostering a welcoming environment in local programs. Using video, small group discussion, and games, this volunteer training will cover the topics of identity and bias and how they contribute to creating belonging.
The Creating Belonging series aims to bring awareness of acceptance, awareness and identity among county-based volunteers and educators. Through interactive activities and group discussions, participants- both educators and volunteers will learn about how to make authentic connections and develop intentional relationships with youth and their families.
There will be two modules offered virtually on Tuesdays, April 16 and 30, 6:30 - 8 p.m., each lasting 90 minutes. Session one covers topics of identity and belonging, session two covers topics of bias and belonging. Volunteers may enroll for one or both of the free sessions, and volunteers who participate in both sessions will receive a $25 Target gift card. https://z.umn.edu/CRBelonging
Register in 4HOnline, under EVENTS, by April 12 for the first session or both sessions, or by April 26 for the second session. Zoom information will be sent after registration. Contact Kathryn Sharpe, shar0056@umn.edu, with any questions.
Learn how to grow pumpkins and giant 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 in Isanti 5/21, or in person kickoff option two in St. Michael 6/4. In person kickoff participants will receive 2 started pumpkin seedlings (1 normal pumpkin and 1 giant pumpkin), a tour of the green house, and education on caring for their pumpkins by Master Gardeners and volunteers. 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. For more information go to z.umn.edu/PumpkinChallenge24.
Audience: K-13.
Cost:
$5 for virtual
$10 for kickoff option one or kickoff option two
Scholarships are available upon request
Location:
Virtual
Kickoff Option One 5/21 at Green Barn Garden Center, 26501 MN-65, Isanti, MN 55040
Kickoff Option Two 6/4 at Schulte's Greenhouse & Nursery, 2960 Labeaux Ave NE, St Michael, MN 55376
Registration in 4-H Online opens 3/5 and closes on various dates depending on the type of registration that your family chooses: 4/9 for virtual, 5/14 kickoff option one, and 5/28 kickoff option two.
Payments:
We accept credit cards, cash, or check payments. Please address checks to “University of Minnesota” with “Pumpkin Challenge” in the memo line.
Please mail checks to:
University of Minnesota Extension
Attn.: Lauren Backes and Pumpkin Challenge
550 Bunker Lake Blvd Suite L-1
Andover, MN 55304
Questions about the program can be directed to Cora Rost (rostx034@umn.edu) or Denise Meis (barke332@umn.edu).
Questions about payment or registration can be directed to Lauren Backes (backes@umn.edu).
Join the Grow a Monster Melon Challenge for an epic backyard adventure!🌱 Ready to turn your backyard into a vibrant oasis? Look no further! Our challenge is here to transform your summer with giant melon excitement!
- 🌟 Open to kindergarten and up!
- 📅 Register by March 20 for a free seed package and planting guide!
- 💌 Get exclusive tips, content, and videos all summer long!
- 🌱 Share your progress for a chance to grow your melon in a mold!
- 🎪 Showcase your masterpiece at your local fair or the fall contest!
Don't miss out on this unique opportunity! Join the Grow a Monster Melon Challenge - register here! Space is limited!
Learn cutting edge ways to add visual effects to your videos and films with this in person workshop!
Adobe After Effects skills: navigating the interface, importing or creating your own assets and objects, the basics of animating those objects.
- Saturday April 6, 10a.m. to 4 p.m. in St. Paul.
- Lunch provided.
- Deadline to register is March 25, 2024 (https://z.umn.edu/4HAfterEffects)
Exploring your future is a 5-session series designed for youth to explore and identify their personal aspirations for the future. Youth will have the opportunity to learn about financial planning, admission processes, career exploration and more!
The webinar is designed for grades 7-11. It takes place weekly on Mondays at 7 p.m. beginning on April 1.
Slither into the winter with us as we learn about Minnesota's three little lizards, get to know the state reptile and dig deeper into the secret world of amazing amphibians and roaming reptiles!
Join us from your hibernation spot in your home on Thursday evenings from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. on the following dates:
- April 4
- April 18
Audience: Youth in grades K-13
Cost: Free
Registration: Register in 4-H Online.
Discover how gravity influences plant growth and observe roots in action! Join us for an exciting winter series of 4-H Science Sprouts. This opportunity is open to youth in grades 3+ who are interested in plants and science. Online sessions will take place March 25 from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Throughout this series, we'll explore how gravity affects plant life and delve into the fascinating world of root growth. We'll cover agronomy and horticulture topics tailored to the season using STEM. While there's no cost for the program, we'll share a list of optional supplies for those who want to try hands-on experiments at home. We'll send the list out a week before each gathering. Let's explore the wonders of science together in this engaging winter series!
Have you ever looked out your window and wondered about the animals that share the same environment as you do? How do they stay warm in the winter? Why do some of our winged friends fly south when the weather changes and some hang around? Discover the wonderful world of wildlife around you with Wildlife Wednesdays! Join us, virtually, as we explore and uncover the fascinating lives of the wildlife.
Sessions are held virtually on Wednesdays from 7 pm - 8pm on the following dates: March 20 and 27; April 3, 10, 17 and 24
For more information: https://z.umn.edu/WildlifeWednesdaysWinter2024
Ambassador Meeting:
- First Monday of the Month
- 6:00 pm
- Chisago County Community Center
Management Board:
- First Monday of the Month
- Immediately following Ambassadors Meeting, ~7:00 pm
- Chisago County Community Center
Fair Board Meetings:
- 4th Monday of the Month
- 7:00 pm
- Chisago County Fairgrounds/Chisago Lake Town Hall
Livestock Committee:
- 4th Tuesday of the Month
- 6:30 pm
- Chisago County Community Center
Josiah Cole, Extension Educator, Chisago County 4-H
Email: colex300@umn.edu
Website: https://extension.umn.edu/local/chisago
Location: 38814 Third Avenue, North Branch, MN, 55056
Phone: 651-277-0150
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chisago4H
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chisagocounty.4h/
