Clay County 4-H

Mid April 2025 🍀

Welcome Rali Sykes

Rali is filling the ‘front office’ position. Prior to joining us in 4-H, Rali was the Assistant Manager at Runnings and Farm Department Manager for four years prior to that. She has ample confidence in managing an office setting and will be an incredible asset to our program as we look to continue providing quality educational experiences to the youth of Clay County.

When asked ‘why 4-H’, Rali said “I decided to apply for this position as I have been searching for ways to get involved with the Vermillion community while also looking to have a bit more of a work life balance. I'm excited to gain a better understanding of how the 4-H system works. I have had a lot of wonderful experiences with the 4-H families during my time at Runnings and I am looking forward to helping them in more ways in this new position.”

Rali is no stranger to 4-H, she was involved as a Cloverbud and participated in the dog and cat project areas during her time as a 4-H member.

Rali has traveled to eight different countries and participates in Mounted Shooting through the CMSA. If you can touch your tongue to your nose, you might have something in common with Rali.

2025 SkillsX by 4-H Registration LIVE!

SDSU Extension 4-H will host SkillsX by 4-H June 2-5, 2025 at the South Dakota State University campus. This event is open to any teen (age 13-18), with an interest in developing their leadership, life, workforce, and social skills! The event will include ample opportunities for young people to meet others from across the state, while getting to further develop themselves as a young leader in their community.

This year's SkillsX by 4-H conference offers a unique opportunity for teens to explore leadership skills in an engaging and interactive way, all through the lens of board games. Throughout the event, participants will dive into team-based challenges, strategic decision making, and problem-solving scenarios inspired by popular board games. By the end of the conference, teens will not only have enhanced their leadership abilities but also discovered how fun and impactful it can be to lead with creativity, strategy, and a bit of friendly competition.

Participants can expect to participate in:

Workshop Sessions on a variety of topics
Keynote presentation from Terrence Talley, a renowned speaker for youth audiences
Recreational Activities
Campus Tours
Variety Show
Career Exploration Event
Community Service
Dances
and so much more!
Register by visiting: https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/skillsx-4-h.

The cost to register is as follows:

Early Bird Teen Participant Registration - March 26-April 20, 2025 - $350
Regular Teen Participant Registration - April 21-May 2, 2025 - $375

For more information about this event, contact Hilary Kroupa (hilary.kroupa@sdstate.edu) or Julia Thaden (julia.thaden@sdstate.edu), both reachable at (605) 688-4167.

State Fair Website Updated

The State Fair Book, Contestant Packets and Handbooks have been updated and are live on the SDSU Extension State Fair page. It can be accessed at: https://extension.sdstate.edu/state-fair.

2025 4-H Summer Camps

Registration for 4-H summer camps are now open on the SDSU Extension website: https://extension.sdstate.edu/4-h-camps. All camp registrations are due by May 11th. A flyer is attached with more information. Please contact Kyle Beach with any questions: kyle.beach@sdstate.edu.

Summer 4-H Camp Volunteers Requested

Adults wishing to volunteer at a 4-H camp this summer, can fill out the application form on the extension website: https://extension.sdstate.edu/4-h-coach-and-chaperoneapplication.

For teens wishing to participate as Camp Counselors they can email Kyle Beach for more information and the application, Kyle.Beach@sdstate.edu. Applicants must be 16 years old for Poinsett 1, 2 and Storm Mountain and 17 years old for Going Beyond.

They are still looking for RN’s to volunteer as Camp Nurses. If you know of someone qualified please reach out to Kyle.

SDSU Natural Resources High School Program

SDSU will be hosting a Natural Resources program on July 21-25 at the Oak Lake Field Station near Astoria, SD. The Natural Resources High School Program is a great way to gain exposure to the world of natural resources, including fish, plants, wildlife, soils, invertebrates and water. The Program offers opportunities to gain hands-on experiences in natural resource ecology and management. The Program is intended for high school students, entering grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, who have a strong desire to learn more about the natural world or who have an interest in pursuing a career related to natural resources. Permission of parent or guardian is required.

Activities will be led by SDSU Department of Natural Resource Management faculty and graduate students.

For more information or visit https://www.sdstate.edu/natural-resource-management/natural-resources-high-school-program.

Rodeo Update

Reminder packets are Due by May 1 with no late fee

Recommend to send by certified mail if pushing May 1 due date!!
Corrections are due by May 1

$150 late fee until June 1
No packets accepted after June 1.
Link to Rodeo Contestant Packet if needed https://extension.sdstate.edu/sites/default/files/2025-01/MC-03663.pdf

2025 Horse Contestant Packet Now Available!

The 2025 Horse Contestant Packet is now available! You can find the constant packet on the website at: State Horse Show, Judging and Hippology.

Additionally, they are looking for volunteers to help with the 2025 State Horse Show! If you're interested in lending a hand, please sign up through the link: Sign up to volunteer.

2025 State Dog Show Project Guide

The 2025 4-H dog show project guide is now available on the SDSU Extension website: https://extension.sdstate.edu/sites/default/files/2025-03/P-00099-2025.pdf.

2021-2024 South Dakota 4-H Special Foods Cookbook Preorder Now Available

SDSU Extension is selling the 2021 - 2024 South Dakota 4-H Special Foods Cookbook. The preorder will be open from March 26 to April 25, 2025. The cost of the cookbook is $35.00. The website link to order your 2021-2024 South Dakota 4-H Special Foods Cookbook is https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/south-dakota-4-h-special-foods-cookbook-preorder.

The 2021 - 2024 South Dakota 4-H Special Foods Cookbook will feature recipes from South Dakota 4-H youth who participated in the Special Foods Contest. Youth who received a purple in the Special Foods Contest at the South Dakota State Fair between 2021 – 2024 will be featured in the cookbook. Proceeds will go towards Youth-In-Action Events at the South Dakota State Fair.

Your order will be mailed 6-7 weeks after the preorder closes on April 25th to the shipping address you entered with your registration. A minimum of 100 cookbooks will need to be sold for us to proceed with printing. If the minimum number is not reached, all orders will be refunded. For more information or questions contact Amanda Stade, SDSU Extension 4- H Youth In Action Program Manager at amanda.stade@sdstate.edu.

Alternative Opportunities for YLL Certification

Have a youth member who is unable to attend an approved YLL program or is looking for alternative options? Just a reminder that, although we have switched to the YLL model, programs such as BQA (beef), PQA+ (swine), and YQCA are still eligible to fulfill the YLL requirement for South Dakota 4-H livestock exhibitors. Youth members must provide proof of program completion to their county 4-H professional by July 1 in order to complete their YLL requirement for the current program year.

*Note: It is the responsibility of the youth member to register for a certified BQA, PQA+, or YQCA training if they elect to participate in one of those. Registration information can be found on each of the program's websites.*