January 30

Cass County 4-H Update

Fruit, meat and coffee fundraiser

It's that time of the year when Cass 4-H members fanout throughout the county selling boxes of fruit fromMinnTex, packages of meat from Backus Locker anddelicious coffees and scone mixes from StoneHouseCoffee and Roastery.

A portion of the dollars raised from this fundraiser go towards 4-H programmingfor your club.

Orders due back to Extension office: Monday, March 2Pickup and Deliver your orders: Saturday, March 28

Delivery will be at Paul's Large Garage in Pine River (times to follow)

Sale info sheets and order forms have been sent in the mail but they arealso posted on the Cass County 4-H Extension Website in case you wantto get started selling right away. Good Luck!

ID your market beef or Dairy Steers in 4-Honline by Tuesday, February 18 If you are planning on showing your animals in the countyfair, IDs for your market beef and dairy steers must be

entered by you into your 4-H online record by February 18 (that's only 2 1/2weeks from now!) If you are unable to ID your animal in 4-H online, you must fill out an animal IDworksheet and provide it to the extension office by the deadline. Worksheets areavailable at the link provided below or from the extension office. Ear tags are now available at the extension office and must be picked up andapplied to the animal by the deadline. The Universiity of Minnesota Extension Animal ID page can answer yourquestions, instruct you how to ID your animal in 4-H online and provide you with IDworksheets, and information on all species ID requirements and more.

Don't hesitate to call Nic at the Extension office if you have any questions

Agronomy project resources nowavailable

4-H Agronomy is a NEW project that was piloted lastyear and has gone statewide this year, so expect tosee it in your premium books this spring!

Many new opportunities to explore the science ofgrowing our food, fuel, and fiber are now available inthis exciting new project area. There are manylesson plans available for club leaders andvolunteers (contact Nic) as well as project kits thatcan be ordered for youth membershere: https://z.umn.edu/agronomyprojectkits.

Nic is also available to visit your club to demonstrate other project ideas, some ofwhich are listed in the exhibit timeline

Additional opportunities such as crop scouting and agronomy tours will also behappening around the state.

Nic is the lead 4-H Agronomy contact for the whole NE Region. Contact himat nwpodoll@umn.edu or 218-587-8292 to learn more about all of theopportunities available. Get started on planning your 4-H agronomy project today!

Awards Committee is meeting February 10 and requestsrepresentation from all clubs

The Awards Committee is requesting that a representativefrom each club attend the awards committee meeting onMonday, February 10 at 6 p.m. at the Extension office.Awards for the upcoming county fair will be discussed.

Clubs that still need representation at the meeting include:

ANIMALSBecker Busy BeesAmbassadors

A Youth member and/or a leader of the listed clubs is asked to attend. Pleasecheck with your club to see who will be able to join the Awards Committee onFebruary 10.

Food Stand Manager search

The Food Stand Committee is starting theprocess of searching for a Food StandManager for the 2020 county fair.We need your help finding a food standmanager. Please ask around, use your

contacts, and contact Nic or anyone on the food stand committee with names orideas.

Nic 218-587-8292

Jeanne Rohr 218-251-2648Rhonda Adkins 218-587-3411Sandra Linn 218-587-2762Linda Johnson 218-296-2383

Science of Agriculture challenge- there is still time to form ateam

The 2020 4-H Science of Agriculture Challenge is underway. In the challenge,youth work with an adult mentor on teams of 2-5 to identify an agricultural issue,create ideas for solutions, create a presentation, and share their project with thecommunity. Teams attend a state event on campus and team members have thechance to win scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000 to apply towards post-secondary education.

Updated resources to promote the challenge are available for youth developmentstaff and adult volunteers who are interested in working on a project with youth.

Challenge information and resources for teams can be found on the Science ofAgriculture Challenge website.

The deadline for teams to sign up to be a part of this year’s Challenge isMarch 1.

Cass County 4-H summerintern search continues

Now #hiring 4-H youth developmentinterns. We're looking for collegestudents interested in hands-onlearning about Extension and apassion to see all Minnesota youththrive!

Learn more today athttps://z.umn.edu/4hsummerintern

To be eligible for this a summer intern position, applicants must have a highschool diploma, and at least two years of undergraduate study is preferred. Theymust not have received their undergraduate degree ( including spring 2020graduates).

The application deadline is open until positions are filled.

What is your club up to?

Is your club interested in ice fishing ? TheNorthern Stars are and will be participating inthe Nisswa Jubilee Nisswa Fire Dept FishingDerby on Nisswa Lake, February 16, noon to 2pm(arrive between 11 and 11:45 to get your holeset up)

If your club wants to go, you will need to buy $5fishing holes for each participant._____________________________

If you are interested in attending a food packingevent on March 22, please contact Terri Fosterfor details on how to participate. a head count isnecessary to set up stations.

Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes(Kids Against Hunger) Food Packing Event - Allfamilies invited

March 22nd at 4:30-6:00 pm24489 Hazelwood DriveNisswa, MN 56468)

Please RSVP by March 15th toTerri 218-821-0444

Above:Northern Stars club with theirfinished products from arecent volunteer event: youthhomeless resource bags filledwith hygiene items, blankets,hats, mittens, paper and pens,cards, games and a gift cardto Walmart made possiblefrom their Helping Hand Grant.55 bags were given to toLutheran Social Services fordistribution to youth under age24. Great Job!

Plan now for a club project with Nic

Set up a date for Nic to join you for a fun project atone of your club meetings this 4-H year! Contact himat the extension office. 218-587-8292.

Important DatesBLU registration deadline, Monday, February 3Awards Committee Meeting, Monday, February 10, 6 p.m. ExtensionOffice, Pine RiverNorth Dakota State University Little I Livestock Judging competition,Friday, February 14 8 a.m.- noonMarket Beef and Dairy Steer Animal ID deadline, Tuesday, February 18.BLU (Building Leadership and Understanding) NE Regionalworkshops, Saturday and Sunday, February 22-23, PalisadeScience of Agriculture registration deadline, Sunday March 1Fruit Sale orders due to office, Monday, March 2Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes Food Packing event Sunday,March 22

Next Federation Meeting will be Monday, March 23 in Leader (newdate)South Dakota State University Little I Livestock JudgingCompetition, Friday, March 27, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.Fruit Sale Delivery, Saturday, March 28 Paul's Large Garage

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For more information contact:Nic Podoll,Extension Educator,4-H Youth Development, Cass County218-587-8292 or nwpodoll@umn.edu

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