Jan Gibson: Agent
Email: [email protected]
April, 2015
Livestock Club Staying Active
Cooperative
Extension Service
Perry County
933 Perry Park Road
Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 436-2044
Fax: (606) 436-9961
www.ca.uky.edu/ces
The Perry County 4‐H Livestock Club (fka Rabbit Club) has been pretty busy these days. Due to the weather in February, the KY 4‐H Livestock Skillathon was postponed, but the Club leader, Becky Dobson and member, Morgan Dobson, did brave the weather in March to participate. The Skillathon is a 4‐H event that prepares the youth to identify breed by distinguishing characteristics, the external and skeletal anatomy, feedstuffs and nutrients, retail/wholesale cuts of meat, equipment for raising and showing animals, economic importance, and ranking based on performance data. The 4‐H Livestock Judging is another event. Youth learn to evaluate livestock for the species of beef cattle, sheep, boer goats, and swine based on the traits of importance. They also learn effective communication in presenting their rankings in oral reasons to judges. This month two of the county club members – Nicole Fugate and Morgan Dobson – participated in the Clark County 4‐H Livestock Judging Invitational. Morgan won first place in the swine category of her division. As part of the Club’s community engagement, they also present 4‐H Livestock Clinics at Tractor Supply Company in Hazard periodically. The clinic in March featured rabbits, chickens, eggs, and the very popular Goat‐in‐a Box! No really, the three week old boer goat was a big hit with the patrons of TSC. She was perfectly behaved too….she seemed to love the attention. Other activities of this club include members showing both rabbits and goats in the various shows around the state. In fact one of the biggest Rabbit Show in KY is coming up March 28th in Shepherdsville by the Falls City Rabbit Breeders Association. It has both Open and Youth divisions. 4-H Country Ham Project Cures On
The second workshop was held recently with the Perry and Leslie County 4‐H’ers enrolled in the 4‐H Country Ham Project. The members retrieved their hams from the ham house, weighed them to determine lost moisture thus far, cleaned them of the excess mix, and re‐socked them for the next stretch of curing. It was exciting to learn that no spoilage was detected so all are expecting a bumper crop of A#1 Country Hams this season! County members include Tiffany Langdon, Donovan Langdon, Nicole Fugate and Morgan Dobson. Adult members are Becky Dobson and Reda Fugate. Teens Travel to KY 4‐H Youth Summit The KY 4‐H Teen Summit is an opportunity for young teen leaders to assemble in a conference designed for their age group to develop leadership skills, practice communication skills, and meet other youth from all across KY. In the Perry County 4‐H program this opportunity is extended to those 7th and 8th graders who are enrolled as teen leaders from their schools in the “Talking with TJ” Conflict Resolution program. Nine youth from Viper Elementary applied for this conference. With some help from the “Run for the Hills” Community Foundation 4‐H account, each of the nine were extended some scholarship funds. At the conference the youth participated in committees and leadership group activities as well as enrolling in classes of their own individual interests. We had a Blast! The above Perry County delegation is Haley Hurd, Haley Fugate, Dalton Curry, Bradley Johnson, Matthew Sexton, Marcus Fields, (top) Jody Caudill, Daekwon Craft, Kelsey Martin. Ms Jackie Caudill is the school 4‐H contact. The 8th graders involved will serve as teen leaders at the up‐coming Viper 8th Grade Leadership Retreat in April. Natural Resource & Environmental Sciences 4‐H Academy The scholars in NRESci Academy met at Frankfort’s Salato Center for their 3rd quarterly workshop this year. Each of the three groups worked on the specific topic of Water ed, Forestry, or Wildlife. The water group donned waders as they tested various water sources. Forestry group hit the trails while the Wildlife group learned to determine the age of fish, among other things! Shown in the picture hugging the elk are Taylor Colwell, Chelsie Bailey, Taylor Roark while Tiffany Langdon managed to hide behind the elk! Robinson Jaybots Bound For STATE RCX Challenge
Competition!
For the second year in a row the team from Robinson Elementary has
qualified for state competition in the Robo Challenge Xtreme! Members of this 4-H club finished in first
place in their middle school division and will compete at Rupp Arena the end of March. The team
members were given three rounds in which to score as many points as possible with their robots
performing various missions. Both Robinson teams scored well on the boards but in the end one finished
with a high of 220 points…only 2 points below the highest high school score! The entire team is bound
for Rupp as they will try their hand against other regional winners in each of the three divisions. Coaches
are Faith and Michael Slagell supported by 4-H agent, with members Robby Smith, Preston Pollard,
Dalton Grigsby, Russell Terry, Josh Coburn, Ben Gambill, Jacob Bush, and Dawson Messer.
4-H Needlework Club Begins
Youth and their parents interested in learning about different needlework skills were recently invited to
join the SPIN club called the 4-H Needlework Club. This clubs meets in the evenings so that parents can
attend and learn with their 4-H’er. The first couple of sessions will be focused on the skills involved in
crochet and knitting. The club intends to meet on the third Monday evening of the month 5:30- 7 PM.
DATES TO NOTE
April April 6 April 13 April 13 April 13 April 14 April 17 April 18 April 19 April 20 April 20 April 25 April 26 April 27 April 29 April 30 HMS 4‐H leader to set the incubators! HMS/HHS 4‐H Avian Club to get started afterschool HMS/HHS 4‐H Avian Club afterschool Perry County 4‐H Livestock Club 5:30‐ 7PM at Extension office Youth Character Award nominations due from schools District 2 4‐H Communications Day at Quicksand, KY Viper 4‐H Leadership Summit at Buckhorn State Park 4‐H/FFA Envirothon Team practice in Rockcastle County YLPI meets at Chavies office 1:30 PM HMS/HHS 4‐H Avian Club afterschool Perry County 4‐H Needlework Club 5:30‐7PM at Extension office Regional Envirothon Contest at Berea Farm YLPI/4‐H Loom Knitting Community Engagement Workshop –open to ALL! HMS/HHS 4‐H Avian Club afterschool 63rd Hazard Civic Night Perry County Extension Council Meeting, Extension office NEW Dates for 4-H Camp due to school schedule…
June 12-15