4-H NEWSFLASH Summer Edition 2024

Dear 4-H Folks,

Summer is flying by.  Before we know it, it will be time for fair!  We are excited to spend our summer learning by doing with our 4-H’ers. 

We are looking forward to a great fair!

Michael Schuldt                   Rachelle Weyerbacher                            Jackie Beardsley

Custer County Extension Agents

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Pre-Fair Information

Pie Baking

Our best-selling item in our booth happens to be our homemade 4-H pies.  Please consider volunteering to help make pies.  All our pies are homemade, to do this our pie bakers, need help prepping the ingredients.  This will take a couple hours Tues, Wednesday or Thursday night, the week before fair to get ready.  Let us know if you are interested in helping, our steadfast volunteer coordinator is asking for at least two helpers from each club.  Julie Nowicki will be reaching out to our organizational leaders to find help. 

Fair Packets

The office makes fair packets for every member. Packets will include your project tags, stall cards, affidavits and rodeo passes. We will email you when they are ready for pick up, no earlier than the second week in August. 

Fair Passes

Clubs wanting to purchase fair passes may do so at the Extension Office. The price for the four-day pass for 4-H members is $6.00. Check availability after August 5th. Organizational leaders are asked to collect the money from your members and purchase the passes all at once.

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: EASTERN MONTANA FAIR

Camping & Stock Trailer Parking

Stock trailer parking will be allowed along the fence behind the Agri-sports building up to the Entry gate, Stock trailers must not block traffic or livestock loading areas.

The Fairboard is changing the designated camping areas during the fair – These will be announced in August – Please check with Dale, Mike or a Fairboard member before parking your camper!!

These two areas will be available – other areas may be restricted depending on the decision of the Fairboard.

  • The large grassy area south of the Weed shop,
  • Along the South fence by the Agri-sports parking lot. As the traffic pattern has changed with the Event Center.
  • Pay attention to signs indicating parking areas, ask if you are unsure of your parking space. If it says “No Parking” this means you.

Volunteers at Fair

The office is always looking for leaders and members to help during the fair. Please let our office know if you are interested in lending a hand!

We will need help with flyers and help with the sale.

We will need help at Interview judging on Monday August 19th, and help setting up the event center.

We also need helpers to cook hamburgers in the morning on Monday August 19th. If you are able, please let the office know.

4-H Fair Building Preparation

Powderville Pioneers: Clean and set-up kitchen and main building area before Interview Judging.

Make sure the back porch tables and chairs are wiped down and set up. Wash indoor windows, clean bathroom, stock all supplies of toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, dish soap and hand soap.

Post Fair Kinsey: Clean 4-H building main area, kitchen, and porch. Tear down tables and chairs in porch area. Pick up area outside with any leftover or abandoned show equipment.  Stock all supplies toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, dish soap and hand soap.  Haul all boxes leftover from fair to designated area. 

Food Booth 2024

Our food booth is our number one fundraiser for the year. We ask that each family take time to participate and help support our 4-H program by working at the food booth during their club's shift during the fair. To sign up, your club leader will create a schedule and you will connect with them.

This is a community service opportunity for your 4-H members. If your family does not show livestock, extra coverage will be needed during the pig show and livestock sale on Friday. Please consider volunteering that day, even if it is not your club day.

Minimal Staff for each Shift- 4-5 Adults, 3 Teens. Members 9 and over can work in the booth.

  • Adult- Cook/ Teen
  • 2 Adults (18+) – Take orders and money at order window.
  • 2 Runners- 9 and up
  • Under 9- Stocking Condiments, Cleaning Tables, need to be in porch or table area outside of main kitchen for safety.

INTERVIEW JUDGING– MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2024

Schedule TBD after fair entry is complete around beginning of August.

Location change this year:

  • Interview judging will be completed at the event center.
  • Check-in will occur midway on the side of bay 3. Check in here, stage all your projects, bring them through to front lobby for interview judging.
  • Once judging is complete, kids will take projects to bay 1 for ribbons and set up in our new 4-H niche, where foods and veggies used to be.

Bring all your exhibits and displays for your projects, EXCEPT: Food, Gardening produce, club scrapbooks and secretary books.

All members must have their project manuals completed according to the requirements and checked by their leaders. DO NOT come before your designated time unless you have talked to the office.

Interview judging requires professional dress (what you would wear to show animals in, or what you would wear to interview for a job).

INTERVIEW JUDGING- Demonstrations/Illustrated Talks/ Speeches

If you would like to interview a judge with your project for the demonstration day or your club demonstration, put it on your fair entry form.

Cloverbud Interview Judging- WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24, 2024

Beginning 9:00 AM- Optional for Cloverbuds, but they are welcome to join and speak to a judge about all the amazing projects they have been working on all year. A good opportunity to build their skills for when they are members with a lower key environment on Wednesday. 

Foods Judging- WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24, 2024

All food projects will be interviewed at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 24, 2024, at the Lou Moths Memorial Hall (4-H Building). This also includes the cupcake challenge. Bring all your baked goods, project books, posters, etc. on this day.

Garden Displays-THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2023

Vegetables and garden projects must be in place by 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 25, 2024. The open class judge will be judging these projects. Bring to designated table in the Event Center.

Livestock

All livestock (except stocker-feeder calves) need to be in place at the fair by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 24, 2024. Weigh-in are from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Please observe all drug withdrawal times as stated on labels. If your steer, lamb, or hog has residue from any drug, your carcass may be condemned. You will stand the LOSS!

Dress code for the 4-H Livestock Sale: All 4-H/FFA members selling livestock need to wear:

  • long pants
  • collared shirt
  • closed shoes

 If you have any questions, please call the office!

What Do I Bring to the Fair?

For many of you this is your first year bringing an animal to the fair. The items listed below are just a few things you might want to bring to the fair:

  • Grooming equipment (clippers, scotch comb, soft bristle brush, curry comb, fans, dryer)
  • Halter and ropes
  • Shovel/pitchfork
  • Water pails
  • Feed
  • Broom
  • Show Stick

Weigh-in of animals will begin following the Mandatory Exhibitor meeting Wednesday, August 24th. The scale will close at 7:00 p.m. Any animal not in line to be weighed will be disqualified from the Fair. We will weigh beef in the pavilion and hogs, sheep, and goats, at the Agri-Sports barn.

Market beef participants bring your bill of sale.

Pen/Stall Cards

Must be displayed for each animal. Complete with your name, the project, ADG, etc. filled out and placed above your stalls on Wednesday evening following weigh in. There is a place to put a photo of your animal on the pen card. These can be picked up in the 4-H Building during the fair or at Interview Judging Day at the Event Center, Monday August 19th.

Barn Set-Up

It begins on Monday, August 19th, starting at 9:00 a.m.

Please plan to stick around after your interview that day to help set up the pens.

Additional details will be coming prior to the fair. Please watch for it and do not hesitate to call with your questions – it is better to know ahead of time than find out too late.  

Mandatory Exhibitor Meeting

 This year we are requiring all exhibitors to attend a Mandatory Exhibitor meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday August 19th in the show ring. Attendance will be taken and any exhibitor (or a parent representative) not on the list will not be eligible to participate in the show and sale.

We will present information to help you succeed with your livestock exhibit and ensure that everyone understands what is expected during the fair. Please plan to attend this meeting; if you are unable, your parents can attend for you.

Buyers Barbeque

There will be an open buyers BBQ on sale day. This will be in place of meal tickets we gave to buyers at the sale. All potential buyers will be fed first. We encourage members to invite previous buyers to the sale and attend the barbeque.  

Post Livestock Sale

Market animal show participants, market checks will be mailed to you.

 After:

  • buyers have paid.
  • food booth bills are paid.
  • record books have been completed and checked.
  • pictures are picked up.

Thank Yous

Take thank you notes to your buyers! The office does not need a copy.

Exhibit Pickup

All 4-H and FFA exhibits must remain in place until 8:00 Am Sunday Morning without exception. All exhibits must be removed from the exhibit building by 4:00 PM on Monday after the fair. 

Livestock Projects: You will be responsible for the care, feed, and water of your animals up until they are released or loaded on Sunday morning. All livestock families need to be at the barns on Sunday morning to clean up and tear down the pens.

Indoor projects: Indoor projects can be picked up at the Event Center from 8:00-12:00 on Sunday, or before 4:00 PM on Monday.

Exhibit Pickup

Premium payouts for 4-H will not begin until 1:00 PM on Saturday. They can be picked up Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning or Monday. Mailed out in club check after that.

Record Books

All record books are due to the office by September 10th.

 

Important Dates

June 25-27 OREO Trip to Cody- Jackie and Rachelle Out 

July 4th Office is Closed

July 9-12 Congress

July 16 Small Animal Judging Day

July 26 Fair Entries are Due

August 6 Market Sale Flyer Handout 

August 19 Interview Judging Day 

August 25 Exhibit Pickup 8-12

August 26 Exhibit Pickup 8-4, all exhibits must be removed by 4 PM.

September 10 Record books due to the office

Awards

Ben Herzog Memorial Award is given annually by the family of the late Ben Herzog.

The award will consist of a belt buckle and gift certificate.

Any 4-H member in Custer County will be eligible for the award. No nomination for the award is required.

Custer County Agents as well as two County 4-H Leaders will choose the recipient. (Ted Herzog or a member of the late Ben Herzog’s family will choose the two leaders for the selection committee.) The winner will be chosen based on their overall contribution and promotion of 4-H ideals including participation, leadership, sportsmanship, citizenship, and education.

Friends of 4-H

 AwardOnce again it is time to start thinking about nominations for “Friends of 4-H”. These nominees are anyone that gives their time and energy to benefit 4-H, be it a business or individual. The nominations are due September 10, 2023, to the office.

Herdsman Award

Will be an individual award and awarded daily on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the Fair.

Members will be awarded in five categories:

Beef, Swine, Horse, Sheep, Goats & Poultry/Rabbits.

The members will be presented with a banner stating they are “Herdsman of the Day.” The banner will rotate each day. The members will also receive a laminated card to keep on the stall board.

Recognition of the award received will be announced in the MC Star fair insert in the fall.

7 Year Member Recognition 

All members who are completing their 7th year in 4-H this year are eligible to receive an award of either a belt buckle or jacket. Those will be sent out soon.