Hello 4-H Families!

 

We are in the planning stages of Project Day and Public Presentation Day for April - May, so keep those in the back of your mind.

 

Rec Lab is in Hobson, MT this year. Kim will be hosting two workshops with Adriane Good (Pondera County) and Kari Lewis (Glacier County). If your teen leader would like to attend, please let us know. This is a really fun opportunity and it is really close this year. The registration deadline is March 1st.

 

Please make sure you have all the project books that you need for the year. The following members still have books in the office: Jagger Flesch, Rowen Russell.

 

If your child is a senior and is in the livestock project, please be sure to fill out the scholarships for 4-H. There are two available on the websitehttp://mariasfair.msuextension.org/livestockcom.html

 

As always, please let us know if you have any questions. You can stop by the office anytime!

Kim & Jackie

 

Small Ag Committee Updates

Small Ag Committee met Jan 25th. We decided to break into committees to look at the rules for each animal and make descriptions, expectations, and revisions for the fair book. We will regroup in March with proposals and make decisions for the fair book.

Tina would like to host some dog obedience workshops if people are interested. We would like to have another small animal workshop around April where we make toys for the animals to be entered at the fair. We will have our usual showmanship workshop in June.

We clarified the rule that the Cloverbud age kids can now enter as “Open Class” entries for small animal showmanship. We will have someone from Open Class come to our next meeting with the specific rules for that.

We held officer elections. Ashely Denno is the new President, Tina McIlvain is the Vice President, Brittany Hotchkiss is the Treasurer, and Leanne Winkowitsch is the Secretary.

We discussed having a small animal Round Robin show we just can’t find a time that would work since all of our shows are on a different day.

We will be asking the same judges back this year and we were discussing if the judges fee was at a good rate. I will be looking into what other fairs pay and we will re-evaluate at the next meeting. We might do a fundraiser so we can pay our judges more. We talked about doing a turkey raffle or maybe a chicken bingo at the fair.

The committee is asking for members to keep an eye out for chicken, rabbit, cat, dog, pocket pet themed goodies for the goody bag. There may be some at the new dollar stores and lots of chickens and rabbits around Easter.

Our next meeting will be March 29th at the MRE at 6:30 PM.

 

Attention Seniors!

 

Montana 4-H Foundation Scholarship

Seniors and 4-H alumni enrolled in college are encouraged to apply for Montana 4-H Foundation scholarships. Applications are due April 1, 2022, and can be submitted via https://app.mykaleidoscope.com/ scholarship/montanta4hfoundation. Underclassmen, it’s a good idea to look at the scholarships now to plan ahead for submitting applications as a senior. If submitting an application, please let Kim know so that she can then review it and sign off (and upload a letter of reference).

 

Livestock Committee Scholarship

Two Marias Fair Livestock Scholarships are available to graduating seniors. They are up on the Marias Fair website. They are due to the Extension Office on March 30th.

Horse Updates

  • We will start doing recognition of seniors at the horse show. It was started last minute last year, but we will do a better job of it in coming years.
  • We will not be doing any fundraising this year. Instead we are going to see if we can work the stripping chute at Whoop Up Days and get a small donation from the Lions Committee. If you have something horse related in your county that could use volunteers, let the horse committee know and we may be able to work a similar deal to help us pay for judges and other miscellaneous needs.
  • We are going to move the Working Ranch Horse Show to 9:00 Judges Clinic, 10:00 show start. Still on Tuesday of Fair.
  • Pony Rides will be happening again from noon until 1pm on Saturday. Depending on numbers, we might get both arenas going.
  • Patterns were selected and are attached. We haven’t done WRH patterns yet though.
  • Adriane is working on getting ahold of PRCA people to see how elaborate they want the grand entry/TETWP and if we are going both days of rodeo or just Saturday. We were also approached by the Lions Club to have a bigger presence at Whoop Up, and may do a grand entry there. I am getting more details on how elaborate they want it, but if it goes ahead, horse members from all counties will be invited to participate.
  • The goal is to have at least one ride night in Shelby before fair to make sure kids and horses are all used to the fair grounds.

Livestock Committee Updates

Lamb weight limit - Maximum lamb weight limit has been increased to 165 pounds. This is more in line with other fairs and allows those larger framed lambs to be appropriately finished. A heavier carcass also provides the buyer more meat for their fixed processing costs.

 

Maximum Sale Participation Weight – Any animal weighing 12% or more above the maximum payweight will NOT be eligible to sell in the market livestock sale. Those animals may participate in the show but will not be able to sell.

Maximum sale participation weights are:

  • Beef – 1,680
  • Lambs – 185
  • Swine – 336
  • Goats – 123

 

Weigh in Deadline: Swine Weigh In and Breeding Projects are due April 17th. Lamb/Goat deadline May 8th.

The following 4-H members will need Livestock Quality Assurance this year:

We will have one at project day in April/May

Taylor ParsonsBrinlee Flesch

Ty ParsonsMorgan Riphenburg

4-H Leadership Academy:

If you are an ambassador or teen leader, join the Montana 4-H Leadership Academy workshop on Sunday, March 13th, @2:30. The Leadership Academy is a network of Montana 4-H members interested in exploring and developing their own leadership skills while serving their county 4-H program in new ways.

 

Local county leadership groups will have an opportunity to join with groups from around the state as well as the Montana 4-H Ambassador Officer team, virtually and in person when possible, to work on skill building, planning and mentorship.

 

Each month the officer team members will be presenting a different workshop topic that they have found to be important as they have grown their own leadership abilities. This workshop should be paired with a local county leadership meeting to work on county projects that serve the local 4-H program and community.

 

Leadership Academy Dates:

March 13 - Successful Service Learning

April 10 - Lead with a Purpose

 

Public Presentation Day

Keep an eye out for more information about an upcoming Public Presentation Day in April or May!

 

4-H Family Passes

Please note, 4-H Family entertainment passes will be $150/family this year (immediate family only) and the passes will include Indian Relay Races Thursday and Friday and rodeo Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Fair expenses can quickly add up so we recommend budgeting now for these summer expenses. If you receive a tax refund, earmarking part of that for summer activities, whether 4-H camp, fair passes, school supplies, or otherwise, can be a great idea.

Cattle AI Demonstration

Sunday, March 13, Tiffany Barcus is inviting any 4-Hers interested for a cattle artificial insemination (AI) demonstration at 2 p.m. in her garage (24047 US HWY 2, Cut Bank). She will have reproductive tracts available from cows and go over the basics of the process. Please RSVP with Kari (406-209-2953 or [email protected]) if you plan to attend. This would be an excellent learning opportunity for any livestock, vet science, breeding members, etc.

Montana 4-H Rec Lab

On March 18-20, 2022 Montana Rec Lab will be held in Hobson MT. Plan to travel 4-H Highway 2022, the Road to Success! Mark your calendar's for this amazing state wide event and help spread the word to all your 4-H friends in Montana. The Montana Rec Lab is open to all 4-H members in Montana ages 13-19! More information will be coming out. There are scholarships available for Toole County Members upon request. The application will be available in early February. The registration deadline is March 1st, 2022.

 

What is Rec Lab? Many teens will tell you Rec Lab is their favorite statewide event. It has a really casual, fun and hands on feel. Often times all of the activities... including sleeping take place in one building like a school. Everyone drags in 100 lbs of air mattresses, sleeping bags and extension cords for phone chargers into the school gym to stay for the weekend. It is almost impossible in this environment not to make new friends! People spend time between meals and workshops sitting at cafeteria tables playing games and getting to know each other. The workshops are very engaging and often hands-on with project and activity based topics. It is a great way to roll into more leadership opportunities at the county and state level. If you have members that have not had an opportunity to attend any state events, this is the perfect one for them to start with, It is really fun, the schedule is easy to follow and it is less intimidating to interact with peers.

 

Montana 4-H Rec Lab: March 18-20 in Hobson, MT hosted by District 3

Youth ages 13 and up (by October 1, 2021)- plan to attend this statewide event for awesome activities, friend and fun!

Some of the Schedule highlights include:

  • Kyle Shobe Fergus County 4-H alumni, entrepreneur, and musician
  • Games and activities by district teen leaders
  • over 30 hands on workshops
  • Fair Olympics
  • Road Show (Talent Show)
  • Karen Gross, Motivational Speaker

Project Day

We are planning a Project Day for April. The date is TBD.

One station will be Quality Assurance. All members that are taking an animal project need to have this training every other year. If anyone would like to teach a station in a specific project, please let us know.

 

Dog Members

The Marias Fair Ag Committee is looking to organize some dog workshops that covers obedience and showmanship.

The Glacier County 4-H dog leader is willing to lead weekly sessions in Cut Bank to go about six weeks. The sessions will be indoors and may have a potential follow-up later in the spring and summer at the dog park or the Marias Fairgrounds dog arena.

The first session would be an introduction that would have a training session with the dogs after.

She would like to get started in the new year.

Any dog members who are interested please go to https://bit.ly?3e9HBNW. Sign up as soon as possible so that she can make the schedule!

 

4-H Camp

4-H camp will be Monday, June 13 through Wednesday, June 15, similar to previous years. Camp will be for 4-Hers in 7th grade or below (no Cloverbuds). Registration will be available on a first come, first serve (and paid) basis until we reach 120 campers. Any remaining applicants will be on a waiting list. Registration details will be coming later this spring. Camp will be $60/camper, due to higher food and supply costs. The Glacier County 4-H Council Event scholarship and Bret Wanken Memorial Fund scholarship are both available, applications are available online at https://glacier.msuextension.org/4H.html.

 

Swine Weight Fair Information

Remember, fair weigh-in date is Wednesday, July 20. Fair minimum weight is 220 pounds, maximum payweight is 300 pounds, maximum sale participation weight is 336 pounds. As a generalization, many of the show pig types tend to gain around 1.5 - 2.0 lbs/day while a commerical type pig can be 2.0 - 2.5 lbs/day. Calculate the days until fair from when you purchase your pig to determine what an appropriate beginning start weight would be.

 

2022 Montana Livestock Shows

March 19 - Deer Lodge (beef only)

April 23 - Golden Triangle in Great Falls (beef only)

May 14 - Ronan Livestock Show

May 28 - 29 - Renegade in Great Falls (all species)

June 4 - Golden Triangle Preview in Great Falls (swine, lambs, goats)

June 10 - 11 - Champions Choice in Helena (lambs, goats, swine)

June 11 - 12 - Helena Jackpot (all species)

June 24 - Western Ranch Fitting and Showmanship Camp - Great Falls

June 25 - 26 - Western Ranch Jackpot - Great Falls (all species)

 

4 County Marias Fair Archery Competition Results

The scores that are listed below are the Competition results for the 4 county archery competition. The results that were in the last newsletter were the individual statewide results

Unlimited 11-12 Scores

1st Place- Marshall Richman with a score of 272, 6 x's.

2nd Place- Cael Blevins with a score of 261, with 3 x's.

3rd Place- Avalyn Smith with a score of 244, with 2 x's.

Alethea Smith had a score of 138.

Unlimited 15+ Scores

1st Place and Top Shooter for the division- Cade Hanson with a score of 279 with 7 x's.

 

Bowhunter 9-10 Scores

1st Place- Tel Gray with a score of 221, 1 x.

2nd Place- Rowen Russell with a score of 204.

3rd Place- Tye Gray with a score of 199, 1 x.

Bridger Ergenbright with a score of 189.

Kaylee Berthelote with a score of 188.

Morgan Riphenburg with a score of 163, 1 x.

Samuel Flesch with a score of 160, 1 x.

Grace Hemmer with a score of 15.

Bowhunter 11-12 Scores

1st Place- Paxton Flesch with a score of 268, 5 x's.

2nd Place- Cael Blevins with a score of 268 4 x's.

3rd Place- Marshall Richman with a score of 255, 3 x's.

Brant Blonde with a score of 250 4 x's.

Avalyn Smith with a score of 239, 2 x's.

Conner Ramberg with a score of 226.

Corin Scarborough with a score of 225.

Parker Berthelote with a score of 185, 1 x.

Wyatt Fix with a score of 183, 2 x's.

Alethea Smith with a score of 167.

Tanner Parsons with a score of 159, 1 x.

Bowhunter 13-14 Score

Dylan Clark with a score of 238, 2 x's.

 

Individual Rifle 11-12 Scores

Alizia Bushnell with a score of 170.

Owen Jones with a score of 168.

Paxton Flesch with a score of 161.

Colter Sandon with a score of 153.

Individual Rifle 13-14 Scores

1st- Tegan Jones with a score of 204.

Parker Bushnell with a score of 163.

Sporter Results

3rd- Tegan Jones with a score of 204.

Kara Jones with a score of 188.

Aliza Bushnell with a score of 170.

Owen Jones with a score of 168.

Parker Bushnell with a score of 163.

Paxton Flesch with a score of 161.

Colter Sandon with a score of 153.

Gracen Jones with a score of 142.

Individual Air Rifle Standing

Breckynn Kempf with a score of 235.

Harper Jones with a score of 218.

Kaley Sandon with a score of 204.

Pistol Scores

Kacey Wipf with a score of 257.

McKenna Jones with a score of 231.

Team Sporter Air Rifle

1st- Toole County

Prone score- 338

Standing Score- 225

Kneeling Score- 256

Team Score- 786

Air Rifle PRONE Team Scores

2nd- Toole County

ST 1 Score- 228

ST 2 Score- 215

ST 3 Score- 214

Team Score- 657

 

On Sunday February 27th Pondera County hosted the Marias Air Rifle and Pistol Competition.

Chad is teaching about tack during the horse meeting on Saturday February 26th

March

2nd- Fair Board Meeting

3rd- 3rd Grade Robotics @ Extension Office after school-5pm

7th- 1st Year Robotics after school- 5pm @ Extension Office

6th- Project Book Work Day for Kountry Kids @ 1:00pm @ Exhibit Building

6th- Blazing Saddles Meeting @ 2pm @ FBAC

9th- Chicken Club @ Extension Office after school- 5pm

9th- 4-H Council Meeting @ 6:30pm @ Ext. Office

10th- 2nd Year Robotics @ Extension Office after school-5pm

13th- Leadership Academy @ Extension Office @ 2:30pm

16th- Butter braids due

17th- Cat Club @ Extension Office after school- 5pm

18-20th- Rec Lab in Hobson MT

20th- Robotics @ Extension Office 2-5pm

21st- 1st Day of Spring

21st- 1st Year Robotics @ Extension Office after school-5pm

23rd- Chicken Club @ Extension Office after school-5pm

24th- Cat Club @ Extension Office after school- 5pm

27th- West Butte Meeting @ 4pm

29th- Small Ag Committee @ MRE @ 6:30pm

30th- Chicken Club after school

30th- Livestock Committee Scholarship Deadline

30th- Livestock Committee Meeting @ MRE @ 7pm

 

April

17th- Swine weigh in and breeding projectdeadline

17th- Easter

 

May

1st- Project drop/add deadline

8th- Lamb and Goat weigh in deadline

16th- Fair Registration Begins