505 Railroad Avenue, Suite 4 Centreville, MD 21617

CLOVERPRESS--FEBRUARY, 2016 FEBRUARY 14 Valentine’s Day 15 OFFICE CLOSED, HOLIDAY 23 State 4H Horse Jamboree Planning Meeting 24 Dairy Judging Coaches Meeting, Howard Co. 25 Kingstown Beef Workshop 26 Club Public Speaking Results DUE 27 Horsemanship Standards Volunteer Meeting, College Park 29 UME Volunteer Training, 4-H Park MARCH 4 County Public Speaking Contest 5 State 4H Livestock Skillathon 12 State Horse Bowl Contest 12-14 State 4H Council Retreat 16 Leaders Meeting, 4H Park 18-19 Livestock Learning Weekend-4H Park 20 Achievement Program, 4H Park 25 OFFICE CLOSED, HOLIDAY 27 EASTER 29 State 4H Horse Leaders Meeting APRIL 1 Regional Public Speaking 1-3 State Shooting Sports Instructor Training 2 4-H Park Clean Up Day 8-10 Tractor School Classes 9 Sporting Clays Tournament, Pintail Point 15 ESSS Entries Due 16 State Dairy Bowl Contest 23 State Horse Judging & Hippology Contests 30 MD Day @ College Park 30 State Public Speaking Contest

The County Commissioners honored Michael Lee, Shooting Stars 4-H member, with a proclamation during their commissioners meeting on January 26th. You can see the session on Atlantic Broadband Cable TV. We are all very proud of Michael’s achievement. Michael is still looking for additional funding, as part of his project is to leave money in an account for upkeep of the playground. If you have an avenue for any funds, please let Sally know at the Extension Office. We hope you all get to enjoy the new playground!

2016 STATE 4-H HORSE JAMBOREE July 6 – 8, 2016 – 4H PARK

Queen Anne’s County is hosting the State 4-H Horse Jamboree right here at our 4-H Park. It is a two and a half day state wide event including educational workshops, fun activities and our state 4-H Horse Communications Contest where we select our state participants in the National Contest in Louisville, KY in November. This will be a partnership with the state 4H staff and our local extension staff and volunteers. We are soliciting volunteers – both youth and adult to help plan and conduct the event. There will be a planning meeting on Tuesday, Feb 23 7pm at the 4H Park. If you want to help and cannot attend – please call (410-758-0166) or email Chris Johnston cjohnstn@umd.edu. Some of our “more experienced” volunteers helped when we hosted this event several years ago. Hope to see you at the planning meeting.

CONGRATS TO WINNERS IN 4-H CHRISTMAS TREE CONTEST/ CHRISTMAS PARADE

The Christmas Parade in Centreville was held the first Friday of December…we had seven (7) clubs participating in the parade and here are the results: CONGRATS TO MOST ORIGINAL – Sudlersville Superstars 4-H Club and BEST OVERALL FLOAT GOES TO: Go Getters 4-H Club; Other participants: Clover Seeds 4-H Club, Cloverleaf 4-H Club, Farm to Market 4-H Club, Pony Express

4-H Club and Wags & Whinnies 4-H Club.

Our first Christmas Tree Contest was a huge success! Out of our 14 county clubs, 9 clubs put up trees. The Farm to Market club set up at QAC Hospice in Centreville, Cloverleaf club at QAC Dept. of Planning & Zoning in Centreville, Pony Express in the window of the CNB downtown Centreville location, Growing Together club at Two Country Chicks Restaurant in Price, Shooting Stars at the Kent Island Library, Clover Seeds at the Dept. of Emergency Services in Centreville, Wags & Whinnies at the Water Wizard, Inc. business in Stevensville, Sudlersville Superstars at State Haven Manor in Sudlersville, and the QAC Goat club in the Centreville library. The trees were greatly appreciated and brought much joy to all who saw them. Everyone is anxious to have them again. This year the prize money will be $50.00 for 1st places and $25.00 for all other places. (Prize money may vary from year to year.) Checks will be forthcoming. The results are as follows: 4-H Theme: 1st place tie, Farm to Market and Cloverleaf clubs; 2nd place, Pony Express club and 3rd place, Growing Together club. Traditional Theme: 1st place, Shooting Stars club; 2nd place, Clover Seeds and 3rd place, Wags and Whinnies club. Other Theme: 1st place, Sudlersville Superstars club and 2nd place, QAC Goat club. Congratulations to everyone!!

RECORD BOOKS Congratulations to the 183 4-Hers who turned in record books! That’s 15 more than last year. Broken down, that’s 52 seniors, 49 intermediates, 52 juniors and 30 clovers. The judging process has begun and will take quite some time before it is completed on all 183 books. Remember to come to the Achievement Program to get your awards and your books back. Achievement will take place on Sunday March 20th at the 4-H Park.

MARYLAND 4-H GALA

The MD. 4-H Gala was held on Jan. 17th at Laurel Park Raceway. There were over 600 people in attendance and they were able to enjoy catered appetizers before the awards and a catered dinner after the awards. Queen Anne’s County was well represented this year. We even had the Guest of Honor, Anne Schnappinger, who was honored with the award for “Maryland 4-H Hall of Fame”. Miss Anne got to be the first one through the dinner line!

Also awarded were Julia Jackson and Julia Smith and Jacob Elborn (Jacob was unable to attend) for attaining Diamond Clover Level Five. Michael Lee was awarded his Diamond Clover Level Six Award and he gave a short speech about it as did the other Level Six awardees. This gives the Level Five 4-Hers an idea of what is expected for Level Six.

Queen Anne’s County also had recognition to Chris Johnston who was presented with the Dick Angus Professional Development Award. The Marksmanship 4-H Club was acknowledged for and received $250.00 Mini Grant, and the Clover Seeds 4-H Club for a $1,000.00 grant to conduct youth activities every day at the 2016 QA County Fair. Let’s all keep up the good work in Queen Anne’s County!

4H ENROLLMENT

Our goal was to have 4-Hers reenrolled by Jan. 31st. At this point, we are nowhere near that! You need to go online at: md.4honline.com or Maryland.4honline.com. You cannot access this through county or state 4-H websites, you must go directly to the online site. Club leaders must also reenroll, as well as volunteers.

As you go through the site, it will not ask you for payment as it did in the past. You will be considered “pending” and you should receive an email telling you how to pay online with your credit card. If you have any problems, contact Sue or Sally at the Extension office.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Our county public speaking contest will take place at Chesapeake College in the Higher Learning Center on March 4th. That’s the building to the right of the driveway, near the windmill. The contest will begin at 7:00pm, so arrive by 6:45 in order to get checked in and learn where your contest rooms will be located. If you are competing in the Extemporaneous contest, please arrive early so that you may begin your preparation (15

minutes for seniors, 30 minutes for the rest) and be able to start judging close to 7:00pm. (LEADERS PLEASE TURN IN RESULTS ON FORM EMAILED TO YOU… TO 4-H OFFICE NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 26TH)

Categories are: 1) prepared speeches, 2) radio spots, 3) extemporaneous, and 4) interpretations. Contest Rules are included in this newsletter.

CLUB RE-CHARTERING

All clubs must turn in the information needed to re-charter your club. This has to be done every year. At the leaders meeting you were given a paper that told you what was needed. I NEED THAT INFORMATION. If you need help, ask Sally at the Extension office. The deadline was Jan. 31st. There are quite a few clubs that need to get this information turned in. Thanks for your cooperation in this matter.

UME VOLUNTEER TRAINING We have had several requests from parents and 4-H supporters that want to become UME volunteers. We will hold a UME Volunteer training session on Monday, February 29th at 6:30 pm at the 4-H park. This training is for new club leaders (required to serve in that role) as well as any adult (not required but encouraged) that wants to become a UME volunteer. The benefit of being a UME volunteer is that you are covered by the University of Maryland liability policy as you serve in your volunteer role. Please RSVP to cjohnstn@umd.edu by Feb 25th by indicating your role in the club – i.e. organizational leader, activity leader, parent volunteer. 4-H LEADERS MEETINGS

The next meeting for the leaders is March 16th followed by one on May 11th and then July 20th. At the last meeting it was voted to keep everything for the Achievement Program as it was last year, with the exception of only asking for 2 dozen servings of dessert or fruit versus the 3 dozen that we asked for last year. The Clover Seeds will set up chairs and provide drinks. Loco Llamas will decorate with the help of Pony Express. Everyone will assist with take down after the event.

Thank you for the wonderful attendance at the last meeting. Please make every effort to keep attending or sending representatives. Let me know if you have suggestions for the meeting format and/or agenda you wish discussed.

ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM

Our Achievement Program will be held at the 4-H Park on Sunday, March 20th beginning at 1:00pm. All clubs (not individuals) are asked to bring 24 servings of finger desserts or fruit. We will supply the drinks. Our set up will be the same as last year with auditorium seating – no tables. Pictures will be taken in the rifle range when you exit the stage.

ALL CLUBS need to send a check to the Extension office for $50.00. Checks are made payable to: QACEAC. If each club submits their check, we MAY break even on the finances. If not, it shouldn’t be too big of a deficit. If any club can afford to send more than $50.00, it would be greatly appreciated.

FASHION REVUE 2016

We need your help to plan our 2016 fashion revue program. Please contact Chris Johnston cjohnstn@umd.edu if you would like to serve on the planning committee. The first thing that we need help with is to select the theme. Please respond by email to vote on your choice for the 2016 theme BY FEBRUARY 15th:

1) Beach 2) Fashion Round-Up 3) Proud to Be a Maryland 4-Her 4) Spark of Fashion

Dates to get on your calendar: April 20th – deadline to register for hair and make-up workshop May 4th – Hair and make-up workshop June 15th – Intent to participate forms due and modeling and script writing workshops July 12 – Final practice and FINAL scripts due July 17 – Judging and Show We may have other activities to add to the schedule after the planning committee is finalized.

TRACTOR OPERATOR COURSE FOR MARYLAND YOUTH OFFERED IN APRIL - Course Teaches Employability Skills and Safety

Agriculture is a hazardous occupation—more hazardous than firefighting and law enforcement

according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. A tractor/farm equipment training will be provided by the University of Maryland Extension staff on the weekend of April 8-10, 2016 at the Queen

Anne’s County 4H Park near Centreville. The certification training satisfies current requirements for operation of a 20 PTO HP or greater agricultural tractor by 14- and 15-year-old youth employed on property not owned, leased, or operated by a parent or legal guardian. By participating in the training, young people gain respect for equipment, develop driving skills, build confidence, learn to work as a team, and are better prepared to handle an emergency situation. In today’s world, the size of equipment used for personal mowing needs, landscaping and hobby farming fall into the parameters of the program participants as well. While the opportunity to drive a tractor is enticing enough for a youth to attend the training, a combination of classroom lecture, DVD’s, demonstrations, a field trip to visit agricultural venues, and hands-on learning

anchors participants in tractor safety knowledge. Trained Extension faculty and staff are involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation along with teaching the course. A requirement of the class is to become familiar with the lessons covering various agricultural related safety needs before the training. Resources will be made available prior to the training. Thanks to the generosity and support of area sponsors, the weekend training will cost just $60. The application and registration fee are due on March 24. Checks should be made payable to “QACEAC”. To register or find out more about the training, contact: Christine Johnston @ cjohnstn@umd.edu or at 410-758-0166. EASTERN SHORE SPRING SHOW

4-H members can enter beef, dairy cows, dairy goats, dogs, meat goats, rabbits & cavies, sheep and swine. Entry information is available at https://extension.umd.edu/queen-annescounty or you can call Sue and have her email it to you or you can stop by the extension office for a copy. Entries MUST be

postmarked by April 15th. NO faxed entries – send to Queen Anne’s County Extension Office 505 Railroad Ave. Suite 4, Centreville, MD 21617 2016 NEW ANIMAL HEALTH REGULATIONS….Please take note of a few important changes….Poultry regulations and CVI’s will ONLY BE GOOD FOR 90DAYS!!! See attached ALERT! Also MD 4-H WILL NOT provide swine premise tags in 2016. Make sure that if you raise or purchase swine that they have a valid USDA approved premise tag. LIVESTOCK LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

February 25th @ 6:30 p.m. Kingstown Farm Home and Garden Center

7121 Church Hill Road, Chestertown, MD RSVP: 2/19 …CALL 410-778-1551 FOR FOOD ORDER! Come join us for dinner and while you eat, learn about HOT topics affecting your herd!

Speakers:

Ed Draper, Wye Angus Research Center : Wye Angus herd management and breeding program. What has worked – and not, for their herd. Brian McAllister – Purina Animal Nutrition: Minerals, skimp somewhere else! Door Prizes, including a * Yeti Cooler* provided by Kingstown Farm Home and Garden and Purina!

QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY 4-H LIVESTOCK LEARNING WEEKEND!!

March 18-19 to be held at the 4-H Park.

There will be two separate tracks for Clovers and 4-H Members – Please see attached registration forms. Registration forms and monies must be received by February 26th to Sarah

Shaffer a QA County volunteer that lives in Virginia.

Livestock Learning Weekend

Clover Seeds – March 19, 2016 QA County 4H Park, Centreville, MD

The Livestock Learning Weekend, younger edition, will be held on Saturday, March 19. The children are also welcome to participate in the Friday evening activities and sleepover for an additional $5. A basic schedule for Saturday is included below. Please complete all of the boxes. Please note each child participating in the Clover Seeds session on Saturday must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times, even if spending the night Friday.

Friday: 5:30 pm registration, 6:00 pm activities, 9:30 pm movie/lights out Saturday: 8:30 am registration, 9:00 am activities, 12:00 pm lunch, 12:30 pm dismissal

Registration forms and checks must be mailed by no later than February 26 in order to guarantee your child’s spot and t-shirt. If you are registering more than two Clover Seeds, please make additional copies of this registration form. Please mail all forms and checks to Sarah Shaffer, 6236 Rose Hill Drive #2A, Alexandria VA 22310. Please visit our website at: https://extension.umd.edu/queen-annes-county you can download the Health Form (short form) and Behavioral Expectations which must be submitted with registration form or brought with you that day. Clover Seeds will get to attend a session on each animal, plus several other sessions. Registration includes lunch for both child and parent/guardian. The Go Getters 4-H Club is providing t-shirts to children who register by the deadline. Families registering more than one child must pay full price for each child in this age group. Please be sure to check the appropriate option below. Please contact Sarah Shaffer at 240-620-5365 (outside office hours) if you want to register more children; limited scholarships may be available.

University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all citizens and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.

Child’s Name: Email: Address: DOB: Cell Phone: T-Shirt: Child: Small Medium Large X-Large (please circle) Adult: XS Small Medium Large X-Large (please circle) Other (specify):

Emergency Contact Name: Emergency Contact Cell: Adult Attending: Saturday Morning + Lunch = $15 per person MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:QACEAC Friday Overnight + Saturday = $20 per person TOTAL:

Livestock Learning Weekend

March 18-19, 2016

QA County 4H Park, Centreville, MD The Livestock Learning Weekend will start Friday, March 18, with activities continuing through mid-afternoon Saturday, March 19. A basic schedule is included below. Please complete area below and write checks to QACEAC.

Friday: 5:30 pm registration, 6:00 pm activities, 9:30 pm movie/lights out Saturday: 8:30 am registration, 9:00 am activities, 12:00 pm lunch, 2:30 pm dismissal

Registration forms and checks must be mailed by no later than February 26 in order to guarantee your child’s spot and t-shirt. If you are registering more than two children, please make additional copies of this registration form. Please mail all forms and checks to Sarah Shaffer, 6236 Rose Hill Drive #2A, Alexandria VA 22310. Please visit our website at: https://extension.umd.edu/queen-annes-county. You can download the Health Form (short form) and Behavioral Expectations which must be submitted with registration form or brought with you that day. We will have an educational presentation and crafting Friday evening, and educational sessions on Saturday. Participating children will need to choose two animals for some of the activities on Saturday. While children age 5 and up may participate, any children under age 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. Registration includes the educational sessions and lunch; the Go Getters 4-H Club is providing t-shirts for children registered by the deadline. Children staying overnight will also receive breakfast.

Families registering more than one child must pay full price for the first child, but each additional child’s fee will be reduced. Please be sure to check the appropriate option above. Please contact Sarah Shaffer at 240-620-5365 (outside office hours) if you want to register more children; limited scholarships may be available.

Child's Name: Child's Name: DOB: DOB: T-Shirt: Child S M L XL T-Shirt: Child S M L XL Adult XS S M L XL Adult XS S M L XL Other (Specify): Other (Specify):

Select 2 and provide # years of showing experience: Select 2 and provide # years of showing experience: Beef ________ Swine ________ Beef ________ Swine ________ Sheep ________ Goat ________ Sheep ________ Goat ________

Select participation level; write check to QACEAC: Select participation level; write check to QACEAC: Friday + Saturday (1st child) - $30 Friday + Saturday (additional child) - $25 Saturday only (1st child) - $25 Saturday only (additional child) - $20

Emergency Contact: Parent/Guardian Willing to Chaperone: Yes _______________________________ No

University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all citizens and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.

MARYLAND 4H COMMUNICATIONS CONTEST RULES

GENERAL RULES:

1. The contest consists of four (4) categories: • Prepared speech • Extemporaneous • Radio • Interpretations

In all categories, speeches are given by individuals, not teams.

2. Each of the above categories includes three age groups: • Junior: 8-10 • Intermediate: 11-13 • Senior 14-18

Ages are as of January 1st of the current year:

3. Time Limits: Judges will deduct points for presentations not meeting or exceeding time limits. • Prepared: Juniors: 3 to 5 minutes; Intermediates and Seniors: 4 to 6 minutes • Extemporaneous: Juniors and Intermediates: 2 to 3 minutes, Seniors 3 to 5 minutes • Radio Spot: 30 seconds for all age groups • Interpretations: Juniors: 1 ½ to 3 minutes; Intermediates: 2 to 4 minutes; Seniors 3 to 5 minutes

4. Visual aids, including posters, ARE NOT PERMITTED. Appropriate gestures are encouraged. For

Dramatic Interpretation, contestant may choose to wear a costume and opt to sit for the presentation. Podium use is optional.

CATEGORY SPECIFIC RULES:

• Contestants should not introduce themselves as part of their presentation. This will be done by an MC or room Host/Hostess. If there is no Host/Hostess then the speaker will be directed to introduce themselves and this introduction will not be judged or time. It will NOT be considered a part of the speech.

• Judges may ask questions of contestants in the Prepared, Extemporaneous and Interpretations. Due to time constraints, questioning should be limited to two or three minutes per speaker. Questions will not be asked in the Radio Spot Category.

Prepared Speech: Time Limits: 3 to 5 minutes, Intermediates and Seniors: 4 to 6 minutes. Contestants may speak on any topic. It may be wise to discuss topics that could be considered controversial with your 4-H leader or educator before the contest. The speech may be written for a specific audience, such as a 4-H club, PTA, or Rotary Club. Memorization is not encouraged. Only juniors may use a complete script. Note cards containing a key word outline are permitted. These notecards are to be given to the judges at the end of the speech.

Extemporaneous: Time Limits: Juniors and Intermediates: 2 to 3 minutes, Seniors 3 to 5 minutes. Extemporaneous speakers will draw three topics and choose one topic for their speech. Juniors and Immediates may have up to 30 minutes and Seniors up to 15 minutes to prepare their talks. Contestants may use one side of up to four, or both sides of up to two, 5x 8 inch note cards for their key word outline. Extemporaneous speakers will be shown time cards at correctly timed intervals indicating “1 MINUTE” “30 SECONDS” AND “STOP”. Radio Spots: Time Limits: 30 seconds for all age groups. Radio spots should be exactly 30 seconds in length and may include a musical or sound effect introduction and/or background, but may include a spoken introduction or “tag” by anyone other than the contestant. If music or a sound effect is used, the contestant must provide and operate the sound making device. The contestant will provide a complete written script (including notations about music/sound effects) to the timekeeper to aid in timing accuracy. Musical/sound effect introductions and endings are considered a part of the radio spot and must not cause the 30 second time limit to be exceeded. The spot should relate to 4H, be original and be created by the contestant. Questions will not be asked by judges in the Radio Spot category. If there is not Host/Hostess then the speaker will be directed to introduce themselves and this introduction will NOT be judged or timed. It will NOT be considered a part of the speech. Interpretations: Time Limits: Juniors: 1 ½ to 3 minutes. Intermediates: 2 to 4 minutes. Seniors 3 to 5 minutes. Speaker can speak or interpret in language of their choice. If using language other than spoken English, the participant must inform the Extension Office a minimum of 10 working days before the event to ensure appropriately qualified judges are available. An Interpretation is a memorized oral presentation of selected narrative from published works. Permitted works include dramatic or humorous plays or books or poetry, but not the script of a television show or any unpublished source. Contestants are to bring two (2) copies of the script for the judges, including a complete reference citation. Language other than English must be translated in these documents. Contest Rules: A contestant may only compete in one category. The names of County Champions for each age group in each category will be sent to the State 4H Office by April 1st. State Champions may not enter the same category and age group a second time.

Biosecurity Checklist for 4-H Youth

Protecting Your Flocks

• Keep unnecessary people off of your farm/residence and away from your chickens o Lock doors o Use fences and signs to keep people away

• Do not allow visitors in or near chicken coops • All family members should have dedicated clothing (including shoes, boots, hat and gloves) separate from those

worn off the farm/residence. • Never visit any other flocks • After working with poultry, change clothes completely and wash hands and arms. • Hunters or others who come in contact with wild birds should change clothes (and shoes) and shower before

working with domestic poultry (chickens, turkeys, etc.). This is especially important when coming into contact with waterfowl.

• Keep wild birds and pests out of the chicken coop o Have a good rodent and insect control program o Maintain vegetation and no debris around the chicken coop o Clean up feed spills

• Essential visitors must wear protective clothing, including boots and headgear, before being allowed near the birds

o Keep some protective clothing on hand in case problems arise o Have a place to dispose of clothing when visitors leave

• Monitor who comes on the farm/residence. Have a sign in log • Clean and disinfect all equipment before it is allowed on the farm/residence and again as it leaves • Remove and properly dispose of dead birds

o Poor disposal can lead to disease and increase the number of flies and scavengers • Contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian immediately if high mortality is experienced

o Sick or dying birds should be sent to a state laboratory for diagnosis o Do not visit other farms/residence or places that 4-H with poultry frequent if experiencing high mortality

• Quarantine birds that go to fairs or shows for 2 to 3 weeks to make sure they do not bring disease back to your farm

o Keep birds that came from fairs or shows as far away from the flock as long as possible and take care of them separately from your flock

o Wash your shoes and hands after taking care of birds that came from fairs or shows and before visiting your other birds

Or Current Occupant

THIS ISSUE OF THE CLOVERPRESS HAS BEEN PREPARED BY:

Christine M. Johnston

Extension Educator, 4-H and Youth And

Sally G. Rosenberry, 4-H Program Assistant

University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all people and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national

origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity expression.

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