Massachusetts 4-H

Message from Linda Horn, New Assistant 4-H Director!“In mid-October I joined the University of Massachusetts, College of Natural Sciences and the 4-H Program families. Everyone I’ve met has been very welcoming and helpful! Since arriving I have visited most of the county 4-H offices, met many individuals on the Amherst campus, and become more familiar with Massachusetts 4-H procedures. My recent experiences as an Educator with the 4-H program in Connecticut provided me with opportunities to

work directly with 4-H clubs, volunteers, advisory groups, camp and fair boards. I also successfully obtained many new funding sources and established new 4-H robotics teams. Prior to working for 4-H I was a volunteer 4-H club leader for 12 years, as well as an elementary school teacher. In my present position I will be overseeing the CORI procedures and the two Massachusetts 4-H Military grants among other things. I look forward to being able to bring some of my past experiences and my skill set to Massachusetts 4-H to help 'Make the Best Better'!”

Join us in welcoming Linda!

Thank you to the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation and National 4-H Council for 2014 Funding!The Massachusetts 4-H Foundation provides over $200,000 annually in direct funding to Massachusetts 4-H. These funds allow us to send 4-H members out of state to 4-H Congress and 4-H Conference as well as to the National Horse Round Up and national dairy events. In addition, 4-H Foundation gives funds directly to clubs as new club kits, matching grants, publicity and club grants. Funds also support programs such as community service and Visual Presentations and some are gifted to UMass to support the salaries of the four Regional Educators.

National 4-H Council provided $71,523 in direct funding to MA 4-H in 2014 which included funds from the Tractor Supply Paper Clover program that went directly to local 4-H Advisory Councils, funds from a Phillips grant that supported science programs and a grant to support the Tech Wizards program in North Adams.

Massachusetts 4-H STATEWIDE NEWSLETTER Winter 2015Statewide

Community Service Project

Please report your club’s

results if you have not

already done so. This

is the only community

service effort that we

collect data on and it

is important that we

include everyone. It is

simple and will take just

a few minutes of your

time; go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/4-

HCSProject.

Thank you to all who

contributed and put the

4-H pledge into action,

“I pledge my hands to

larger service.” Your

contributions make a

difference!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/4-HCSProject



UMass Extension Massachusetts 4-H STATEWIDE Newsletter - Winter 2015

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CLUB LEADERSNew Requirements for Financial Reporting for any 4-H Club with Over $1500 in Income or ExpensesFor the fiscal year 2014-2015 all clubs that have over $1500 in expenses and/or income must turn in a detailed financial report and include copies of all 12 months of bank statements. For those clubs with less than $1500 in income and expenses there are no changes in the reporting requirements.

For clubs with over $1500 in income and/or expenses a financial summary will no longer be accepted. A financial log must be submitted that includes a detailed listing of all expenses and income. We suggest clubs meeting these financial thresholds use software such as Quicken to keep records but handwritten logs are acceptable. All fundraisers must follow the 4-H cash protocol and the annual financial report must include signed copy(ies) of the cash count protocol form on page 10 of the 4-H Treasurer’s Guide. The club officers’ guides are found on the Volunteer page of the 4-H website (see them listed on left hand side). For the Treasurer’s Guide, go to http://mass4h.org/sites/mass4h.org/files/pdf_doc_ppt/volunteers/4h_treasurers_guide_09.pdf.

Details about the new requirements are posted on the financial section of the Volunteer page of the 4-H website. Reports are due on August 15 for the fiscal year July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.

All clubs (with club youth ages 9 and older) should have a youth club treasurer. Learning about record keeping and proper fiscal management is an important part of 4-H club work for members. Youth treasurers should take on as much responsibility for this task as possible and appropriate. While youth are not allowed to sign 4-H club checks they are encouraged to write them and have them signed by an adult volunteer or parent.

New Process for Performing Arts ContestThere will not be a State Performing Arts Contest at State Visual Presentation Day this year. For any 4-H members or groups who want to perform on the stage at the Big E there will be two tryout sessions in the spring. Check out the spring 4-H newsletter for dates and locations.

2015 National 4-H Beekeeping Essay ContestThe Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc. is sponsoring an essay contest on the topic “Planting for Bees from Backyards and Up.” The essay must be typed (double spaced, 12 point Times or similar font), follow standard manuscript format and be 750-1000 words in length. Factual statements must be referenced with bibliographical style endnotes. A brief biographical sketch of the essayist, including birthdate, gender, mailing address, email address and telephone number must accompany the essay. One essay will be selected to be submitted for the MA entry to the national contest. All submissions are due by February 6 (and must be submitted electronically) to [email protected]. Awards given at the national level are $750 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third. National winners will be announced May 1, 2015.

Attention High School Seniors! Have you started to think about scholarships?Now that your college applications are done the next step is to start applying for scholarships. Did you know that Dunkin Donuts and Best Buy offer scholarships to students in areas where their stores are located? Five of the most popular sites for scholarships are: Fastweb.com, CollegeBoard, Scholarships.com, CollegeNet and ScholarshipMonkey.

If your parents are involved in professional organizations such as the Elks or Knights of Columbus or professional unions, include these in your search.

If you exhibit animals, there are various breed-specific scholarships. You can check out the Hoards Dairyman and National Dairy Shrine for dairy scholarships as well as the American Kennel Club for dogs and various beef and horse breed associations for their respective scholarships.

The Big E Fair offers various Trustee Scholarships to youth who have participated or exhibited at the fair. Some of your local fairs also offer scholarships to past exhibitors.

The Massachusetts 4-H website is another resource that has a few scholarship opportunities. Good luck in your scholarship search!

http://mass4h.org/sites/mass4h.org/files/pdf_doc_ppt/volunteers/4h_treasurers_guide_09.pdf




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NYSD 2014 Rockets to the Rescue – What a Blast!National Youth Science Day kicked off on Wednesday, October 9 , 2014. Since then many youth across Massachusetts have participated. There is still time for clubs to join in by borrowing a kit from your local 4-H Office. If you want to do more NYSD activities check out the past experiments in the archives. For more information visit www.4-h.org/nysd. If anyone has pictures of a two-stage rocket or creative designs incorporating parachutes and other food transport models please send to [email protected].

Magic of ElectricityMassachusetts 4-H partnered with National 4-H Council and Philips to promote and deliver the “Magic of Electricity.” Thanks to the financial support from Philips we now have kits available for clubs to borrow. If you would like to borrow a kit, contact your local 4-H office.

Exciting Programs Planned for 2015Don’t miss out! Check the website on a regular basis for event information. Note that there are no snow dates for some of these programs!

• Watch www.mass4h.org for upcoming animal science workshops and events!

• A Holiday Dairy Workshop will be held at the UMass Horse Farm Manor House on January 3.

• The 4-H Rabbit Workshop will take place on January 31 at the Blackstone Valley Vocational & Technical School in Upton.

• Regional 4-H Winter Forums happen around the state on January 24 (Hadley), January 31 (Tewksbury) and February 7 (Kingston). 4-H members, leaders and parents are invited to sign up for one of these events; go to the 4-H website for registration materials. There are no snow dates for these events.

• The University of New Hampshire Extension is sponsoring a Dairy Goat Seminar on nutrition February 7 at the Radisson Hotel, 700 Elm St., Manchester, NH (Webster Room) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration at the door is $5 per person and youth ages 5-18 are free.

• Save February 16th for the MA 4-H Goat Workshop – location to be announced.

• Now is the time to start applying for the 2015 National 4-H Dairy Conference! Dairy project youth who are at least age 15 as of January 1, 2015 and at least a sophomore in high school can apply for this weeklong conference held in Madison, WI. The application is now on-line at http://mass4h.org/programs/beef-and-dairy. Deadline is March 1st, 2015.

• Local 4-H Visual Presentation programs take place in February and March. See the 4-H website for dates and locations. The Visual Presentation program culminates with the State Visual Presentation Day in Bedford on March 28. 4-H’ers must qualify at a local Visual Presentation Day in order to be invited to present at the State event.

• Massachusetts 4-H Blue Ribbon Calf Sale takes place at the Big E Fairgrounds in West Springfield on March 21. Clinics begin at 10 a.m. and the sale begins at noon. Registered dairy calves from all the breeds will be offered for sale. Go to www.blueribboncalfsale.com for more information and details are also on Facebook under the Massachusetts Blue Ribbon Calf Sale.

• The State 4-H Horse Round Up is scheduled for the weekend of April 18 & 19 in Spencer.

• A Leadership Conference for high school age 4-H Ambassadors will be held on April 23 & 24 in Ashland. Invitations will come from your local 4-H Educator.

http://mass4h.org/programs/beef-and-dairy

http://mass4h.org/programs/beef-and-dairy


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Exciting Programs Planned for 2015 (continued)

• The Summer of Science Conference will take place at UMass Amherst June 28th – June 30th. Youth ages 12-16 should save the date for another exciting conference!

• Important date for teens: the application for National 4-H Congress will be due May 18. For details, go to the Leadership section of the 4-H website.

UMass STEM Ed Institute Saturday SeminarsThe STEM Institute is offering seminars for adult educators and 4-H volunteers are invited to attend. The cost is $30 per session (former participants attend free!). Seminars take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Lederle Grad Towers 1033, UMass Amherst (except as noted below). PDPs available.

• January 24: Producing Electricity with Solar Cells. Focus of the seminar is on transforming the energy of visible light into electrical energy using photovoltaic cells.

• February 7: Interdisciplinary Science Connections held at the Amherst College Beneski Museum. STEM connections to literacy, math and social science will be explored.

• February 28: Introduction to Scratch Programming. Scratch allows students in grades 3 and up to learn the fundamentals of computer programming in an easy, fun way!

For more information or to register contact Marie Silver, STEM Ed Institute Program Manager at 413-545-0734 or at [email protected].

Opportunity to Help Military FamiliesThe Massachusetts 4-H military program grants provide programming, activities and 4-H club experiences to children of service members. A national partnership with Dollar Tree stores allowed us to distribute toys and games to military youth at recent holiday parties. Other events have included babysitting courses, leadership training and weekend activities

at Boys and Girls Clubs. For more information, contact program coordinator Linda Horn at [email protected] or 413-577-0332.

IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR ANIMAL PROJECT MEMBERSHorse project verification forms are due in your local 4-H office by April 1 or 90 days prior to the first horse show. Deadline for the Big E Horse Show is April 1.

Beef and Dairy project verification forms are due in your local office by May 1.

Goat, Sheep and Alpaca project verification forms are due in your local office by June 1.

Are You Planning to Run a 4-H Food Booth?Any 4-H banquet, lunch counter or grill that is run by 4-H for fundraising or other purposes must have at least one person at the concession who is ServSafe certified. To find a list of courses go to http://www.servsafe.com/home and click on “Students.”

Partial scholarships (usually half the cost) are available from the 4-H Foundation through 4-H Director Sherrie Guyott. Go to http://mass4h.org/volunteers/volunteer-resources for the application and click on “Application for Funds to Support Workshops” and follow the instructions given. For more information, contact Sherrie or your local Educator.

Maker Challenge Classes Coming to the FairThe Maker Movement is a great way to explore your creative, inventive side! Some 4-H fairs will be offering these challenge classes in 2015; examples include creating a habitat for your bristlebot and crafting a self-watering device for your dog. Check out your fairbook this summer for these new classes!

http://mass4h.org/volunteers/volunteer-resources

http://mass4h.org/volunteers/volunteer-resources


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Do You have Important Information to Share with 4-H Members and Leaders?4-H publishes both the state and local newsletter four times a year. The newsletter and website are the primary ways that we share program information. If you have important information to share, we will consider it for inclusion in the newsletter. Deadlines for content submission are:

Spring issue – March 1

Summer issue – June 1

Fall issue – September 1

Winter issue – December 1

If the content pertains to everyone in the state, send it to [email protected]. If it applies only to your region, send it to your local Educator.

Everyone can post events to the on-line 4-H calendar. We ask that you post events of interest to other clubs/members/volunteers, not those that pertain only to your own club members. Go to the 4-H website homepage and click on the red “Submit an Event” button.

DEADLINE FOR THE 4-H BEEF STEER SHOW AT THE BIG E Remember to enroll your beef steer prior to February 1st if you plan on showing at the 2015 Big E 4-H Beef Show. The Beef 4-H Beef forms will be on the Big E website in January. You need to have the packet to Carrie Chickering-Sears prior to February 1st in order to receive your steer’s eartag. The heifer entry form is due by May 1st. For further information contact Carrie via email at [email protected] or by phone at 413-549-3257.

Resources for Small Scale Livestock and Poultry ProducersYou will find resources, information on current education and research and grant opportunities at www.usda.gov/documents/livestockpoultrytool.pdf and at www.usda.gov/knowyourfarmer.

Got Questions?Question on Livestock and Equine? Check out the UMass Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine site for fact sheets and workshops at www.extension.umass.edu/cdle.

Updated Guide to USDA Programs Opens Door to Millions of Dollars of Available FundingThe USDA has a wide range of financial assistance programs, but finding the right one can be difficult, complicated further by trying to stay up to date with changes in funding following each Farm Bill.

Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities: A Guide to Federal Programs for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry, Entrepreneurship, Conservation, Food Systems, and Community Development The 86-page guide covers 63 government programs and has been updated to include programs included in the 2014 Farm Bill. Each listing provides a description of the program's available resources, information on how to apply, and in some cases, examples of how the funding has been used. Additionally, the guide includes basic information on how to design sound projects, find appropriate programs and write grant applications.

To download a free PDF of the guide and to learn how to order hard copies, visit www.sare.org/building-sustainable-farms.


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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MEMBERS ON THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS!2014 National 4-H Dairy ConferenceThe National 4-H Dairy Delegates participated in the World Dairy Expo Showmanship Contest while in Madison, Wisconsin. All six delegates placed in the top half of their respective divisions. Over 300 youth participated in the contest. Delegates included Abby Shaw, Samantha Goodfield, Amanda Goodfield, Toni Jacque, Megan King, and Maureen Whitney. Chaperones were Greg Shaw and Carrie Sears.

Samantha Goodfield placed 7th overall in the finals! There were 151 contestants in her division. Congratulations Samantha!

2014 Eastern National 4-H Horse Round Up Massachusetts Communications and Horse Judging Teams both Place Fifth overall! Congratulations to our four MA teams who attended Horse Round Up in November. MA 4-H is proud of this incredible achievement of these teams and their coaches!

The Communications Team placed 5th overall! Jarrett Cordeiro was 1st in Public Speech, Catherine Scaramozzino was 3rd in Individual Presentation, and Amanda Blake/Isabel Pica were 12th in Team Presentation! They were coached by Darlene Welch and Janet Bersani.

The Horse Judging Team placed 5th overall! They placed 4th overall in Conformation, 7th overall in Performance, and 9th overall in Oral Reasons. Delaney Tibbets was 9th Individual in conformation and 10th overall! Team members included Katie Bonarrigo, Grace McAfee, Rachel McPherson and Delaney Tibbets. They were coached by Heather Chmura.

The Horse Bowl Team members included Elizabeth Amato, Kyle Kennedy, Abbey Rapiejko and Taylor Timcoe. They were coached by Louis Pitas and Leah Catania.

The Hippology Team members included Zach Carey, Laura Kuklo, Cara McGilvray and Stephanie Zajac. They were coached by Michelle Dionne.

4-H Horse Project Youth of the Year Award – 2014The 2014 Youth of the Year Award went to Rachel McPherson from Hampden County. Congratulations on your superior accomplishments in the Horse Program this year, Rachel!

4-H Members Attend FFA National Convention in Louisville, KentuckyCongratulations to the following 4-H/FFA members: Alyssa Girardo was named a Gold Medal winner in the Dairy Handling Contest. She attends Essex Agricultural School.

Monica Howe from Worcester County received a Silver Medal for Dairy Evaluation (Judging) and Management. She is a senior at Smith Vocational High School.

Communications Team

Dairy Conference Delegates


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4-H Members Attend FFA National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky (continued)

The team received a Bronze Medal in Dairy Judging. Monica was a member of the MA 4-H Dairy Judging Team that placed third at the Big E.

In Livestock Judging, Sarah Mullen from Bristol County Agricultural School received a Silver Medal and her team received a Bronze. Sarah has competed on the MA 4-H Livestock Judging Team in Harrisburg, PA.

Bailey Veilleux from Bristol County Agricultural High School received a Gold Medal in the Veterinary Science competition. Her team received a Silver Medal. Bailey has attended the UMass Exploring Veterinary Science Camp.

Over 60,000 people attended the 2015 National FFA Convention that was held the last week in October.

State 4-H Horse ShowCongratulations to all the High Point awards from the State Show which took place on September 13 & 14 at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton.

Walk/Trot Champion – Savannah Donahue, Franklin County

Walk/Trot Reserve Champion – Elizabeth Amato, Hampshire County

Pony Champion – Emily Maselli, Franklin County

Pony Reserve Champion – Molly Blake, Franklin County

Western Champion – Hailey Oldford-Ostrowski, Franklin County

Western Reserve Champion – Brianna Blomgren, Hampden County

Hunt Seat A Champion – Madison Chmyzinski, Franklin County

Hunt Seat A Reserve Champion – Adrianna Dimaio, Franklin County

Hunt Seat B Champion – Alysha Hardy, Franklin County

Hunt Seat B Reserve Champion – Hanah Pomerantz, Hampshire County

Small Equine Jr. Champion – Madison Chmyzinski, Franklin County

Small Equine Jr. Reserve Champion – Onna Downey, Hampshire County

Small Equine Sr. Champion – Jessica Morris, Norfolk County

Small Equine Sr. Reserve Champion – Emily Maselli, Franklin County

Walk/Trot Gymkhana Champion – Kaitlyn Decker, Berkshire County

Walk/Trot Gymkhana Reserve Champion – Brialynn Wells, Berkshire County

Junior Gymkhana Champion – Mackenzie Rennick, Bristol County

Junior Gymkhana Reserve Champion – Tori Scholtz, Middlesex County

Small Equine Jr. Gymkhana Champion – Madison Chmyzinski, Franklin County

Small Equine Jr. Gymkhana Reserve Champion – Meadow O’Brien, Norfolk County

Small Equine Sr. Gymkhana Champion – Emily Maselli, Franklin County

Small Equine Sr. Gymkhana Reserve Champion – Shannon Penney, Norfolk County

Model Horse Jr. Champion – Caitlin Mogilka, Hampshire County

Model Horse Jr. Reserve Champion – Cora Prabhakar, Norfolk County

Model Horse Sr. Champion – Chelsey Sulham, Norfolk County

Human First Aid Kit – Caitlin Mogilka, Hampshire County

Poster Champion – Chelsey Sulham, Norfolk County

Photography Champion – Lindsey McGann, Hampden County

Horse Lover Champion – Caitlin Mogilka, Hampshire County

Junior Horsemanship Award – Kayli Smith, Berkshire County


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Worcester County – Ciara Cleary and Maggie Raposa

Middlesex County – Gabriella Needham, Katherine Souza, Joe Wirthlin, Maggie Adams, Susan Doubek, Wyatt Powers, Timmy Seale and Daisy Proskauver and the Plant-a-Smile club

Hampshire County – Candice Loven

Bristol County – Sadie Brown, Sydney Cordeiro and Kiley Rose

Doing Action Exhibits:Bristol County – Reece and Seth Cordeiro and Alex, Samantha and Tyler Holden

Middlesex County – Grace and Olivia Blaufuss, Emily Deyst, Vernon Gibbs, Carolyn Kautz, Mathew and Nathaniel Overman, Victoria Richardson, Tim Seale, Andrew Zeng, Lauren and Rianna Decker, Grace Johnson, Jada Jackson, Analisa, Joe and Riana Wirthlin, Hayden and Julia Kane, Lian and Sam Juergens, Nick Toth, Jennifer Buras, Catie Hamel-Sellman, Annika and Elena Morris-Kelly, Daisy Proskaver, Katherine Axon, Sophie Jauniskis, Ben and Jordyn Cooper, Maia Harrison, Anna and Christian Hatke, Charlotte Schmaltz and Max Vinzi

Worcester County – Bill and Clay Constantine, Curtis and Nolan Koebke and Faith Noto, Elizabeth and Maura Shea and Rebecca Syria

In the Fashion Revue:Hampden County – Alida Brown

Berkshire County – Fiora Caligiuri-Randall

Middlesex County – Lauren Decker, Rianna Decker, Jada Jackson, Grace Johnson, Annalisa Wirthlin, Riana Wirthlin and Miriam Rizzuto

UMass Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer, United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Contact your local Extension office for information on disability accommodations. Contact the State Extension Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 413-545-4800 or see www.umassextension.org/civilrights.

www.mass4h.org

4-H Horse Show at the New England Eastern States ExpositionCongratulations to those who attended and competed in the 2014 Eastern States Exposition 4-H Horse Show this year! We had a great turnout and everyone did a terrific job in the many various levels of showmanship and testing.

Congratulations to Andrea Jernigan from Franklin County, who was presented the Dick Woolam Award!

State-wide contestants included: Hampshire County – Kim Faria (Teen Leader)

Bristol County – Laura Kuklo, Alexa Dawley, Mackenzie Rennick

Hampshire County – Rachel Maxton, Onna Downey

Berkshire County – Brialyn Wells

Franklin County – Madison Chmyzinski, Serina Cook, Alysha Hardy, Hailey Oldford-Ostrowksi, Andrea Jernigan

Hampden County – Rachel McPherson, Brianna Blomgren

Middlesex County – Julia Harriman

New England Center at the Big ECongratulations to all those who represented Massachusetts 4-H at the New England Center at the Big E.

On the Stage:Plymouth County – Matthew Avery, Charlie McMahon, Khloe Drake, James Furness and Abigail Newman

Franklin County – Catherine Bezio

Norfolk County – Courtney Campbell, Talia Muller and Jessie England

Documents

Massachusetts 4-H