UPCOMING 4-H EVENTS February 2nd _ Horse Club Meeting at the Henry County Extension Service at 5:30 pm. February 7th – Photography Club is planning a field trip to Renee’s Photography Studio in Pleasureville from 3:30 till 5:15pm. If you need a ride Cathy will be transporting 4-H’ers from the Henry County Extension Service to Pleasureville, but arrangements must be made first with parents, so call 845-2811 or e-mail . Mark Your Calendar!!! : 4-H Camp July10th – 13th. Forms are now available. Cost for camp includes meals, crafts, and transportation $160.00. The theme this year is Camp Madagascar and all things related to the jungle. If you are interested in participating in any 4-H clubs or activities please e-mail  or call the Henry County Extension Service at 845-2811 to be putting on the appropriate mailing list.

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4-H Summer Job Opportunities

4-H Camping in Kentucky is one of the largest co-educational camping programs in the nation. Our camps are located at four locations in the state, encompassing 300 to 1,500 acres. All sites are American Camp Association (ACA) accredited, and we camp over 8,000 young people each summer. Summer 4-H Camps are co-educational for 9-14 year olds and are from four to five days in length. Camp staff does not stay in the cabins with the children; staff has separate living quarters.

Many opportunities for rewarding summer jobs have recently been posted. Applications must be completed online at http://www.uky.edu/hr/ukjobs. For more information about the application process, go to http://www2.ca.uky.edu/4-h/camp/employment.

All staff members are required to be CPR and FIRST AID trained and certified before they can be employed by the 4-H camping program (prior to the beginning of Camp Staff Training).

Prospective applicants need to be aware that ALL employees are required to attend the pre-camp training program and summer in-service trainings provided at each location.

Training dates in 2012 are:

• High Ropes Training for Ropes Instructors: April 13-15, 2012 at Lake Cumberland
• Managers Training: April 27-April 29, 2012
• All Camp Staff Training: May 19-22 at Lake Cumberland 4-H Educational Center, Jabez;
• May 23-24 at each camp.

All camp employees must have a health care examination conducted by licensed medical personnel within the last 24 months prior to the start of camping season.

Pre-Employment national criminal background/National Sex Offender checks will be conducted on all new University of Kentucky employees.

Staff will work 40 hours or more per camping session (four days or five days). Interviews for 2012 (including returning staff) will be conducted during mid to late March.

1/18/12

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Expand Your World With Rocketry

Science projects can be mysterious, hard to understand, and even intimidating, but it helps to look at a few major achievements for inspiration, such as the United States space program, which in 1969 put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, or physics great Stephen Hawking, who has contributed to our understanding of the universe despite having motor neuron disease.

These tremendous accomplishments started with a mastery of basic math and science concepts, and led to important achievements. While rocket contest participants are unlikely to go on to similar achievements, through this unique experience they may learn and develop skills that otherwise would remain unknown to them.

The annual rocket contest, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), encourages 4-H groups to enter. Through the rocket building process, contestants’ abilities are tested and they are forced to work as a team. The contest also can spark greater interest in math and science, and that can lead to youth learning more about related topics, such as aerospace, propulsion and mechanics.

Here are more details from Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC):

• Now in its tenth year, the world's largest rocket competition accepts 1,000 student teams in grades 7 through12 from any U.S. school, home school or non-profit youth organization. Registration forms can be found at http://www.rocketcontest.org/pdf/application_2012.pdf.
• The annual rocket contest challenges teams of three to 10 students to design and build a rocket that will climb to 800 feet with two raw eggs as the payload and stay aloft for 43 to 47 seconds. The eggs must then return to earth unbroken. The complete 2012 contest rules and information are available at http://www.rocketcontest.org.
• TARC is a vital part of the aerospace industry's outreach to young people. NAR is the organization of rocket enthusiasts who can assist you and your students on rocket projects, answer rocket questions and support launches so youth can have fun and fly safely and successfully. Find and connect to the rocketeer network through your nearest NAR section at http://www.nar.org/NARseclist.php.
• The top 100 TARC teams will be invited to compete at the National Finals competition on May 12 just outside of Washington, D.C. Student participants compete for $60,000 in prizes, scholarships and a trip to the 2012 international air show in Farnborough for an international fly-off.
• Last year nine 4-H teams attended the finals and the Bond County 4-H team from Mulberry Grove, IL finished fifth in the nation.

1/18/12

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Sewing Teaches Practical Skills

Sewing is a skill that complements the total development of the individual. It teaches concrete, measurable skills and provides an incremental learning curve, in which each success allows for the next project to be attempted. The new sewing project year will begin meeting two days a week. The first year participants will meet on Monday’s from 3:30 till 5:00 pm at the Henry County Extension office on January 23rd. Those that have sewn in the past will begin on Thursday’s starting January 19th. Before we begin our projects our volunteers offer their services to help members make fabric and pattern selections. The group is planning on a trip in to Louisville on January 13th, if you would like more information on this outing please call the office at 845-2811.

Youth interested in needle-and-thread crafts should consider the benefits of sewing (and related endeavors):

• Financial decision-making and math skills. New or quality used machines can be had for relatively modest sums, making sewing a good hobby to enter with a low monetary commitment. Additionally, math skills are essential to sewing. Fabric must be chosen to suit the project, pattern, and budget. And actually following the pattern uses and tests math skills.
• Patience and acceptance. Because sewing is like a puzzle, it teaches patience. A sewer must think things through, solving the puzzle in the head first before cutting and joining seams. Further, sewing can manage frustration by teaching the skill of being able to live with mistakes. It is a great way to learn to solve problems.
• Physical dexterity and manual skills. Mechanical skills are needed to sew and to keep a machine running at top condition. Threading bobbins, changing needles and oiling the machine are regular tasks that use these discrete skills, involving hand to eye coordination and an understanding of mechanics.
• Critical reading skills. Reading a pattern and following the directions are skills that can be advantageous in other aspects of daily life. Visual acuity and interpretive reading is essential in sewing, since the brain must reconcile the pattern’s written and visual instructions with the finished item. Daily skills, such as reading maps and instructive manuals, are made easier by an ability to comprehend and follow written instructions and diagrams.
• Creativity. While sewing patterns are very specific, they also allow for great creative choice and expression. Fabric, trim, and notions give ample opportunity for personal style to be highlighted. And making something from scratch allows a young sewer to copy current fashion trends that could be financially out of reach.
• Thrift. With basic sewing skills, garments and other items can be mended, amended, or repurposed to be used as fashionable, functional garments with low expenditure. (Think thrift-store, attic treasures, etc.)
• Sense of accomplishment. Successfully sewing a garment or other useful item is a measurable accomplishment and great builder of confidence. Sewing teaches initiative, industry and innovation.

If you would like further information on sewing please call the office at 845-2811.

1/11/12

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Finding ways to meet physical activity guidelines for youth

Children’s activity levels have dropped in recent decades through a number of factors, among them, cultural shifts in the way parents and supervisors address issues of child safety and supervision, differences in built and outdoor environments, to an increase in screen time. The days of neighborhood kids’ safely playing kick-the-can in bucolic suburbs have given way to supervised meetings and organized activity, increased school hours with less physical activity built into the day and greater use of electronic media.

Parents should be aware of the recommendations for increased physical activity for youth, since youth regularly don’t meet suggested daily activity levels. Monitoring and changing these sedentary habits are critical because of the tremendous health threats from childhood obesity and diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children (ages 6 to 17) should get 60 minutes of exercise every day, and that should be an age-appropriate combination of aerobic, muscle strengthening and bone strengthening activity.

Walking home from school, biking to the playground, playing kickball or just plain playing has been supplanted by organized play dates that often include television, cell phone, mobile devices, computers, Wii, social networking and gaming. Even in small increments, the increased total hours children spend parked in a chair rather than exercising can contribute to health problems now and later in life.

Parents face considerable obstacles in ensuring their kids get enough exercise, especially during winter months. Early nightfall means that kids can’t play outside as much as they do during the summer, but winter does offer a host of opportunities that can be enjoyed. Keep in mind the one-hour goal, and find ways to sneak in exercise at every opportunity.

One strategy is to seek out indoor playscapes where kids can blow off steam and tire themselves out at night and on the weekends. Playing on safe climbing equipment, bounce-inflatables and slides are the kinds of planned-play opportunities into which parents can channel their child’s energy. Stopping at a mall or Bounce Structure facility on the way home for just 30 minutes of play would be meet half your child’s daily activity requirements.

Other indoor options might be found at local community centers, such as the WAC, churches and other youth-minded organizations. Regular lessons of a sport or skill increase activity levels and have the added reward of achievement. Ballet, gymnastics, karate, wrestling—these are great indoor sports that your child can learn now and master over a lifetime.

Parents can also use the winter months to focus on cold-weather sports. While Kentucky does not have an outdoor-sports culture like snowbound states it does offer rugged opportunities for hiking and camping in many beautiful, wild places. And when snowfall hits, sledding and ice skating are ever-popular among all age groups, and since ice skating rinks are not dependent upon cold weather, they can offer year-round sport. One last thing to remember is that kids won’t melt in the rain. Properly clothed, they might love playing outdoors in weather that keeps you inside!

12/14/11

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How 4-H and civic engagement go together

The skills taught throughout 4-H prepare youth for opportunities for community involvement, with the idea that good leaders naturally give back to their community in a variety of meaningful ways.

Community service, through the framework of 4-H, involves service learning in which youth learn a skill or skills and apply it to a service project. This traditional approach to service applies to clubs at the county level, and for some youth, can lead to the national conference and/or the 4-H Congress. But at its core, civic engagement ties together education, socialization, business learning and charitable/volunteer service across the 4-H experience. It provides avenues for youth to support an industry, business or pursuit, accommodating virtually all interests.

This broad education in leadership and community involvement generally starts around age 9, when youth are encouraged to explore the idea of leadership to determine what it means to them. Older, middle school youth take that idea to the next progression, asking themselves, how can I be a leader in my club and classroom and with family and friends? Toward the end of their 4-H participation in high school, youth can put the idea of leadership and service into practice, by undertaking a project that really speaks to them on a personal level.

Successful projects are not determined by size. Rather, success is gauged by the youth’s ability to see an issue, formulate a plan and then enact the plan, big or small. Examples of successful civic engagement projects include coat drives and road-side clean-up. A recent, more advanced project raised awareness of middle-school bullying, reaching over 1,000 youth and adults. In another, a Madison County youth implemented a plan for her Gold project to encourage fifth-graders to be “true to themselves” and not let media influence them. In Bourbon County, “Warm Fuzzies,” a yearly program with Markey Cancer Center, provides no-sew fleece blankets to cancer patients. And in Monroe County, a youth got emergency early warning sirens for her county.

This past Friday evening the Henry County 4-H Dog Club joined forces with the Henry County Animal Clinic to help with the adoption of puppies by participating in the Light Up New Castle parade. We are excited to report that one of the puppies featured has been adopted. If you are looking for a cute puppy for your child as a Christmas gift please begin by visiting the Henry County Animal Shelter.

These projects speak to the ultimate expression of service in the 4-H framework. When youth have reaped the full benefit of years of leadership training, they will be prepared and willing to initiate a civic engagement project that speaks to them on a personal level.

12/7/11

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4-H Beekeeping Essay Contest

The topic for the 2012 beekeeping essay, sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc., is “the results of honey bee pollination in my community.” Active 4-H youth can compete to win three awards, at amounts of $750, $500 or $250. 4-H’ers are encouraged to consider the scope of plants, food crops, trees, habitats and animals that are positively impacted by honey bee pollination.

Beekeeping is an important pursuit, a part of the food chain that is often taken for granted. However, it is critical to the health of the worldwide agricultural system and the recent colony collapse has been cause for concern.

The National Honey Board, honey.com, provides the following facts:

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 95 percent of beekeepers are hobbyists, with fewer than 25 hives. With an additional 4 percent of part-time bee keepers, these two groups produce 40 percent of the honey in the United States.
• Commercial beekeepers provide pollination services as needed, moving to different areas when farmers need hives to pollinate their crops.
• The top-five production states are North Dakota, California, South Dakota, Florida and Montana.
• Agriculture depends on pollination by insects and bees. The National Honey Board cites a USDA report that estimates 80 percent of insect crop pollination is completed by honey bees.
• Honey bees produce honey and beeswax, and pollinate agricultural and natural landscapes.

For more information, please contact the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service.

11/30/11

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Factoring in the Costs of Pet Ownership

Owning a pet is a valuable and rewarding experience for youth. However, youth and parents should understand both the financial cost and commitment required for different animals. Before acquiring a pet, you should thoroughly consider the demands of owning different pets to be sure your choice will fit in to your family’s lifestyle and budget realistically and without undue hardship. A fish fits neatly on a counter top; a Great Dane needs a big yard.

Animals feature prominently in 4-H programs because they provide youth with outstanding experiences for virtually unlimited learning. Pet ownership teaches youth critical life skills, increasing critical thinking, decision-making and communication.
The goal of the 4-H Dog program, while specific to dogs, indicates some of the benefits youth will enjoy with virtually any pet. Youth can expect to:

• Learn about the animal and be able to identify their characteristics
• Study the responsibilities of ownership
• Demonstrate care and management, feeding, care, handling, and grooming
• Keep record of all costs and management practices
• Learn and follow health regulations, including first aid and simple treatments for ailments not requiring veterinary attention
• Train animal to follow simple commands
• Understand the role of scientific research in animal husbandry
• Develop sportsmanship, cooperation, decision-making ability, and public speaking skills through participation in demonstrations, tours, judging, and/or exhibits
• Practice leadership skills and roles, take part in community affairs, and demonstrate citizenship responsibilities
• Explore career, job and productive leisure opportunities

But despite the great value of animal ownership, you need to need to make the decision carefully. Initial costs, such as neutering/spaying and puppy/kitten vaccinations, for dogs and cats are not insignificant. Pets also require steady purchases throughout the year, in addition to routine yearly vaccinations and exams. You should factor in emergency and unplanned veterinary visits as well.

Adopting from a local animal shelter or using free or reduced-cost resources can lower expenses. Often, veterinarian clinics or shelters will offer routine care, such as rabies shots, at specific times of the year. In some situations, family financial circumstances may lead to purchasing a different pet, which will still provide youth with the rewards of ownership.

Currently the Henry County 4-H Dog Club is meeting every other Monday evening at the Henry County Animal Shelter in Eminence at 5:30 pm. You are invited to come and observe or bring your dog with you at the next scheduled meeting on November 21st. All dogs are required to be on a leash, also bring the dog’s favorite treat or toy. The members are working on basic obedience skills will the dogs. If you have any questions in regard to the Henry County 4-H Dog Club please contact the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service at 845-2811.

11/23/11

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4-H Awards Program

The 4-H Awards Program for 2010-11 was held this past Tuesday, at the Henry County Extension Service office. The program provided an opportunity for all of the clubs to join together for an evening of reflection over the accomplishment and growth experienced by 4-Her’s throughout the year. As guests arrived, as well as throughout dinner there was a slide show of pictures taken during the program year. Following dinner the program began with the Pledges of Allegiance to the American Flag led by Colt McGuire and the 4-H Flag led by Jackson Jeffries.

The following clubs reported their successes: Sewing Club, Cooking Club, Crocheting Club, Dog Club, Knitting Club, and Photography Club. Dennis Campbell gave a PowerPoint presentation on behalf of the Shooting Sports Club. Phyllis McGuire and Mary Jo Ricketts spoke on behalf of the Horse Club and gave a PowerPoint presentation on the years activities. Derek Jeffries gave a brief summary of the Livestock Club. Cathy Toole recognized those who participated in the 4-H Capitol Experience and the Country Ham Project.

The following were recognized during the awards presentation for individual accomplishments. The 100 Ribbon Club is given to those 4-Her’s that have received over 100 ribbons for participating in 4-H programs. Names that were added to the plaque were Derek Jeffries, Jackson Jeffries, Todd Adams, Jordan Campbell, Andrew Pollard, James Pollard, Connor Toole, and Jacob Yount.

The Barbara Heilman Award is sponsored by the Busybee Homemakers Club for the outstanding individual in home environment projects. This year the award was given to Kendyll Smith for her participation in the following clubs: sewing, crocheting, knitting, cooking, cross-stitch, and numerous fair entries.

The 4-H Honor’s Program is offered to high school students that have actively participated in 4-H over a period of years. Those that meet the requirements are recognized during the State Teen Conference. Henry County was proud to have four members receive the Bronze Award, those are: Jordan Campbell, Derek Jeffries, Connor Toole, and Jacob Yount.

The Outstanding Teen Award for the past year was given to two individuals who have actively participated in many areas of 4-H throughout their 4-H career. The first recipient was Jordan Campbell. Jordan began participating in 4-H at the age of nine in the shooting sports program. Jordan has excelled in the shooting sports program. He has also taken advantage of many leadership opportunities through his participation in the 4-H State Teen Conference, Issues Conference, Certified Teen Shooting Sports Instructor, and Country Ham Project. Jordan was selected as a District #3 representative on the 4-H State Teen Council for the past two years. As a State Teen Council member Jordan has helped to plan the State Teen Conference as well as Teen Summit as well as many numerous activities. Connor Toole was the second to receive the award and he also began his 4-H career at the age of nine. He began as a member of the dog club, shooting sports, and country ham project. He has also excelled in the shooting sports program. Throughout the years he has given speeches, demonstrations, and participated in the talent shows. He has attended 4-H camp for 8 years and the past two years as a teen leader. He is a Certified Teen Shooting Sports Leader, attended the State Teen Conference for 3 yrs., and Issues Conference. He was chosen as the recipient of the 2011 Ham Producers Scholarship that is offered through the 4-H Country Ham Project. Congratulations to both Jordan and Connor.

All of the opportunities mentioned above as well as many others would not be possible without the dedication and support of our volunteers who give of their talents and time. I truly appreciate the volunteers who work diligently with the youth as well as the parents that make sure their child has the opportunity to learn new skills. I feel very blessed to work in a community that always puts the needs of the youth first.

Connor Toole and Jordan Campbell accepting Outstanding Teen Awards from Cathy Toole.
Jacob Yount recognized for 4-H Bronze Honor.

The Barbara Heilman Award is sponsored by the Busybee Homemakers Club for the outstanding individual in home environment projects. This year the award was given to Kendyll Smith for her participation in the following clubs: sewing, crocheting, knitting, cooking, cross-stitch, and numerous fair entries.

The 4-H Honor’s Program is offered to high school students that have actively participated in 4-H over a period of years. Those that meet the requirements are recognized during the State Teen Conference. Henry County was proud to have four members receive the Bronze Award, those are: Jordan Campbell, Derek Jeffries, Connor Toole, and Jacob Yount.

The Outstanding Teen Award for the past year was given to two individuals who have actively participated in many areas of 4-H throughout their 4-H career. The first recipient was Jordan Campbell. Jordan began participating in 4-H at the age of nine in the shooting sports program. Jordan has excelled in the shooting sports program. He has also taken advantage of many leadership opportunities through his participation in the 4-H State Teen Conference, Issues Conference, Certified Teen Shooting Sports Instructor, and Country Ham Project. Jordan was selected as a District #3 representative on the 4-H State Teen Council for the past two years. As a State Teen Council member Jordan has helped to plan the State Teen Conference as well as Teen Summit as well as many numerous activities. Connor Toole was the second to receive the award and he also began his 4-H career at the age of nine. He began as a member of the dog club, shooting sports, and country ham project. He has also excelled in the shooting sports program. Throughout the years he has given speeches, demonstrations, and participated in the talent shows. He has attended 4-H camp for 8 years and the past two years as a teen leader. He is a Certified Teen Shooting Sports Leader, attended the State Teen Conference for 3 yrs., and Issues Conference. He was chosen as the recipient of the 2011 Ham Producers Scholarship that is offered through the 4-H Country Ham Project. Congratulations to both Jordan and Connor.

All of the opportunities mentioned above as well as many others would not be possible without the dedication and support of our volunteers who give of their talents and time. I truly appreciate the volunteers who work diligently with the youth as well as the parents that make sure their child has the opportunity to learn new skills. I feel very blessed to work in a community that always puts the needs of the youth first.

11/10/11

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Decisions, Decisions

November 3rd, over 350 students from Eminence Independent Schools and Henry County Public Schools participated in the Reality Store. This event allows teens the opportunity to see how difficult it can be to make ends meet financially month to month. The actual event begins with students envisioning what their lives will be when they are 25 years old. They fill out a pamphlet on what level of education they would like to have at that age, the job they would like to have, what type car they would like to own, and what type of housing they would prefer. They also decide if they would like to have children at that age as well as the age and sex of the child.

After filling out the pamphlet they are then given their current GPA’s for the past nine weeks. Then based upon their current GPA’s students are given the task of choosing a career based on a long list of options. The catch is that to have a job that requires a college degree students must have a GPA of 3.0 or above. To receive a job requiring a technical degree they must have a GPA of 2.00-2.99. To receive high school diploma students must have a GPA of 1.00-1.99. If a student has below a 1.00 then they will not receive a diploma. Students were encouraged to choose a career that they potentially could see themselves interested in pursuing to make the event as realistic as possible. Students noticed that as their level of education decreased that the list of job opportunities also declined in numbers as well as in salaries. Once students have chosen their career they are then asked to draw slips of paper to see if they would have to support any children for the event. The maximum number they could receive was three. The students were challenged to purchase what they needed at the Reality Store for the month and to break even financially, without having to go into debt.

Students from across the county participated in the Reality Store last Thursday.

The day of the Reality Stores students are welcomed to the event by first going to see Uncle Sam and have their taxes taken out of their monthly incomes. Next stop is to the bank to open an account so that they can use the check register as their balance for the rest of the booths. This year students that had college degrees as well as more advanced degrees were given student loan payments when they reached the banking booth.

Thanks to over 40 volunteers students were then able to walk around the Henry County Middle School gym and make choices on such items as housing, transportation, clothing, and communications. When students started running into financial trouble they could go to the SOS Booth to seek financial advice or go get a second job at Supplemental Income. Many students visited both booths.

As in the past years groans could be heard over the cost of children. Over and over again students complained on what they paid in child care, insurance, clothes, groceries because of kids. Students that did not have children were often able to put money in savings and afford a more expensive entertainment and communications package. As usual the most requested booth to be added was an adoption booth, so that students could drop their kids off at the booth for someone else to take care of.

There were a lot of nice cars that had to be repossessed for much older models so that students could make ends meet, as well as designer clothes were given up to less expensive choices. The one item that students refused to be without was a cell phone. They would give up whatever it took to keep their phones.

I want to thank all of the volunteers who gave of their time to make this event possible as well as all of the educators who helped throughout the day. I would also like to compliment the students on how well behaved and courteous they were throughout the day.

11/9/11

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4-H’ers that have participated in the past say that it is a very enjoyable project that does not require a lot of time and helps them connect to how things were done in the past. It has not been that long ago that almost every family in Henry County would work together to prepare hams for the winter that they raised on their farms. This is a great project to keep the heritage of our farming community alive. If you would like to receive a ham contract please call the office at 845-2811 or e-mail  . Members of the beginning cooking club enjoyed caramel apples and pumpkin decorating.

10/26/11

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Issues Conference Coming Up

The annual 4-H Issues Conference is a four-day gathering of top student leaders from across the Commonwealth. The conference is held annually during the fall. It is open to high school sophomores and juniors who display leadership potential and who will make a commitment to implement what they learn back home. Delegates do not need to be 4-H members to apply for this leadership experience. Adults are also eligible to attend as members of a county team. Team size is limited to five youth and one adult participant per county. The conference will be held at the Lake Cumberland 4-H Center November 17-20th, in Jabez, Kentucky.

The Kentucky State 4-H Teen Council selects the issues that will be discussed during the round table discussions. Each delegate will choose three topics that they are most interested in addressing their community. They will then be assigned to one of those three topics to do an in-depth study on prior to attending the conference.

Before coming to the conference, delegates are asked to assemble information materials composed of newspaper and magazine articles, photographs, pamphlets, and other materials on an issue of interest to them. At the conference, participants share thoughts and concerns regarding those issues and learn the process skills necessary to organize for community action back home. Delegates use a case study methodology to practice applying what they learn.

If you are interested in attending the Issues Conference please e-mail me at  or give me a call at 845-28ll.

10/19/11

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4-H State Shoot Results

The Kentucky State 4-H Shoot was held the weekend of September 17th and the 18th. Henry County was well represented throughout the event with the following shooting sports members attending: Jacob Yount, Jordan Campbell, Connor Toole, Todd Adams, James Pollard, Justin Yount, Jared Yount, Colt McGuire, Michael Murphy, Blake Jones, Devin Hagan, Clayton Perry, Jacob Wilson, Logan Yount, Jayson Murphy, Dylan Rankin, and Gavin Robinson.

The individual winners for from Henry County were James Pollard and Jacob Wilson. James placed second out of 50 participants in the shotgun division in the 15/18 year old category. Jacob Wilson placed first out 49 participants in the shotgun division in the 9/11 year old category. Congratulations to both for an outstanding achievement among the best shots in the state.

We had several teams that placed throughout the event. The senior team in the Shotgun Division ages 15/18 age category placed 2nd the team members are: James Pollard, Jacob Yount, Jordan Campbell, Connor Toole, and Todd Adams. In the Archery Bowhunter division in the 15/18 year old team placed 2nd the team members are: Jacob Yount, Jordan Campbell, Connor Toole and Todd Adams. In the Archery Target Division ages 15/18 we had a 2nd place team, they are: Jordan Campbell, Jacob Yount, Todd Adams, and Connor Toole.

The Intermediate age teams also placed high at the state event. In the Archery Target Division ages 12/14 Henry County had the first place team, they were: Justin Yount, Jared Yount, Michael Murphy, Blake Jones. In the Blackpowder Division ages 12/14 Henry County had another 1st place win with the following members: Jared Yount, Justin Yount, Devin Hagan, and Colt McGuire.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the 4-H Shooting Sports Club you are welcome to attend the upcoming organizational meeting for the new project year on Monday, October 10th at 6:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Steel Tech Shooting Range outside Eminence. If you have any questions you may call 845-28ll.

10/4/11

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4-H After School Activities

There are many opportunities for youth ages 9 to 19 to develop new skills right afterschool. The activities are held at the Henry County Cooperative Extension service from 3:30 till 5:00 pm. All of these activities are free!

The first activity of the year was held this past Tuesday when 16 youth learned the Kentucky folk art of painting gourds. Debbie Hargrove, a member of the Henry County Arts and Crafts Guild agreed to teach the class using the one step painting method. Students practiced their techniques on paper before beginning the work on the actual gourd. It is trickier than it looks working in the round. The young artists learned a lot from Debbie and enjoyed the project.

The next project club that will be held afterschool is the 4-H Cooking Club which meets once a month. This is a popular club among its members because they always come in hungry and enjoy eating the dishes they prepare that day. This group has become so large we have split the class into a Beginning Cooking Club that will be made up of 4th and 5th graders. This group will meet on Tuesday, October 18th and will be taught by Shannon Bratton. The middle school aged youth will be forming an Advanced Cooking Club and will be meeting on Monday, October 10th. This club will be taught by Jane Mann. A special treat for both groups will await them after the cooking portion of the class is complete, pumpkins will be given out to decorate and take home.

A beginning woodworking class will be offered on Thursday, October 20th. The class will offer a birdhouse or small stool kits. During the class the youth will use hammers, drills, and screwdrivers to assemble the kits. Then the project will be sanded and either stained and sealed at the office or the youth may decide to take home the project and paint it, whatever their preference may be. Please call the office to sign up at 845-28ll or e-mail kelly.dockter@uky.edu. to register. If you are a teen or adult that would would like to volunteer to help with the assembly of the woodcraft kits please give us a call.

The 4-H Photography Club is also a very popular club that will be meeting on November 2nd. If you have a digital camera please bring it with you and make sure your memory card is in your camera. Also, please bring extra batteries. If you do not have a camera that is okay the club has several and will let you use one of theirs. There are usually a few field trips within the county during the school year and at least one to two photo exhibits of the clubs best work throughout the year.

Beginning cross-stitching classes will be held on Wednesday, November 9th and November 16th. The class will begin with a simple project that can be completed within the two week offering. Cross-stitching is a needle craft using a special cloth called Aida cloth. A pattern is used showing which color of thread to use making an “X” to form the design. Please call 845-2811 to sign up or e-mail  to ensure we have enough materials.

9/28/11

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4-H Gears Up for New School Year

This month I will be visiting all of the 4th and 5th grades in the county telling students about the 4-H program in Henry County. For those of you who may not be aware of the program I thought I would share a little about the program. The 4-H Club has been going strong for over 100 years throughout the country. We are part of the Henry County Cooperative Extension program that serves as a branch of the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky. As the 4-H Youth Development Agent for Henry County it is my job to develop and promote programs that will encourage youth from ages 9 to 19 to learn and develop new skills. The programs that we offer are led by volunteers, which are an awesome group of people. Since 4-H is specifically for school aged youth our calendar year follows closely to the school year. The 4-H program offers many levels of involvement, there are classes offered that may meet only once or twice to complete a simple project. Other clubs and projects meet throughout the year on a monthly basis. There are opportunities for youth to compete at county, district, and state events throughout the year. No one is required to compete it is of their own choosing. Most of the clubs and activities are free, we do not charge to be a part of any group and most of our crafts that we offer are free of charge. There are some clubs that meet right after school, such as: cooking, photography, sewing, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, cross-stitching, painting, woodworking, as well as craft projects. There are clubs that meet in the evening as well such as: horse, dog, and shooting sports. In the spring there will be opportunities to perform in front of an audience during the annual talk meet which includes: speeches, demonstrations, and a talent show. There are also special projects that are seasonal like the country ham project. It will begin in the winter and then be completed in time to enter the ham into the Kentucky State Fair.

The first project that is being offered for the new year is a gourd painting class. It will be taught by Debbie Hargrove one of Henry County Arts Guild members. Debbie will be teaching the one step painting method. The class is being offered on Tuesday, September 27th, from 3:30 till 5:00 pm at the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service. There is no charge for the class, but the class size is limited to the first 20 that call in to the office at 845-2811 or e-mail us at  .

9/21/11

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Results from Cloverville

The following are the results of the items on exhibit at Cloverville during the Kentucky State Fair. The big winner from Henry County was Maray Baker who at the age of 10 took the grand champion picture for the state fair. The photography division at the fair is huge and the quantity of amazing pictures is really something. Maray won class champion with her Digital Illustration picture and then went on to be chosen best picture of over 500 pictures on exhibit at the fair. Congratulations Maray what an accomplishment! Maray also had photos in the following classes: Landscape- blue, Digital Collage – red, Color Horticultural – blue, Sequence of 4 Hort pictures – blue. Caeleb Smith was also chosen as a state champion in the Battery Powered Series with a Parallel Circuits. Caeleb also received a blue for his black and white drawing; in photography he received a blue for his community building picture. In foods Caeleb received a white, Senior Decoupage, white. Basic electronic circuits from kits – red, woodworking from a kit – red, woodworking not from a kit – white. Jakob Beckley received a white for his photo of collection of three different views. Katherine Buckler received a blue for her quilt block square, white on her leaf collection, Junior Acrylic/Oil Painting – blue, Unit III in clothing – red. Jasmine Cosma received a blue for her Junior Color Drawing. Shiven Harris received a blue for his original ceramic in the senior category. Tatiana Harris received a red for her Accessory for the Home. Haley Hosey received a blue on her photo of a Still Life and a blue for her photo of s Picture Within the Community. Kenzie Kinser received a blue for her picture of a person. Allison MaGruder received a blue for her photo of a Black and White Horticultural picture, blue on her Dog Poster, and red on her Jr. Watercolor Painting. Camryn McManis received a blue for her animal picture of a spider. Savannah Medley received a red for her collection of 6 Horticultural Photos and a white for her 3 to 5 Photographs of the same subject.

Maray Baker was chosen as Grand Champion with her photo at the Kentucky State Fair.

Makenzie Pittman received a blue for her Senior Acrylic/Oil Painting. Andrew Pollard received a blue on his Mixed Hay. Kellyn Smith received a blue on her Woodworking from a Kit and white on Jr. Decoupage. Kendyll Smith received a red in the Unit II Sewing, blue on her first year knitting project, blue on her first year crocheting project, blue on her Colossal Cookies, red on her Textured Rubbing, and white in Jr. Nature Craft. PJ Thomason received a blue for her Senior Color Drawing. Renee Toole received a blue on her Photos of 5 of an Event and a red on her Photos Showing Movement. Cali Turner received a blue in her Unit I Sewing, blue on her Desert Dish, blue on her Scrapbooking Page, white on her Terrarium, red on her Jewelry Beadwork, red on her photo of a subject of Personal Interest, red on a Cloth Article with Machine Stitching, and a red on her Accessory for the home. Alley Webster received a red on her Jr. Original Design Ceramics. Alex Woosley received a red for her Jr. Folk Art. Kaelin Wright received a blue on her Senior Watercolor Painting. Thank you to all of the youth, leaders and parents that took part in making Henry County shine at the Kentucky State Fair.

9/7/11

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They also learned that every piece of the stalk of wheat was used. The straw was used for bedding and protection of young plants, the wheat for flour, and the course husk that was separated from the wheat head into feed for farm animals.

They also learned some Henry County history in that the last mill in production in Henry County was the Smithfield Mill and it was in operation until 1987. There are many water wheel foundations that can still be found along the water edge within the county.

The average cost of a loaf of bread is around $2.00 and the average that the farmer receives from that one loaf of bread is between 5 to 15 cents. The students thought that was not very much money for all the work it takes to grow and harvest wheat.

The one thing that they did agree upon was that wheat bread with a little jam on it tastes great. They also learned to check the label on wheat products to make sure it says 100% whole wheat to get the most nutrition out of each slice.

The stations were led by the Henry County High School FFA officers and they did an outstanding job, many thanks to them for all of their hard work.

8/24/11

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Henry County 4-H’ers Go to the Kentucky State Fair

This past week has been a busy one for Henry County 4-H’ers at the Kentucky State Fair. Before the fair officially opened the Kentucky 4-H Dog Show was held on August the 13th and 14th. On Saturday, Kellyn Smith and her dog Lincoln participated in the costume category. They were dressed as a young Mary Todd Lincoln and of course Lincoln the dog (a poodle) was portraying President Lincoln. They were both excited to receive a 2nd place award. On Sunday Ellie Pittman put her dog handling skills to work in several classes. Ellie and her American Bulldog, Wheezy, participated in the Novice A Obedience Class and placed 2nd in her class. In the Rally competition Ellie and Wheezy earned 98 out of 100 points receiving a blue ribbon. In the Agility Off Lead category Ellie and Misko, an Australian Shepard had a perfect score receiving class champion. This was the first state dog competition that Kellyn and Ellie along with their dogs had ever competed in and both did an outstanding job. Ellie Pittman with Wheezy and Misko, State Fair Champions!

Kellyn with Lincoln as Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln at the KY State 4-H Dog Show.

The fair officially began on Thursday, August 18th. The first day of the fair is always a big one in Cloverville because that is the day that all country ham participants come to give their ham speeches. There were almost 600 4-Her plus family members crowding Cloverville to sign up to give their speeches. Henry County had five participants, they were: Jordan Campbell, Connor Toole, Micah Lineman, Noah Medley, and Maray Baker. While all of the participants from the county did well with their speeches and their ham placed well it was Connor that took top honors. Each year the Kentucky Ham Producers gives a scholarship to a junior or senior participant in the country ham project. Connor Toole was the recipient of this year’s scholarship. Connor was awarded the scholarship at the Commodities Breakfast and was able to meet Governor Beshear.

On Friday, August 19th, Henry County 4-H’ers volunteered in several ways during the day. Henry County was the official host of Cloverville in the morning. Serving as county host entails answering questions about projects as visitors stroll by, helping 4-H’ers find projects on display, and watching the exhibits as visitors walk through the various exhibits. I want to thank the following 4-H’ers for their help: Caeleb Smith, Kellyn Smith, Kendyll Smith, Katherine Buckler, and Emily Bratton. You all did an excellent job. After the hosting duties had been fulfilled Kellyn, Kendyll, Katherine, and Emily participated in the mannequin modeling displays. Each of these young ladies modeled their garments they made in the 4-H Sewing Club. They are put on a dais out in the middle of Cloverville, strike a pose and then hold it. The passersby often do not notice that the models are real. Others try to talk to the models to get them to laugh and break their pose. I was very proud of our girls they were great mannequins. On Friday evening the goat show began. The goat show has grown to the largest number of livestock exhibits at the fair. Derek and Jackson Jeffries represented us well in the showmanship class. They are very proud that of the 8 goats they took that 6 were chosen in the top 10 in their categories. In the 12-13 year old Intermediate Skillathon Jackson placed 5th and in the Senior Skillathon for ages 14 to 16 Derek placed 5th.

Connor Toole received the Ham Producers Scholarship. Connor meet Gov. Beshear.

8/24/11

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Teaching kids where food comes from—the 4-H country ham project

Kentucky’s 4-H country ham project teaches kids where food comes from and reinforces Kentucky’s rich heritage of dry-cured hams, similar to age-old practices used to make Italy’s prosciutto, Spain’s jamón ibérico and Germany’s Black Forest.

This nine-month-long project starts in January with youth receiving “green” hams from Finchville Farms. These green hams were on the hoof 36 hours prior; no processing or curing has been applied. Each participant gets two hams, which they take back to their county for a curing party. During this “party,” youth calculate the cure (a combination of salt, brown sugar, black pepper and red pepper) and rub the ham well. They pay particular attention to the hock, a joint that can spoil if not properly prepared. They wrap the hams in paper and place them in a “ham sock” (a form of netting) and hang in the ham house to cure.

Salt and sugar penetrate the hams at a rate of about one inch per week. As salt goes in, moisture is forced out, reducing the weight of the ham from about 24 pounds at the start to 15 pounds at the time of the State Fair. The ham dry-cures from January until April or May at that time, it undergoes a “ham shuck,” in which the paper and ham sock are removed. A new sock (no paper) is put on the ham. It is hung again and goes through the “summer sweat,” a period that develops the distinctive traditional country ham flavor and aroma.

Then, the contestant picks the better of the two hams and gets it ready for competition. They remove any mold, carefully and thoroughly wipe the rub from crevices, and apply an optional oil to enhance the sheen and color.

Youth prepare country hams for competition at the state fair in smoked and non-smoked categories, with non-smoked receiving a much higher percentage of the 623 participants. Youth are divided by age divisions and answer targeted questions they receive in advance in a three to five minute speech, which counts for 60 percent of the score. A group of meat professionals judge the ham for the remaining 40 percent. After the competition, youth can take their hams home, with some eating the ham for a special holiday dinner.

Finchville Farms, Penn’s Country Hams, Harper’s Hams, Broadbent Hams B&B Food Products, Meachum Hams, Scott Country Hams, and Clifty Farm Country Meats help support this unique program.

8/3/2011

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4-H Summer Fun

As usual this summer has been filled with 4-H activities. The District #3 Horse Show was held from June 3rd- 5th in Frankfort at Lakeside Arena. Two young ladies from Henry County competed at the event. Alex Beckley and Kaylee Tingle. This was Kaylee’s first year at the event and she proved that she deserved to be there winning 1st place in her classes in Showmanship, Western Pleasure, and Horsemanship. It was exciting to hear about each of Kaylee’s successes from the announcer heard throughout the arena.

As soon as students began their summer vacations on June 6th, there were 111 of us off to 4-H Camp at Lake Cumberland. Shelby and Oldham Counties also camped with us for a total of 377 campers, teens, and adults. The theme for the week was Heroes in Training. In addition to canoeing, swimming, archery, riflery, high ropes, low ropes, cave exploration, crafts and fishing the group enjoyed a hero’s obstacle course taught by Barbara Gregory and Belinda Sutherland. There was also a challenge similar to the popular game “ In it to Win It” to get our future heroes into shape. The real life heroes were the adults who gave of their time, energy, and patience to help watch over and care for our youth, so I would like to offer a great big thank you to Barbara, Belinda, Susan Taft, Sarah Sutherland, Jessica Dunaway, Bryan Imel, and Todd Thompson. I would like to offer a very special thank you to Jessica Booher who filled in as a lifeguard at the camp at the last minute.

No sooner did we arrive home from 4-H Camp that I repacked my bags and headed to the University of Kentucky campus to attend the Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference which was held from June 13th-14th. Those in attendance from Henry County were: Sean Armstrong, Shane Armstrong, Connor Toole and Jordan Campbell. While at this conference the State 4-H officers are chosen for the upcoming year and there are several statewide events held. There were over 600 youth throughout the Commonwealth in attendance. The teen conference is a great opportunity to get a taste of what living on a campus is like. Teens sigh up for workshops that are of interest to them during the day and each evening a different program is featured. The entire event is planned by our 4-H State Teen Council, of which, Jordan is one of the delegates that represent District #3. The teen council does a great job and we appreciate the effort they put into making the event such a success. Henry County can be very proud of the role that Jordan did in representing our district. I would like to offer a special thank you to one of my former 4-Hers, Curtis Coombs, for agreeing to attend as a chaperone.

As soon as I got home from the teen conference it was time to finish up last minute 4-H projects so that they could be entered into the Henry County Fair. Over the past school year there has been at least one opportunity a month for 4-Hers to participate in making something that could be entered into the fair. We started the year with woodworking in September, scrapbooking in October, stained glass sun catcher in November, cross-stitched ornament in December, sewing began in January, knitting began in February, crocheting in March, and a quilt block wall hanging in April. The cooking and photography clubs meet monthly. The hard work of all our volunteers really paid of in July when you stepped into the Henry County Fair Exhibit Hall. The walls and tables were filled with the great work of our youth. When the last ribbon had been put on and I was ready to leave that day I could not help but feel proud of everyone involved. It was the perfect example of what youth are capable of with the guidance of a caring adult.

The following Saturday on July 9th, the 4-H State Communication Event was held on campus at UK while the State 4-H Horse Show was going on at Broadbent Arena in Louisville. I was attending the communication event with my daughter Renee, who gave a speech entitled “One Nation Under God”, while Kaylee Tingle was making waves in the horse arena. We can all be proud of both girls. Renee received a blue ribbon for her speech and while traveling home I kept getting messages from our horse club leader, Mary Jo Ricketts about Kaylee’s success in the big arena. Kaylee placed 1st in Showmanhip in her age group in the Western Pleasure Division, which always a large class, and she placed 2nd in Horseman ship. Pretty good for her first time at the state horse show. Kaylee’s proud parents are Kristi and Michael Tingle. This past Tuesday, on July 19th, we celebrated with a grand finale of five of our project clubs. We had a style show featuring the sewing, knitting and crocheting club projects. Those that modeled for us were: Katherine Buckler, Kendyll Smith, Kellyn Smith, Bella Mann, Jessalyn Poff, Maray Baker, Camryn McManis, and Emily Bratton. The best work of the photography club was covering the walls on exhibit for all to see. The exhibit included pictures by: Jakob Beckley, Caeleb Smith, Kendyll Smith ,Kellyn Smith, Renee Toole, Maray Baker, Savannah Medley, Allison MaGruder, Jesse Loaring, Jessalyn Poff, Hayley Hosey, Bella Mann, Destiny Phillips, Dani Phillips, and Camryn McManis. There was also a display of the county fair champions that will represent us at the Kentucky State Fair. I want to thank club leaders for their help with all of these projects: Cooking- Barbie Pott;, Photography – Pat Neuhauser; Sewing – Alice Newman, Jean Kaye Foree, Brenda Simpson, and Bonnie Schriebner; Knitting – Saundra Smith and Courtney Smith; Crocheting – Brenda Simpson and Saundra Smith.

Kaylee Tingle shines at the 4-H District and State Horse Shows

7/27/11

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Click here for 2011 Fair Results

County Fair Time!

It’s time to start gathering up all of those projects that you have been working on throughout this past 4-H project year. The entry date for all fair exhibits will be on Tuesday, July 5th 9:00 till 12:00 pm. All year long 4-Hers across the county have been making some really neat projects that they can now turn into cash, just by entering them for all to see. In September we made some great birdhouses from precut wooden kits with the help of Ralph Yantz and Todd Toole that will look great in the wood science division. In October we created some awesome scrapbooking pages as well as making an explosion box of pictures that are part of the scrapbooking classes taught by Dee Dee Yantz. In November we made some eye-catching stained glass pieces with Joanne Ashby that work well in home environment division. In January we started the year with sewing projects with participants in many different levels. The Sewing Club has some awesome leaders in Alice Newman, Jean Kaye Foree, Brenda Simpson, and Bonnie Schreiber. February was the month the Knitting Club began making the first year project, which is a scarf taught by Saundra and Courtney Smith. In March the Crocheting Club made some great tote bags and purses created from granny squares in an array of colors, which fit the description of the first year project. Brenda Simpson and Saundra Smith lead this group though a tangled web of yarn. In April Pam McDannald taught a quilt block wall hanging class entitled “Bugs in a Jar”. While each of the participants used the same pattern, each looks so different because of the array of fabrics they chose for the project.

Throughout the year the Cooking Club and Photography Club have been hard at work. The Cooking Club has been busy creating some tasty dishes taught by Barbie Potts, so please check out the list of cooking items eligible for the fair. The Colossal Chocolate Chip Cookies are my personal favorite. The Photography Club has taken their talents to a new level with the help of Pat Neuhauser. The group had their work exhibited the months of January and February at the Henry County Library. Two of their monthly meetings included field trips to the Rosehill Greenhouses while the poinsettias were in full bloom and then a short trip to New Castle in the spring to take pictures of some of the historic buildings. Cake decorating is also a fun way to express yourself at the fair and thanks to Barbara Gregory we have some talented youth that can create a very special cake using the techniques that Barbara shared. These are just a beginning of the opportunities for 4-Hers to earn some summer fun money. I encourage everyone to check out the fair catalog, so that you will not miss out on the fun and the money.

6/29/11

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Multi-County Horse Day Camp

The Shining Spurs 4-H Horse Club hosted a multi-county event on April 30th at the Henry County Fairgrounds covered arena. The event began with showmanship classes that included beginners as well as more advanced riders. This session was taught by Cara Leach. Showmanship is so important in 4-H because it is required for each rider to participant in showmanship classes at the District Horse Show before they can participate in the State 4-H Horse Show. It allows the judge to see the type of relationship the rider and horse has as well as how well they work together.

The next session was taught by Charlie Roach on Natural Horsemanship. The group really enjoyed learning how to read the messages that their horse is sending them by their body language and the noises they make. This training promotes trust between the animal and the rider. It requires patience and practice for both the horse and the rider for this method to be effective.

The third session of the day was lead by Phyllis and David McGuire. They put together an obstacle course to mimic trail riding. The horses were asked to walk between posts lying on the ground. To walk up to a mail box and allow the rider to retrieve the mail. The horses were asked walk across a tarp that made a funny sound as well as felt odd under their hooves. In one section of the course the rider must pick up a rope of the post and drag a carton that has rocks inside that makes quite a bit of noise. The final obstacle was to walk through a gate that had streamers flowing in the wind. Many of the horse found the course to be difficult the first time around, but by the second time they completed the course there was a marked improvement. Possibly the most entertaining obstacle was when the horses were asked to push a huge soccer ball with their nose through a large opening. Some of the horses will need a little more practice at this element.

Shining Spurs club member Kaylee Tingle saddles her horse at the recent horse camp.

Last but not least the day ended with a beginner’s course on contesting. Contesting is a timed event in which the horses are asked to go around barrels and poles in a certain pattern. I don’t think any of our riders are going to break any records soon, but they sure had fun. I want to say a great big thank you to our club leaders Mary Jo Ricketts and Phyllis McGuire for all of their hard work and effort. The event would not have been possible without their persistence and help. Also, our club members were excellent hosts and very helpful throughout the day. If you have a child between the ages of 9 and 19 and they are interested in being a part of the Henry County 4-H Shining Spurs Horse Club you are welcome to attend our monthly meeting which are held the first Monday of each month at 6:30 at the Henry County Extension Service office. If you would like to see what 4-H show are all about you may attend the upcoming District #3 Horse Show that will be held at Lakeside Arena in Frankfort on June 3rd- 5th. Club website: http://henrycountyhorseclub.shutterfly.com

5/25/11

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Henry County 4-H Smart Shooters Season Begins

The Henry County 4-H Shooting Sports program made a great showing at their first competition this year at the Brewer Invitational Kentucky Hunter Education Challenge. The event was held on April 23rd in Mercer County. The Brewer KHEC event is based on the combined scores of team members in the following categories: Wildlife ID, Hunter Safety Test, Hunter Safety Challenge Course, Rifle, Archery, and Shotgun. Teams are made up of four youth members as well as one adult leader. The adult leader must complete all of the categories that the youth compete in during the day. The adult scores are used only to decide tie breakers putting a lot of pressure on the team coaches. The senior team was made up of Jordan Campbell, Jacob Yount, Connor Toole, Justin Yount, and coach Tony Adams. The team placed 2nd overall at the event with individual awards going to Jordan Campbell, 1st place for wildlife ID; Jacob Yount received 1st place in archery. The junior team was made up of Jared Yount, Blake Jones, Jackson Jeffries, Devin Hagan, and Coach J. D. Yount. This team took top honors by winning 1st place team. Jackson Jeffries took 1st place in shotgun as well as 3rd place overall. Blake Jones received 1st place in archery and Jared Yount received 2nd place overall. Both teams did extremely well considering the weather conditions. The group had to contend with a lot of wind and rain. Colt McGuire also attended the event as well as senior team member Todd Adams that was on the sidelines due to a hand injury. The team would like to offer a great big thank you to our coaches working the event, Jeannie and Dennis Campbell. The next KHEC competition will be held at the State Competition held on the weekend of May 28th. Best of luck to these dedicated young men.  http://henrycountyshootingsports.shutterfly.com/

2nd Team Senior Division – Coach Tony Adams, Jordan Campbell, Jacob Yount, Connor Toole, and Justin Yount

Senior Team at the Rifle Range: Coach Tony Adams, Jacob Yount, Jordan Campell, Justin Yount, Connor Toole L to R – Row 1 Blake Jones, Justin Yount, Jackson Jeffries. Row 2 Todd Adams, Jordan Campbell, Colt McGuire, Dennis Campbell Row 3 Jacob Yount, Jared Yount, Charlie Hagan Row 4 Connor Toole, JD Yount, Tony Adams  1st Team Junior Division – Coach JD Yount, Jared Yount, Blake Jones, Devin Hagan, and Jackson Jeffries

5/11/11

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District Communications Event Results

The 4-H District #3 Communication Event was held on April 16th at the Ballardsville Baptist Church. Henry County was well represented at the event. Katherine Buckler gave a speech entitled “Cross Country” about her experiences this past fall in this fast paced sport. Katherine was able to compete in her first state competition. She received a blue for her speech. Renee Toole’s speech entitled “One Nation Under God” was her perspective on the importance of parenting and faith in helping guide youth on the right path to succeed in life and create a stronger nation. Renee received a blue and champion for her speech.

In the Demonstration portion Jakob Beckley showed the audience how to make a tasty breakfast sandwich in the cooking category, he received a blue ribbon. Kendyll Smith demonstrated how to make clay pinch pots and received a blue ribbon. Kellyn Smith demonstrated how to make potholders and purses from weaving loom loop projects. Kellyn received a blue ribbon. Bella Mann put together a demonstration on the steps she took to redecorate her room. She received a blue and champion ribbon. Renee and Bella are both eligible to attend the State 4-H Communication Event that will be held in July on the campus of the University of Kentucky.

The third portion of competition that day was the Variety Show. Each county is asked to pick its two best performances of their county competition to participate. The best two performances of the district event are then asked to perform at Cloverville at the Kentucky State Fair in August. The two performances representing Henry County was Renee Toole singing “Strong Enough” and the duo dance team of Kendyll and Kellyn Smith dancing to “Fireflies”. Renee received a red ribbon for her performance and Kendyll and Kellyn received a blue ribbon.

5/4/11

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New 4-H Classes in Crocheting and Quilting Offered

There are two new 4-H projects available for you to enjoy. The first new offering is a crocheting club. The project will be a purse made from “granny squares”. Brenda Simpson, who many of you met while in sewing, has agreed to offer a beginning crocheting class. Saundra Smith, our knitting club leader has agreed to assist Brenda with this class. The plan is that after we meet for a couple of weeks you all will get the hang of making the crocheted squares and then complete the needed number at home. We will then regroup to assemble the squares into the purse. The classes will begin meeting on April 21st and 28th and May 5th for those that need a little extra help. We will keep our same time as knitting from 3:30 till 5:00 pm. We will hopefully sew the squares together on May 19th. If there are adult family members who would like to learn to crochet please invite them to join us. For a copy of the materials list you may call the office or check out the Henry County Web site, first hit he extension link and then the 4-H link. The second class being offered is a 12”x12” quilt block wall hanging entitled “Bugs in a Jar”, sewn by machine on May 3rd and May 10th from 3:30 till 5:30 pm. If there are those that have trouble completing the project then we will meet the following week on May 17th. Pam McDannold has agreed to be our instructor. Pam has challenged participants to create wall hangings that represent them and their interests. You are all going to like her; she is a lot of fun. Again, for the materials list you may call the office or CLICK HERE. This class is for 4-Her’s ages 9 to 19 due to the limited number of sewing machines. If you have a family member that is familiar with cutting out quilt squares feel free to have them help you cut them out. If you do not have someone to help you cut the squares then we will be glad to do that for you at the first meeting.

4/13/11

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LEFT: Row #1 L-R Maray Baker, Savannah Medley, Gabe Hughes, Katherine Buckler, Kendyll Smith, Kellyn Smith Row #2 L-R Faith Lee, Bella Mann, Whitney Rodgers, Renee Toole, Aubrey Wirth, Caeleb Smith, Jakob Beckley, Colt McGuire

4-H Talk Meet and Variety Show Results The Henry County 4-H Talk Meet and Variety Show was held on March 23rd at the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service.  The evening began with junior division speeches which are broken down by the 4-Hers ages.  In the 11 year old category Katherine Buckler gave a speech on her participation in “Cross Country” and received a blue and champion.  In the 12 year old category Jakob Beckley gave a speech entitled “The Rich Get Richer and Poor Get Poorer” based on the costs to the United States to befriend countries around the world with military support and catastrophic aid relief.  Jakob received a red ribbon.  Colt McGuire was also in the 12 year old category gave a speech on “Foaling” based on the stages a mare goes through during the birthing process. Colt received a blue and champion.  In the 14 year old category Renee Toole’s speech was entitled “One Nation Under God”  based on her thoughts as to why the American family and children are struggling.  Renee received a blue and champion.

Demonstrations followed the speech competition.  The ages are broken down differently for the demonstration contest in that there are two divisions.  The junior division is for youth ages 9 to 13 and senior division is for teens ages 14 to 19.  Within the divisions there are nine categories for topics.  In the junior division Jakob Beckley gave a cooking demonstration on making a “Breakfast Sandwich”.  Jakob received a blue and champion.  Kellyn Smith gave a demonstration on how to “Weave Potholders” in the craft category.  Kellyn received a red and champion ribbon.  Bella Mann gave a demonstration on the steps she took to redecorate her bedroom in the home environment category.  Bella received a red and champion.  Kendyll Smith demonstrated how to make “Pinch Pots” in the general category and she received a blue and champion.  Katherine Buckler used the technology category to demonstrate how to knit; she received a red and champion.  In the senior division Caeleb Smith showed us his robot he made through the FIRST Robotics competition in the Science, Engineering and Technology category.  Caeleb received a red and champion.

The 4-H Variety Show followed with junior vocalist.  Whitney Rodgers sang “Firework” and received a red ribbon.  Faith Lee sang to “Jesus Take the Wheel” and received a red ribbon.  Bella Mann performed to “Bubbly” and received a red ribbon.  Aubrey Wirth sang “Tattoo” and received a blue and champion.  In senior vocalist Renee Toole sang “Strong Enough” and received a blue and champion.  In junior instrumental Gabe Hughes played the piano to “When the Saints Go Marching In”, in which he received a blue and champion.  In junior physical skills Maray Baker and Savannah Medley performed a tumbling routine and received a blue, Kellyn Smith and Kendyll Smith performed a contemporary dance to “Fireflies” and received blue and champion.  Katherine Buckler performed a dance to “Spring for Vavaldi” and she received a blue ribbon.  The judges were asked to pick the best two performances of the evening to go on to the District #3 event.  The two acts chosen were:  Renee Toole, Kendyll and Kellyn Smith.

Knitting Club members enjoyed a field trip to the farm of
Joann and Sam Adams. Joann shared how to make wool.
Members enjoyed the lambs.

4/6/11

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2011 food guidelines and the role of 4-H

The newly released food guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate a major shift in the recommendations that the agency is making for Americans. An increasing percentage of the population suffers from overweight, poor diet, obesity, forms of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses. The USDA’s revised guidelines are meant to raise awareness of the inherent risks in prevalent American lifestyle choices, characterized by an over-consumption of non-nutrient-dense highly processed foods and a sedentary lifestyle.

Health is the fourth “H” in 4-H Youth Development. The Healthy Living Mission engages youth and families through access and opportunities to achieve optimal physical and social-emotional well-being. It is our mission that by 2014, 4-H—a recognized leader in providing hands-on, non-formal learning experiences—will expand participation from 2.5 million to 2.75 million youth and their families in a dynamic process of healthy living opportunities so they are physically, socially, and emotionally prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The USDA acknowledges the sweeping epidemic of overweight and obesity and says quite bluntly: Cut calories and exercise more. Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health at every age. The USDA recommends that Americans:

• Balance calories to reduce weight. Weight can be reduced by reducing caloric intake, by increasing physical activity, or by combining both for the most favorable outcome.
• Reduce nutrient-poor foods such as refined/processed foods, trans fats foods, high sodium foods, “junk” foods, and sugary beverages.
• Eat more nutrient-rich foods and beverages. Specific USDA recommendations include: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, and nuts and seeds.
• Develop healthy eating patterns, especially in children, as research shows kids are at risk for developing chronic diseases due to poor diet and inactivity.
• Make healthy eating choices.

Children can benefit tremendously from learning accurate food, nutrition, and fitness information and learning how to use this knowledge in their daily lives. Using this information will improve overall health and fitness levels and may reduce their risks of developing life-threatening illnesses later in life. Kentucky 4-H Youth Development encourages all Kentucky youth to increase daily physical activity and to develop healthy eating habits, such as eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

For more information on dietary policy, visit http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/PolicyDoc.pdf or contact the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service.

3/23/11

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Balloon Racers This month during 4-H School Clubs students in the 4th and 5th grades have been designing balloon racers. The activity is from the SET project books, which stands for Science, Engineering, and Technology. The idea behind the activity is to get students to explore different sources that could be used for power. There was a discussion about using solar energy from the sun, electricity from wind turbines, electricity and batteries to help offset the use of gasoline in hybrid cars, and air fans that move fan boats across the water. The challenge placed before each class was to design and build a balloon racer that could go the longest distance. The speed of the car was not a factor. The classes worked in pairs and were given the following items: a cardboard body, two straws, to sets of wheels with axles, a balloon, and masking tape. Two models were shown to the students that were made by my fellow co-workers, Maryellen and Steve. Once the cars were ready to roll the students were allowed to run some practice tests on their racers to see if they could improve their designs. Teammates then brought their racers to the starting point and allowed to race. The one foot by one foot tile blocks were counted to determine the length of each run. In our office Maryellen was the winner at 15 feet. The students surpassed that total and as of this article the winning racer cleared an amazing 25 feet.

Students preparing for the balloon racer contest.

If you are interested in alternative energy sources and this sounds like a project you might enjoy you can get more information from the 4-H project books in the SET curriculum. The project books can be studied independently or with the assistance of an adult. This is just one example of creative hands on learning that 4-H provides to youth.

3/16/11

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Understanding What Dogs Have To Say

Joining a 4-H dog club is one of the first steps young dog enthusiasts can take to pursue a greater understanding of their best friend. 4-H dog clubs teach children different disciplines, such as selecting a dog; investigating breeds; appreciating dogs’ places and roles in society; practicing grooming, fitting, showing, and training; caring for dogs; and exploring dog-related careers and activities. Youth also practice the life skills of communication, responsibility, planning and organizing, decision making, leadership and more.

The Kentucky 4-H Dog Program has two state level events that all children are invited to participate in. One is the State 4-H Dog Show, Aug. 13-14, in Louisville at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center. Registration is through your extension office with other state fair events. The other opportunity is the 4-H Canine Camp.

This year’s canine event will be held May 20-22, at the Feltner 4-H Camp in London.

4-H dog camp offers beginner to advanced dog handling and training techniques, and it is a good way to prepare for the annual 4-H dog show in August. Focusing on training basics now, before heading off to the state dog show, will give you and your dog plenty of time to prepare.

Training your dog gets much easier as the days get longer and warmer. But as you go outside with your dog, you need to know how to safely handle interactions with other dogs since you’ll be coming in to contact with unknown dogs. A large part of dog training starts with understanding what a dog’s body language says. As you and your dog encounter other dogs, look at what they are saying.

Here are some tips from the American Kennel Club on understanding canine body language:

1. A relaxed dog’s tail will be down or wagging back and forth. Its mouth will be relaxed; sometimes this is described as smiling. Its ears will be relaxed, neither back nor forward, and its hair will be smooth and flat.

2. A threatening dog may growl or snarl, with its nose wrinkled to reveal its teeth. The dog may appear tense, and its fur may stand up, creating a ridge on its back. Its ears may be pinned back.

3. Only approach a strange dog with an adult present.

Understanding a dog’s body language will help you recognize what the dog is saying to you so you can avoid it if necessary. Being familiar with this canine language can keep you and your dog safe when encountering an unknown or threatening dog.

The next meeting of the Henry County 4-H Dog Club is March 14th, at 6:30, at the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service office

3/9/11

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The 4-H Capitol Experience

On February 17, 4-Her’s across the Commonwealth made their way to the steps of the Kentucky State Capitol. The 4-H Capitol Experience has been a popular event for many youth over the past few years. The idea is to enables young people to see government in action.

2/16/11

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Celebrating Extension Memories

On Sunday, January 23rd, the Henry County Extension Council hosted a celebration at Twin Oaks in New Castle to celebrate extension memories as far back as 1925. Carl Malone, from Iowa, became the first extension agent in Henry County. His funding was provided through the local banks of the county as well as the Eminence Chamber of Commerce. The Henry County Local agreed to allow Mr. Malone to set up office with them in an unused room at no charge. He began his work with a desk, chair, and a crate for a file cabinet. Mr. Malone said that there was a young editor at the paper that really helped him to become a part of the community. After his first year he was so well received for his work that the county decided to continue paying the $600.00 required to fund an extension program.

Bina Foree was hired as our first Home Demonstration Agent in 1939. The story has long been told that the county really needed a stoker for the furnace at the courthouse and they had to decide which was needed more: a stoker, or a home demonstration agent. The county officials decided to hire Bina, and some referred to her as “stoker” from that time on. Bina often told her family that her most memorable 4-H memory was an accident involving taking 4-Her’s to summer camp in 1945. Fifty-eight children were riding in a cattle trailer on hay bales and she was following behind in her car. When she turned a curve to her great surprise she found the trailer had been forced of the road and that six 4-Her’s were injured and three were hospitalized in Shelbyville. She said that Henry County did not make it to camp that year.

Margaret Hayden was one of those campers hospitalized. Margaret tells the story that she was thrown from the trailer and rolled down an embankment. Her arm was broken and as they got to the hospital they took a look at her arm and she was covered in poison ivy, so they could not put a cast on it until the poison ivy calmed down. Margaret still had the copy of her hospital bill which totaled $20.00. Her three day stay was $7.00 and the x-ray for her arm was the huge cost at $12.00. The man that forced them off the road was fined $22.00. Fortunately, this incident did not keep Margaret from becoming more involved in 4-H and later becoming an outstanding club leader in Campbellsburg.

The first official 4-H agent was Wayne Sininger hired in 1956. Previously the Agriculture Agent and Home Demonstration Agent would hold youth programs. The 4-H clubs during that time were community clubs and lead by community volunteers. Every elementary school and high school had their own club. During this time the club 4-H talent shows became quite the competition among 4-H community clubs. There are many pictures of elaborate costumes and backdrops over the next twenty years, so that “bragging rights” could be held for the year. By the early 1970’s the talent shows became so well attended that they held to be held at the Henry County High School gym.

Steve Moore came to Henry County straight from graduation from UK in 1974 as the 4-H agent and then moved into the Agriculture position following Mr. Prewitt’s retirement. Maryellen Garrison has served as the Henry County Extension Agent since 1986 and has helped Henry County Homemakers through many changes and challenges over the past 25 years. Cathy Robinson Toole came on board as 4-H agent in 1997. Cathy was one of the first agents that was hired to serve the county in which they grew up. Until this time all agents had to live in the county they served and could not serve the county in which they grew up. Steve, Maryellen, and Cathy now hold the distinction of serving the people of Henry County longer in their positions than any other agent before them. Annmarie Ivers has served as Henry County Extension secretary for 23 years, which is also the longest time served as any secretary.

The number of volunteers that have served the county for over 86 years has been the extension programs greatest asset. A slide show presented throughout the program and the tables full of memorabilia speaks volumes about the dedication of the people of Henry County. There were over 100 people in attendance Sunday afternoon for the remembrance. The Henry County Extension Council and agents want to say thanks for the memories.

2/2/11

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Developing Your Leadership Style

Sixty students from the Henry County Middle School Gifted Program took part in an all day training designed to develop leadership skills through the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service. The students were taught the proper way to make introductions and then practiced introducing each other to the group. They then had to think of seven different attributes that they liked about themselves. Several students struggled to come up with seven, which showed that they may need to work on developing a greater level of self-esteem.

Following this activity participants were given the opportunity to find out how others viewed them through an interactive activity of adjective assessments. Each student was asked to choose ten words from a long column of adjectives as to which they felt best described them. They then folded their column back and gave the paper to the person that knew them best in the room and asked them to choose ten words that described them best, followed by a person who is an acquaintance, followed by someone in the room that did not know them at all. After each column had been completed students were then asked to unfold their papers and see how many matches there were across the paper. If there were three matches out of the five then that is how the person is most perceived by others. This can be a true eye-opening experience. If students did not like how they are perceived by others it gives them the foundation to make changes in how they interactive with others.

The most informative section of the day was the personality test. After answering a series of questions students were able to determine personality traits that included strengths and weaknesses that they can use to build their skills as well as work on areas they need to strengthen.

The afternoon was filled with teamwork exercises and communication scenarios. The teamwork activities held group members to see what role they played with in the group. The communication skills activities were used to determine how effective the students were as communicators and listeners. Many found that giving specific directions was much harder than taking directions. Most of the students felt they could listen to a short story and comprehend better than taking notes. After the short demonstrations the majority of the students found the opposite to be true and that they scored higher on the verbal questions by using notes.

The last activity of the day was to show students how additional information can totally change the decisions we make. The large group was broken into smaller groups and they had to determine from the information given the one person who should be saved from an island. Two more times additional information was given to the groups. The groups changed their minds many times illustrating that before you make a decision as much information as possible should be gathered beforehand.

If the level of laughter and excitement was any indication the event was a success.

10/20/10

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4-H ATV Safety

Sources: Jann Burks, extension specialist, 4-H science, engineering and technology; Mark Purschwitz, extension professor and agricultural safety and health specialist.

Summer is just around the corner and owners of recreational vehicles are gearing up for outdoor fun and adventure. Safety and education is a top priority for Kentucky 4-H which is in the process of securing certified trainers to teach 4-H’ers and their families about ATV safety. Key components of the program include the correct manufacturer’s requirement of vehicles for youth and adults and the proper safety equipment and clothing to prevent injuries.

As recently as 2007, Kentucky had 114 deaths attributed to ATV use, which was the third highest in the nation according to the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission. Only Florida and West Virginia had more fatalities.

The Kentucky 4-H effort is part of an expanded national program to promote ATV safety education and awareness. The All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Institute®, a not-for-profit division of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America®, was formed in 1988 to implement the program. National 4-H Council and the safety institute have teamed up to support safe and responsible use of ATV’s, thereby reducing fatalities and injuries that may result from improper operation by the rider. Safety videos, games and the institute’s new online Rider Course are available at the National 4-H website. For more information go to http://svia.4-h.org/atvsafety/.

It is important that parents set rules for ATV use and discuss them with their children. The safety institute suggests following these eight rules for a safe outdoor experience.

It is important that parents set rules for ATV use and discuss them with their children. The safety institute suggests following these eight rules for a safe outdoor experience.

ATV Golden Rules

1. Always wear a helmet and other protective gear.
2. Never ride on public roads – another vehicle could hit you.
3. Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
4. Never carry a passenger on a single-rider vehicle.
5. Ride an ATV that’s right for your age. The following guidelines are based on engine size:
Age 6 and older Under 70cc (cubic centimeters)
Age 12 and older 70cc – 90cc
Age 16 and older Over 90cc
6. Supervise riders younger than 16. ATVs are not toys.
7. Ride only on designated trails and at a safe speed.
8. Take an ATV Rider Course. To enroll call toll free (800) 887-2887, or go to
www.atvsafety.org.

Have a safe summer! Make every ATV ride a safe ride!

For more information about the safe use of recreational vehicles, contact the Henry Cooperative Extension Service.

5/5/10

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Sew Much Fun The Henry County 4-H Sewing Club has just begun meeting. If you would like to learn how to sew a simple pair of pants, shorts, or skirt then this is the place for you! You will learn the basic use of a sewing machine, how to read a pattern, as well as cut out the pattern and construct an outfit you will be proud to wear. In the spring members are encouraged to participate in the Style Revue to model what they have made. Club leaders are: Alice Newman, Jean Kaye Foree, Trish Cobb, and Betty Chilton.

Cooking Club The cooking club meets once a month to explore new taste treats. In this club members will learn the basics of how to correctly prepare dishes that they can make at home. They will also learn about proper nutrition, serving sizes, and reading nutrition labels. Of course each class will end with something good to eat! I will update you as to when we will begin with the regular cooking program at your school club meetings. The club leader is Nancy Weaver and she is a great cook! Nancy could use some help with this club. It needs to be broken into a beginners group and an advanced group. If you know of someone interested in helping with one of these groups please call the office.

Communications Event If you are interested in giving a speech or a demonstration here is your chance. The event will be held on Friday, March 26th, at 4:30 pm at the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service. County winners will be eligible to participate in the district competition. This is a wonderful opportunity to work on these skills that will help you succeed throughout life. I will be glad to coach you and work with you to hone your skills.

Livestock Club Henry County 4-H’ers join forces with Shelby County 4-H for the Livestock Club. If you are interested in beef, sheep, goats, or swine you are invited to join this group. They learn about each market animal as well as judging and showing. You may participate on a quiz bowl team if you would like. A quiz bowl is much like an academic team quick recall competition with the exception that all questions are in regard to livestock. If you would like to learn more call the office and we will have your name put on the Shelby County Office mailing list.

SAY CHEEEESE! If you enjoy taking pictures and want to learn more about using a digital camera to get the best shot, the Photography Club is the place to be. This club meets once monthly. The club focuses on developing a photographer’s eye as well as how to edit your pictures to their best advantage. If you have a digital camera please bring it with you as well as an extra set of batteries. If you don’t have a camera you may borrow one from the club. At the end of the school year club members will have a showing of their work before entering their pictures in the Henry County Fair. Pat Neuhauser is the leader for this club.

Independent Projects In addition to our leader directed clubs we have project books available on tons of projects that can be completed with the help of an adult in your home. If you are interested in gardening, forestry, aerospace, interior design, entomology, weather, electric, poultry, or consumer and financial education to name a few call the office and we can give you a complete list of opportunities.

Birdhouse Kits Spring is on the way and birds will be looking for a place to nest. I have a box full of birdhouse kits that are ready to be put together. I am looking for an adult volunteer to help youth put the kits together and teach the proper techniques of sanding, staining, and sealing the kits. If you know of anyone who is great with hand tools and kids please give me a call.