Delaware 4-H Horse Bowl- March 8th
The Delaware 4-H Horse Bowl will be held on March 8, 2014 at Lake Forest North Elementary school. The entry form and guidelines for the 2014 contest are available on the State 4-H Animal Science page. Divisions are available for Ages 9-10, 11-13, and 14-19 as of January 1 of the 2014 4-H year.
Questions may come from:
• 4-H Horse Manuals:
“Giddy Up and Go”, “Head, Heart and Hooves”, “Stable Relationships”,
“Riding the Range,” “Jumping to New Heights,” “Horse Project Helper’s Guide.,”
and 4-H Horse curriculum corrections found on-line at www.n4hccs.org.
• In addition to the 4-H Horse Project manuals:
Age 8-10: Your Pony, Your Horse, by Cherry Hill
Age 11-13: Your Horse, a step-by-step guide to horse ownership, by Judy Chapple (and age 8-10 material).
Horses and Horsemanship – by Ray Antoniewicz, National 4-H Council- NEW!!
Age 14 and older: Storey’s Horse-Lover’s Encyclopedia, edited by Deborah Burns (and age 8-10 and 11-13 material).
Horse Science- by Ray Antoniewicz, National 4-H Council- NEW!!
Teams must be preregistered in order to compete in the 4-H Horse Bowl. Day of contest entries will not be accepted. If you have registered for the Horse Bowl, you will receive written confirmation in return.
Entry deadline is February 14, 2014 to the State 4-H Office. For complete rules and an entry form, please visit the State 4-H Animal Science web page:
Delaware Livestock Exposition Benefit Dinner – March 9th
Mark your calendar for the 2013 Delaware Livestock Exposition, October 12-13 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington. The show is a junior breeding show for beef cattle, sheep, swine, and boer goats and is open to exhibitors from across the country. Entry and registration information will be available in the summer. Premiums are paid to the top placing animals in each class. Sponsors and donors support the Expo financially however we still need your help too! The show committee is hosting a benefit dinner and auction on Saturday, March 9th in the Dover building on the Delaware State Fairgrounds. Tickets are $25 each or $175 for a table of 8 and will be available for purchase at the Kent County Extension office beginning in February. Please email Susan Garey truehart@udel.edu or Kristin Cook kristin@udel.edu to reserve yours now. All proceeds will be put towards Livestock Exposition expenses. We will also accept donations of select items for the live and silent auctions. Please join us for a fun filled evening!
Adventures in Veterinary Medicine Camp
Tufts University is now accepting applications for their summer career exploration programs specifically designed for middle school, high school and college students who may have an interest in pursuing a veterinary career. 4-H youth are invited to apply to the Adventures in Veterinary Medicine program at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University to discover if this exciting career is right for you!
Tufts University Adventures in Veterinary Medicine Program (AVM) is a unique career exploration program designed to provide participants with direct insight into the opportunities and realities of a career in veterinary medicine. The long-standing program will be celebrating its 24th year of programming this summer. Participants will have the opportunity to attend lectures by faculty and veterinary students, participate in laboratories, and engage in hand-on activities with animals. If you are excited by science, enjoy working with animals, and would like to learn more about what it takes to be a veterinarian, the program will further develop your understanding about the veterinary profession.
AVM is located on Tufts University Campus in North Grafton, Massachusetts. Students will be able to obtain a realistic and comprehensive look at what life as a veterinary student would be like by spending time on the campus of one of the finest veterinary schools in the country. They offer three-1 week middle school sessions, three-2 week residential high school sessions and two-1 week college age sessions. Each session is designed to meet the educational and developmental levels of students in specific grades. AVM will challenge and stimulate its participants in innovative, fun, and exciting ways.
For more information on the program, including dates, eligibility, tuition, and the application, please visit our web site at www.tufts.edu/vet/avm or contact us at AVM@tufts.edu.
2014 Spring 4-H/FFA Dairy Show
The Spring 4-H and FFA Dairy Show will be held on April 5, 2014 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds. Entries are due to Charmayne Busker by March 7, 2014. The show is open to all Delmarva Residents who are owners of Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Guernsey and Brown Swiss cattle. The show will include both a Junior Division (age 21 & under as of January 1, 2014) and an Open Division which will run concurrently. For show information and an entry form please visit the state 4-H website. http://extension.udel.edu/4h/projects-activities-for-members/4-h-animal-science/ We are always looking for additional show sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring the 2014 show, please contact Charmayne by March 7 to be featured on the Spring Show t-shirt.
2014 Pork Quality Assurance Certification for the Delaware State Fair
There are currently two options for obtaining PQA certification. The class certification option is open to any age but youth under the age of 8 (computed as of Jan 1 of the current year) must have a parent attend the class with them as national program guidelines do not permit a child under 8 to hold their own certification. Certification received through the classroom option is valid for one year.
Youth over the age of 12 (computed as of Jan 1 of the current year) have the additional option of taking a multiple choice test in lieu of attending classroom training. The benefit of the testing option is that certification may last for longer than one year, depending on the age of the youth at test time. Youth must score 70% or better to pass the test and can take versions of the test up to three times in one sitting to pass. Youth only need to complete one of these two options for obtaining certification- not both.
The following PQA class training dates have been scheduled for this spring:
TBA – Sussex County PQA Classroom Training-Carvel Center 6:30-8:30 pm
April 12, 2014- Kent County PQA Classroom Training- Kent County Extension Office-9:00-11:00 am
April 17, 2014 – NCC PQA Classroom Training- New Castle Country Extension Office 6:30-8:30 pm
June 2, 2014- FINAL PQA Classroom Training- Kent County Extension Office- 6:30-8:30 pm
The following PQA testing dates have been scheduled for this spring (walk in any time):
TBA- Sussex PQA Open Testing-Carvel Center- 4:00 pm-6:00 pm
May 15, 2014- NCC PQA Open Testing- New Castle County Extension office- 4:00 pm-6:00 pm
June 11, 2014- Kent County PQA Open Testing- Kent County Extension Office- 4:00pm-6:00 pm
You may attend class or testing in any of the locations. If you plan on attending any of these sessions, please RSVP to Susan Garey (302)730-4000 or truehart@udel.edu at least three days prior so that there will be adequate materials. Please contact Susan Garey if you have any questions or concerns in regards to PQA certification needs.
Youth Sheep Conservationist Program Contest
Youth interested in applying for the 2014 Youth Conservationist Program
• Must be between 9 and 18 years old.
• Submit an application postmarked by April 1, 2014 that includes:
An essay which introduces you, your experience with animals, if for any reason, the animal is not being kept at your own home, explain, in detail where it will reside and what exactly your responsibilities will be, your essay should explain your interest in sheep, and answers the question:
“Why I Would Like to Help Preserve a Heritage Breed of Sheep.”
The applicant should indicate if they wish to be considered for a particular breed or for any of the breeds available.
Each applicant must include a letter of recommendation from their 4-H advisor, FFA advisor, veterinarian, teacher or clergy. The total application/essay should be no more that 2 pages in length. The application must include address, phone and if available, email address.
Interested young people should contact Elaine for an updated list of breeds available, then submit their letter of application/essay to ALL ESSAYS MUST BE MAILED, WILL NOT ACCEPT EMAILED ESSAYS!
Requirements if selected:
• Must be present to receive the ewe at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival on Sunday May 4, 2014.
• Must exhibit the ewe at least twice in 2014 at: 1) a county fair or local sheep show
2) the State Fair in the state where the recipient lives.
• Must breed the ewe to a registered ram (of her breed) in the fall of 2014, should consult the donor breeder for their recommendations.
• Must either use the ewe’s fleece to personally make a wool item or sell the fleece to a spinner, felter or weaver.
• Must submit an article the following Feb/Mar to their local newspaper covering their year and including information concerning the next year’s YCP program.
• Must submit a one to two page report, with pictures, to the Donor Breeder by April 30, 2015 and provide a scrapbook to be used at the Maryland Festival which is then given back to the youth.
Any questions please contact Elaine Ashcraft 46118 CR 58 Coshocton, Ohio 43812(740)622-1573 or tankewe_cr58@yahoo.com please note the underscore between tankewe and cr58!
4th Annual Delmarva Classic Goat Show
The Delmarva Goat Association will host their Fourth Annual Delmarva Classic on April 25th and 26th. It will take place at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington, Delaware.
Friday – April 25th will feature a Junior Show of ABGA and Pygmy goats
Saturday – April 26th will feature two shows simultaneously; an ABGA show, and a sanctioned Pygmy Goat Show. For more complete rules and entry forms please visit the DGA website at http://www.delmarvagoat.com/news.html
New Delmarva Goat Association Junior Herdsman Award
The Delmarva Goat Association is very excited to announce the DGA Youth Herdsman Award for all youth 21 and under that are members of the DGA. There are two categories Senior and Junior with a monetary award and a jacket. This award is an accumulation of a youth’s work with the goat industry for a year. They will need to keep records of what and where they were involved in goat activities. This award will be presented at the Delmarva Classic Show in April 2014. For more information please visit the DGA website at http://www.delmarvagoat.com/news.html or call (302)422-5746.
Harness Racing Camp Coming June 21-25, 2014!
The Harness Horse Youth Foundation, Harrington Raceway and University of Delaware Cooperative Extension are pleased to be partnering once again to bring a 5 day- 4 night camp back to Harrington Raceway for 2014. Camp will begin on Saturday morning June 21 and end on Wednesday evening, June 25. That evening Harrington Raceway will feature campers participating in televised races on Harrington’s track with well-known drivers as their racing partners. Campers will reside in the state police barracks on the Delaware State Fairgrounds for the duration of the camp. Camp attendance will be limited in order to provide proper supervision for this intensive and fun learning experience. Registration information will be available later this spring.