Monday, January 18, 2021

Multi-County Consumer Education Project - RSVP by 01/18/21

 We are excited to host a multi-county Consumer Education Project series with Travis and Williamson County!

RSVP Required!
Be sure to sign up for the series at https://bit.ly/21ConsumerEd by the end of the day TODAY: January 18, 2021

A Printable copy of the schedule and project overview is available at http://bit.ly/ConsumerOverview21

Right now, we are planning on the practices being virtual – we are working on a way to incorporate in-person activities when possible



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    Friday, January 15, 2021

    Multi-County Consumer Education Project - RSVP by 01/18/21

     We are excited to host a multi-county Consumer Education Project series with Travis and Williamson County!

    RSVP Required!
    Be sure to sign up for the series at https://bit.ly/21ConsumerEd by January 18, 2021

    A Printable copy of the schedule and project overview is available at http://bit.ly/ConsumerOverview21

    Right now, we are planning on the practices being virtual – we are working on a way to incorporate in-person activities when possible



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      01/15/2021 4-H Livestock Email Blast - Major Show Updates, Bastrop & Smithville Reminders, & Weigh Days

      INFORMATION IN THIS EMAIL BLAST (IN ORDER)

      • Major Show Updates
      • Livestock Project Weigh Day
      • Bastrop Area Livestock Show Reminders
      • Smithville Livestock Show Reminders
      • Other Opportunities

      Howdy and Happy Friday, Y’all!

      We wanted to pass on some quick updates for livestock exhibitors – we were hoping to have more information for you this week, but we are still confirming details with most of the major livestock shows.  In the meantime, please remember that Ashley and I are happy to make arrangements to visit you and your livestock projects or answer any questions you have!    

      MAJOR SHOW UPDATES:

      • Passes: We have not yet received any passes in the mail – we are expecting San Angelo’s to arrive this weekend
      • Information/Reminder Emails: We are working on putting together our reminder emails to send to the exhibitors attending each show (San Angelo & San Antonio should go out Tuesday/Wednesday of next week) – this is a little delayed as we collect information on what passes we will receive at the office and what wristbands/passes will be included
      • Eligibility letters: Eligibility letters have been arranged to go out about 2 weeks before the check in of each of your entries – these were based on the currently posted schedules and are being monitored for any updates

      LIVESTOCK PROJECT WEIGH DAY:

      • The next weigh day is scheduled for Saturday, January 23, 2021, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at the Bastrop Area Livestock Show Barn
      • RSVP is required – if you are planning on weighing your animal, email or text Miss Mellanie (MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu or 512-522-9174) or Miss Ashley (Ashley.Radde@ag.tamu.edu or 254-315-7420) by next Wednesday, January 20th.  If we do not receive any RSVP’s we will cancel the weigh day.

      BASTROP AREA LIVESTOCK SHOW REMINDERS:

      • Reminder that the next Validation & Entry day is Thursday, February 4, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM at the Bastrop Area Livestock Show Barn
        • Validation night only for exhibitors who submitted Rabbit intent forms
        • Western Art & Ag Mechanics entries are due with payment
      • Families must attend and complete entries and payment for these species
      • We are working on finalizing plant pick-up day/time
      • The show board has extended the show schedule to accommodate several factors
        • he show will be spread over February 28 – March 6, 2021
        • the board is working on finalizing a letter to be mailed out to all exhibitors with the final details and confirmed schedule ASAP

      SMITHVILLE LIVESTOCK SHOW REMINDER:

      OTHER OPPORTUNITIES:

      • Other Livestock related opportunities can be found on the County Calendar – registration information should be included for each post.
      • Other Contest related opportunities can be found on the Judging Card Calendar – to sign up for these opportunities, please contact Mellanie at MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu or at 512-581-7186

      That is all for now!  Please let us know if you need anything and have a safe and happy weekend!

      M

      Mellanie L. Mickelson

      Bastrop County Extension Agent – 4-H & Youth Development
      Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services

      P.O. Box 650 | 901 Pecan Street | Bastrop, TX 78602
      p: (512) 581-7186 | c: (512) 522-9174 | f: (512) 581-7187
      MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu

      Website – https://bastrop.agrilife.org
      Blog – www.bastrop4h.blogspot.com
      Facebook – www.facebook.com/BastropCounty4H

       

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      Saturday, January 9, 2021

      Multi-County Consumer Education Project - RSVP by 01/18/21

      We are excited to host a multi-county Consumer Education Project series with Travis and Williamson County!

      RSVP Required!
      Be sure to sign up for the series at https://bit.ly/21ConsumerEd by January 18, 2021

      A Printable copy of the schedule and project overview is available at http://bit.ly/ConsumerOverview21

      Right now, we are planning on the practices being virtual – we are working on a way to incorporate in-person activities when possible



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      Friday, January 8, 2021

      01/08/21 4-H Email Blast: General Updates & Information

      INFORMATION IN THIS EMAIL BLAST (IN ORDER)

      • OFFICE HOURS & STAFFING
      • IN PERSON MEETING OPPORTUNITIES/GUIDELINES
      • 2020-2021 DISTRICT 10 4-H COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITY
      • 2020-2021 SPRING PROJECT PLANNING SURVEY – RESPONSE NEEDED
      • 2020-2021 COUNTY PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
      • 2020-2021 CONSUMER EDUCATION PROJECT UPDATES
      • DOG PROJECT REMINDERS
      • OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

      Howdy, happy Friday, and Happy New Year!!!

      As we jump straight into the new year, we are excited to pass on some upcoming opportunities to y’all.  Right now, in person opportunities may be a little limited as we receive updates from the State and Local governments, as well as our Agency.  With that in mind, we are working on making the virtual activities provided as hands-on or interactive as possible. 

      We are also working on livestock emails for those who entered Major Livestock Shows, we are trying to balance out sending emails to y’all while waiting until a little closer to the shows than usual in case there are any big changes in format/schedule.  We’ll also send out a separate livestock email blast early next week with some updates.

      If y’all have any questions, please let us know!  Other than that, let’s jump in!

      OFFICE HOURS & STAFFING:

      Recently, one of our staff members tested positive for COVID, we have let anyone who was potentially exposed know so that they can monitor themselves.  At this time, we are using an abundance of caution and are quarantining.  This means we will not be allowing any foot traffic in the office for the next week or so – we will still be answering phones and emails during that time.

      IN PERSON MEETING OPPORTUNITIES/GUIDELINES:

      For 4-H meetings/activities, our current status is “Red” from January 7-21, 2021.  The current guidelines were updated to allow some in-person meetings for Red status:

      • Group INDOOR events at 25% capacity of space or less are allowed only if social distancing can be practiced. Events must be pre-approved by CEO through a preparedness plan.
      • Group OUTDOOR events may be held with a maximum of 30 people. Events with greater than 30 people must be pre-approved by CEO through a preparedness plan.
      • Face to face group events should be mission critical. Events with priority are ones with time, fiscal and workforce implications.
      • Face to face guest speaking or presenting at other entities’ events must be approved by supervisor 14 days in advance.
      • No overnight events.

      2020-2021 DISTRICT 10 4-H COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITY:

      • The District 10 4-H Council has decided that for this year’s community service project they want to give back to local schools within our own Counties! They would like for each county to host a school supply drive, collect the items in the County Extension Office (CEO) and then prepare boxes/baskets to be dropped off at local schools in county for the teachers and students to have access to.
      • If you would like to donate any school supplies, please drop them off at the CEO as you are able to do so (remember, we have our drop box on the front porch to the right of the front doors). We will plan on donating supplies received at the end of each month from January to May 2021.
      • If your club decides to donate items on their own, please send me an email letting me know when and what was donated, as well as which school it was donated to.

      2020-2021 SPRING PROJECT PLANNING SURVEY – RESPONSE NEEDED:

      • We are working on planning for our Spring 2021 4-H Projects and need a little bit of feedback from each of you on a few of them.  Please help provide us some feedback by responding to our 3 question survey at http://bit.ly/21SpSurvey1. 
      • If you are responding as a family instead of as an individual, please note how many people you are responding for in the “name” area.  The survey should take about 1 minute to complete and will be open until 12:00 Noon on January 14th.

      2020-2021 COUNTY PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST:

      2020-2021 CONSUMER EDUCATION PROJECT UPDATES:

      • We are excited to host a multi-county Consumer Education Project series with Travis and Williamson County!
      • RSVP Required – sign up for the series at https://bit.ly/21ConsumerEd by January 18, 2021
      • A Printable copy of the schedule and project overview is available at http://bit.ly/ConsumerOverview21
      • Right now, we are planning on the practices being virtual – we are working on a way to incorporate in-person activities when possible

      DOG PROJECT REMINDERS:

      • Texas 4-H Dog Show will be held on July 9-10, 2021 at the Walker County Fairgrounds in Huntsville, Texas.
      • To be eligible for this show, dogs must be validated by January 10, 2021 in 4-H Online.
        • Watch a video with instructions herefor validating dogs. The 2021 Rule Book will be posted here
        • The 2020 Rule Book is currently available and there should not be any significant changes related to events.
      • We do encourage you to validate any dogs that you are eligible to show. Situations may change through the year. DO NOT to wait until the last day to complete your validation. It will be difficult for your County Extension Office to help you at 4:45 p.m. on the last day.

      OTHER OPPORTUNITIES:

      •  
      • HEB Virtual Cooking Classes: has been hosting virtual classes – you can check out their website for current classes or their HEB YouTube Channel

      • Take Care of Texas: K-5 Art Contest Season
        • The Take Care of Texas Kids Art Contestis now open for K-5 students! Teachers and parents can use this contest to educate students on how to protect the environment, while letting them artistically express their ideas for a chance to win a prize.
        • The contest is open Jan. 4 - March 5, 2021. Mail-in entries must be postmarked on or before March 5, 2021. Entries can also be submitted electronically. The students that submit the best art can win a tablet or laptop computer! Contest prizes will now be awarded per grade level this year, and are made possible by the Texas Chemical Council. 
        • Learn more on the Art Contest Website!

      Please let us know if you have any questions and have a great week!!!

      M

      Mellanie L. Mickelson
      Bastrop County Extension Agent – 4-H & Youth Development
      Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services

      P.O. Box 650 | 901 Pecan Street | Bastrop, TX 78602
      p: (512) 581-7186 | c: (512) 522-9174 | f: (512) 581-7187
      MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu

      Website – https://bastrop.agrilife.org
      Blog – www.bastrop4h.blogspot.com
      Facebook – www.facebook.com/BastropCounty4H

       

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      Monday, January 4, 2021

      2020-2021 Bastrop & Travis County Photography Contest Information - ENTRIES DUE MAY 2, 2021

      We are excited to host our second county photography contest with Travis County!

      ·        Registration for the County Photography Contest will be done via e-mail and entries are due by 5:00 PM on Sunday, May 2, 2021.

      ·        Entry into the contest is free. Please email all entries to CEP 4-H Agent Nathan Tucker at: Nathan.Tucker@agnet.tamu.edu

      ·        Instructions for labeling photos and the category descriptions can be found in the rules at http://bit.ly/21PhotoRules.



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      Texas 4-H Dog Validation - DUE JANUARY 10, 2021


      This letter has been sent blind copy to 4-H families enrolled in the 4-H Dog Care and Training Project.  If you no longer wish to received Dog Project information, remove the project from your list in your 4-H Online profile.

       

      Texas 4-H Dog Show will be held on July 9-10, 2021 at the Walker County Fairgrounds in Huntsville, Texas.  To be eligible for this show, dogs must be validated by January 10, 2021 in 4-H Online. Included below are detailed written instructions.  Misty Cathy has also created video instructions https://youtu.be/x5kaZ1Ou4-c if that is more convenient.  2021 Texas 4-H Dog Show Rule Book will be posted https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/projects/dog-care-training/ soon.  The 2020 Rule Book is currently available and there should not be any significant changes related to events.

       

      As 4-H members complete their validation, here are some things to keep in mind:

      • For purebred dogs (they do not have to be registered, just look purebred) you will select the correct Group and list the breed. 
      • For mixed breed dogs you will select the Weight Group of the dog and list the dominant breed along with the word “Mix” or list the two breeds if known.  (Example: Border Collie Mix or Mastiff/Great Dane.) 
      • Photos of the left and right side of the dog should be a side view of the whole dog. Get on the dog’s level so they do not turn into top views.  They should also be clear and light enough we can see all markings and color of the dog.   
      • None of the previously validated dogs carried over to 4-H Online.  Everyone will need to complete the full online validation form and upload photos this year.
      • We do encourage you to validate any dogs that you are eligible to show.  Situations may change through the year.

       

      You may have received this information from your County Extension Office or you may have seen it in the Texas 4-H Newsletter or on their Facebook page.  DO NOT to wait until the last day to complete your validation.  It will be difficult for your County Extension Office to help you at 4:45 p.m. on the last day.  If you are having trouble with 4-H Online, contact your local County Extension office. 

       

       

      M. Michelle Mihalek, MEd

      County Extension Agent - 4-H Youth Development

      Montgomery County | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

      9020 Airport Rd. | Conroe, Texas 77303

      P: (936) 539 – 7823 Ext. 3 | F: (936) 538-8199

      mmmihalek@ag.tamu.edu| http://montgomery.agrilife.org

       

      http://AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu

      Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides equal opportunities in its programs and employment to all persons, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

      The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating

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      Friday, January 1, 2021

      Happy New Year!

       HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We hope all of your hopes, dreams, and goals come true! We can't wait to see what this year brings!



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