Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Bastrop Area Livestock Show Updates & Reminders - Validation 12/04/21

 

11/30/21
BASTROP AREA LIVESTOCK SHOW REMINDERS & UPDATES


Hey all!  

We wanted to send a few reminders for the Bastrop Area Livestock Show Validation/Entry night happening this Saturday, December 4th, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM.  Please let us know if you have any questions and we'll see you Saturday!!

We are excited to share several upcoming dates and opportunities for the Bastrop Area Livestock Show!  There are a few updates and changes - please be sure to read through the rulebook.  Below are several reminders and updates to help you!

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

UPCOMING DATES:

  • THIS Saturday, December 4th, 2021, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM at the Bastrop Show Barn will be the first validation/entry period for the following livestock:
    • Breeding & Market Swine
    • Breeding & Market Goats
    • Market Lambs
  • If your animal was State Validated, you do not need to physically bring your animal with you
  • Families must attend and complete entries and payment for these species
  • Rabbit Reminders:
    • The form ONLY (no payment) is due this Saturday, December 4th.  You may either bring the form or postmark it that morning
    • The Show Board simply needs 1 form per child with the top information completed and a checkmark in the breeding rabbit and/or market rabbit box
    • You must turn in the form this Saturday in order to validated your rabbits in February
    • The triplicate forms may be picked up ahead of time at the Bastrop County Extension Office
  • Invitational Contest Reminders:
    • Plant Show contest entries and payment are due this Saturday and may be brought in person or postmarked.
    • The Plant Show is one of the invitational contests open to Bastrop County Youth - please see full details below on eligibility
    • Entry Forms may be downloaded ahead of time HERE.


A QUICK REMINDER ON SSN REQUIREMENTS:

  • You will need to include your child's SSN/Tax ID on the entry form in order to participate in the show - please be sure to bring it with you
  • The name on the entry form must match what is listed on their SSN/Tax ID - If they go by a nickname, please make sure that you list their true name on the form


LIVESTOCK SHOW OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Copies of the Carbon Copy Livestock Entry Form may be picked up ahead of time at the County Extension Office and will be available at the Bastrop Show Barn during entry/validation periods
  • Exhibitor Eligibility: All students who plan to participate in the livestock show must enroll by November 1. Exhibitors must be enrolled in the Bastrop Independent School District from the date of animal validation through the date of the show to be eligible to compete in the show and be an active member of the Bastrop or Cedar Creek FFA supervised by an Agricultural Science Instructor, or be an active member of a Bastrop County 4-H club supervised by a Bastrop County Extension Agent during the current school year. Youth attending private or home schools and residing within in the geographic areas of Bastrop ISD must be a member of a Bastrop County 4-H club to be eligible to compete from the date of animal validation through the date of the show to be eligible to compete in the show. 
  • Meeting Requirements: 
    • As of the September 2021 Board Meeting, the rule on meeting attendance has been waived for 2021-2022.
  • RABBIT REMINDERS:
    • There are TWO (2) Dates that rabbit exhibitors MUST pay attention to and participate in to be able to show:
      • Saturday, December 4, 2021 - Entries are due (carbon copy form (no payment) is due and can either be hand delivered to the show barn OR postmarked by this date)
      • Thursday, February 3, 2022 - Payment is collected and rabbits are physically validated on this evening at the show barn - you MUST have submitted your entry form in order to be able to validate your rabbits

 

NEW - INVITATIONAL CONTEST OPPORTUNITIES:

  • There are several new contest opportunities that have been opened up to the County! 
  • To participate in these invitational contests, exhibitors must be in 3rd-12th grade and enrolled in the Bastrop Independent School District, Elgin Independent School District, McDade Independent School District, or Smithville Independent School District from the date of entry through the date of the show to be eligible to compete. Divisions will be Junior (ages 8- 10), Intermediate (ages 11-13) and Senior (ages 14 & up). Youth attending private or home schools and residing within the geographic areas of Bastrop County must be a member of a Bastrop County 4-H club to be eligible to compete from the date of entry through the date of the show. 
  • The following contests are open as invitational contests to the County:
    • Floral Design Contest
    • Youth Western Art Show Contest
    • Baking & Food Preparation Contest
    • Plant Show Contest
    • Agriculture Public Speaking Contest

  

RULEBOOK, LINKS, & UPDATES:

 

QUALITY COUNTS REMINDERSREQUIRED FOR ALL MAJOR SHOWS, BASTROP, & ELGIN SHOWS:

  • All NEW exhibitors and exhibitors who have moved up in age groups (if you moved from 5th to 6th grade or from 8th to 9th grade) will be required to complete Quality Counts training and the test to show at local and major livestock shows. 
  • The training is divided into Junior (3-5 grade), Intermediate (6-8 grade), and Senior (9-12 grade) divisions according to the exhibitor’s age.  A Quality Counts number will be required for all youth exhibiting market and/or breeding livestock at major shows in Texas (Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, San Angelo, Rodeo Austin, Sandhills Stock Show, State Fair of Texas and Heart O’ Texas Fair).  All Exhibitors will be required to complete and pass the online test BEFORE submitting show entries to be eligible to show, and will be required to put their verification number on major show entry cards in November. 
  • Therefore, you will need to complete the new Quality Counts test before entries are due.  Don’t wait until the last minute, as the training takes approximately two hours to complete.  Exhibitors can access the system, and complete the training/testing, at https://www.texaslivestockvalidation.com/qc/qcregister.aspx.
    All livestock exhibitors will be required to be verified under the system for entry into major livestock shows, and please add your FFA chapter to your registration if you are enrolled in both organizations. Please know, we will provide step-by-step instructions for getting your exhibitors registered and verified online. Call Mellanie at the Extension office if you have more questions.

 

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Other 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's all for now!  Have a great week and let us know if you have any questions!

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

Facebook
Instagram
Website
Email
RSS
YouTube

Sunday, November 21, 2021

2022 Major Livestock Show Contests (Entries Due 11/29/21)

 

11/21/21
2022 MAJOR LIVESTOCK SHOW CONTESTS
ENTRIES DUE @ 9:00 am ON 11/29/21


Hey all!

We wanted to send out a quick form to catch everyone who wants to participate in any of the contests being provided by the 2022 Texas Major Livestock Shows.  We are collecting this information through a Google Form and responses are due at 9:00 AM on Monday, November 29, 2021.

Please see the links further down in the email to view the information for each show if you need reminders or links to the contest rules.  We will collect payment once the final cost of contests are tabulated for each youth.

Please read through these opportunities and let us know if you need help with anything!

MAJOR SHOW CONTEST RESPONSE FORM:

  • GOOGLE FORM: https://bit.ly/22MajorContests
  • All 2022 4-H Major Show Contest Responses are DUE via the Google Form by 9:00 AM on Monday, November 29, 2021.
  • REMINDER: All Extension Agents have until 12/01/21 to review, enter online, sign, seal, and postmark all entries and supporting documents for the major shows - they must be turned in by November 29th to the CEO in order for us to process through everything and to make sure your information is up to date and correct.
  • CEO LATE FEE: any entries turned in after the November 29th deadline will be subject to a $25 per entry late fee.
  • Please note, for any entries turned in after the CEO mails in entries the exhibitor will be responsible for any late fees and additional postage required to enter the show.

 

LINKS TO LIVESTOCK SHOW EMAIL BLASTS FOR PREMIUM BOOKS:

 

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Other 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's all for now!  Have a great week and let us know if you have any questions!

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

Facebook
Instagram
Website
Email
RSS
YouTube

Monday, November 15, 2021

Dog Project Interest Meeting 11/17/21

11/15/21
4-H DOG PROJECT INTEREST MEETING


Hey all!

We wanted to let you know that we are planning on holding a short Dog Project Interest meeting at 5:30 PM at the Bastrop County Extension Office this Wednesday, November 17th.  The meeting should last about 45 minutes and we are going to cover some of the participation options for the Dog Project, Ellen Carroll is going to share some of her experiences, and we'll talk about what we want to do this year!

Please let us know if you have any questions and RSVP below to let us know you're coming!


RSVP:

  • Please RSVP online at https://bit.ly/21-22DogProject 
  • If you are unable to make it, but want more information on the project, it is an option to mark that on the Google Form


IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE DOG PROJECT:

  • January 10, 2022 - deadline for dog projects participating in Dog Shows to be validated in 4-H Online
  • Mid-May 2022 - deadline for entering the Texas 4-H Dog Show (includes photography, costume contest, skillathon, etc)
  • May/June 2022 - usually a few counties will put on a dog show open to those who have validated their dogs
  • July 8-10, 2022 - Texas 4-H Dog Show

 

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR THE DOG PROJECT:

  • Project Website: https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/projects/dog-care-training/ 
  • You do NOT have to own a dog to participate in this project!
  • You CAN foster a shelter dog and participate in this project!
  • There are also photography and Dog Skillathon Contests offered at the Texas 4-H Dog Show that do not require you to own/foster/have a dog!

 

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Other 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's all for now!  Have a great week and let us know if you have any questions!

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

Facebook
Instagram
Website
Email
RSS
YouTube

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

2021-2022 Smithville Livestock Show Reminders

 

11/09/21
SMITHVILLE LIVESTOCK SHOW REMINDERS


Good morning!!

We wanted to pass on an additional reminder for the validation/entry period scheduled for this coming Saturday, November 13th.  

The next important date coming up is the Saturday, November 13th, validation and entry period for Steers, Heifers, Lambs, & Goats.  Broiler & Rabbit entry forms & fees are also due at this event.  This event will take place from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at the Smithville High School Ag Barns.  

Additionally, we wanted to send a quick reminder for Rabbit Exhibitors - you should already have made contact with your breeder.  We were informed that several market rabbit/meat pen breeders that have thrown in the towel and gotten out of the business due to Covid-19. Most breeders are already booked and have their does allocated for county shows. You might look for contact info for breeders through www.ARBA.net or www.texascals.org.  Additionally, there are a few Facebook groups that were recommended:

  • 6class rabbit discussion
  • Meat Pen Breeders of Texas
  • Californian Show Rabbits and Meat Pens - Texas
  • Californian & New Zealand Show Rabbits - Texas

Please see the other information below and let us know if you have any questions!


IMPORTANT DATES:

  • PLEASE NOTE: the rules and judging schedule(s) are subject to change due to uncontrollable circumstances and/or at the discretion of the Smithville FFA & 4-H Livestock Show & Exposition Committee board due to COVID 19, to ensure safety of our participants, volunteers, & judges.
  • Saturday, November 13, 2021 
    • 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at the Smithville HS Ag Building
    • Steers, Heifers, Lambs, & Goats validation, entry forms & fees due
    • Broiler order forms, entry forms, & fees due
    • Rabbit entry forms & fees due
  • Week of January 8-15, 2022 - rabbit does need to be bred at this time for the show
  • Saturday, January 15, 2022
    • 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the Smithville HS Ag Building
    • Barrow validation, entry forms & fees due
    • Ag Mechanics entry forms & fees due
  • Late February/Early March 2022 - Broiler Chicks ready for pick-up (about 7 weeks before the show)
  • Monday, March 21, 2022 - Rabbit Validation from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Smithville HS Ag Building
  • Sunday, April 10, 2022 - Mandatory Set-Up Day @ 2:00 PM
  • Thursday, April 21, 2022 - Scales available at River Bend Park from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM (all species)
  • Saturday, April 23, 2022 - SHOW DAY!!!
  • Sunday, April 24, 2022 - Mandatory Clean-Up Day @ 2:00 PM
  • Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - Thank You notes should be completed/received by buyers and the show board (mailed directly to the buyers & a proof mailed to the show board)

 

RULES:

 

FORMS (click on link to download):

  • Entry Forms (with required Acknowledgement form on back)
    • Due 11/13/21 for Steers, Heifers, Lambs, Goats, Broilers, & Rabbits 
    • Due 01/15/22 for Barrows & Ag Mechanics
  • Project Expense Sheet - DUE on April 10, 2022 at Set-Up Day, must be completed for EACH of your projects

 

OTHER REMINDERS:

  • At this time, the Show Board is being cautious about the schedule and will be making more decisions on the schedule and sale as we get closer to the show itself so they can both ensure everyone's safety and the fun nature of the event.
  • As a reminder, participation in this show is limited to those who attend Smithville ISD and are members of 4-H, FFA, or both.  Also, Quality Counts is not a requirement to participate in this show; however, we highly recommend completing it as part of your project education and if you are interested in showing at majors or the upcoming county show.

 
 

RECRUITING/INVITING BUYERS:

  • You will need to reach out to buyers ahead of time to develop a relationship with them and invite them to the show and sale:
    • This is not just a one-time thing, you will need to keep them updated on your project and your goals
    • Start out with an initial letter at the beginning of the school year updating them on what projects you have, your goals, and invite them to the show 
    • Send them some updates on your projects throughout the year and send them some reminders and invites as we get closer to the show
  • Be sure to take pictures of you and your animals throughout your project timeline to add it to your letters/updates
  • Some Examples of information to include: 
    • Tell them about yourself. Example - My name is ________ and I am a senior at _______________. I have been an active member in my chapter by showing_____________, and I have been an 4-H/FFA officer for three years.
    • Tell them about this year's project, and share pictures.
    • Tell them your goals for this year's project. Example - I plan on showing Ricky Bobby at the Smithville 4-H/FFA Livestock show, and then taking him to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. If you didn't get to show last year, included how your last year project was impacted because of COVID.
    • INVITE THEM TO COME TO THE SHOW. Include date and time... make the invite personal
    • Make sure to thank them, and personally sign it!
    • THE MORE PERSONAL AND INVITING THE BETTER. If people get to know you they will become INVESTED in you and your project. 
  • Rockne Livestock Booster Club Buyer’s Letter Resources:

 

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Other 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's all for now!  Have a great week and let us know if you have any questions!

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

Facebook
Instagram
Website
Email
RSS
YouTube

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

2022 Major Livestock Show Entries due 11/04/21

 

11/03/21
2022 MAJOR LIVESTOCK SHOW ENTRIES DUE 11/04/21


Hey all!

We wanted to send out a quick reminder that Major Livestock Show Entries are due tomorrow, November 4, 2021, by 12:00 Noon.  Please see the links further down in the email to view the information for each show if you need reminders.

Please note that we are only focusing this information on the portions of the show that require the youth members to be 4-H (or FFA) members in order to enter.  These are the only opportunities for which we can request an excused absence from your school.  

If you are showing livestock, please note that you MUST have an updated Quality Counts Number for your age group (important if you are new to showing, if you have moved from 5th to 6th grade, or if you have moved from 8th to 9th grade).

Please read through these opportunities and let us know if you need help with anything!


MAJOR SHOW ENTRY FORM DEADLINES:

  • All 2022 4-H Major Show Entries are DUE to the Bastrop County Extension Office by 12:00 Noon on Thursday, November 4, 2021, unless otherwise noted for specific contest entries.
  • REMINDER: All Extension Agents have until 12/01/21 to review, enter online, sign, seal, and postmark all entries and supporting documents for the major shows - they must be turned in by November 4th to the CEO in order for us to process through everything and to make sure your information is up to date and correct.
  • CEO LATE FEE: any entries turned in after the November 4th deadline will be subject to a $25 per entry late fee
  • Please note, for any entries turned in after the CEO mails in entries the exhibitor will be responsible for any late fees and additional postage required to enter the show.

 

LINKS TO LIVESTOCK SHOW EMAIL BLASTS/ENTRIES:

 

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Other 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's all for now!  Have a great week and let us know if you have any questions!

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

Facebook
Instagram
Website
Email
RSS
YouTube