Tuesday, August 18, 2020

08/14/20 Email Blast: Enrollment Reminders and 4-H Updates





INFORMATION IN THIS EMAIL BLAST (IN ORDER):

  • Quick Update
  • New 4-H Year Enrollment
  • Virtual Banquet Update
  • Community Service Opportunity
  • Fall Event Cancellations
  • Guidelines for 4-H Meetings this Fall

Hey all!
We hope you are having a fantastic week!  We are getting ready to start a brand new 4-H year and, even though much of it will be virtual at first, our youth leadership groups have some cool ideas in the works that we can’t wait to share with you soon!  We wanted to pass on a few reminders for the beginning of the 4-H year to you – we’ll be sending a few more updates and reminders for opportunities on Monday.  Please let us know if y’all need anything and have a great weekend!

New 4-H Year Enrollment:

  • It’s a brand new 4-H year!!!  Please remember that we need everybody to re-enroll in 4-H to continue to be recognized as a 4-H member and to continue receiving the email blasts (we will revert to sending our email blasts through 4-H CONNECT in September)
  • If you are planning on exhibiting at the State Fair or Heart O’ Texas this fall, we need you to  enroll starting tomorrow, Saturday, August 15, 2020
  • We are excited that the 4-H CONNECT enrollment system is being updated this year!  It is supposed to be a little easier to navigate and will have a different look to it
    • Your old information is still in the system; please double check your information and update anything that might have changed (address, email, phone number, grades, etc)
    • You will still log in with your normal email and password; you may be prompted to change/update your password on your first log in
    • NOTE: If you are enrolled as a virtual learner at your school for this year, we still need you to select that you are attending public school and select your “normal” school name. 
  • Website: https://tx.4honline.com/

Virtual Banquet Update:

  • Our banquet won’t be quite the same this year, but we are looking forward to recognizing everyone’s accomplishments this Thursday, August 20, 2020, in the evening – we are going to be posting our virtual banquet video via Facebook and via Email Blast.
  • We are finalizing a couple of details on award pickups – our plan is for award recipients to be able to make an appointment to drop by the Extension Office, pick up their awards, and take a picture in front of our banquet background to share with everyone!  We are tentatively planning for this to take place next Saturday, August 22, 2020, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  We will send out confirmed details and the appointment sign-up on Monday.
  • We will also be hosting a Food Drive Drop-Off during this activity – see details under Community Service Opportunity.

Community Service Opportunity:

  • In conjunction with our banquet award pick-up, we are going to be hosting a food drive!!
  • We are sharing a flyer on Facebook and need your help sharing it to get the word out!
  • Please see the message from Weston Bauer below on the details:
Hi Everybody!  4-H is hosting a canned food drive on August 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Extension Office (which is the day that we take 4-H banquet pictures).   They will also take donations during the week.  If you would like to bring canned items or non-perishable food items to the Extension Office, we will donate them to the Bastrop Food Pantry.  You can also donate cash, which the Food Pantry can use to purchase the food they need in bulk. ($1 will purchase 6 lbs of food, which equates to 5 meals). This will help benefit the Food Pantry and people affected by COVID-19 in our county.  And, it’s a great community service activity for your 4-H Record book!

Fall Event Cancellations:

  • We are sad to announce that the following events have been cancelled for this fall:
    • Bastrop Homecoming
    • HCC Fair
    • Cake Auction
  • If you have any ideas or suggestions for an alternative Cake Auction event that does not include food; please let us know.  Our donors have expressed interest in giving to the program in an alternative way this year and we would like to find an alternative activity for them to participate in.

Guidelines for 4-H Meetings this Fall:

  • The guidelines for In-Person 4-H meetings have been developed and posted to our Club Manager Page on the website – they are available for your convenience and through this link.
  • We are STRONGLY encouraging clubs/project groups to meet virtually at this time; the best practices for online virtual meetings and the District meeting guidelines are available for you reference in the Club Manager Page
  • All Club Managers and Adult Leaders are expected to know the policies and procedures for      in-person and virtual meetings this year; if protocols are not followed, it may result in a 4-H Club’s charter being revoked
  • We are here to help with any of your meeting needs – we are happy to help prepare for meetings and have a paid zoom account that will accommodate up to 300 people, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need anything!
That’s all we have for now!
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

Monday, August 17, 2020

2020-2021 Quality Counts Reminders for Livestock Exhibitors

Hey y'all!  Are you looking for something to do to help prepare your for your livestock project for the 2020-2021 year? 

Get ready for the upcoming show year by completing your Quality Counts EARLY!  All livestock exhibitors in Bastrop County (both 4-H & FFA) will need to participate in the learning modules and pass the exam with at least an 80% to be able to exhibit their livestock projects. 

To register and get a head start, head over to https://www.texaslivestockvalidation.com/qc/qcregister.aspx.  Be sure to save the registration email to be able to access the program and take the exam. 

If you have any questions, please contact your AST/CEA.  The Bastrop County 4-H Agent can be reached at 512-581-7186 or at MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu. 


Friday, August 14, 2020

08/14/20 Email Blast: Enrollment Reminders and 4-H Updates

 

INFORMATION IN THIS EMAIL BLAST (IN ORDER):

  • Quick Update
  • New 4-H Year Enrollment
  • Virtual Banquet Update
  • Community Service Opportunity
  • Fall Event Cancellations
  • Guidelines for 4-H Meetings this Fall

Food Drive - week of 08/17/20

 Hey all! We are hosting a Food Drive all next week to help support our Food Pantry and community! Please spread the word - we're accepting donations at the County Extension Office from Monday, 08/17/20, until 1:00 PM next Saturday, 08/22/20!



Friday, August 7, 2020

Email Blast 08/07/20 - State Fair & HOT Livestock Show Entries (Due 08/19/20)


Howdy and Happy Friday!

We are very pleased to provide you some updates on State Fair (Dallas) and Heart of Texas (HOT, Waco) Livestock Show opportunities for this fall!  Please note that we are sharing information that we received at our recent 4-H Agents Conference and the livestock shows would like for you to know that this is all subject to change based on health orders initiated by local, state, or federal agencies, or if health and safety concerns exist. The good news is that everyone is working extremely hard to try to work through many challenges to continue to provide opportunities for our kids.

On that note, please see the general updates for State Fair and HOT below.  All entries for BOTH shows are due to the County Extension Office with payment by 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, August 19, 2020.  We ask that you call ahead to make an appointment to drop off your entries at the office.  Please note that our office no longer has a drop box for after hours (we are working on purchasing and installing one, though!).  Please let us know if you need us to print and mail you copies of the entry form or any of the documents as soon as possible.

General Updates for Both Shows:

  • The shows are adjusting and lengthening their schedules to space everyone out to accommodate CDC requirements – this means that they will be bringing one species in the barns at a time
    • Tack and equipment may not be left overnight if you are bringing another species the next day for the show to properly sanitize between groups
    • Families will not be allowed to bring another species with them to check in early – example: if you enter both lambs and goats in the show, you may not bring your goat to the lamb check in, they must arrive separately for the show to properly sanitize between groups
  • Masks will be REQUIRED
  • The shows will not be open to the public this year.  Instead, exhibitors will be issued a set of color-coded wristbands for each species to wear as their credentials to be on the grounds.  They will also receive a couple of additional bands for parents. 
    • If you do not have a wristband, you will not be allowed on the grounds.
    • Guests are going to be limited, the shows are monitoring requirements to see what that will be
  • Our group camping in the barns will not look the same due to social distancing – stay tuned for details.
  • Both shows are combining a couple of show opportunities into what they are calling the United Show; it will count as participation in both the State Fair and HOT shows and will take place at the HOT fairgrounds in Waco, Texas
    • Entries for the United Show will be processed through the use of the HOT entry forms and will be $70 per entry
    • These include:
      • Youth Breeding Heifers
      • Youth Prospect Steers
      • Youth Purebred Breeding Gilts
  • Additional information will be posted at hotfair.com and bigtex.com/livestock as finalized.

State Fair Livestock Show Entry Information:

  • Due Date: 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, August 19, 2020
  • Website: https://bigtex.com/
  • Entries, Schedule, Etc. (click on links below):
  • The 2020 State Fair of Texas market shows that will take place at Fair Park in Dallas are:
    • Market steers
    • Market barrows
    • Market lambs
    • Market goats
    • Market broilers
  • The 2020 State Fair will host the following virtual contests (currently the only being offered):
    • Agri-science fair
    • Public speaking
    • Job interview

Heart O' Texas Livestock Show & The United Entry Information:

That’s all we have for State Fair and HOT – please let us know if you have any questions!  Have a great 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


Monday, August 3, 2020

2020-2021 4-H Enrollment Reminders

It's a brand new 4-H year!!!!

If you would like to join 4-H as a new or returning member, enrollment will start up August 15th!  Everyone wishing to participate in any 4-H activities this fall and/or continue to receive the 4-H email blasts will need to enroll as soon as possible.  Active enrollment is required in order to turn in registration information for any 4-H activity (including livestock shows, District 4-H Activities, or other contests).

If you are a new family looking into 4-H, we invite you to check out the information available on our website at https://bastrop.agrilife.org/links/4-h/.  We have a lot of information on resources and how to join on our Projects & Resources page at https://bastrop.agrilife.org/bastrop-county-4-h-welcome-projects-resources/.  The 4-H CONNECT Website is available at https://tx.4honline.com/.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please reach out to our County Extension Office at 512-581-7186 or MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu!


Tuesday, July 28, 2020

2020 Professional YoU! Virtual Camp Series

Event Information:

This Virtual Camp Series is designed to help Texas 4-H youth to develop and enhance their professional skills.  Texas 4-H members outside of Bastrop County 4-H are also welcome to participate.  

To Register for one or more of the programs in this camp series, please complete the following steps:

  1. RSVP for the date(s) you wish to participate in:
    • Please submit 1 response per child, even if you will be participating on the same computer
    • Please make sure that you receive an email confirming your submission(s)
  2. Download, complete, and submit the Virtual Camp Waiver form to the Bastrop County 4-H Agent at MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu at least one (1) day before the first camp you wish to attend. 

Check out the event page on our Bastrop County Extension Calendar: 
https://bastrop.agrilife.org/calendar/professional-you-virtual-camp-series/ 

Click Here to RSVP for Virtual Camp Series

Click here to Download Virtual Camp Waiver

 

Monday, July 27, 2020

Online Food Preservation Series - Archer County - starts 8/4/20

The Archer County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is hosting an online food preservation series in August. Registration is online, through Eventbrite at https://foodpreservationonline.eventbrite.com.  The cost for the entire series is $20.00.

Classes will take place at 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM and will cover:

  • August 4 - Drying Herbs
  • August 11 - Drying Fruits & Vegetables
  • August 18 - Freezing
  • August 25 - Jerky

Each session will be recorded.  The participation link will be sent to each registered participant the day of the event.  A password protected link, to view recording and videos, will be sent the following day.



Friday, July 24, 2020

07/23/20 Email Blast: 4-H Planning & Updates


INFORMATION IN THIS EMAIL BLAST (IN ORDER):



Howdy and Happy Thursday!!!

We hope that you have had a chance to make the best of this summer!  We are getting excited for the upcoming 4-H year and are hard at work with our Bastrop County 4-H Council and Ambassador groups trying to plan some fun events for this fall.  It is looking like we will be limited on in-person activities for another month or two at this stage, so our goal is to try to host in-person activities if we can find a facility that will allow us to do so AND if it is safe to do so.  We have received some updated guidelines for 4-H meetings (at last!) and are working with our County Health Officials to see what we need to adjust with respect to our current regulations.  We are also working on partnering with a couple of our surrounding counties (Lee and Caldwell) to try to provide some more project leader training opportunities and project support this year! 

We have released the validation tag order deadlines, validation dates, & current livestock show updates in a livestock email blast yesterday.  They should be posting to our blog and Facebook pages this afternoon.  Please feel free to forward those updates to any new or prospective 4-H members so that they have that information to plan for the upcoming year.

I also wanted to let you know that I will be taking a short vacation starting on Friday, July 24th, and I will be back on Thursday, July 30th, bright and early.  I will be monitoring my phone and email on Friday, but will not be actively responding until I get back.  If you need immediate assistance or have any urgent questions, please contact Stacy and Ciera at the office at 512-581-7186.

In the meantime, please check out a few of our upcoming opportunities:

YOUTH LEADERSHIP UPDATES & OPPORTUNITIES:

  • 4-H Ambassador & County Council Planning Survey
    • Our Ambassador groups and County Council are hard at work trying to plan some events for our 4-H program this year, BUT they want to know what types of projects/activities you would like to see and evaluate what you think we’re doing well, first. 
    • Please help them out by participating in the Bastrop County 4-H Planning Survey.  The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete and there are no risks involved. 
    • To participate – CLICK HERE to be taken to the online survey
    • Please let Mellanie know at MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu if you have any questions or need help.
  • FCH Ambassador Meeting – SUPPORT NEEDED
    • We want to grow this Ambassador group a little more to tailor the FCH Projects (Food & Nutrition, Fashion & Interior Design, Clothing & Textiles, etc) to your needs!  We are inviting anyone interested to join us for a virtual planning meeting on Monday, July 27, 2020 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
    • To register for the meeting: please email Stacy & Hillary and send in a completed/signed virtual meeting waiver (linked); they will work on sending out the meeting invitation the morning of the meeting.
    • This will be a leadership experience for recordbooks in these project areas


PROFESSIONAL YOU! SERIES:

  • Please join us for our this skill development series!  This is a series that was planned with input from our 4-H Ambassador last year and is designed to help Texas 4-H youth to develop and enhance their professional skills.  We have adapted it to be a virtual camp with our program limitations this summer. 
  • To register for any (or all) of the series, please complete the registration form and turn in a copy of the Virtual Camp Waiver. 
  • Meeting details will be sent out via email to those who have registered and turned in their waiver 1-2 days before each event.
  • Upcoming Sessions will take place at 6:00 PM via Zoom and will include:
    • Thursday, July 30, 2020 – Thank You Notes
      Thursday, August 13, 2020 – Developing your 4-H Resume
      Thursday, August 27, 2020 – Elevating Ideas to Action - Goal Setting


BANQUET UPDATES:

  • We have been unable to find a facility that will allow us to host an in-person event this year.  So, we will be hosting a virtual recognition event around the 3rd week of August this year to celebrate everyone’s hard work and accomplishments. 
  • Our Banquet Planning Committee is going to meet next Thursday, July 30th, to figure out how to make the best of this situation – the planning committee consists of the County 4-H Council Officers and Council delegates that volunteered to help plan this event. 
  • If you have any ideas or suggestions for this event, please email them to Mellanie at MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu so that we can review and discuss them at the meeting next Thursday.


UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES:

We currently have several events and opportunities available on the County Calendar and on the Blog:

BASTROP COUNTY 4-H EVENTS
Date of Event Deadline to Apply Name of Event
July 27, 2020 7/27 FCH Ambassador Planning Meeting
July 30, 2020 7/30 Professional YoU! Series - Thank You Notes
July 30, 2020 7/30 2019-2020 Banquet Planning Committee Meeting
August 13, 2020 8/13 Professional YoU! Series - Developing Your 4-H Resume
August 19, 2020 8/19 Early Heifer, Lamb, & Goat Validation Tag Orders Due
August 27, 2020 8/27 Professional YoU! Series - Elevating Ideas to Action - Goal Setting
September 1, 2020 NA County Council Meeting
September 16, 2020 9/16 Early Swine Validation Tag Orders Due
September 23, 2020 9/23 LATE Heifer, Lamb, & Goat Validation Tag Orders Due
October 6, 2020 NA County Council Meeting
October 14, 2020 10/14 LATE Swine Validation Tag Orders Due
October 27, 2020 9/23 Heifer, Lamb & Goat Validation Day - starts at 5:00 PM (location TBA)
November 14, 2020 10/14 Swine Validation Day - starts at 5:00 PM (location TBA)
DISTRICT 10 4-H EVENTS
Date of Event Deadline to Apply Name of Event
December 1-3, 2020 11/3 District 10 Fall Roundup
EXTERNAL COUNTY, STATE,  AND NATIONAL 4-H EVENTS
Date of Event Deadline to Apply Name of Event
July 31 - August 2, 2020 TBA Sheep Capital Lamb Camp
July 31, 2020 7/31 2020-2021 Texas 4-H STEM Ambassador Applications OPEN - Due 7/31/20
August 4, 2020 TBA Preserving Your Harvest Canning Class Series – Introduction & Equipment
August 4, 2020 TBA Online Food Preservation Series – Drying Herbs
August 6, 2020 TBA Preserving Your Harvest Canning Class Series – Water Bath Canning Basics
August 11, 2020 TBA Preserving Your Harvest Canning Class Series – Pressure Canner Basics
August 11, 2020 TBA Online Food Preservation Series – Drying Fruits & Vegetables
August 18, 2020 TBA Online Food Preservation Series – Freezing
August 25, 2020 TBA Online Food Preservation Series – Jerky
August 30, 2020 8/30 Youth-led Creative Expression Contest to Prevent COVID-19 across Texas!

That is all we have for now for livestock – please let us know if you have any questions and have a fantastic 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