Retirement Open House and International Exchange

Open House Invitation
Renée Applegate will be retiring from Michigan State University Extension at the end of June. To honor all of the work she has done, we have scheduled a retirement open house June 13th from 3:00pm-5:00pm. The open house will be held at the Jackson County Extension office. Please join us to wish her luck in her future adventures. If you plan to attend, please RSVP with the front desk by calling (517) 788-4292 before June 7th. We hope to see you there!



International Exchange


Dear Jackson County 4-H Families and Leaders,

Michigan 4-H is hosting international exchange youth and host families are desperately needed. Complete information including host family applications, outbound applications for summer 2013, list of countries and exchange dates, and the 2013 4-H Exchange Opportunities for Travel and Hosting documents are posted on the 4-H web site.

When you call or email the coordinator of one of these programs, be sure to let him or her know in which county you are located.

Thank you for your support of the 4-H International Exchange Program!

Renée Applegate
4-H International Exchange Coordinator

Fair Book Now Available

Fair Book
The moment you have all been waiting for has finally arrived! The Fair Book is now available!!! The book can be found under the Fair Documents tab at the top of this page. You can also find the book on the Jackson County Fair website. A limited quantity of  paper copies are available for purchase at the Fair Office. The cost is $5.00 for each book.

Please note that there have been changes to Check in times as well as other exhibit rules. Make sure to read each section carefully.

Fair Entry Deadlines

Animal Exhibits: Friday, June 14th 5:00pm
All other Exhibits: Friday, July 12th 5:00pm

If you plan to take an exhibit to the Jackson County Fair, please keep in mind that you must sign up at the Fair Office: 200 W Ganson St, Jackson, MI. This paperwork needs to be done in addition to any information you may have already given your species superintendent. Entry forms can be found at the end of the fair book.

Please bring a photo of each exhibitor when you sign up. These will be used for ID Cards during fair week.

Spring 2013 Paper Clover Campaign

TSC Paper Clover Campaign

This spring, TSC will be holding the Paper Clover Campaign from May 8th-May 19th. During this time, customers at both TSC stores in Jackson County will be able to donate $1 towards 4-H Programming. Please encourage your friends and family to support our local clubs at checkout!

This year, Jackson County 4-H will be a part of two events at TSC:

•  The Jackson County 4-H Youth Council will be running a display and table at the Springport Rd TSC on Saturday, May 11th from 12:00pm-4:00pm. 

• The In-Betweeners Photography Club is doing a photo shoot for anyone and their pet that would like to take part. This event will be held for donation only, and all interested people can come to TSC  East Side, Wednesday, May 15^th between 3:00pm-7:00pm. This is being held in conjunction with the traveling vet clinic day  at TSC.

Tagging Correction

Sheep Tagging Correction

Sheep tagging will be held on Saturday May 11th from 12:00pm-3:00pm. 

Tagging Reminders and Record Books

Record Books
Record books for all species are now available online. Record Books can be found under the Fair Documents tab at the top of this page.  Please note that the poultry books have changed. It is split into Breeder and Market Poultry. Please choose the appropriate book for your type of poultry and year in the project. Please contact your Project Leader, Superintendent, or the Extension Office if you have any questions about the Record Books.

Check in/ Tagging Reminders

Swine Tagging: Saturday, May 4th from 10:00am-2:00pm.  or  Saturday, May 11th from 10:00am-2:00pm (Tagging will take place in the north parking lot)

Sheep Tagging: Saturday, May 11th from 12:00pm-2:00pm. (Tagging will take place in the lower parking lot behind Friend of the Court)

Rabbit Check In: Saturday, May 11th from 2:00pm-4:00pm (Outside the MSU Extension Doors)

Volunteer Opportunities

Fair Clean Up Day

The Fairgrounds is looking for 4-H Clubs, families, and individuals to help get the Jackson County Fairgrounds ready for this year's fair. We hope you can join us on May 4th at the Fairgounds for the annual Fair Clean Up Day. We will meet from 9:00am-1:00pm. Bring your rakes, gloves, and any other yard cleaning tools you might have. This is a great community service project for clubs and youth. We hope to see you there!

Sitting Tall Volunteers Needed

Sitting Tall needs volunteers! Can you donate an hour or two to help a student with special needs? No horse experience is necessary. We can show you how to help. The program runs Saturdays from April 13th until May 25th 8:30am-1:00pm and Tuesdays From April 16th until May 29th 10:00am-12:00pm. We ride at TLC Stables on Gardner Rd (off County Rd) near Parma. If you are interested in volunteering for 1 or more days or if you need more information, please contact Kaye O'Daniel at (269) 979-2250.

Rabbit Info and Superintendent Position

Rabbit Pre-Fair Check In


Again this year all members planning to take rabbits to the fair will be required to come to Pre-Fair Rabbit Check-in and bring your rabbits (except for meat pens, only).  Pre-Fair Rabbit Check-in will be held in the Extension Office parking lot on Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 2-4pm.  This check-in has been  established and will run like any other tagging or weigh-in for all other species.  ALL RABBITS MUST BE AT CHECK-IN TO SHOW AT FAIR.  If you have a conflict with the date &/or time please contact the Superintendents to make other arrangements before May 1, 2013.  The check-in has been  established for several reasons;  To be sure all members have their rabbits in their possession by May 1st, To help answer questions and give information, as needed, to members about their rabbits before getting to fair.  This check-in has become necessary so that the superintendents can retrieve information needed to prepare for fair.  The information that will be needed includes; breed (only purebred rabbits as recognized by the ARBA), sex, class, & tattoo# (if your rabbit is not tattooed, it will be done at check-in for identification purposes).  Each member can bring up to 4 rabbits to choose from by fair (There is guaranteed cages for everyone to enter 1 rabbit, 2nd entries are on a first come basis, as cage space is available).  There will be some paperwork to fill out, but this should only take a few minutes.


As always, all rabbits must be in your possession by May 1st, this includes the parents of your Meat Pens.  Just a reminder to all, meat pens shall be raised from your breeding stock (not allowable to purchase meat pens).  All rabbits shall be tattooed before coming to fair.  Good Luck to all of you.
Please remember, everyone must complete a record book and turn it in on Saturday at check in.  The record books are mandatory for everyone!!

Thank you,

Tim & Jackie Kingsbury

(517) 569-2903 or (517) 474-2811

kingsburytj@sbcglobal,net

*More Information about Check In at the Fair will be posted at a later date.

Rabbit Superintendent Opening
As many of you know, this is the Kingsbury's last year as Rabbit Superintendents. The Extension Office is currently accepting applications for a new superintendent.We hope to have the new superintendent work with Tim and Jackie Kingsbury at fair this year to create a smooth transition.  If you are interested, please stop by the Extension Office Monday-Friday 10:00am-4:00pm to pick up an application. You can also email the 4-H Program Coordinator, Britney James, at jamesbr2@anr.msu.edu to have an application sent to you. If you have any questions, contact Britney at the Extension Office.

PQA and Exploration Days Reminders

PQA Reminder

This year, youth are able to get their PQA certification in 2 ways: Online or at a Face-to-Face session. The Face-to-face session will be held at the Extension Office on April 10th, from 7:00pm-9:00pm. If you plan to do the online training, it needs to be done before May 1st. Please see our previous post for online directions.

Exploration Days
Don't forget: Exploration Days Registration Packets are due by the end of April! Classes are filling up quickly but there are still a lot of great sessions available. For more information, stop by the Extension Office to pick up a Exploration Days Book. Information can also be found by clicking on the link below:

Exploration Days Information

Online Youth PQA

PQA
We are pleased to announce a new opportunity for youth to get their PQA certification:


Due to a decrease in available Youth PQA Plus Advisors in Michigan we have partnered with National Pork Board to provide the youth in Michigan an alternative method to complete the Youth PQA Plus program. Starting in March 2013, youth will be able to access an online tutorial hosted by National Pork Board. Michigan will be the first state to have access to the online program, which is still in the exploratory phase. At this time only a handful of people have completed the program online. Details on how the system will work are described below, however we are still working to finalize this process. In order for youth to access the online system they will need to contact the Pork Checkoff Service Center by calling 800-456-7675. Representatives at the service center will then proceed to register the youth for the online PQA Plus program. It may take the system up to 3 days to update the registration; once the registration is completed and the database is updated, an email will be sent to the youth with instructions on how to enter the online system. When the youth has received access to the system they will need to complete an online training module. If the youth leaves the training module at any time they can return to where they left off and finish the program. Once the training module is complete, if the youth is eligible to test out, they will be prompted to do this by the program. Once a youth begins the testing process they must complete the entire test at that time. The system will automatically update the database with the youth’s new expiration date and the youth will be able to print their PQA Plus number and expiration date once the process is completed.

The online option is in an exploratory phase and Michigan will the first state to incorporate this option into our program delivery. Please be assured that as we work through the online option every effort will be made to note where improvements can be made and streamlining the online system is a goal for the future.

Tips on Troubleshooting the Youth PQA Plus Online System:
• Youth MUST access the system and complete the training modules and testing options at least one month prior to their PQA Plus number expiring or needing a new number. This will ensure that the they will receive a current number in a timely fashion.
• The producer PQA Plus program will also be available online for the first time this year, this may cause an influx of requests at the Pork Checkoff Service Center, requests for system access will be done in a first come, first serve basis, however a delay in system access could result
• Each youth that registers with the system must provide a unique email address for the system to complete registration. This means that each family member must have an email address or utilize a parent’s/responsible adult’s email. Once an email has been used in the system, it cannot be repeated for another youth.

Please keep in mind that this training needs to be done at a computer that you can print from. Due to changes in the database,  all youth are required to bring proof of PQA training to tagging.

Spring Break Program

Spring Break at the Discovery Center- April 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
Jackson County 4-H has partnered with Washtenaw County 4-H and the Eddy Discovery Center to provide  youth with a fun and educational spring break program. We are offering several sessions for youth in grades 1-3 and 4-6. The registration form can be found by clicking here. If you do not have a printer or Excel, we will have extra copies of the registration form at the Extension Office.


NATURE DETECTIVES. Tuesday, April 2. 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
1st - 3rd Grade: 10 a.m. Animal Tracking. Participants practice gathering and examining clues to solve animal mysteries. Make your own track to take home.
12:30 p.m. No Bones About It. Bones can tell us a lot about what animals eat. Look at skulls, dissect an owl pellet and find out what clues scientist gather from animal bones.
4th – 6th Grade: 10 a.m. No Bones About It. Bones can tell us a lot about what animals eat. Look at skulls, dissect an owl pellet and find out what clues scientist gather from animal bones.
12:30 p.m. Animal Tracking. Participants practice gathering and examining clues to solve animal mysteries. Make your own track to take home.

EXPLORATION DAY. Wednesday, April 3, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
1st - 3rd Grade: 10 a.m. Geocaching and Orienteering. Practice the basics of using a GPS unit and reading a com-pass, then try it on the trail.
12:30 p.m. Habitat Explorations. Pond critters and backyard animals are the main attraction today.
4th – 6th Grade: 10 a.m. Habitat Explorations. Pond critters and backyard animals are the main attraction today.
12:30 p.m. Geocaching and Orienteering. Practice the basics of using a GPS unit and reading a compass, then try it on the trail.

 PLANT MAGIC  Thursday, April 4, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
1st - 3rd Grade: 10 a.m. Plants as Food. Kids and food go well together. Learn about what plant parts we eat, and start your own garden to take home.
12:30 p.m. Pollinators. Learn about special relationships between plants and animals.
4th – 6th Grade: 10 a.m. Pollinators. Learn about special relationships between plants and animals.
12:30 p.m. Plants as Food. Kids and food go well together. Learn about what plant parts we eat, and start your own garden to take home.

Advanced Registration Required. To sign up, please return the registration form to the Jackson County MSU Extension Office or call (517) 788-4292 for more information. Cost: $3 per child per session. There must be a responsible adult for each youth in the building during all sessions. Eating space available for those who bring a lunch and are participating in morning and afternoon sessions. Classes are on a first come, first serve basis and each class has a limit of 20 participants.

Office Hours and PQA

Office Hours for the KMS Deadline
The deadline for the KMS Scholarship is Friday, March 15th. Keep in mind that our office hours have changed and that we will  be open until 4:00pm tomorrow.

Pork Quality Assurance
We have set a date for PQA in Jackson County! We will hold a session on Wednesday, April 10th at 7:00pm. This meeting will take place at the Extension Office. All youth showing swine must have a PQA certification before tagging. Please plan on attending.

Pig Sale, Lugnuts Game, Poultry Ordering, and International Exchange

Pig Sale

The Michigan Swine Breeders Association will be holding their Pig Sale on Saturday, April 6th. The sale will start at 1:00pm at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.

4-H Science Day with the Lansing Lugnuts

Looking for a fun, affordable, and educational outing for your family? Consider attending the Michigan 4-H Science Day with the Lansing Lugnuts. This year, the game will be on April 13th. Learn the science of throwing a curve ball from Lugnuts’ players and other ways that science appears at the ball park everyday!

Those who purchase 4-H tickets will receive a pitching demonstration from one of the Lugnuts pitchers, meet with the head groundskeeper to learn what it takes to keep a baseball field green, learn about event food safety and preparation and take advantage of the children inflatables. Anyone who attends the game will be able to visit any one of the 13+  hands-on 4-H science stations.These include Lego Robotics, Science on the Horse Farm, and more!

 Gates open to 4-H ticket holders at noon. Public entry starts at 12:50 p.m. The game is scheduled to being at 2:05 p.m.

Cost: $10/person, children under age 3 are free.
Tickets can be ordered online by clicking here or by contacting Bill Adler by phone at 517-827-2486 or email badler@lansinglugnuts.com. Make sure to ask for the 4-H tickets!

Poultry Ordering Follow-up

To ensure that the poultry superintendents have accurate counts for orders, please make sure that your order has been received  If you have not received confirmation for Turkey orders by way of a reply email, call or text, please contact the superintendents immediately. 

Polish Exchange Student Hosting Opportunity


Michigan 4-H Youth Development will be welcoming 18 youth, age 15 to 18 years old, and 2 chaperones from Poland this summer. The group will be in Michigan for about one month. They will arrive on June 18th, attend 4-H Exploration Days, and then begin their 4 week homestay with individual host families. Hosting a young person from Poland would provide Michigan families with the wonderful opportunity to learn about another culture and to build a friendship across country lines that may last a life time. Youth who host students this summer will have the chance to make life-long international friends and have the opportunity to travel to Poland in 2014. 
For a host family application or more information contact the Jackson County Extension Office or contact the 4-H Polish Exchange Coordinator, Insa Raymond at 517-439-9301 or at raymon65@anr.msu.edu.   

Shooting Sports, Exploration Days, and Meeting Reminder

Shooting Sports Program Update
This year, many Jackson County Youth signed up for the Shooting Sports Project. In order for a group to have a 4-H Shooting Sports program, there needs to be a leader in charge who has gone through the Michigan 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Training. Currently, Jackson County does not have a certified instructor and is looking for an adult to attend the next instructor training.The 4-H Shooting Sports Adult and Teen Instructor’s Certification Workshop (#117) is scheduled for April 26-28, 2013 at Kettunen Center. More information can be found here. The Jackson County 4-H Council is willing to pay 1/2 of the registration fee for a potential instructor to attend this training.  Please contact the Extension Office if you are interested.

Exploration Days Registration
Exploration Days booklets are now available at the Extension Office!! You can also find them online by visiting the Exploration Days Website. We encourage every Jackson County youth to attend. Every year, approximately 2,500 youth and chaperones from every Michigan county (or close to it), come stay at MSU for 4-H Exploration Days. Official registration begins on March 19th but we encourage you to turn in your paperwork early. We will register complete packets in the order we receive them. Classes fill up quickly, so get your registration in early.

Livestock Bylaws Meeting Reminder
On Wednesday, March 13th there will be a Meeting at the Extension Office from 6:00pm-7:00pm to make changes to the Livestock Bylaws. Topics of discussion include the insurance account, weigh in, and fair.  Anyone  is welcome to attend.

Updates and Reminders

Extended 4-H Poultry Deadline
The Poultry Superintendents have decided to extend the Turkey ordering deadline until Midnight on Sunday March 10th. If you are having difficulty submitting the form via email, please make sure you are downloading the form. To do this, click on the link titled "Poultry Order Form". Click on "File" at the top of that page and select "download". After this, you should be able to open the downloaded copy and enter information. Please contact the superintendents or the extension office if you have any questions.

Sitting Tall
The Proud Equestrian Program is looking for youth volunteers. If you are interested in helping, please fill out a Sitting Tall Volunteer Form and return it to the Extension Office. These forms can be found under the Documents tab at the top of this page.

KMS Scholarship
The deadline for the Scholarship is fast approaching. All forms are due to the Extension Office by March 15th. Please see the original scholarship post for more information.

International Exchange
This summer, Michigan 4-H will host 45 youth and 4 adult chaperons from Japan through the Michigan 4-H International Exchange Program.  Each Japanese youth delegate will be matched with one Michigan family for a one month homestay (July 27 – August 23, 2013).  Please consider being a host family. A profile of each youth can be found on the International Exchange Program Website. This website also provides information about the application process. Please contact Renee Applegate by phone (517) 432-7624 or via email: applega1@msu.edu if you have additional questions.

Large Animal Tagging

Beef

Possession Date: February 1st

Tagging Date: March 23d

Time: 9:00a - 1:00p

Location: Jackson County Fairgrounds and Napoleon Livestock

Note: Feeder calves do not need to be tagged

Swine

Possession Date: May 1st

Tagging Date: May 4th and May 11th

Time: 10:00a - 2:00p

Location: Jackson County Health Department parking lot. Come in the South entrance (Lot B) and leave by the North driveway (Lot A).

Note: There will be a $2 charge for each swine tagged over the two tagged for Fair.

Sheep

Possession Date: May 1st

Tagging Date: May 11th

Time: 12:00p - 3:00p

Location: In the lower parking lot behind the Southern building (Friend of the Court).

Note: All sheep need to have their USDA Scrapie tag in prior to tagging.