A Fair to Remember

It was a great year at the 2012 Cambria County Fair. Throughout fair week, I am very busy and am responsible for a lot. I show multiple 4-H projects, compete in many events/competitions, and volunteer for many things, so I stay very involved all week long.

All of the animals that are brought into the fair, have to be there on the Saturday before the fair officially starts on Sunday. Being that I run cross country we always have an invitationals on Saturdays,  therefore, this makes it very difficult to transfer all of my animals from home to the fair. This year, we had an invite at Lock Haven on Saturday morning, so I had a three and a half hour bus ride to Lock Haven, had to run my race, and then come back home and get all of my animals to the fair with my dad before 5 o'clock! Talk about stress. But as always I got through it, my animals all made it happy and healthy to the fair and my team won the invite, so it was an awesome unofficial 1st day of the fair.

Then it was Sunday, the first day of the fair! I was so excited and already exhausted for the fair to begin. Sunday wasn't that exciting of a day other than the fact that one of my great friends won fair queen! On Sunday the only other activites that I am involved in are three stockman's test that I participate in. For those of you that don't know what a stockman's test is; it is a test on a certain species of animals, such as swine, the test includes parts of the animal, the skeleton of the animal, information of the animal, breeds of the animal, and meat cuts as well. On Sunday, I took the swine, goat, and beef tests.

Now, it was time for the pig show! Monday morning at 9 a.m. Preparing for the extremely long day ahead, my friends and I also get all of our pigs, and ourselves ready for the show and then go out and get breakfast on the midway. It's a tradition that we have not let down since we began showing so many years ago. Monday was a great day and out of all of my class, stockman's, and showmanship awards, I was the most proud of my Champion Purebred County Bred pig named Posie. The best part about Monday was Monday night though. On Monday night, there was a new contest that they brought back to the fair called the Hay Stacking Contest. It was a blast and our team did awesome! We ended up getting second place and our team name was the Triple Chuckers because you could only have three participating members.

It is now Tuesday and time for the goat show. Being that my family owns a beef and goat farm, this is usually the most exciting for my mother. A large number of the goats in the show as well are from out farm so she is always nervous and excited for all of the 4-Her's. This year at the fair was one of the best for Craft Farms Boer Goats. I won Grand Champion County Bred Goat with my 119 lb. Lamancha/ Boer Cross named Darrel. I was so excited, it was an awesome accomplishment. Along with this, the Reserve Champion and Reserve Champion County Bred goats were also both from my family's farm so my parents were estatatic! The day countinued on a good note, I placed very well in showmanship and also won Senior Goat Stockman and Overall Goat Stockman as well!

Now it was Wednesday and time for my final show and I will have to admit probably my favorite, the steer show. I usually show two steers but this year I only showed one and I wouldn't have changed a single thing. My steer this year was very special to me and he was truly a teddy bear. His name was Rocky and he was a 1,450 lb. Chiangus steer. He was one of the greatest steers I've ever had a by far had the nicest build of any steer that we had ever raised and in the past we won both Grand and Reserve Champion. The beef show itself was very disappointing and many people did not agree with the judge's final decision, but it was only one show. The day ended on a good note though, I again placed very well in showmanship and then again won Senior Beef Stockman and Overall Beef Stockman for the third year in a row.

My fair ended on a Thursday this year because I had State Council Training Friday- Sunday. Sadly though, this is one of the worst days of the fair because it's auction day. Even though this is a sad day my friends and  I always try to lighten the mood and keep things as happy as possible. So this year at the fair regardless of the shows and the auction and the contests was an amazing one that I wouldn't change anything about. Even though things might not always go the way you would like them to, you always learn important life lessons in those difficult decisions.

Until Later,
Dawn Craft

Cambria County
2012/2013 State Council Vice President of Operations

Ending of 4-H year ~ Beginning new

I am Stephanie McFall, from McKean County.

I can't believe that this 4-H year has come to an end. This 4-H year has been the best and I am very excited to see what the rest of my 4-H years will bring.

In McKean County, we had a meet and greet for the 100 year birthday. We did interviews with people. It was fun to learn how 4-H has changed over the years, and what hasn’t – friendship seems to be a common trend in 100 years of 4-H.  My county council club is in the midst of helping to plan our yearly Achievement Day dinner.

With State Council we had our T.O.W. weekend – I think we will have a great year together on State Council!  We learned quite a bit about each other.

On a personal note, I spent a day in Allentown, PA at the collegiate band festival, the bands performing were amazing!  I was excited to spend the day with fellow band members and friends.  Two of my friends that graduated last year were performing for their college.  My brother also drove up from Washington College and spent the day with our band group.

Last but not least, soccer is coming to an end for the season – it has been a great season and I look forward to many more.

Until next month, this is Stephanie McFall, McKean County, signing off J

Here We Go!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Cassidy Baker and I feel so honored and privileged to serve as your new 2012/2013 PA 4-H State Council President!  Throughout the year, my fellow council members and I will be keeping you updated as to what we are doing throughout the state.  Be sure to keep checking the blog regularly as each member will have something completely different to say.

Since this is the start of a new and exciting journey, I feel as though I should share several facts about my 4-H career in order for you to know me better…

I first joined 4-H when I was ten years old.  I started out as a member of the Wayne Buckaroos 4-H Equine Club in Lawrence County, PA.  Currently, I am the Club President.  I am also very involved with the Lawrence County 4-H Teen Council.  Since becoming a member over 7 years ago, I have actively engaged myself in the 4-H program beyond the county level.  For three years, I have attended the NW PA 4-H Intermediate Camp and now I am a camp counselor.  In addition, I participated in the PA 4-H State Leadership Conference, 4-H State Capital Days, and State Achievement Days.  Last but not least, I also was a member of the Pennsylvania Delegation for the 2010 National 4-H Congress and I also had the opportunity to attend the 2012 National 4-H Conference.

4-H is all about opportunities.  On August 9, 2012, eight eager and passionate 4-H members took advantage of a once in-a-lifetime opportunity as they were inducted in the PA 4-H State Council.  That day marked the start of a new era for us.  I knew that this year was going to be different.  I understood that it was going to be challenging at times but worth it in the end.  I must not have been the only one that felt that way because as a team, right there on that stage after everyone left; we came together into a huddle and expressed our excitement for our time ahead as a team.

That day we all parted, making our separate ways across the state, but knowing that we would be reunited soon.  Since the induction ceremony, the PA 4-H State Council has already made an appearance at Ag Progress Days and at the Penn State Extension/ 4-H Tailgate.  We also all came together for an amazing time at our Officer Training!  Keep looking out for your State Council as we make our way across Pennsylvania!

In finishing, I want to again express my excitement to serve on the State Council.  It has always been one of my ultimate goals and I can now say that I have achieved it.  I cannot wait for the opportunity to meet many of you at various events and functions – especially at the State Leadership Conference!  Maybe this year you will get to see a chocolate river or maybe even members dressed as Oompa Loompas (hint, hint)!

Until later,

Cassidy Baker

2012/2013 PA 4-H State Council President

“The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning”

Ivy Baker Priest

And The Winner Is...

 

                Lawrence County Teen Council’s Hunger Games Challenge retreat last weekend was a success! Nine different districts competed in a number of challenges and participated in workshops over the weekend, but only one participant could be the winner…

                September 21^st – 23^rd, my county’s Teen Council invited all of Pennsylvania 4-H and local non-members to participate in our second annual fall retreat. This year we used the theme, “Hunger Games Challenge,” and it was a great time! The districts (groups of five or six people) competed against each other in challenges such as fly-fishing and obstacle courses. Points were awarded to the districts in order of their placings in each challenge and the district with the most points at the end of the weekend had to go through the final challenge to find the winner. There was even a “would you rather” challenge, where one brave member of each district was blindfolded and offered two different food choices for either five or ten points. Their choices were things like a pig’s eye (grape) or tongue (apricot).

               I had a blast both planning and participating in the retreat! Although my district wasn’t the winning district, we all gained something. We were randomly placed into groups and immediately had to work as a team. We learned a lot about each other and various helpful skills in just a few short days. The workshops I got the most out of were the different ways to build fires and first aid skills.

                At the end of the weekend I had a few of the non-members ask me how to join 4-H! One of them is even going to join our Teen Council. I’m looking forward to seeing our new member at the next meeting! I was so proud to think that the weekend we planned had spurred that much interest in the 4-H program. Hopefully, we will keep opening up the retreat to non-members and keep 4-H growing.

                It was so great to see such an increase in interest in our retreat after just two years. Hopefully, next year we’ll have to move it to a location with more space for the participants! If you came this year, I hope to see you again next year! If you didn’t, look for the information in August next year! I’m sure you’ll make some wonderful memories.

   

DREAM

Dream
 

I began my adventure to breed and raise Dexter cattle on my eleventh birthday.  As a member of my county 4-H livestock club, I developed an interest in cattle.  I researched all of the possibilities after I received discouraging news from my mom who was convinced that we didn’t have enough room for a cow.  I soon discovered the Dexter breed!  They are a miniature version of a black angus and the best news of all, they are on the conservancy.  What’s the conservancy you might be asking?  Well, when a variety of a particular species of livestock is realized to be dwindling in numbers, they fall on the conservancy list.  My mom is always willing to help animals falling victim to this fate, so my quest for a Dexter now had a glimmer of hope.  I learned everything there was to know about them, but only had one problem.  I couldn’t find any that were available.  My glimmer of hope was fading fast. 

Unbeknownst to me, for my eleventh birthday, I was led on the scavenger hunt of a lifetime which ended in the barn.  I could hardly believe my eyes when I entered the stall housing the most beautiful, shiny, black heifer standing only as tall as my waist.  I knew right away the perfect name for the perfect little heifer, “Dream!”  We did everything together and formed a strong bond since I had to bottle feed her several times a day for quite some time, a task I was happy to do!  I walked her every day.  I’ll never forget the time my family was asked to bring some of our animals to a church.  They were holding an event for inner city children to share the story of Noah’s ark.  I couldn’t believe my eyes when we walked into the gym that was decorated with a huge cardboard replica of Noah’s ark.  We walked our animals:  sheep, goats, rabbits, miniature pigs, chickens, and of course Dream to the other side of the façade and waited for the children to arrive.  Needless to say, Dream was a huge success.  At one point, she laid down and allowed several young children to lie down with her.  It was just precious!  Imagine the taxi drivers faces as they watched us walk our animals down the city sidewalks!

Soon, Dream was old enough to be bred.  I struggled for the longest time to find a suitable bull.  Unsuccessful in my attempts, I turned to A.I. possibilities.  I ordered the samples for the North American Breeders Association after discovering a bull that had samples preserved there.  The tank came with the “necessary ingredients” and our vet arrived to complete the recipe. It failed.  In fact, it failed three times.  I was quite disgusted to say the least.  I felt defeated in my attempt to successfully breed my heifer.  Time was passing and Dream wasn’t getting any younger.  In fact, a number of people were suggesting that Dream was too old and wouldn’t be able to successfully have a baby. 

Fortunately for me, I met Gene Bowen, an avid breeder of Dexter cattle in Virginia.  He contacted us to share a very sad story.  He told us that Dream’s lines were dwindling because the farm she came from was eliminating their herd.  The owner had been in an accident and was forced to downsize.  Dream was one of the few remaining heifers.  In fact, people were so interested in her that we started getting calls from as far away as Colorado to offer to breed Dream.  I decided to take Mr. Bowen up on his offer to house Dream at his farm for a month so that she could be bred to one of his amazing bulls, a bull named Brenn.  To hear Mr. Bowen talk about Brenn was to hear a man boast about what he believes to be the greatest bull walking the face of the earth!  I missed Dream something terrible while she was away in Virginia, but I knew we had to try to keep her line going.

Every time we would receive an e-mail update from Virginia about Dream, it was as though we were receiving a present that we couldn’t wait to open.  Success!  She was finally bred.  Now all we had to do is wait for the baby to be born, and wait, and wait.  In fact, we waited nine, long months.  About a week before what we calculated Dream’s due date to be, I received an e-mail from Mr. Bowen reminding me that I really needed to start watching her because she was soon going to calve, like he really needed to remind me of that. 

Thursday, August 30, 2012, we noticed Dream was acting as though she was about to have her baby.  At 10:30 in the evening, my sister and I went to the barn to check on her.  Not expecting much, but our hopes were high as we entered the barn.  The baby was on his way as his hooves were sticking out!  I ran to the house to get my mom and my whole family raced to the barn.  Dream struggled for quite a while, but nothing was progressing.  Her age was working against her because she was obviously not going to be able to pass the baby without some intervention.  In fact, at one point Dream even looked at us as if she was begging us to help.  So, help we did.  My mom and I put on the gloves and went into her stall.  As Dream would push, my mom and I would pull.  We were so nervous at this point and were only hoping to at least save Dream.  After about 15 minutes of very scary struggling, the head was finally out and within a few seconds so was the rest of the baby!  The best part of all, he was alive and well! 

We laid in the stall with Dream and her baby rubbing her to make sure she was ok.  At one point, she even looked at my mom and licked my mom right across her forehead.  I guess that was Dream’s way of saying thank you.  We checked on Dream and “Little Man” around 3:00 am and found mom and son curled up together resting peacefully.  I now have the start of my own little herd.  Oh, forgot to mention one other thing.  While Dream was staying at Mr. Bowen’s in Virginia, a little bull calf named Macbeth fell in love with her.  So when we brought Dream home, Mac had to come too.  So we currently have a healthy family of three Dexter’s on our little farm, and mom said we didn’t have room for one cow.  My Dream come true!  Oh the adventures we have because of our involement in 4-H.

An end with new beginnings

The end is approaching for my council term. People that I have met through this opportunity will be greatly missed. No matter how much I will miss the people and the events that I will no longer be helping with, I know new 4H members will have their opportunity to experience the thrill of being a State council member. State Days will be exciting week, with the Kentucky state officers coming to hang out with.
This was an awesome 4H year I will miss it.

Farewell and good luck!

This is it. The end of my long journey of a 4-H member is coming to a close shortly. Next week will be the last event I will do as a state council member. This weekend is my last 4-H horse show, unless I make it to my districts. It has been an amazing experience and I cannot imagine how my life could have been without the program. It has given me so many opportunities and I have learned so much from being a part of this wonderful program. It took me a while to think about what I was going to put as my last blog, I had some trouble getting it started because I knew this would be the very last one…

Right now what I am focusing on is my Horse show this Saturday. I am hoping to fulfill my goal that I set out in the beginning of the year. I have been working very hard with my mare throughout the year and cannot wait to see how all that hard work pays off. It is my last year as a 4-H member and I cannot believe that it has gone by so fast. It has been one of the best years of my life and I am so grateful that I made the choice of applying for State Council.

I have met so many people through this great opportunity and created yet another family. It will be hard for me to adjust back to not traveling around the state as much and not having a 4-H event to go to almost every weekend. I will miss my council family dearly, because now that our term is almost over we won’t be going to as many events together so we won’t be seeing each other as much. I will miss all of you, but I will try to keep in touch! Olive you all!

To the new council, remember that everyone counts. No one person is better than the other because they got a higher position. You all have to work together and become the best team you can be. Also remember that communication is key! There is nothing wrong with asking a question to be sure, so that no one is confused or is left without knowing something. There will be times that you won’t want to continue with State Council, but make sure you talk it out with your advisors and council because you may just be really stressed and not thinking clearly. There will be times where you cannot get along well with another member, but it passes when you have things you need to get done and you get over it.

You will create many memories you’ll take with you after, several inside jokes, and will have many late night conversations at events. You will lose sleep, but it will be worth it in the end, trust me! You might even be able to sleep in when you get back home after an event, depending on how busy the next day is for you. Just remember to be there for one another, and be the best you can be! The 4-H program needs you at your best when you are representing it, and together you can help each other out to be just that.

I wish the new council good luck on their year and if you ever need anything don’t be afraid to ask one of us for help.

Danielle Knapp

Pennsylvania State Council 2011/2012 Reporter

Change is good

This year for Clearfield County's 4-H Horse roundup, our county decided to do something different. Instead of having our show at our traditional spot in Clearfield County, we decided to partner up with Centre County and have both of our shows together, at one location, in the same rings, and on the same day. This was definitely a first for both counties but had one awesome spot to have the show, at the Grange Fairgrounds.

For me, this was a unique opportunity because this was the year I decided to show my hunter/jumper horse Mac. Luck-fully my horse had been there before but this would be my first time jumping him at a 4-H horse show! I was definitely excited but a little nervous. It made me feel a lot better that we were at the Grange Fairgrounds though because their ring had a lot of space and great footing so I knew that he wouldn't slip or not be able to make his turns. The time came for my class and my excitement and nerves just went straight to all nervous. Thank goodness my trainer was there to straighten me out and calm my nerves. I went in the class as confident as I could and performed at my very best! I came out and was happy with my jumping and hopeful that I had scored high enough to move onto the district level. Not only did I score high enough but I also received first place! I was so proud of not only my horse, but also myself for going in and forgetting about my nerves.

Looking back, I now realize this was my first and last year to show on that fairground for my 4-H County roundup because next year I will be too old to be in 4-H. It's amazing that I've been in 4-H since I was 8 and have shown every single year but it's sad knowing that this is my last year. I am going to miss being in 4-H and showing my horse but I will never forget what it has done for me. It has made me a better leader by being an officer, a better person by learning to give to others and help the needy, and a better rider because I learned to never give up and to always try my best. Sometimes change needs to happen in order to realize how far you have came in something and to be proud of it.

Sincerely,

Liz McAndrew

PA State 4-H Council Vice President of Operations and Events

The end is near

“Beginnings are usually scary and endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts. You have to remember this when you find yourself at the beginning.” Starting the council journey just under a year ago I would have never thought of all the wonderful opportunities I would encounter, the contacts I would make or the family I would create as a member. All of these things came true as my experiences were gained. I can honestly say this year has been the best year of my entire life.

Standing on the stage of the Eisenhower auditorium being inducted was where my mind was made up that I would do anything I had to do as a member of the council team to make it a great year. The first task as a council member was Ag Progress Days. Here I had a blast creating seedling necklaces with the youth that attended. The event was a highlight on my council path since it was the first chance I could wear that green polo.

Meeting Governor Corbett and the first lady, Secretary Greig, and all of the amazing 4-Hers in our state have also been highlights. Life’s not the breath you take but the moments that take your breath away. My breath was taken away as I slipped on the green jacket and headed to the Governor’s mansion for breakfast. Having the opportunity to even shake hands with him let alone sit at the same breakfast table was a  chance of a lifetime. 

Being on council is a big task for an entire year. There are requirements that must be filled but as those are filled you have more opportunities to go places with that green jacket. As a council member you learn a ton about yourself, the 4-H program, and leadership qualities. This is a shout out to all 4-H members that think they would be a good candidate to be on council to apply. It is a chance you do not want to miss!

Its not going to get easier, no time can be stopped, and I definitely can’t look back. All the miles I traveled was for one purpose, promote Pennsylvania 4-H. I thank everyone that invited me to attend their promotion, the energetic 4-Hers that I could interact with and of course my council team. It has been a fantastic year that I will never forget. There comes a time and a place to say goodbye and this would be it.

As a final blog post I will put on my seatbelt and head off to the next chapter of my life. With something to think about,

Ashley Mohn

PA 4-H State Council Secretary

“Line by line, page by page, you write the chapters of your life... Tomorrow is the beginning of a new chapter--a new scene in your life--with the hope of a good ending. Make every keystroke count.”

Title: Forget rain, sleet, and snow, It's off to Camp Brule we go!

Blog:

Last week on Sunday June 24th the councilors arrived at Camp Brule to do the final preparations for the Central Susquehanna Region 4-H Camp. I was so excited for another year of camp. This year was my 3rd year as a counselor and I had the honor of being Key Councilor. Most regions also know this role as Junior Camp Director. There was a total of 3 Key Councilors and I enjoyed working with them.

Enough about me, I'm glad to say that the campers had a lot of fun this year. Our theme was Natural Disasters, so the teams were based off of that. We had a total of six teams; Twisted Winds, Avalanche, Sinkholes, Tsunami, Mudslide, and Wild Fires. The councilors made team flags, and I have to say they turned out pretty awesome. At our camp fire every team had to do a song and a skit. I was excited that every team incorporated their team name into the song.

In the afternoons we had each team do a make and take craft with the campers. There were wind chimes, rain sticks, glow in the dark insects, and other awesome crafts! The campers enjoyed making these crafts that they could take home. After their make and take session the kids had 2 hours of free time to do activities like boating, swimming, fishing, and leather craft.

I could write on and on about what the campers did and how they had so much fun. However, I can't express just how much fun they had. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Until next time,

Sarah Bassett, President

Unique tastes at Fair

Everyone has a favorite food that they love to get when they attend a fair. My favorite is the chocolate milkshake. There is one activity that if someone participates in at the Troy Fair they need to have some unique tastes, or maybe just the stomach to hold the.... interesting foods the Bradford County Council provide. During 4-H day which is the Friday of the fair we hold several fun activities throughout the day to promote 4-H and get kids involved in the fun. Some of the other activities we hold are bale tossing, obstacle course, relay races, and scavenger hunts. The one I want to tell you a little more about is our Food Fear Factor activity.  

Picture the show Fear Factor, where they get the contestants to do all sorts of different things to see if they are able to get through it. Well our Fear Factor is a little less extreme. What we do with our contestants is make them eat gross sounding, smelling, or looking foods. County Council compiles a list of foods that we don't like. Then our 4-H educator and one County Council member makes a run for the food store to pick out the food. I went last year and we located things on the list such as horse radish, sardines, onions, which are foods that some people love to eat but my County Council found gross. The worst two items we got for this activity was Limburger Cheese and Pigs feet. YUCK! I give props to the ones that are able to stomach those two, I know I about loose mine when I just think about them. We get a few easier things too, such as spinach. So that the contestants can have a little bit of a break in between the rounds. I know I would probably loose on the very first round!

We set up a table and separate the foods by rounds, so however many people there are we set out plates for them.  We give them about 4 minutes to eat everything set on the plate. Whoever cannot finish looses the round and the rest move on. We keep going until there is only one person left that was able to eat whatever was put on the plate. We give them a prize at the end, which consists of a awesome 4-H item and a free milkshake so they get something worth their efforts. It is amazing to see the determination of the kids that participate in the different activities.

We will probably do the same again this year during our 4-H day, but we might decide to do something else completely. I am looking forward to see what other activities my county council will plan for the kids. 

Hope everyone has a great fair and good luck on anything you do during your fair!

Sincerely, 

Danielle Knapp

Reporter

Life is good :)

Summer is finally here a full capacity. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I am outside studying for the national forestry competition. My life consists of nothing but studying trees, insects, and diseases. All is swell though, I enjoy doing what I do. I can't wait until July 22-26.
The National Forestry competition held in Jackson's mill, WV is a five day competition filled with grueling obstacles, foreign information, and kids from all across the US. I will have to compete with my team from Pa to: pace an area of land, identify trees, identify insects, identify diseases, and to evaluate someone's property. Wish me luck as I take this trek.

Sincerely your council Sentinel and VP of internal affairs
Garrett Richardson