Macomb County 4-H News

Tie Fleece Blankets with your 4-H Youth Council

The next Macomb County 4-H Youth Council meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 8th at Camp Rotary, 20505 29 Mile Road, Ray Township. The Council will give a short update followed by a community service project. Everyone is welcome to help make fleece tie blankets that will be donated to local animal shelters. No sewing skills are required. Come get involved with the 4-H Youth Council and support a good cause!

Macomb County Welcomes New Club

Please join us in welcoming the Rimrock Rebels 4-H Club to our community! The Rimrock Rebels 4-H Club is led by 4-H volunteer, Chris Ruemenapp, and will explore sheep, goats, beef, swine, llamas, rabbits, poultry, and dairy project areas. 

Save the Dates for Upcoming Outdoor Ed. & Rec. Program Committee Meetings

The Macomb County 4-H Outdoor Education & Recreation (OER) Program Committee will meet the second Monday of the month at the Grange Hall at the Armada Fairgrounds from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. Add these dates to your calendar - January 12, February 9, March 9, and April 13 - and join the committee to help plan our upcoming OER Exploration Day.

Want to know what happened at previous meetings? Meeting minutes are posted online at: http://www.macombcountymi.gov/msuextension/Macomb_County_4-H_OER_Program_Committee.htm.

For more information, please contact Marinda Ochs, 4-H Program Coordinator, at                                586-783-8163 or ochsmari@anr.msu.edu.  

Macomb County is a Top County for TSC's Fall Paper Clover Sales

The Fall 2014 Tractor Supply 4-H Paper Clover Fundraiser results are in! A grand total of $763,283 was raised for 4-H nationally from Oct. 8-19, 2014. Michigan ranked sixth in the nation raising a total of $40,420 to support 4-H! Of the total, $26,273.30 will be distributed to counties, $2,021.02 for state 4-H support and $12,126.14 to National 4-H Council for underwriting the campaign.

The top five Michigan TSC stores were Sturgis (St. Joseph County), Sault St. Marie (Chippewa County), Howell (Livingston County), Cadillac (Wexford County), and Gaylord (Otsego County). The top five Michigan counties were Genesee County, St. Joseph County, Lapeer County, Macomb County, and Chippewa County.

 Congratulations and thank you for your hard work and support!

4-H Day at the Breslin With the Lady Spartans

Join other 4-H youth, 4-H volunteers, 4-H families, and MSU Extension staff members and their families on Sunday, January 18, 2015, at the tenth, annual celebration of Michigan 4-H Youth Development at the Spartan women's basketball game. This year, the Lady Spartans will host the Iowa Hawkeyes. As usual, the game will be held at the Breslin Student Events Center on MSU's campus. Gate D will open for 4-H and MSU Extension guests at 12:30 pm, while the game begins at 2 pm.

This year's theme for the 4-H Day at the Breslin With the Lady Spartans is "Join the Club!"  

Other extras at the game include:

•  Joining fellow 4-H'ers in saying the 4-H pledge.
•  Exploring the wide range of 4-H programming with games and activities on the concourse. These activities range from educational displays about science and robotics to a full-size, spin-the-wheel game about the life skills youth learn in 4-H.
•  Getting your picture taken with Sparty.

Transportation may be coordinated through your county Extension office. Contact them for details. Parking is free for school buses; all other buses are $20, while the cost for cars is $5. Be sure to show your MSU Extension and 4-H pride by wearing your green and white 4-H or MSU Extension apparel.

At last year's 4-H Day at the Breslin, 4-H and Extension fans helped swell the crowd to more than 6,400. This proved to be one of the Lady Spartan's largest crowds of the season. One 4-H volunteer, whose club members eagerly anticipate this event, says, "This is a terrific, low-cost opportunity for my 4-H club to bond, while seeing a highly ranked team play in a first-class setting."

Gail Hebert, who helps coordinate 4-H Day at the Breslin, says the event ". . . is a great way to celebrate 4-H and offer fans an inside look at all the wonderful things it stands for. Watching a nationally recognized sports team is icing on the cake."

For more information, contact Dequindre Bell at 586-469-5979 or belldequ@anr.msu.edu.

4-H Winterfest, which will be held January 31 to February 1 at Kettunen Center, is a hands-on educational program at which younger 4-H'ers spend two days in hands-on learning about many different project areas (ranging from crafts to shooting sports) while meeting youth from around the state. This event offers youth an opportunity to experience Kettunen Center in an overnight camp setting, learn new skills, make new friends and spend time outdoors! More information about this event will be available soon on the Michigan 4-H web site.

Check Out the Green & White Swine Youth Education Fair & Open Hog Show 

This event will be held January 30-31 at the MSU Pavilion. All Michigan youth who have reached