MI 4-H Animal Science

Skill-a-thon

Save the Date!

Qualifiers March 4 or 11, 2023 via Zoom Test your knowledge and comprehension of animal science and livestock management in 10 different Market Livestock Categories. Poultry Swine Rabbits/Cavies Dairy Dogs Beef Sheep Horses Goats General Knowledge Contestants scoring above the minimum percentile in their respective division will be notified via email within two days of the qualifier contest that they have advanced to the State Championship on March 18, 2023.

Age divisions:

Novice (8-11 years)

Junior (12-14 years)

Senior (15-19 years)

Adult (20+)

Youth competitors must be 8, but not yet 20, before January 1, 2023. Those who are 20 years and older are eligible to compete in the Adult Division.

Registration details coming soon!

MI 4-H Horse Show Judges and Volunteers Conference

Michigan 4-H Horse Judges and Show Volunteers Conference is an annual event hosted by the Department of Animal Science and the MI 4-H Horse Judges Advisory Committee and open to all Judges, Horse Show Mangers, and adult Volunteers. The registration fee is $80 and includes lunch on Saturday as well as program materials. Please visit this link for the conference agenda: https://www.canr.msu.edu/horses_ponies/uploads/2023%20MI%20Horse%20Judges%20Conference.pdf 

Register by January 6, 2023, to avoid the late registration fee (additional $15). Click on the button below for online payment and registration.  Here is the link to the event on the MSU Extension Events Calendar: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/michigan-4-h-horse-judges-and-show-volunteers-conference

Event info can also be found on our 4-H Horses & Ponies page: https://www.canr.msu.edu/horses_ponies/registration-information

4-H Day at the Breslin

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE! You’re ALL invited to attend the seventeenth annual celebration of MSU Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development at the Spartan Women’s basketball game, Sunday, February 12, 2023.

Ticket Price: FREE for the Michigan 4-H community including MSU Extension and 4-H youth, volunteers, partners, stakeholders, staff, alumni and their families! For ordering information, visit http://www.canr.msu.edu/events/4-hday-at-the-breslin. For additional information, contact your Laura Potter-Niesen at potterla@msu.edu

https://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?eventID=A10AA911F2B34C51B1EBD2F04F224C27B69A1CD5A4A4DCD3C9BC54E11CC3F314

Open Officer Positions 

Saginaw 4-H Council

The Saginaw 4-H Council has open Officer Positions!

Now is an exciting time for 4-H youth and volunteers to get involved and share their passion and expertise by becoming an officer and/or by attending meetings! Use your skills to help with fundraising and scholarships, youth recognition, planning youth camps, clinics, leadership events and more!

Open Officer Positions

Nominations are open for council officer positions of Secretary and Communications.

Youth Can Be Officers!

4-H youth can be and are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to sign up for officer positions and attend meetings. Youth participation in a 4-H council is a great way to learn leadership skills guided by adult mentors, make connections and friendships, and even build your portfolio!

Interested in learning more or would like to consider becoming an officer? Attend the upcoming November 10 council meeting or contact the Saginaw 4-H office at 989-907-6500 or email gathstac@msu.edu.

Learn more about 4-H councils at https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/michigan_4_h_advisory_council_responsibilities_best_practices_requirements

MI 4-H Livestock Workshop

Save the Date for the Michigan 4-H Livestock Workshop!



This event will be on Saturday, March 4th at MSU's Anthony Hall. The statewide livestock and goat programming committees are hard at work planning an awesome educational opportunity for 4-H teens in beef, sheep, swine, and goat projects. Registration information and a detailed schedule will be available in early 2023. Mark your calendars!

4-H Exploration Days 2023

Save the Date!

SCHOLARSHIPS are available from the Saginaw 4-H Council for Saginaw 4-H members!

Join 1,000 youth from across Michigan on MSU’s campus to explore YOUR future! Live like a college student and learn about future careers at 4-H Exploration Days. This three-day pre-college program is designed to help you explore careers, build skills and envision your future. Choose from more than 100 fun learning sessions on a variety of topics that are led by MSU faculty, 4-H staff and volunteers, and other experts! You’ll stay in and eat at MSU residence halls, attend sessions in buildings throughout campus, and of course have fun at free-time activities across the university.

Learn more at https://www.canr.msu.edu/4_h_exploration_days/



MI 4-H Equine Events

Michigan 4-H equine programs are gearing up for a busy year! If you are an equine enthusiast, be sure to mark your calendar for these dates and look for additional information in the weeks and months ahead. 

•February 3-4:

Horse Judging Workshop and Practice Contest

•March 18:

Michigan 4-H Hippology Contest

•April 15:

Hairy Horse Show

•April 16:

Michigan 4-H/FFA Horse Judging Contest

•August 18-20:

State 4-H Horse Show

For more information on events, www.canr.msu.edu/horses_ponies/registrationinformation. 

4-H Fishing Kits Now Available! 

Fishing Kits Available!



Fishing kits are now available for 4-H clubs and other youth groups to check out from the Saginaw 4-H office. Kits include all the supplies needed for knot tying and making your own fishing tackle. This is a great one-time project or use the kit for multiple lessons! This project would also make a great still exhibit entry at the Saginaw County Fair.

Need help teaching from the kit? Contact the Saginaw 4-H office for assistance. Trained instructors are available to help you get started with the kit. Thank you to the Saginaw 4-H Council for their generous support to make these kits available. Contact gathstac@msu.edu to reserve your kit today! 

2023 National 4-H Shooting Sports Quiz Bowl

The 2023 National 4-H Shooting Sports Quiz Bowl is scheduled to be held January 16-20, 2023. This event continues to be a fun and exciting way for 4‐H Youth to demonstrate their shooting sports knowledge with peers from across the nation. Participants comprehension of general shooting sports knowledge across all disciplines is truly remarkable. 4-H Members and volunteers should watch email for further details.

2023 Quiz Bowl Registration should open around January 1. Study materials are posted on the National 4-H Shooting Sports website at: https://4-hshootingsports.org/quiz-bowl-study-materials/



In 2022, 144 youth from 33 states participated in the National 4-H Shooting Sports Quiz Bowl. Results from 2022 can be found at: https://national4hshootingsports.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/2022-quiz-bowl-results.pdf

Saginaw 4-H Council

January 10: Saginaw 4-H Council Meeting 7:00pm

Saginaw 4-H Council:

You are invited! The next Saginaw 4-H Council Meeting on Tuesday, January 10th at the Saginaw 4-H office located at 723 Emerson St. Saginaw MI 48607.

The Saginaw 4-H Council meetings are open to all 4-H youth, volunteers, and families are welcome to attend! Please consider attending these monthly meetings to help plan and offer events and learning opportunities for youth in Saginaw county. Help is needed! Use your skills to help with fundraising and scholarships, youth recognition, planning youth camps, clinics, leadership events and more!

Nominations are being accepted for Secretary and Communications officers. 

Youth Can Be Officers!

4-H youth can be and are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to sign up for officer positions and attend meetings. Youth participation in a 4-H council is a great way to learn leadership skills guided by adult mentors, make connections and friendships, and even build your portfolio!

Saginaw 4-H Horse Council

January 16: Saginaw 4-H Horse Council Meeting at 7:00pm (Hybrid-Zoom and In-person)

Saginaw 4-H Horse Council:

You are invited! Join us for the next Saginaw 4-H Horse Council meeting on January 16th at the Saginaw County Fairground in Chesaning.  

Meeting information will be sent out to Club Admin leaders and through 4-H Online.  All are welcome and youth are encouraged to attend.  If you are interested contact gathstac@msu.edu for more information.

Adulting 101

MSU Extension's Adulting 101 program will be starting up again in January. Our FREE monthly series will begin on January 31 at 5:00 pm ET with International Conversation. Join us for an engaging cultural conversation live and learn about another county. Gain new knowledge and ask questions that interest you with an international guest.

Sign up here for this class and many more here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/adulting101w23

4-H In the Kitchen: Isekai Edition

A grand journey awaits you! Whether you will set out in a giant mech suit, atop a mystical kitsune, or with a band of misfits that are the best friends you’ve ever had, you’re going to need food along the way. Mason County 4-H is proud to announce their 4-H in the Kitchen: Isekai Edition where we will explore the world of Japanese Anime and Manga. Isekai is a sub-genre of anime in which a central character is taken from their world and transported to a strange new one, such as Alice going to Wonderland. In this workshop, participants will get the chance to learn how to prepare a pair of dishes from two popular anime franchises, Ranma ½ and Fairy Tail. While preparing the dishes, participants will get to learn about Japanese culture and find out about many exciting opportunities coming up in the Michigan 4-H Youth Exchange Program.

We will be hosting four sessions in total. On January 16^th and 18^th, participants will get to learn how to make Fairy Tail’s Sabo Noodles and on January s Sabo Noodles and on January 23^rd and 25^th, participants will get to learn how to make Okonomiyaki from Ranma ½, a savory pancake that is quite popular in Japan. All sessions will take place from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

https://events.anr.msu.edu/IsekaiEdition/

Wild Spartans

Join 4-H staff as we take a look into life working with fisheries and wildlife! This month’s 4-H Wild Spartans Series will soar the skies and explore waters and woods along the edge of Lake Superior in search of the many species that call them home. Turtles, and deer, and geese, oh my!

Join us on Tuesday, January 10th at 6:30pm EST for “Working Towards A Career As A Wildlife Biologist” You will meet Erin Johnston, Wildlife Biologist- Wildlife & Habitat Section Lead, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Natural Resources Department. We will talk to a biologist about researching, managing, and protecting species with cultural significance. You will learn about her field work, and the education and career path she followed to get there. Youth will be encouraged to ask questions to learn more through a live Q&A. This free series is open to 4-H and non-4-H youth ages 12-19 years. Monthly sessions will be held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm EST.

Pre-registration is required:  https://events.anr.msu.edu/wildspartans2023/

4-H Future Squad

The future is yours! Are you ready for it? Join the 4-H Future Squad club, a virtual club that allows you to learn about topics you want to learn about!

This virtual based 4-H club is open for registration for any 12-19 years olds who want to gain skills to rock their future. Club starts in October and runs through May 2023.



For more information and to complete the Interest Form, check out: https://www.canr.msu.edu/4-h-future-squad

Adulting 101 - International Conversations

Are you ready to leave for college or be out on your own? Are you prepared to do adult tasks and have skills to be successful? Michigan State University Extension's Adulting 101 programs help teenagers and young adults demystify the obscure reality of being an “adult” through engaging educational sessions. Each FREE monthly session is packed full of important life skills and tools necessary to live independently.

International Conversations - Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. ET

Join us for an engaging cultural conversation live and learn about another country. Gain new knowledge and ask questions that interest you with an international guest.

Register at Adulting 101- International Conversations - 4-H Adulting 101

A zoom link will be provided one week prior to the session.

Cash Composition Contest

The Cash Composition Contest is back again this year!

Ages 9-12!

Get started now on writing a short essay on needs and wants to have a chance to win a $100 gift card thanks to the generous sponsorship of Extra Credit Union.

Contest details can be found here:

Cash Composition Contest - 4-H Smart Money Contests

Shooting Sports Instructor Certification Workshop

SAVE THE DATE!

Location: Paw Paw Conservation Club (with online pre-work)

Shooting Sports Instructor Certification Workshop (Level 1) - Hunting & Wildlife

Gold volunteers age 21+ who successfully complete this workshop and all other requirements will receive the certification necessary to become a Michigan 4-H Shooting Sports instructor.

Teen Leaders age 14+ (by January 1, 2023) are also encouraged to take this workshop.



• ONE-DAY workshop format! Hands-on training will be delivered in a single day.
• Offering certification in the Hunting & Wildlife discipline.  
• Program features online video modules that must be completed one-week prior to the event.
• (Modules may be available for viewing at county offices. Contact your county 4-H staff for details.) Pre-work leads to a shorter in-person training workshop! Modules may be watched prior to registration and includes:
• Introduction to Michigan 4-H
• Working with Youth
• 4-H Shooting Sports: Introduction
• Risk Management (available here)
• Flyer available at the registration link. 

Learn more and register at www.canr.msu.edu/events/4-h-shooting-sports-instructor-certification-workshop-pawpaw

State 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Show

Save the Date!

The State 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Show is being once again held at the MSU Pavilion at the end of January. Volunteers and staff are busy organizing the state show. Save the date! 

4-H Animal Science Career Quest

REGISTRAITION IS OPEN!

Are you interested in a career working with animals? Join us for 4-H Animal Science Career Quest to learn more about career paths in animal science and veterinary medicine, as well as the MSU programs that can get you there! This program is a joint effort between Michigan 4-H, the MSU Department of Animal Science, and the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, and its focus is introducing youth to the wide variety of career options available to them within these fields. This event will be on February 18^th and 19^th on MSU’s main campus in East Lansing. It is open to youth ages 12-19 and 4-H volunteers, and participants can choose to attend one or both days.

Space is limited, so don’t delay! Register now: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/animal-science-career-quest

MI 4-H State Goat Show

The 2023 Michigan 4-H State Goat Show will be held on Saturday, June 17th at the MSU Pavilion South Barn. We are excited for this show to make its return for the first time since 2019!

More information will be available in the spring. Mark your calendars - you will not want to miss it!

MI 4-H Dairy Conference

Save the date! The Michigan Dairy Conference is back in 2023.

March 3-5 2023 at the Ralph A. Macmullan Conference Center in Roscommon.

Registration information opens in early 2023.

4-H Beef Series

Registration for the Beef Series is now OPEN! 

In-Person and Virtual participation options!

This interactive and educational series will provide information, tips, and strategies for beef projects and feature guest speakers from industry professionals!

There will be door prizes and opportunities to ask questions regarding your project.

Youth may register for as many of the 4 sessions as they would like. 

Dates: Nov 20 2022 – February 19 2023



Participants must be enrolled in 4-H to attend! If youth are enrolled in non-4-H clubs, there is a SPIN Club option for them in 4-H Online. That option is called SPIN Club Beef Series. Youth must select Kent County in the drop-down menu to enroll if enrolling from another county other than Kent.  

Youth may enroll by contacting their local 4-H Extension Office or at the link below! 

https://events.anr.msu.edu/beefseriesphase1/  

Citizen WA Focus

Learning about our nation’s history empowers today’s youth to forge a brighter future. What better place to do that than Washington, DC! Teens, ages 14-19, are invited to join the Michigan 4-H delegation from June 24^th to 30^th, 2023 for the week-long trip. Experience Washington, DC like never before or ever again. With a tour guide providing background information for many monuments and programs that teach life skills such as civil discourse and critical thinking, youth will be able to use their voice and expand their horizons. Cost is $2000 and 7 meals enroute.

One 2022 delegate put it this way, “CWF was absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I experienced new places and learned about their importance to our nation’s history. I met 4-Hers from all around the country, discovered differences and similarities between our 4-H experiences, and strengthened my resolve to use my voice to help others.” Here is the National 4-H Website for more information, https://4-h.org/parents/citizenship-washington-focus/ 

To sign up, contact your Saginaw county MSU Extension 4-H Program Coordinator at gathstac@msu.edu or Liana Pepin at deisenro@msu.edu.

Summer 2023 Outward Bound Programs

We are accepting applications for the Summer 2023 Outbound Programs! Explore a new country and culture via an immersive international exchange experience. Michigan 4-H has been in a partnership with States’ 4-H International Exchange Programs for many years. States' 4-H Summer Outbound programs provide American 4-H youth with the opportunity to travel to foreign countries for a month-long cultural immersion experience. Delegates live with volunteer host families and engage in experiential learning about a new way of life. Delegates experience aspects of daily life that allow them to understand both their host culture and their own culture more deeply. Our network of like-minded international partners recruits host families and plan enrichment activities. 

Enrich your 4-H experience and apply today to travel abroad summer 2023! Visit https://www.states4hexchange.org/ to learn more.

Online Application: All delegates and chaperones will need to resubmit a new 2023 online application form. This will help unify and standardize our participant records.

2023 Online Application Link: https://smr.to/p84038

DEADLINE: Michigan deadline is January 1, 2023, to allow time for reference and interview collection. 

Details:

We are planning to offer the Japan 8, Japan 4, Costa Rica, and South Korea programs for Summer 2023.

Have questions or need more information? Contact Jan Brinn at brinn@msu.edu

Resolve to have a great 4-H year

Resolve that:

1.Club meetings will start and end on time.

2.Business meetings will follow Robert's Rules of Order and that all club paperwork, such as minutes, club inventory and financial statements, will be completed in a timely manner.

3.All members will take part in discussions and have a say in decisions that are made. Keep a chart with each members’ name and when they speak at business meetings.

4.The club meeting place will be a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for all club members.

5.Fun will be included in each meeting.

6.A learning activity will be included in each club meeting. Ideas include exploring a new 4-H curriculum, having members volunteer to do a demonstration, doing a show and tell about each members' favorite project, or bringing in a guest speaker.

7.The club will pursue at least one community service project chosen, planned and celebrated by the club.

8.New members will have a buddy they may talk with about any 4-H questions.

9.The 4-H pledge will be said at every meeting.



10.Every club member will be recognized in some way to let them know they are cared about.

Authored by Christine Heverly, MSU Extension.

Adapted from an article originally published by Sandy Risedorph.

As we start to think ahead to the New Year, how can 4-H clubs resolve to improve in the year

ahead? Here are ten suggestions to make the upcoming year a successful one.