58th Annual Youth Range Workshop - June24-29, 2012

The purpose of the Youth Range Workshop is to recognize outstanding youth, develop leadership skills, and provide advanced training to 4-H and FFA youth interested in practical range ecology, ranch and natural resource management. A goal of the workshop is that youth participants will return to their local communities and serve as leaders to educate youth and other audiences about the value and management of the rangeland resource. The workshop will be conducted at the Texas Tech University - Junction, in Junction, Texas. A total of 40 youth will be accepted to the 2012 Workshop.

Participants are exposed to actual land management practices and decisions through field trips to Menard and Mason County ranches and the Kerr Wildlife Management Area. The field trips bring out facts on decision-making, goals of land ownership and the responses of vegetation to practices conducted for livestock, wildlife and range restoration. Time spent at the local ranches helps the participants get a glimpse of real management directed at having livestock and wildlife enterprises.

If you are interested in participating in the Youth Range Workshop, please contact the Extension office for a recommendation, as class size is limited. More information about the Youth Range Workshop is available on the web. The announcement, brochure and application can be found at www.rangelands.org/texas/youtheducation.htm

2012 Texas 4-H Horse Validation Program Update

Beginning with this year's Horse Validation Program the process will now be all electronically completed using the 4-H CONNECT online management system. ALL 4-H members who wish to show in a District or the State 4-H Horse Show(s) or to be stalled in the Comal County 4-H Horse Barn will be required to validate their horse(s) on the 4-H CONNECT system.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR VALIDATION PROCESS, YOU MUST:

- Have a family and youth member profile established on 4-H Connect.

- Be an active/paid youth member of Texas 4-H for the 2011-2012 4-H year.

- Have digital photos of your horse(s) from the front, left side, and right side. These photos must be accessible for upload during the validation process. (see details below)

- For registered horses, you need to have a pdf copy of your horse(s) registration papers for upload (if you don't have a pdf of your registration papers, Janet can help you with that!).

IMPORTANT: Horse Validation is completed for EACH HORSE and will cover all 4-H youth members in that family profile. However, when validating your horses on 4-H CONNECT, you will select ONLY ONE 4-H youth member to conduct the validation under. Once a horse is validated, validation paid, and you begin registering for the District Horse Show, the validated horse(s) can be moved to the appropriate 4-H member(s) who will be exhibiting that horse in the show.

OTHER FACTS ABOUT THE HORSE VALIDATION PROCESS FOR 2012:
- Validation will be open from April 1 to May 1, 2012. Any horse validated before or after this date will not be accepted as a legitimate validated animal.
- An illustrated step-by-step instruction guide for families is available for download and reference from both the Texas 4-H website and the Texas AgriLife Extension Animal Science - Horse Section website.
- Validation cost for each horse will be $10. Each 4-H family validating a horse(s) will need to print an invoice for each horse and provide the invoice(s) and check to the county Extension office. The county Extension office will deposit these funds and cut one check for all validations.
- There is no limit to the number of horses that can be validated in the process.
- Ownership requirements are the same - The horse must be owned solely by the 4-H
member, his/her parents (biological or stepparents), brother, sister, grandparents, or legal guardian. Horses under lease to, but not owned by any of the named persons, do not qualify. Horses owned in partnership or jointly with any person other than those previously listed do not meet ownership requirements.- In the past there was a Grade Horse worksheet that included the need for sketching markings and colors of horses. That form is no longer required, however, it is a requirement for ALL horses that photos of the front, left side, and right side are uploaded during the validation process. The entire horse MUST be in the photographs. Photos should be as close as possible and markings should be clearly visible. The photo should be in jpg or gif format.
- A pdf or jpg of the registration papers will be uploaded for registered horses. If you are not able to scan papers, contact Janet and she can help you.


BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW SYSTEM, IT IS STRONGLY ADVISED THAT YOU DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE IN CASE OF ANY COMPUTER, PHOTO, UPLOAD ISSUES!

Major Show Steer Tag Orders Due for 2013 Shows

It is time to order steer validation tags for the 2013 Major Livestock Shows.  If you are planning to show a market steer at the 2012 State Fair or 2013 Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Austin or San Angelo shows you must order validation tags.  The cost is $10.00 per tag and the deadline for ordering is April 17, 2012 to the Extension office.  The date for the actual validation will be in June.  When ordering tags, make checks payable to the Bastrop 4-H Validation Fund.

State Fair of Texas Lamb, Goat and Swine Validation

If you plan to show at the 2012 State Fair of Texas in Dallas, time is fast approaching to make decisions on how many ear tags you will need to order for the 2012 State Fair of Texas Lamb, Goat and Swine Validation Programs.  Tag orders are due to the Extension office by April 13th.  Tag cost is $10 each, with checks made out to the Animal Validation Account.   Hog, Lamb and Goat Validation for the State Fair will be held in late June.

Bastrop Area Livestock Show Thank You Letters Due

Each Bastrop Area Livestock Show exhibitor must submit a thank you letter to each buyer within a buyers group and turn in the original letters to his/her Ag. Science Instructor or County Extension Agent by April 16, 2012 along with an addressed, stamped envelope to each buyer.  Thank you notes to buyers must be turned in by this date, or a fine of fifty dollars ($50) will be deducted from the exhibitor's premium check.  Thank you notes must be received before exhibitors receive their premium check.  If all monies from buyers are not received by the Livestock Show Treasurer by April 16, exhibitors will only be paid the amount of money received for their animal.

4-H Water Camp

The 2012 State Youth Water Camp will be July 8-12, 2012, at the Bentley 4-H Center in Monahans, TX.  The Camp is open to high-school youth who are interested in water conservation and water issues, and who are willing to work in teams. Adult project leaders may also apply, but must pass a background check before participating.

 

State Youth Water Camp is a five day educational camp planned to teach high school youth the importance of water stewardship, train them in water conservation and preservation, and illustrate how our water resources are being used by industry, agriculture and municipalities. We accomplish this through hands-on experiences, guest speakers, and field trips. The Camp is co-sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Upper Pecos Soil & Water Conservation District.

Applications and information are available at:  http://ward.agrilife.org/ . Applications must be received in the AgriLife Extension office in Ward County by May 18, 2012. Participants will be informed of their acceptance by May 31, 2012.  Registration is $150.00, due in the AgriLife Extension office in Ward County by June 8, 2012.  Soil and water conservation districts, ground water conservation districts and youth organizations are sources of scholarships. Water Camp is open to all Texas youth, but space is limited so we encourage early registration.

For more information, call the AgriLife Extension office in Ward County at 432-943-4112/2682.

New Camps offered at 4-H Center

The Texas 4-H Conference Center is busy planning their camps for this summer 2012.  They are offering two new camps in addition to the other fun camps you've heard about.

Are you, or someone you know,  an 8-15 year old child of a wounded or disabled veteran?  If so, check out Camp Corral.

Horizons is a camp for youth in 4th-8th grades. Each participant will select one of six projects to focus.
 These include:

• dog project
• robotics
• culinary arts
• clothing & textiles
• natural resources 
• creative leadership.

4-H membership is NOT a requirement for most camps at the 4-H Center.