Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Snow Cone Flavor Contest



This year at the 4-H Snack Shack at the Sevier County Fair, we will be featuring snow cone flavors designed by YOU!  On June 12th there will be a contest for any youth wishing to participate.  Call the Extension office beginning May 7th to sign up for a time to present your snow cone flavor creation to the judges.  The rules for the contest are as follows:

Snow Cone Recipe and Rules

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
FLAVORING

Boil water and sugar stirring the whole time and then add your flavoring.  I usually make 8 cups of water and 8 cups of sugar and that fills up one of those snow cone bottles with the pump. A small sample for the contest is all that is necessary, though.

RULES

1.  Must be an original flavor
2.  No caffeine or harmful additives
3.  Must have a recipe typed up to give to the judges—We need EXACT measurements, so we can re-create the flavoring.
4.  Come up with a fun name for your flavor—that is the name that will be used at the county fair concession booth.
5.  Must use non-perishable ingredients so that we can store it for a long period of time without refrigeration.  (ie, no milk, creams, eggs, etc)
6.  You may create as many different recipes as you want, but you need to present each flavor separately.
7.  You will be responsible to give a little overview of your snow cone flavoring and why and how you came up with it and its name.  This will be done in front of the judges.

TOP 8-10 flavors will be chosen!

GOOD LUCK!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Terminal Hog Show



Assuring the quality and safety of the meat products sold as a result of junior livestock programs and 4-H/FFA projects is very important. 

As a result of the information we received on Tuesday, April 29th, (see below) the Southern Utah Junior Livestock Show will be a terminal show for hogs.  This means that animals brought to the show will have to go to slaughter, and will not be able to return (live) to any individuals' home.  Please keep this in mind as we come up on Sheep/Swine tagging day May 10th and consult the rules of the stock show (found HERE) on how many animals you can show/sell at the Stock Show.  Again, no pigs will be allowed to be taken back home after the show this year.  Please call if you have questions.

The following messages were forwarded to us from Kerry Rood, Extension Veterinarian.  



All:



Porcine Endemic Diarrhea Virus continues to spread through the U.S. and Canadian pig industries. A news report today indicates that it has killed more than 10% of the U.S. swine population (Reuters, April 28, 2014). PEDv has not been reported in Utah despite being found in neighboring states. 


With the exhibition season approaching, please find a link to a central deposit of information on PEDv, including fact sheets on biosecurity and disinfecting. In particular the link contains recommendations regarding exhibitions and those involved in weigh-in or tagging events.




News Release           Contact: Larry Lewis (801) 538-7104
Cell (801) 514-2152
Dr. Warren Hess (801) 538 -4910
Date: April 29, 2014

EMERGENCY ORDER ISSUED TO PROTECT UTAH SWINE

Swine livestock shows to become “terminal” after May 5, 2014

(Salt Lake City) - The State Veterinarian’s Office issued an emergency order increasing restrictions on the showing and importation of swine in Utah in an effort to prevent the introduction or spread of the highly contagious livestock disease, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus, or the PED virus.  PEDv is not a threat to humans or other animal species.

The order changes the way swine are exhibited at fairs and livestock shows by requiring the shows to be “terminal.”  Effective May 5, 2014, all county and state fairs as well as other showings such as junior livestock shows and exhibitions where pigs and hogs are displayed or sold shall be considered a “terminal” show.  This means that students and others who intend to enter swine for judging will not be allowed to bring the animals back to the farm, and the swine must go directly to slaughter.   The State Veterinarian’s Office also strongly recommends that all shows scheduled to occur before May 5, 2014 be held as a “terminal” show. 

The emergency order also requires all hogs and pigs entering Utah to be inspected by a veterinarian, and have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) that contains the following language; “To the best of my knowledge, swine represented on this certificate have not, within the past 30 days, originated from premises known to be affected by Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) and have not been exposed to PEDv.”

 “PEDv is highly contagious, and therefore aggressive steps must be taken to protect Utah’s $200 million pork industry,” said Assistant State Veterinarian, Dr. Warren Hess.  “I also want our 4-H kids to be able to show their animals, however this order requires that they not take their animals back home.”

“This order does not cancel any livestock show; it does put into place prudent measures intended to keep Utah one of a minority of states that is free of the PED virus.  Utah only recently relaxed its ban on “terminal” swine shows, but because of the resurgence of PEDv in more than 30 states, including four of the five states boarding Utah (Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona), it has become necessary to reinstate these protections,” Dr. Hess added.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is taking this action following the announced requirement by the USDA that any case of PEDv and Swine Delta Coronavirus be reported nationally.  In addition, the USDA is requiring the tracking of movements of pigs, vehicles, and other equipment leaving affected premises; however, movements would still be allowed.

Since June 2013 as many as 7 million pigs have died in the United States due to the virus.  PEDv was first diagnosed in Ohio last May and has spread within a year to 30 states with no reliable cure in sight, according to the USDA.  Many states are increasing their regulatory precautions relating to swine livestock shows.

See swine biosecurity recommendations for show organizers here.

Monday, April 28, 2014

County Contest Day Scheduled for June 12th!


June 12th is right around the corner and youth can start to prepare for 4-H county contests right now.  Youth must be enrolled in 4-H to participate in the contests.  High school age youth can use this day as a qualifying event to attend the State 4-H Contest at Utah State University in July.

Click on the links below to see contest requirements.  Contests available for youth to participate in that day are:
Demonstrations Contest (Subjects: Agriculture, Science, Food, Other)
Favorite Foods Contest
Impromptu Speaking Contest
Talent Contest 
Snow Cone Flavor Contest

Time slots are in 15 minute increments. Youth will receive feedback from judges and a ribbon for participating in the contest.  You can call the Extension office beginning May 7th to sign up for your time slot.  Contest times begin at 9 a.m. at the Youth Center in Richfield.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Junior Teen Retreat, June 7th 9-noon


Have you heard?!  
4-H Teen Council is the best place around!

What is the Junior Teen Retreat?
A fun event with team building and leadership activities

Who can come?

Any Sevier County youth finishing 5th-8th grade

Where and When is it?
Saturday, June 7th from 9-noon at Lions Park in Richfield

Does it cost anything?
Nope!  This event is FREE and includes lunch. 

How do I sign up?
Pre-registration is required; deadline is May 31st.  Go HERE to sign up today and tell your friends!

Sheep/swine tagging day coming up!


Time to tag those sheep and pigs!

Saturday, May 10th from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Sevier County Fairgrounds is the day! (NOTE: we will not be offering worming shots for pigs like in previous years)

Reminder - if you haven't enrolled online and paid your $5 fee before June 13th - your child won't get to show that sheep/pig at the stock show, so be sure to sign up today!  See you at tagging day!

Friday, April 18, 2014

Summer 4-H Kick-Off - Save the date!


We are gearing up for a summer full of discovery and FUN!

An open registration event will be held Wednesday, June 4th at the Sevier County Administration Building in the evening.  Parents and youth will learn about our new Discover 4-H curriculum as well as sign up for the many different clubs and events we have planned for the summer.

More information will be going home in a flyer the last week of school with specifics about what groups are planned as well as dates, times, and places.  Stay tuned!

State 4-H Ambassador honors go to....


Congrats to Chloe Elmer of Richfield for being chosen as a Utah State 4-H Ambassador for 2014-2015!

Each year, 10th and 11th grade 4-Hers have the opportunity to apply to be a State 4-H Ambassador.  This year Sevier County had two candidates.  

Ambassador applications are due December 1st, teens complete a 3 month project January-March, and then complete a 4-H portfolio report about their project.  

This year, because there were so many applicants state wide (25+), the project report and letters of recommendation were used to determine who would be eligible to have an interview.  

Eighteen youth competed in a two-day interview and Chloe was chosen as one of 8 Ambassadors that will plan events and represent Utah 4-H at a state level beginning in July 2014.  Congrats to Chloe - you're going to be great!

If you're interested in trying out for this great opportunity get in touch with Rebecca or you can get more information HERE.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

State 4-H Officer Opportunity - dealine May 15th!


This is a NEW youth leadership opportunity for Utah 4-H.  Applications are due May 15th and can be submitted through 4honline.  The youth who are elected to these positions get to attend a conference in Washington, D.C. next April (so cool!) and take an active roll in making great things happen for youth in Utah 4-H. 

If you are seriously interested in this opportunity, Rebecca can send you some more information on how the application and selection process will work.  Have to act fast - the deadline is quickly approaching!  Here's a preview of what its all about:

What is a 4-H State Officer?
A 4-H State Officer is an individual who has been elected by the 4-H youth body to represent Utah at the 4-H National Conference and provide learning opportunities related to the 4-H Mission Mandates. The Officers are comprised of four youth - a president and three vice presidents representing each of the 4-H Mission Mandates. 4-H State Officers implement programs related to the 4-H Mission Mandates learned at National 4-H Conference. State Officers are responsible for shaping the future of 4-H and are active on the State 4-H Volunteers Leaders Council.


4-H State Officer Qualifications
• A two-year 4-H member with experience as a Junior and/or Teen Leader
• Must apply while in 9th -11th grades
• Active in local 4-H club
• Enthusiastic about 4-H
• Have time available to fulfill role of State 4-H Officer
• Responsible
• Willing to attend State 4-H Officer orientation and training
• Willing to travel
• Have and maintain minimum high school GPA of 3.0 (B average) or above
• Have parents and/or guardian support
• Have County Extension staff support

Capable and willing to get out of school on a limited basis for special programs

Monday, April 14, 2014

i4-H Camp - grades 7-8

Summer is for 4-H camp!

i4-H is a camp for youth in the Intermediate age group - those who have just completed 7th or 8th grade.  It is held at USU-Eastern in Price, Utah.  This year, the camp will be all about Time Travel.  The Utah 4-H Ambassadors plan and teach the classes at the retreat so it is bound to be a ton of fun.

Youth must be enrolled in the Sevier County 4-H program to attend.  A limited number of $50 scholarships are available. Scholarships are first come, first served.  Cost for JYC is $115. Registration deadline is May 15th - go to ut.4honline.edu to register today!  Then drop you money by the 4-H office ASAP.  If you have questions, feel free to call!

Junior Youth Conference 4-H camp - grades 5-6

 Summer is for 4-H camp!

Every summer in Ephraim, on the Snow College campus, 4-H presents its camp for those youth who have just completed 5th and 6th grade.

Youth who attend JYC are split into groups upon arrival and assigned to a Teen Leader. Youth are able to make new friends and experience new things as it is usually the first time for the youth to be on such a trip. While at the conference, all youth get the opportunity to go through many workshops that teach them about teamwork, trust, friendship, and many other life skills. Teen Leaders manage each group in order to keep the youth always busy with games, activities, or a project of some kind.

Activities at JYC also include Snow Follies, which is a Snow College sponsored event in which Snow College ambassadors throw a huge water fight that everyone gets involved in!

Junior Youth Conference is truly a unique event for those who come!  The lessons learned and the friends made last a lifetime.

Youth must be enrolled in the Sevier County 4-H program to attend.  A limited number of $50 scholarships are available. Scholarships are first come, first served.  Cost for JYC is $125. Registration deadline is May 15th - go to ut.4honline.edu to register today!  Then drop you money by the 4-H office ASAP.  If you have questions, feel free to call!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

County Contest Prep Day!


We're excited to announce that the Sevier County 4-H Teen Council will be hosting a workshop to help 4-Hers learn about 4-H County Contests.

What is a county contest?  Well, it's 4-H's way of finding out what you've learned in 4-H! We don't take tests 4-H, we give demonstrations and public speeches or show off our talents!

So - save the date!  Friday, April 11th from 2-3:30 at the County Administration Building in Richfield.  All youth are invited to attend.  We'll be learning about the Favorite Foods Contest, Demonstrations, Talent Contest, and the Impromptu Speaking contest - all to help you get ready for the contest days which will be held in May/June (dates TBA).

Call (893-0470) or email (seviercounty4-H@usu.edu) if you have questions!  Hope to see you there!

Online enrollment fee option not available!


Youth must be enrolled if they want to participate in contests or clubs of any kind. This includes bringing Fab Friday projects to the Fair, showing horses/livestock, participating in demonstrations/talent contests, or being in a 4-H club during the school year or summer. The great thing is that enrollment is ALL ONLINE now!

You can even pay your $5 ONLINE (with a small fee at https://seviercounty4hfees.eventbrite.com) or there are several "offline" options as well - all of the options and info you need to know can be found HERE. All you need to get started is the email you enrolled with last year, go to ut.4honline.com, request a new password and you're in! If you don't know the email you signed up with, call us and we'll walk you through it.

A NOTE TO LIVESTOCK FAMILIES: If you're re-enrolling in a livestock project, there will be no forms available at weigh-in this year; the Southern Utah Junior Livestock Show requires youth to be 4-H or FFA members to participate in the Stock Show. 4-H enrollment offers accident protection while working with your livestock project which is why we want you to sign up BEFORE weigh-ins. Ultimately, though, if you don't enroll you don't show.

Please call the 4-H office (435-893-0470) if you have questions.

Time to tag those critters!


Livestock weigh-in dates have been set!

Beef tagging will take place on Saturday, April 5th from 8:30-10:30 at Johnson's Feedlot in Aurora.

Lambs and pigs will be Saturday, May 10th from 8:00-9:30 at the Sevier County Fairgrounds.

For information on suggested weights, to print your stock show entry form, and find committee member phone numbers, etc. click here.