Washington County 4-H News

Beginning March 1, 4-H faculty and staff may resume delivering in-person programs following our UME 4-H baseline standards.

On March 22, our In-Person Activity Request portal will open for volunteers to begin submitting requests for in-person activities to be held on or after - April 1.

4-H Online is OPEN and ready for Re-Enrollment. Click HERE for 4-H Online

To re-enroll, a 4-H family must log in to their existing 4-H Online profile. Reminder DO NOT create a new family or member profile.

• When enrolling youth must select at least one club/unit and at least one project.

• Payment of the $10.00 enrollment fee must be made at the time of enrollment, using a credit card or bank or prepaid debit card.

As a reminder enrollments will remain in a pending status until membership fees have been paid.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Amy Simmons at Simmons@umd.edu for assistance.

March 25, 2021, 6:30-7:30pm

Are you new to 4-H in the last few years? This session is for you. Ashley will cover the basics of the 4-H program, details of Washington County 4-H, and answer any questions you may have about 4-H.

Register HERE by March 23.

Mark your calendars for March 16 at 7 pm. 4-H Educator Ashley Travis will be hosting a county-wide 4-H Club meeting.

Any and all members are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

Topics will include:

• 4-H news
• Enrollment
• Follow-along Origami Activity by the Leadership Club

The activity with be a origami paper craft. Paper will be the only supply needed.

Click HERE to register by March 12.

Virtual Activity Clubs will be open for registration soon. Watch our Facebook page for more information.

Completely online and virtual opportunity to engage in a six to ten hour experience, spread over two to three months. Clubs are based around specific 4-H project topics.

Maryland Statewide Forestry Club, CSI: Clovers 4-H Club, Global Citizenship & International Experiences 4-H Club, Page Turners 4-H Club, Creative Arts and Historic Crafts 4-H Club, It's So Easy to Sew! 4-H Club, Junior Master Gardener: Learn Grow Eat & Go 4-H Club, What's Your Mission? Career Exploration to Find Your Future 4-H Club, Horse Smarts 4-H Club

The primary objective of skillathon contests is to provide an opportunity for youth enrolled in

4-H to demonstrate the breadth of their knowledge and understanding of animal science and management in a competitive setting where attitudes of friendliness and fairness prevail. The practical application of the contestants’ knowledge and skills is emphasized

* 2021 Maryland Dairy Skillathon Contest
The 4-H Dairy Skillathon offers age-appropriate quizzes and stations that are designed to test youth knowledge of the dairy industry. The stations will include visual diagrams and questions to demonstrate dairy related knowledge. The 2021 Maryland 4-H State Dairy Skillathon event will be held virtually on Saturday, March 27. The contest will be conducted via Zoom and Google Forms. This is a contest in which individuals compete. Please let Ashley know by March 14 if you wish to compete so she can register you.

* 2021 Virtual Sheep and Goat Skillathon Contest
The Junior Sheep & Goat Skillathon tests youth’s cumulative knowledge of sheep and goats and the products they produce. The skillathon has always been a part of the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. Since the festival was not held last year, the skillathon was not held. This year’s festival will be virtual, so the Junior Sheep & Goat Skillathon will also be virtual (online).

The Virtual Sheep & Goat Skillathon is open to any youth between the ages of 8 and 18. Youth will compete according to their age as of January 1, 2021 (4-H age): junior, 8-10; intermediate, 11-13; and senior, 14-18. Clovers (under 8) and adults (over 18) may participate but will not be eligible for awards. The festival committee of the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association will provide premiums, ribbons, and t-shirts to the top-placing youth competitors.

Register online at https://go.umd.edu/2021Skillathon. The registration deadline is April 20.

Take advantage of these scholarship opportunities.

Community Foundation of Washington County Due March 15

• Washington County 4-H Livestock/Market Sale Scholarship
• Mildred A Schmid 4-H Scholarship
• Washington 4-H Dairy Scholarship

Maryland Sheep Breeders Association Due April 15

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is offering FREE RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Tags & Taggers to Maryland cattle and swine producers.

Click HERE for more information.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA), Animal Health Program strives to safeguard Maryland’s animal industries at our fairs and shows. With an increased potential of disease transmission occurring when large numbers of animals gather for exhibition, MDA has set forth requirements for exhibitors to follow at Maryland fairs and shows. As an exhibitor, you can help reduce the potential risk of introduction and spread of infectious and/or contagious diseases by following the species-specific health requirements attached below.

Our very own 4-H Educator, Ashely Travis, and Jeff Semler, Ag and Natural Resource Agent have teamed up to host a beef cattle education series.

Series will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm, beginning in January. (excluding July and August),

Don’t delay, follow the link on the flyer to sign-up or click HERE!

Below is the 2021 Washington County 4-H Event/Deadline Calendar.

*Note That Events May Be Switched to a Virtual Format Due to COVID-19 Restrictions**

Ashley Travis

4-H Educator

ashley90@umd.edu

Amy Simmons

Administrative Assistant

simmons@umd.edu

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class

Email: simmons@umd.edu
Website: http://extension.umd.edu/washington-county/4-h-youth
Location: 7303 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro, MD, United States
Phone: (301) 791-1404
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/105405106162746/?ref=bookmarks

We are preparing to begin opening our office and meeting with you in person very soon. In the meantime, please give us a call or send us an email. We can even set up a video conference if you would like to be face-to-face with us virtually. Thank you for your understanding and stay safe.