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TENNESSEE 4-H IDEAS

VOLUME 03 - Issue 31
August 8, 2003


IN THIS ISSUE

Bedford County Wins State Dairy Judging Contest
Changes In State 4-H Staff
Coffee County Participates In National Forestry Invitational
$$ Funding For ‘Em $$: Keep Buying Those Ag Tags!
McNairy County Wildlife Team Returns From New Mexico
Sheep Expo Results
Tennessee 4-H Alumni, Inc. Unveils New Web Site
Troupe To Perform At Wilson County Fair


UPCOMING EVENTS

August 15
Mid-South Fair Agribusiness/4-H Speaking Entries Due - State 4-H Office

August 15
Mid-South Fair Career Pursuit Entries Due - State 4-H Office

August 15
4-H Enrollment Report Due - State 4-H Office

August 15-24
Appalachian Fair - Gray

August 31
4-H S.O.S. Mini-Grant Final Reports Due - State 4-H Office

September 5-14
Tennessee Valley Fair - Knoxville

September 5-14
Tennessee State Fair - Nashville

September 19-28
Mid-South Fair - Memphis

September 20
4-H Day at the Mid-South Fair - Memphis

September 21-25
Galaxy II Conference - Salt Lake City, Utah

October 2-5
Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Leader Forum - Rock Eagle, GA

October 3-4
YF&R Fall Tour - Bristol

October 5-11
National 4-H Week

October 9-11
State 4-H Dairy Show - Murfreesboro

October 25
State Fall Judging Team Contests - Knoxville


Tennessee 4-H Home Page: www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/
Online version of Ideas: www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/ideas03/
Ideas index:
www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/ideas03/03-index.htm

BEDFORD COUNTY WINS STATE DAIRY JUDGING CONTEST

State dairy judging competition was held Tuesday, August 5 at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center in Franklin. A team from Bedford County won the event and will be Tennessee’s representative at the national event in Madison, Wisconsin, September. The winning team members included Sara Chick, Paula Gambill, Erin Bartley and Jessica Fox. Coach for the team was Gay Ervin. Results for the contest is as follows:

Team Results
1st - Bedford County
2nd - Maury County
3rd - Bradley County
4th - White County

Individual Results
1st - Brad Barham (McMinn County)
2nd - Sara Chick (Bedford County)
3rd - Paula Gambill (Bedford County)
4th - Erin Bartley (Bedford County)
5th - Kaycee Wright (Bedford County)

Contestants were honored with an awards banquet following the contest. Gary Rogers and Kristy Hill gave leadership to the event. A special thanks goes to Mike Smith, Williamson County Extension agent for his help in making arrangements for the meal and facilities.

Steve Sutton
Extension Specialist
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CHANGES IN STATE 4-H STAFF

Patrick Hamilton has been working in the state 4-H office for the last 2 months on a grant. Beginning August 1, Patrick was appointed as Extension Assistant and will give leadership to volunteer development, youth/adult partnership programming and youth leadership. This is a one year appointment. We are excited about the creative talent and understanding of youth development that Patrick brings to the state 4-H staff.

The Tennessee Commission On National and Community Service did not receive funding for community based projects. The proposal that Tennessee 4-H submitted was accepted as the highest ranking proposal for the state. However, since the community based projects were not funded, we received no new funding for the next year. Service learning is still a priority and it will continue to be a part of state events and county programming. We will have some funding for special projects and are looking for private funding to continue the mini-grants. We are expecting to sustain service learning as a part of what we do in Tennessee 4-H.

Lori Jean Mantooth will remain on our staff at least until next August to continue giving leadership to service learning and other 4-H programming responsibilities. Lori Jean has given excellent leadership to the grant. However, these changes will give her the freedom to build on the service learning concept and be even more creative.

Alice Ann Moore
Assistant Director
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COFFEE COUNTY PARTICIPATES IN NATIONAL FORESTRY INVITATIONAL

Tennessee was well represented at the National 4-H Forestry Invitational by the Coffee County 4-H forestry judging team. The event was held at Jackson's Mill State 4-H Conference Center near Weston, West Virginia, July 27-31. The team included Paul Sherrouse, Joseph Munn, Josh Hunt and Will Rhoads. The team was coached by county Extension director Dean Nothcutt. He accompanied the team along with volunteer leader Barry Rhoads.

During the Invitational, members compete for overall team and individual awards in tree identification, compass traverse, forest evaluation and the Forestry Bowl. The team placed 5th in a field of 15 teams with Josh Hunt being the 7th high individual in the contest. Team members also competed in a forestry skills fun competition.

Several stops were made along the way at national forests, and the group observed the longest arch bridge over the New River Gorge. The national event is sponsored by International Paper Company Foundation, and the Tennessee team was supported by various forestry industries and individuals through the Tennessee 4-H Foundation, Inc.

Steve Sutton
Extension Specialist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

$$ FUNDING FOR ‘EM $$: KEEP BUYING THOSE AG TAGS!

The Ag Tag county 4-H endowment program officially ended July 5, 2003, with almost $100,000 in Ag Tag designations received for county 4-H endowments. Final confirmations of Ag Tag designations were made for 2003 this week. Soon, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture will forward the monies earned to the 4-H Foundation for distribution to the appropriate county 4-H endowments.

At your earliest convenience, please send a thank-you note to Commissioner Ken Givens. Better yet... ask some 4-H members and volunteers to send a thank-you note! The Commissioner’s address is:

Ken Givens, Commissioner
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Ellington Agricultural Center
Box 40627, Melrose Station
Nashville, TN 37204

While the county endowment portion of the Ag Tag promotion is over, it is extremely important that everyone knows that your county 4-H members will continue to benefit from Ag Tag purchases. The Tennessee 4-H Foundation has contracted with TDA for Ag Tag support for 4-H during state fiscal year 2003-2004. More than $60,000 of Ag Tag dollars will be provided to support of Tennessee 4-H Congress, Tennessee 4-H Roundup, 4-H volunteerism, junior livestock expos and 4-H project recognition.

Please inform your county clerk’s office that designation forms need no longer be completed. However, make sure they know 4-H continues to benefit from Ag Tag sales.

Mark Gateley
Extension Specialist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MCNAIRY WILDLIFE TEAM RETURNS FROM NEW MEXICO

The Tennessee state champion McNairy County 4-H wildlife judging team, consisting of Cory Cooper, Jeremy Hamlington, Lindsay Plunk and Britney Turner, earned 5th place overall team honors at the National Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program Invitational held in Las Cruces, New Mexico, July 22 through July 26, 2003.

The Tennessee team was recognized as being rated second in the written rural wildlife management plan section of the competition. In this area of the contest, teams were asked to write a wildlife management plan for mule deer, Gambel's quail, American kestral and coyote living in the Hot Desert region of New Mexico. The only team to outscore the Tennessee team in this section was Virginia.

The McNairy County 4-H'ers were also recognized as ranking second in the written and drawn urban wildlife management plan section of the national contest. Teams were asked to develop an urban management plan for frogs, desert cottontail rabbit, western bluebird, common nighthawks and house sparrows as well as draw a landscape design depicting their management plan. Again, the McNairy County team was second only to Virginia in this area of competition.

After competing in the individual events pertaining to wildlife foods, wildlife management practices and aerial photographs, as well as the team events of written rural plan and urban wildlife plan, the McNairy County team finished 5th overall behind Alabama, Virginia, Georgia and Texas. In all, teams from 20 states traveled to Las Cruces, New Mexico to compete for the national title.

While at the event, teams were treated to tours of the White Sands National Monument, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico State University and Ski Apache located near the Messalero Apache Indian Reservation just outside of Ruiduso, New Mexico. Coaches and chaperones were also treated to tours of Holloman Air Force Base, home of the Stealth Fighters, The John P. Stapp Air Space Park in Alamogordo, New Mexico, as well as a Pistachio Farm located just outside Alamogordo, New Mexico.

The McNairy County team also took advantage of some free time to take a quick tour into Mexico for some cultural exploration and to try their hand at the bargaining table while shopping.

McNairy County greatly appreciates the work that Dr. Craig Harper and Dr. Tom Hill do to be sure our teams are prepared for the national competition.

Ricky Mathenia
County Extension Director
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SHEEP EXPO RESULTS

310 youth from 52 counties exhibited 1096 sheep at the Tennessee Junior Sheep Exposition. 4-H and FFA exhibitors showed 292 registered breeding ewes, 307 commercial ewes and 497 market lambs at the Hyder-Burks arena in Cookeville. This is a slight decrease from the 2002 event.

Drew Hatmaker of Knox County received the $1500 Bert Lee Memorial Scholarship provided by Bob Brinkmann for exhibiting the Supreme Champion Bred-by-Exhibitor Ewe. Drew’s ewe was a Natural Colored. Kayla Werner of Williamson County was awarded the Robert B. Powell Memorial Award for the Supreme Champion Flock. Kayla exhibited the Champion Dorset Flock. Skillathon and Premier Exhibitor awards were as follows:

Skillathon

Explorer:
1st – Gina Locke (Williamson)
2nd – Katy Sanders (Williamson)
3rd – Olivia McCall (Jackson)
4th – Taylor Edwards (Claiborne)
5th – Tyler Cheatham (Polk)

Junior High:
1st – Kyle Hensley (Loudon)
2nd – Jenna Dennis (Williamson)
3rd – Joanna Buxkemper (Loudon)
4th – Terra Kimes (Clay)
5th – Jacob Wood (Henderson)

Senior II:
1st – Adam Hensley (Loudon)
2nd - Rebecca Palmer (Williamson)
3rd - Sara Gossett (Williamson)
4th – Laura Fitzgerald (Macon)
5th - Allison Clarkson (Williamson)

Junior:
1st – Nicholas Cross (Knox)
2nd – Tyler Bruhin (Sevier)
3rd – Greer Goddard (Loudon)
4th – Katie Buck (Wilson)
5th – Cole Ray (Sumner)

Senior I:
1st – Matthew McBride (Madison)
2nd – Joe Barker (Johnson)
3rd – Herman Radke (Smith)
4th – Emily Hunsinger (Sumner)
5th – Jared Givens (Wilson)

Premier Exhibitor Awards

Explorer: ($100 certificate toward the purchase of a lamb in 2004 to first place winners)
Breeding Ewe: Olivia McCall (Jackson)
Commercial Ewe: Gina Locke (Williamson)
Market Lamb: Tyler Cheatham (Polk)

Junior: (trimming stand to first place winners)
Breeding Ewe: Tyler Bruhin (Sevier)
Commercial Ewe: Nicholas Cross (Knox)
Market Lamb: Kayla Kimes (Clay)

Junior High: (specially designed belt buckle to first place winners)
Breeding Ewe: Jacob Wood (Henderson)
Commercial Ewe: Sarah McDonald (Smith)
Market Lamb: Molly Delk (Putnam)

Senior I: ($500 scholarship provided by friends of Expo to first place winners)
Breeding Ewe: Matthew McBride (Madison)
Commercial Ewe: Travis McPeak(Wilson)
Market Lamb: Joe Barker (Johnson)

Senior II: ($1000 scholarship provided by friends of Expo to first place winners)
Breeding Ewe: Drew Hatmaker (Knox)
Commercial Ewe: Leslie Watson (Macon)
Market Lamb: Rebecca Palmer (Williamson)

Dwight Loveday
Associate Professor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TENNESSEE 4-H ALUMNI, INC. UNVEILS NEW WEB SITE

Tennessee 4-H Alumni, Inc. has a new Web site located at www.tn4halumni.org. The site is intended to help recruit new alumni members to support 4-H and to help 4-H alumni make contact with 4-H friends.

If you were a 4-H member in Tennessee, please take a moment to register on the site by clicking on the “Friends Registry” button. Complete and submit the form. We will post the names and email addresses of those who register in a searchable format so friends can make connections through the site. But... before we can do that, we need
4-H alumni to register.

Enjoy the Web site!

Mark Gateley
Extension Specialist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TROUPE TO PERFORM AT WILSON COUNTY FAIR

The Tennessee 4-H Performing Arts Troupe will be performing at the Wilson County Fair in Lebanon on Saturday afternoon, August 23, 2003 with a 2:00 p.m. and a 4:00 p.m. performance on the fairground's Community Stage. The public is invited to attend.

Pat Whitaker
Area Extension Specialist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
~George Smith Patton

 

 

 



 

 

 

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