Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute Field Trip

This event is sponsored by the Douglas County 4-H Foundation. Last year Douglas County 4-H kids had a lot of fun. Details below.

Monday, April 20th all day

Limit: 15 kids age 12 and over (as of Jan.1)
Deadline to enroll: April 6th – call office to be put on the list; after 15 slots are filled, others will go onto a waiting list.

Last year’s field trip was a big hit, so we’re doing it again. 4-H’ers will tour the facility and make their own gourmet lunch under the tutelage of the chef and his students. The menu has changed this year, so participants will learn something new. We’ll provide transportation in the 4-H van. Parents can observe, but must provide own transportation.

We’ll email detailed travel arrangements and times to attendees.

Two opportunities for 4-H members to enter contests

Douglas County 4-H'ers, the state has a couple fun new activities this year. Take a look below and for more info, click on the included links.

►► Wind-powered vehicles, machines, or sculptures made by CO 4-H members in 2009

Reward: $200 to each 4-H member or team of members who meet the following requirements:
1. enroll and participate in the “Power of Wind” pilot project*
2. design, built, and test a wind-powered vehicle, machine, or sculpture
3. display device at the Power of Wind public exhibition at 2009 State Fair
4. selected as 1 of 5 devices to be displayed and auctioned at 2009 Colo. 4-H Gala on Oct. 3.
More info on state website at http://www.colorado4h.org/project_resources/erecords/activities/powerofwind.shtml

►► High resolution photographs of lightning taken by Colorado 4-H members in 2009

Reward: $100 to each 4-H member who meets the following requirements.
1. read lightning photography guide
2. for inter. and sr. 4-H members (ages 11-18)
3. submit photo at Exhibit Day on August 1st in Kirk Hall
4. selected at 2009 Colo. State Fair to display photo in traveling exhibit (20 total selected)
More info on state website at http://www.colorado4h.org/project_resources/erecords/activities/wanted-lightningphoto.pdf

*Power of Wind curriculum may be ordered through the Extension Office.

Ford will give money to 4-H families!

March is 4-H month at your local Ford Store. A letter is being sent to each Colorado 4-H family (leaders and members) from Ford Motor Company offering a special test drive offer. Take your letter to a Ford dealer and test drive a new car or truck. Each family will receive $25 and an additional $20 will be given to your County 4-H program.

We will announce more details regarding the 2009 Ford Truck Raffle via email and blog. After much feedback, the state has revised this event and it will be easier this time.

Horse Demonstration Clinic featuring Scott Wehrmann

Here's an opportunity for 4-H horse members to attend a horse clinic in Sedgwick County, Julesburg CO in March.

Horse Demonstration Clinic
Saturday, March 14
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with noon break

featuring Scott Wehrmann
Double Diamond Ranch, Blair, Nebraska

Using natural horsemanship methods, Scott will work with an unbroken horse and a slightly broken one.

$15 per person/$30 max per family
Need-based scholarships available

Indoor arena, Sedgwick County Fairgrounds
Julesburg, Colorado

Lunch available on site by PhilCo 4-H Council or locally

Location: Approx. 1 mile north of I-76 at Julesburg/Hwy. 385 exit in northeast
corner of Colorado; turn east at fairgrounds sign and go to farthest east building.

Bring camping chairs
Sponsored by Phillips County Extension Office
970-854-3616 or jschafer@ext.colostate.edu

Info day of clinic, call Joy at 970-466-0734

Donation box for Janna’s Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Scott on the Web: doublediamondranch.info

Nominate a family for the 2009 Helping Hands Project

I thought of our fabulous 4-H community in Douglas County when I read about the 2009 Helping Hands Project. Here's your chance to nominate a deserving family for this project. See information below.

"The Douglas Elbert REALTOR ® Association (DERA) and The Metro Denver REALTOR ® Foundation(MDRF), a non-profit organization, are partnering on the 2009 Helping Hands Project, which will help a needy individual or family with home repair to improve their quality of life.

We are looking for individuals and families in Douglas and Elbert Counties in need of home improvements such as yard work, painting, and small construction projects not requiring permits. REALTORS ®,volunteers and professionals with various skills and talents will perform the repairs to the home."

To nominate someone who may have a need or hardship and would make a worthy candidate for the program, use the from availabe on the DERA website at www.derarealtors.com. The candidate property must be owner occupied.

Nominations due by March 8th, 2009. Personal interviews will be conducted and one recipient chosen by March 15th, 2009. Volunteers will provide home improvement services to the family on June 25th and 26th, 2009.

Please fax all completed application/nominations to DERA at 303-688-6053. You may also submit by e-mail to info@derarealtors.com.

The nominator will receive phone confirmation that the nomination form has been received. If you have questions, please contact DERA at 303.688.0941.

Original story located at http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Goings-on/Story~581595.aspx

Enter your quilt into the Firehouse Quilt Contest

If any of you in Douglas County 4-H are into quilt-making, here's an opportunity to show off your skills. Read on for more information.

Everyone is encouraged to enter quilts in the Firehouse Quilts 4th Annual Quilt Show held on Friday, July 17, 2009 (12pm - 6pm) and Saturday, July 18, 2009 (10am - 4pm).

Entry Forms and rules for entering may be printed from the website and sent in: www.firehousequilts.org

Quilt Entry Fees remain the same this year and a discounted Early Bird Fee is still offered if your Entry Forms, fees and photos are received by May 16, 2009. Quilts must have hanging sleeves securely attached to be displayed in the show this year.

QUILT ENTRY FEES: $10.00 per quilt ( Early Bird Deadline May 16, 2009). $15.00 per quilt ( Final Deadline between May 17 - June 20, 2009).

QUILT DROP OFF DATES: June 18, July 7 and July 11, 2009.

If you have specific questions about entering a quilt in the show, contact Bonnie Guy bguy@firehousequilts.org.

To see the original article and more details, go to http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Goings-on/Story~580331.aspx.

Garlic Galore and a Good Time, Too

Mama Mia! Did you smell all the garlic wafting from the Douglas County Fairgrounds last Friday? For Italian food lovers, that was the place to be for fabulous food and fun times as the Douglas County 4-H Exchange group held their Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Auction.

About 220 people attended the festivities and bid on a variety of silent auction and live auction items. Merchandise from original oil paintings, gift baskets, and toy tractors to golf packages, spa treatments, and handmade quilts were donated for the auction. There was even a "celebrity" challenge involving paddle balls during the evening's celebration.

Eight enthusiastic young people planned, decorated, and worked at this event to earn money for their exchange trip to Delaware this next summer. Last summer ten Delaware youth visited Douglas County and learned about Colorado while making new friends. The exchange program, where youth develop a better understanding of lifestyles in other parts of the U.S., is just one activity available through the 4-H program in Douglas County.


In addition to the 4-H exchange members and their families, a whole host of other volunteers prepared the dinner and served as auctioneer for the evening. The participating youth would like to thank all the donors, volunteers, and guests who attended and made the evening a success.


Thanks for reading,

Mary Baldwin

Hunter Safety class available in Elbert County

Douglas County 4-H'ers, here's another chance to take a Hunter Safety class.

Sponsored by Elbert County 4H Shooting Sports

March 20, 21, & 22

• Where: Elbert County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall
• Time: Friday starts at 6:30 p.m., Saturday all day,Sunday is range time
• Price: $15 per person
  

Open to the public ages 8 and older
Call the Elbert County Extension office to pre-register...
Kiowa: 303-621-3162
Simla: 719-541-2361

4-H Shooting Sports Rule Book for Colorado now online

Hello Douglas County 4-H,

The 2009-10 Shooting Sports Rule Book is now available on the Colorado 4-H Shooting Sports Web Site at www.co4hshooting.org.

Also as a reminder - you must complete a hunter's safety course by April 1st.

4-H and Open Dog Fun Match in Grand County

Take a look at the info below.

Grand County 4-h & Open Dog Fun Match
July 11, 2009
8:00 am Registration
9:00 am Show starts
Kremmling Town Square, Grand County, rain or shine.
For more info call Grand County Extension, 970-724-3436

Come for a fun day of 4-H Classes, Rally, Fun Match classes for parents, Dog costume contest, Prizes and much more!

4-H hatches chicks in office, public invited

We’ve hatched a plan at the Extension office and the public is invited. In celebration of spring, the 4-H Program is hatching chicks and turkeys in the office.

The incubation process begins February 11th with a projected hatch date of March 4th for the chicks and March 11th for the turkeys. All are invited to view the eggs as they develop, watch the hatching process, and visit the birds once they’re born.

Embryology is a popular school enrichment program offered by Douglas County 4-H. Each spring, students witness the development of life through observation of incubated eggs. They learn about embryonic development, look inside eggs during development by “candling”, and view the hatching process.

One young student commented that he “learned a lot about the chicken life cycle”. Another classroom named their chicks Oreo, Peanut Butter Pie, and Cookie and was quite concerned that their hatchlings find other chicks to play with when they went to a new home.

“Embryology is one of our most requested enrichment programs. Last year, we placed programs into 28 classrooms in Douglas County,” said Mary Baldwin, 4-H Outreach Agent. “This year, I’m very excited that we were able to purchase new temperature-controlled incubators. Now we can work with more students as well as community programs that work with school-aged children.”

We expect our little peepers to come into the world beginning the week of March 4th, but as with all things in nature, this is only an estimate. Business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We are located on the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 410 Fairgrounds Road in Castle Rock.

For information on school enrichment programs available through the Douglas County 4-H Program, please view the website at www.douglascountyextension.com or call the office at 720-733-6940.

CSU scholarship available to CSU students with alumni parents and grandparents

Here is a scholarship opportunity.

Whether you are a CSU Alumni yourself or know of students in your county that will/are attending CSU, please help share the word that the CSU Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship is available to CSU students whose parents or grandparents are CSU alumni.

The deadline is just around the corner, too. (March 1, for most CSU Scholarships…) Take a look at the link:
http://www.csualum.com/site/c.efIPK1OAJoG/b.1859171/k.5705/Alumni_Legacy_Scholarship.htm