316 Spring Street
Columbus, TX 78934
979-732-2530
Colorado County 4-H Newsletter
March/April 2015
Read the Newsletter on line at http://Colorado.agrilife.org
Look for Colorado County 4-H on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colorado-County/161170703915573
The Colorado County 4-H Council & Club
Managers will meet Monday, March 16, 2015 at
6:00 p.m. at the Ag Building Conference Room.
4-H Members Compete at S.A.L.E.
Six Colorado County 4-H members competed in
the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Junior
Livestock Show February 14-20, 2015. Robert
Stavinoha was named Grand Champion in the
S.A.L.E. Agriculture Public Speaking contest in the
Junior Division. Brooke Wanjura of 4-H Horse
Club, Kayden Mascheck, and Amelia and Robert
Stavinoha, all of Frelsburg 4-H, participated in the
Junior Beef Breeding Heifer Show. The Stavinohas
also participated in the S.A.L.E. Open Show and the
Simbrah Superbowl.
Brooke placed 6th in her class with her Beefmaster
heifer and Kayden placed 2nd in his class with his
Red Brangus heifer. Amelia was Intermediate
Division Champion in the Open Show, 5th and 6th in
her classes in the Simbrah Superbowl and was 6th
place in Senior Showmanship and 3rd and 5th in the
Simbrah Junior Breeding Heifer show. Robert was
named Reserve Champion Showman in the 11-12
age at the Superbowl and 2nd in class with his heifer
and 5th in class in the Simbrah Junior Breeding
Heifer show.
Amelia also participated in the Commercial Steer
competition where she placed 7th overall with 45
youth participating. She received a $650 cash prize.
Brooke and Zane Wanjura and Jakelyn Primrose
participated in the S.A.L.E. Youth 4-H & FFA
Rodeo. Brooke placed 4th in 8 and under Barrel
Racing and 5th in Pole Bending for which she
received cash prizes. Zane also participated in the
Beef Skillathon. Congratulations to all of these
Colorado County 4-H members!! These six 4-H
members will also be competing in HLSR.
Consumer Decision Making Teams Participate
at S.A.L.E.
Two 4-H teams and two individuals participated at
the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Consumer
Decision Making Contest on Saturday, February 21,
2015. The Consumer Decision Making contest is a
competitive event that enables 4-H members to
practice making decisions based on information
about a situation and four available marketplace
options. This contest is an opportunity to practice
marketplace skills and compare decisions with a
panel of judges who are knowledgeable about
today’s marketplace and the goods and services
available.
Colorado County had two Junior members judge
as individuals. Malarie Mican of Wild Clover 4-H
was 7th high individual and Kase Weishuhn placed
23rd out of 55 total participants. The participants in
this division are 8 to 10 years old.
The Intermediate Team included Laurece Silcox of
Wild Clover 4-H and Robert Stavinoha and Rowdy
Kunz of Frelsburg 4-H. The team placed 15th out of
36 teams. There were 112 total participants in this
11-13 year old division.
The Senior Consumer Team included Caitlin and
Kimberly Kunz, Amelia Stavinoha and Lenora
Williamson. They placed 8th out of 44 teams.
Participants in the senior division are 14 to 18 years
of age and 131 youth participated in this division.
Congratulations to all of the Colorado County
Consumer Decision Making participants. They will
also have the opportunity to participate in the
District 11 contest on April 18, 2015 at the District
11 Spring Spectacular in Victoria.
County Roundup, Storyboard and Fashion Show
Date Set
County Roundup, County Fashion Show and the
Storyboard contest has been scheduled for Tuesday,
March 10, 2015 at the Colorado County Ag
Building. The contests will begin at 6:00 p.m.
Roundup is a contest held for 4-H members. It
includes educational presentations, public speaking,
Share-the-Fun acts and team judging. The top three
participants in educational presentations and public
speaking and the 1st place in Share-the-Fun and
judging events advance to district competition
which will be held in Victoria on April 18, 2015.
The judging events (usually a team of four) include
soil judging, plant identification, and horse and food
and nutrition quiz bowls. One individual or team
from each age level can advance to district. The
District Consumer Decision Making contest will
also be held on April 18th. Information on each of
these contests is available at the Extension office.
The 2015 County Fashion Show and Storyboard
contests will also be held at the County Ag Building
on Tuesday, March 10th. The fashion show consists
of two divisions: construction and buying. Each
division has three age levels, junior, intermediate
and senior and four categories. Senior categories
include Everyday Living, ReFashion, Semi-formal
to Formal and Theatre/Costume.
Junior and
intermediate categories include Everyday Living,
ReFashion, Dressy and Special Interest for
construction. Buying categories are Everyday
Living, Fantastic Fashions under $25, Dressy and
Special Interest.
Easter Community Service Project Set
The 4-H Council is sponsoring a Community
Service project to make Easter bags for the WCJC
Senior Citizens program. Council members and any
other 4-H member wishing to help with the project
will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16th to
put the bags together before the Council meeting.
Clubs need to bring their toiletry item to the
Extension Office before that date or have them there
by 6:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. We will be
making 100 bags for this activity.
Habitat for Humanity Landscaping Project
Plans to landscape the Habitat for Humanity house
at 716 MLK in Columbus is scheduled for Saturday,
March 21st beginning at 9:00 a.m. We will be
planting 15 3 gal. plants and putting mulch around
them and 2 pallets of grass We need 4-H’ers and
volunteers to help with this project and all the clubs
in Colorado County are encouraged to participate.
Bring your gloves, rakes, shovel and any other
gardening tools. This community service project
looks great in your record books, resume and
scholarship applications.
2015 Horse Validation Underway
The 2015 Horse Validation process has begun. The
validation period is March 1 through April 15, 2015
for $10.00 per horse and $20.00 per horse for
validation between April 16 and May 1, 2015.
Horses that were validated in 2014 must be revalidated and any new horses must be added.
Instructions on validating your horse(s) can be
found
at
the
following
website:
http://animalscience.tamu.edu/academics/equine/sta
te-4h-show. You will need to bring a copy of your
current Coggins test to the Extension Office by May
1, 2015.
Scholarship Applications Available
The Colorado County 4-H Council sponsors two
$250 scholarships for graduating seniors who have
been 4-H members for at least three years, including
this year. These scholarship applications are
available at the Extension Office. The application
deadline is April 3, 2015.
4-H Recognizes Nurses in County
4-H members in the Eagle Lake, Frelsburg,
Garwood and Sheridan 4-H Clubs made and
delivered valentines to the nurses at the hospitals,
assisted living, rehab centers and nursing homes in
Columbus and Eagle Lake on Valentine’s Day.
Approximately 350 valentines were distributed to
show thanks for the services that are provided by
the nursing staffs in Colorado County.
Summer Day Camps Being Planned
At the present time we are in the process of
making plans for the summer day camps that are
sponsored by the Colorado County 4-H Council.
There will be a fee of $10.00 for 4-H members and
$20.00 for non-4-H members. Fees must be paid at
the time of registration. The deadline to register for
all day camps is June 17, 2015. Dates have been
set as follows but are subject to change:
July 1, 2015 – Ag Judging Contests Day Camp
will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the
Colorado County Ag Building
July 13, 2015 – Leather Working Day Camp is
scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the
Colorado County AG Building.
July 15, 2015 –Bead Day Camp will be held from
8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Colorado County AG
Building.
July 20, 2015 – Beginning Sewing Day Camp is
set for 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Colorado
County AG Building.
July 22, 2015 – Kids in the Kitchen will be held at
La Petite in LaGrange. We will leave from the Ag
Bldg. at 8:30 a.m. and arrive back by 11:30 a.m.
Space in the Day Camps will be limited so be sure
to register early for the camps you want to attend.
Contact or come by the Extension Office for more
information and to register.
Texas Brigades
The Texas Brigades Wildlife Education and
Leadership Development applications are available
at the Colorado County Extension Office or at
www.texasbrigades.org. The Brigades program is
for students ages 13 – 17 and includes the Buckskin
Brigades, Bobwhite Brigades, Bass Brigades,
Waterfowl Brigades and Ranch Brigades.
The Brigades give youth an opportunity to spend a
week engaging in hands-on-learning about wildlife
and fisheries, livestock, habitat, and ecosystem
management with some of the state’s leading
wildlife and fisheries biologists and land managers.
Only in the Texas Brigades will a young person
learn what deer eat and why, how to age a quail, the
adaptations of the largemouth bass, what affects
migration patterns of waterfowl, and sustainable
beef production from conception to the consumer.
Through these and other activities, participants
learn valuable leadership and critical thinking skills
that promote team building and communication.
Scholarships are available for this program and the
deadline to apply is March 16, 2015.
District & State Contests Set
The District 11 Spring contests are coming soon.
District 11 Fashion Show/ Storyboard, District
Roundup, Junior and Intermediate Photography
Display, Consumer Decision Making and Quiz
Bowls will be held at Northside Baptist Church in
Victoria on Saturday, April 18, 2015. The deadline
to register on 4-H Connect is March 20th. Entries
for the State Photography Contest must be
submitted by April 15, 2015.
The District Horse Judging contest is set for April
11th with the deadline to register being March 27th.
Multi-District judging contest is set for April 25th
with the deadline to register being April 2nd. Both
contests will be held at Texas A&M.
The District Rifle contest will be held on April
17-18, 2015.
This year State Roundup will be held at Texas
A&M University on June 8-12, 2015.
Rabbit Workshop Set
A Rabbit Workshop has been scheduled for
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at the Sheridan Baptist
Church Fellowship Hall. The workshop will begin
at 5:30 p.m. and is open to any youth in Colorado
County. This workshop is designed to help youth
who are new to exhibiting rabbits but is open to any
youth that wants to attend. Michael Heaton of
Heaton Rabbits will lead the workshop and the
following topics will be discussed:
 How to select a breeder and when to order
 Cages/housing
 Feed
 Things that could go wrong
 Weighing/charting
 How to work your meat pen
 How to select your meat pen
 25 mistakes not to make
 Showmanship
Council Officer Elections Coming Up
Officer elections will be held on Monday, May 18,
2015 at the bi-monthly meeting of the 4-H Council.
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. We will also
begin making plans for the annual 4-H Banquet at
that time. The Banquet has been set for Sunday,
August 2, 2015.
The guidelines for Council Officers say that a
member must have represented their club on council
for at least one year. That means that they must
have attended council meetings during the past year
or previous years—they do not necessarily have to
have been the club president or council delegate.
They may have attended meetings in those officers
place or attended the meetings because they were
interested in Council activities. Any youth wishing
to run for a Council office will need to fill out an
Officer Application form and turn it in to the
Extension Office by May 8th. You may come by
the Extension Office or send an e-mail request to
srgrahmann@ag.tamu.edu to obtain an officer
application. Applications will also be available at
the March Council meeting.
Record Books Due in June
It is time to begin preparing to complete a 4-H
Record Book.
Record book forms may be
downloaded from the Texas 4-H website at
http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/youth_recordbooks.Record
books will still be printed and turned in to be
judged.
4-H members planning to do a record book are
reminded that the books must be turned in to the
Extension Office no later than June 19, 2015.
Members should note that you must turn in a record
book in order to apply for the Bronze, Silver or
Gold Star awards. Please call or come by the
Extension Office to request a handout that will give
you step by step directions on completing the 2015
record book. You may also set up an appointment to
have one of the Extension Staff help you with your
record book.
Snacking Your Way to Good Health
Many people have set goals to make 2015 a
healthier year! Snacks are a big part of a healthy
eating plan, and if you choose wisely, snacks can
help you reach your health goals.
Too often, people grab calorie-dense snacks, such
as chips or a cookie, because they are hungry
between meals. However, if you plan ahead, you
can have a variety of healthy and nutritious snacks
ready to grab and go. Choosing healthy snacks
from the grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy, and protein
food groups can boost your energy between meals
and keep your hunger in check so you don’t overeat
at mealtime. In fact, you can think of snacks as
“mini-meals” and view them as opportunities to eat
more fruits, vegetables, and calcium-rich dairy
foods, which are often under-consumed by
Americans.
It’s no secret that many people are trying to lose
weight. Therefore, there are a few tips you should
follow when choosing to include snacks into your
day. First, most people do not need more than one
or two snacks per day. You should never snack if
you are not hungry, and always avoid the urge to eat
if you are bored, stressed, worried, or angry. Next,
if you do choose to include snacks in your day, keep
snacks to less than 200 calories, and be sure that
you do not exceed the total number of calories you
need. To help you control snack portions, measure
out your foods, or choose foods that are pre-
portioned, such as yogurt or canned fruit. Some
stores even offer snacks that are pre-packaged in
100-calorie portions.
Many foods make great snacks! Some snacks may
just be a single food, such as an apple or popcorn,
while others maybe a combination of foods from
several food groups, such as fat-free yogurt with
fresh berries. Whatever snack you choose, be sure
that you choose foods low in solid fat, salt, and
added sugar, but high in nutrients and fiber. When
planning your snacks, you’ll need to consider
whether you need access to a refrigerator to safely
store your snack foods. Here are a few ideas for
healthy snacks:
 Whole wheat crackers and low fat
cheese;
 Fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers and
cherry tomatoes, with low-fat dressing;
 Fruits canned in their own juice, such as
pineapple or pears;
 “Grab and Go” fresh fruits, such as
bananas, apples, and peaches;
 Nuts, such as almonds and peanuts;
 Granola bars;
 Low-fat popcorn;
 Peanut butter and celery sticks; and
 Bell peppers and hummus.
Whatever snack you choose, remember to keep it
healthy and low in calories!
State Fair Lamb/Goat Tags – Tags will be
$12/each for lambs and goats intended to be shown
at the 2015 State Fair of Texas. Tag orders are due
to the Extension Office on or before Wednesday,
April 8, 2015. Tags must be paid for at time of
order.
Major Show Steer Tags – Tags will be $12/each
for all steers intended to be shown at any of the Fall
2015 or Spring 2016 Major Shows. Tag orders are
due to the Extension Office on or before
Wednesday, April 8, 2015 and must be paid for at
time of order. Validation will be in late June and a
date/location will be confirmed once we get closer.
Livestock Judging Clinic
The TAMU Aggie Livestock Judging Clinic is
scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2015 at Pearce
Pavilion in College Station beginning at 8:00 a.m.
Registration fee is $10 per person through March
23rd and $15 after that date.
Go to
http://judgingcard.com to register for this event.
Colorado County Fair News
The 2015 Colorado County Fair has been set for
Wednesday, September 23 through Sunday,
September 27, 2015.
Tag-ins for individuals
planning to exhibit an animal in the 2015 Fair will
begin in May. Exhibitors may order, tag-in,
validate and show animals in one or two
departments of the Junior Market Livestock and
Poultry show, but may only sell one project.
Each exhibitor will be permitted to tag-in two
animals in a department. A $5.00 per animal tag-in
fee will be collected at time of tag-in. At project
tag-ins where there are more than one family
member exhibiting, and multiple entries are made,
all animals may be tagged in under the name of the
family.
In such cases, this will require the
identification of each animal to a given exhibitor at
the time of official weigh-in on September 23rd.
Animals will be tagged in at Colorado County
Veterinary Services, 1391 Hwy 71 Business,
Columbus.
Livestock entries must be submitted to the
Colorado County Extension Office between the
dates of September 1 through September 11, 2015.
Following are the tag-in dates:
May 2, 2015 – Market Steers, Scramble Heifers,
Pen of Three Heifers & Commercial Heifers, 8:0010:00 a.m.
June 5, 2015 – Deadline to order Broiler Chicks
from Colorado County Extension Office.
June 20, 2015 – Market Hog tag-in, 7:00-9:00 a.m.;
Market Goats & Lambs tag-in, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
August 15, 2015 – Validate Rabbits, 7:00-10:00
a.m. Breeding rabbits can be tattooed at this time.
Pen of Three Heifers will weigh-in on September
16, 2015 and clean-up day is scheduled for
September 19, 2015.
Janis Pfeffer
CEA – FCS
Colorado County
Stephen Janak
CEA – AG/NR
Colorado County
Colorado County
316 Spring Street
Columbus, TX 78934
The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating Educational programs of
the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic
information or veteran status.
The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any Extension activities, are encouraged to
contact the County Extension Office for assistance ten days prior to the activity.