Dear 4-H Families:

I hope this message finds you well. We are currently seeking enthusiastic presenters for our upcoming 4-H Family Learning Day, and we believe your expertise and passion would make a valuable addition to our program.

Our events are scheduled to take place on Saturday February 15, 2025 at Horicon High School and Saturday March 29, 2025 at Dodgeland High School and we are looking for speakers who can engage our youth participants with informative inspiring one-hour sessions. Your presentation would play a crucial role in enhancing the experience of our members, encouraging them to explore new interests and develop valuable skills.

If you are interested in joining us as a presenter, please fill out this google form or respond to this email by December 15th. Please include the following:

We would be thrilled to have you on board and are happy to work with you to accommodate your schedule. Also, if you know of someone with the skills and personality to be a presenter, please encourage them to reach out to us as well! Thank you for considering this opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of our 4-H community. We look forward to collaborating with you.

Terra
4-H/ Youth Program Assistant
treider@wisc.edu
920-386-3790

If clubs or groups have items to share, send them by noon on Thursday to be included in that week’s issue.  Anything received after 12 p.m. Thursday will be considered for the following week. The articles should be sent to Marie at marie.witzel@wisc.edu.

If you have Secretary's Minutes to share, please send them to the 4-H / Youth Program Assistant, Terra at: treider@wisc.edu by noon on Wednesday to be included in that week's issue. You can also contact the office with any questions. Thanks!

Youth had a chance to learn some team building, along with having items to take back and use with their club.  They also had breakout sessions to learn more about their specific officer roles. Thanks again to Teresa Stowell, Patti Roberts, Michelle Stangler, and Heather Wappler for helping teach the officers.  Also thanks to Emily Schultz for capturing some photos at the training!

The first 4-H Dairy Conference materialized after Guy C. Noble proposed to the International Dairy Show Committee in 1954 that a program should be specifically designed for 4-H youth involved in dairy achievement projects. Several state 4-H leaders and other Extension staff members, and an American Guernsey Cattle Club Secretary developed the first agenda in 1955. Eighty-five 4-H members and their leaders representing Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin gathered for the first conference at Chicago’s historic Conrad Hilton Hotel.

The educational strength of the program was apparent from the very beginning. High standards were set at that first meeting that have been maintained in the years to follow. Respected authorities representing all areas of the dairy industry were present as speakers and for informal question-answer sessions. Tours of dairy processing plants, the Chicago Stockyards, numerous exhibits and the International Dairy Show broadened delegates’ knowledge. The early days even featured a Dairy Show Parade down the Windy City’s famous State Street.

After 15 years in Chicago, the 16th Annual 4-H Dairy Conference opened in Madison, Wisconsin in October 1970 in conjunction with the World Dairy Expo. Madison, famous for its four lakes, scenic beauty, long-standing tradition as the state capitol, and excellent University of Wisconsin College of Ag and Life Sciences, has become the official meeting place for the National 4-H Dairy Conference.

Since its beginning in 1955, approximately 11,800 young people have attended the National 4-H Dairy Conference. This year the tradition continues as 4-H youth from 30 states and provinces meet for educational tours and seminars as well as networking opportunities with national leaders in the dairy industry and with youth from around the U.S.A. and Canada that share similar interests.

The National 4-H Dairy Conference is designed for youth in 10th – 12th grades to enable them to gain and share knowledge of the various aspects of the dairy industry through hands-on activities, workshops, large group seminars, off site experiences, and opportunities for networking. This event begins Sunday, and ends at midnight, Wednesday. During the conference, adults and youth will participate in large group activities which may involve while touring farms. One farm is in Dodge County, the Crave Brothers Farm.

The Crave’s milk Holstein cows on a rural Wisconsin dairy farm. The cows are fed homegrown, high quality forages consisting of corn, alfalfa and soybeans. Their farm emphasizes conservation and sustainable practices, while consideration is given to what is best for the environment, the cows and the consumer. Their pampered cows receive plenty of exercise, fresh air and individualized care. The cow’s manure is converted into energy and organic fertilizer through a manure digester located on their farm. Cows are bedded with composted manure solids from the manure digester.

Innovation and hard work have characterized the farm. In 1999, the family discussed how to grow thier business and offer opportunities for future generations. They wanted to use their high quality milk to produce specialty cheeses for the consumer. Their cheese factory was constructed in 2001. The milk is piped directly from the dairy farm to the cheese factory within hours of milking for an incredibly flavorful, truly farmstead cheese.

Dairy Herd Facts:

· 2,100 cows
· 30,600 lb herd average
· 2,500 acres
· 1000 calves born each year
· Heifers graze in the spring, summer, and fall

Crave Brothers work in cooperation with other local farmers for custom feed harvesting, custom heifer raising, and machinery sharing. They raise their crops using sustainable methods including minimum tillage and crop rotation. Their cropland is fertilized with recycled nutrients from their manure digester. In addition, their manure digester produces enough electricity to power their farm, cheese factory and area homes in their community!

The group at the National Dairy Conference got a tour of the farm, educational workshops, dinner at the farm, and a barn dance. The above pictures highlight the experience.

As we welcome the colder weather and the start of a new 4-H year, we’re thrilled to announce that the Wisconsin 4-H Program Booklet for 2024-25 is now available!

This year’s booklet is full of exciting opportunities for 4-H families, members, and volunteers at the state level. These state programs offer valuable educational experiences that help youth develop lifelong skills and form lasting friendships. Whether your 4-H member is ready to create something amazing at Arts Camp in Upham Woods, embark on a thrilling adventure at Space Camp in Huntsville, or showcase their talents in a State Judging Competition, we’re confident there’s a spark waiting for every 4-H member in this year’s offerings.

If anyone is interested in being a presenter, please email treider@wisc.edu or click the button:

If you are not sure how to proceed or having trouble getting started, please feel free to call the office and we can walk you through it. We are open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm. 920-386-3790

Please call the office to find out what is available and to arrange for pick up. 

$5, $10 and $20 Culver’s Gift Cards are available to purchase!  Makes great appreciation gifts for 4-H members during achievement time. Cards available at the UW-Extension office.  Call 920-386-3790 for higher quantities requested.

The New Year in 4-H is here! That also means it's time for Volunteers to complete required trainings! Let's dive in and get this done ASAP!

Dairy Bowl

Dodge County Dairy Youth have started practice for dairy bowl/dairy quiz bowl season. The next practice will be Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, 1 p.m., at the Watertown Library. The final competition is during the Wisconsin Junior Holstein Convention, Dec. 27-29, 2024. Even if you're just interested in seeing what it's all about, join the group for a practice or two. Questions: Mandy Sell-Stanford is the lead contact; her number is 920.253.8773.

Junior Holstein Convention

As mentioned above, the Wisconsin Junior Holstein Association Convention is the end of December. There are various opportunities for dairy kids to compete: dairy bowl, dairy Jeopardy, speaking contest, arts and craft contest, farm-scene contest, etc. See pages 6-11 in this document for details. Contact Mandy Sell-Stanford at the number above with questions about junior Holstein convention.

General questions? Contact DYAC via e-mail: dodgecountydyac@gmail.com

This fall, Wisconsin 4-H will be encouraging members (ages 13-18) to complete a survey about their 4-H experience. The survey was developed by National 4-H Leaders (https://helping-youth-thrive.extension.org/) and will help Wisconsin 4-H to learn about the quality of our programs. The information will help to show how 4-H helps young people to learn new things, develop leadership skills, manage goals, set high personal standards, create positive academic attitudes, and other skills that lead to long-term success in life.  

The survey will be sent to all Wisconsin 4-H members by e-mail in the first week of October. Youth who complete the survey will be entered into a raffle to win a $25 gift card! 

For more information on the 4-H Thriving Model, visit 4-H Thriving Model – Wisconsin 4-H.

Please keep an eye out for messages and more information about this important survey. 

Join us for a relaxed and real book discussion on "The 5 Love Languages of Children." 
Two chances to join us for a virtual discussion!
Thursday, November 7– Noon-1pm
Wednesday, November 13– 6:00pm-7:00pm 
Free Book with registration!

Youth should create a google drive to put their cover letter and resume in so we can work on it during their session.  

Registration Deadline: November 8, 2024

The event/meeting will be a best fit for dog project adult volunteers and members in 6th grade and older. With that said, all dog project members are welcome, if these areas interest them. All youth members must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

NOVEMBER

19 - 4-H Leaders Association 7 PM

Visit the Wisconsin 4-H Website

WI 4-H Policy Updates

An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension
Dodge County 4-H
Extension Dodge County  127 E. Oak Street  Juneau, WI 53039-1329
tel: 920.386.3790    fax: 920.386.3928