Dear 4-H Families,

Promotion-- Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the publicization of a product, organization, or venture so as to increase sales or public awareness.

I like to think of the Dodge County Fair as a huge promotion opportunity for Dodge County 4-H.

During Fair week, youth are sharing their educational knowledge they have gained over the year with leaders, judges, and the public. They are having an opportunity to showcase what they learned through an exhibit at the county fair.

I also like to encourage youth and families to wear 4-H shirts to help promote some of the 4-H programs that are offered. Here is the schedule for the week:

If you don’t have your tie dye shirt, remember we will have the pop-up store in the youth building office for you to pick one up. Check out the information in this Focus to learn more about it. 

I am excited to hear from the 8 cloverbuds who are attending Day Camp this Saturday!

I hope to see some of you next week at the visit to UW Madison’s College of Ag and Life Science at the Greenhouse and Garden.

Have a great weekend,
Marie

Marie Witzel
4-H Youth Development Educator
920-386-3790
marie.witzel@wisc.edu

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!

If you completed the YQCA training, make sure to download the certificate and that will finalize your name on the state list.

We have noticed youth are missing their YQCA, please get it done ASAP as it is a requirement for the fair. 

The 4‑H experience taught you responsibility, compassion, respect and the value of hard work. Share how 4-H helped you learn skills that shaped who you are today as a 4-H alumni.

If someone is thinking about the 900 hour AmeriCorp position, please contact me.  We were planning for it to be January-August (which may mean more full time in the summer), but we also could do it from September-May if someone in the county would like to do it part time during the school year, rather than next summer.  If so, please contact me ASAP since the application would be due soon.

Thanks for considering it!
Marie

Thank you for your attendance at the mandatory dairy exhibitor meeting. At our meeting Kyle Bunkoske, our Dairy Youth Superintendent, said we would discuss the clipping and fitting contest at our DYAC meeting. It was voted and approved for only the JUNIOR fitters, grades 3-8, to have the head/neck and legs clipped before the contest.  The senior fitters may only have the head clipped. 

It was also voted and approved for both the fitting contestant AND the helper to receive a point on the dairy card. For the detailed list of rules, please see page 13 of the Fitting Contest Rules in the Dodge County Jr. Fair Book.

Sometime on Monday, Kyle Bunkoske is planning to get the stalling information for the fair sent to you. Please watch your emails for this. If you have any questions, please contact Kyle, our youth superintendent. We hope your fair preparations are going well, and we'll see you all very soon.

Spend time at the CALS UW-Madison Campus! Explore the Allen Centennial Garden and/or the DC Smith Greenhouse. Learn about plant and soil science and horticulture!  Take a small item home with you!

We are again holding a Silent Auction and are asking each club to donate a basket. This year's proceeds will be going to support the recycling project at the fair. Money raised will be used to buy additional supplies to expand the program. Please help the 4-H members and families who volunteer to make this a success! Theme baskets always do very well!  Please bring them to the youth building at the fair on Tuesday, August 13th. Please have them ready for display and have a card with the value and a list of items that are in the basket.

We need your keen eyes and fresh perspectives to judge the Cloverbud projects at the county fair on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your leadership skills and support younger 4-H members. Choose from three convenient time slots – sign up for one, two, or all three!

New to judging? No problem! We've got you covered with a training session on August 6 at 6:00pm in the Youth Building. If you've judged before, you're all set – no need for repeat training.

Questions? Reach out to Anne Rinzel at adrinzel@gmail.com. Let's make this a great fair!

Come to Clean Sweep and dispose of unwanted pesticides, household products and chemicals. Save the date for August 24th!

Are you interested in stepping up your leadership in 4-H? Want to help promote 4-H statewide? Consider applying for the Wisconsin 4-H Leadership Council!

Applications for the 2024-25 year are available and ready for you to complete! Youth in grades 9-11 and Adult Volunteers are encouraged to apply for this awesome leadership opportunity! 

Application, Resume and Cover Letter Due – September 15, 2024 at 4pm

National 4-H Week is October 6-12, and we would like to showcase that week in Wisconsin by encouraging 4-H clubs to participate in a service project around that time. Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 8th at 7:30 p.m. There will be a Zoom meeting to share more about the statewide service project. A reminder of the Zoom will be sent closer to the event. 

Our Dodge County Pig Pals Swine Spectacular Show is looking for Swine Project members, 4-H and FFA youth, that are involved with the Swine Project this year. This is a great activity that offers people with disabilities a chance to shine in the show ring with your help. This is also a great way to grow your leadership by partnering or working within the show in a variety of roles. Our show is scheduled for Sunday, August 18th beginning with all arriving at 9:15 am. 

We will once again be expecting approximately 20 participants so that means we will need at least 20 swine exhibitor mentors to be partners along with 20 well trained pigs.  We will also need barn safety people, lots of them to make it a safe show, alone with ring safety, and water safety youth. Parents and adults associated with swine project members can also volunteer. ALL volunteers will receive a Dodge County Pig Pals
T-shirt.

Please contact Mary Pat Boschert at 920-382-7943, call or text or email at billboschert@gmail.com to volunteer and answer any questions. Thanks everyone!

If you are 18 years or older and interested in becoming a 4-H volunteer, we can help! We will provide new volunteers with training to ensure the safety of all youth and volunteers. The below linked trainings and a background check are required. Answers to questions about reporting and training are available on our FAQ page.

AUGUST

1 - 11 Wisconsin State Fair

5, 7, 22 - CALS Visit at UW - Madison
Session 1: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Session 2: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

6 - Makerspaces with Columbia & Dodge County 4-H, 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM

12 - Junior Fair Foods Judging Day

13 - Junior Fair Entry Day

14 - 18 Dodge County Fair

24 - Dodge County Clean Sweep Collection Day

SEPTEMBER

2- Labor Day (Office Closed)

15 - Enrollment open on 4HOnline for the new 4-H year

17 - 4-H Leaders Association Meeting

30 - 2023-2024 4-H Year Ends

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