PDF of the Newsletter

 

A Letter from the Extension Agent
 

We just wrapped up another great year!  We ended the last 4-H year with 121 members, 6 clubs and 51 adult volunteers.  Here are some more statistics about our membership last year:

Home Location

·         Farm or Ranch – 41.8%

·         Towns under 10,000 & Rural – 54.1%

·         Other – 4.1%

Gender

·         Male – 49.5%

·         Female – 50.5%

Top Projects

1.      Swine

2.     Shooting Sports

3.     Beef

4.     Foods & Nutrition

5.     Rabbit

I’m looking forward to another great year with you!

Sincerely, Allison Kosto, Extension Agent MSU Extension Broadwater County

 

 

Re-Enrollment

The New 4-H year started October 1st.  Instructions on how to enroll are included with the newsletter.  If you don’t already have your new 4-H Clover Project Selection Guide, please get it from your leader or the office. Please re-enroll by November 1st.  This will be the last newsletter or communication that you will receive from the office until you re-enroll.  If you do not have internet access at home, we have a public computer at the office to help you through the process. Remember, if you plan on taking a 4-H project to fair, you must be enrolled in that project.  If you have any questions, contact the office.

 

4-H Achievement Night

The annual Achievement Night has been set for Sunday, November 6th at the 4-H Building at the Fairgrounds.  We will be celebrating with ice cream sundaes at 6:00 pm and the program will start at 6:30 pm.  Come to receive your awards and celebrate our achievements. New members you are invited too! Come and see what you have to look forward to at the end of the year!

 

Christmas Tree Fundraiser

Each year, the 4-H Council conducts a Christmas Tree Fundraiser at Rocky Mountain Supply, and we are asking for YOUR help! Cutting will be on November 23rd at 2:00 pm, meeting at the Bunkhouse or at the Fairgrounds. Please contact your club leader if your family is able to bring a trailer and/or a chain saw. The proceeds from the Christmas tree sales benefit the entire county 4-H program including project work, awards and activities.

·         Rocky Mountain Rough Hands: November 27 - December 3

·         Toston: December 4 – 10

·         Winston and Elkhorn: December 11 – 17

·         Old Baldy: December 18 – 24

·         Radersburg and Crow Creek: Clean up (Tree Lot and Fairgrounds)

 

New 4-H Family Night

New to 4-H?  Been enrolled a couple of years but still have questions?!  Then join us for a family night on Tuesday November 29th at 6:00 pm at the Catholic Church (101 S. Walnut, Townsend). This is a great time to learn more about the 4-H program, expectations, meet others and ask questions.  The evening features games, presentations and an opportunity to meet leaders and ask questions.  It will cover general expectations of the 4-H program and discuss key components including projects, record books and 4-H activities. Hope to see you there!

 

4-H Leaders Training

Starting with the new 4-H year, all 4-H volunteer leaders will be required to complete an annual training through ZSuites.  Leaders have one year to complete the training.  The purpose of the training is to help provide leaders with basic information about 4-H.  The Montana 4-H Council is offering a special incentive to help leaders complete the training during enrollment.  If you complete the training by the end of November, your name will be entered into a drawing for six $50 gift cards.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the office.  We can also setup a computer for you to do the training at the office.

 

Greytak Calendars

Greytak calendars are available to purchase from the office. Calendars are $15.00 each and make great Christmas gifts! Exact cash or checks made out to 4-H Council please.

 

4-H Leader’s Council- recruiting for a Treasurer!

The 4-H leader’s council will need a new treasurer for the 2023/2024 4-H year, as our current treasurer Samantha Ferrat will be stepping down. This is a great opportunity to help volunteer with our 4-H program. We are looking early, so that Samantha can help mentor the new treasurer through the transition! If you are interested, please reach out to the office for more information.

 

Statewide Carcass Results

Statewide carcass results have been released and emailed to last year’s market livestock participants.  Congratulation to our 4-H members who placed at the state level!  Tanner bird placed 36th, Jazel Ragen 68th , Kaitlyn Noyes 78th, Cole Shumway 81st, Conner Shumway 93rd and Nathan Ferguson 101st in the heavyweight hog division.  Alex Kitto placed 6th, Colton Noyes 11th and 13th, Aiden Kitto 16th, Gunner Greene 18th, Olivia Roberts 25th, Dylan Kamps 27th, Kayla McDonald 30th, Tucker Volkman 54th, and Emry Judd 61st in the lightweight hogs in the state.  Great job!!!

 

Countywide 4-H Activities

Committee & Council Meetings
 4-H COUNCIL: The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 22nd at 7:00 pm.  The meeting will take place at the Extension Office (Flynn Building, 416 Broadway, Townsend). Contact Karen Noyes at 406.949.4852 if you have any questions or agenda items. Agenda items must be submitted by noon the Friday prior to the meeting.

INDOOR COMMITTEE: The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 22nd at 6:00 pm at the Extension Office (Flynn Building, 416 Broadway, Townsend). Contact Karen Noyes at 406.949.4852 if you have any questions or agenda items. Agenda items must be submitted by noon the Friday prior to the meeting.

LIVESTOCK COMMITTEE:  The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 1st at 7:00 pm at the Extension Office (Flynn Building, 416 Broadway, Townsend). If you have any questions or agenda items, please contact Jason Noyes at 406.949.4851. Agenda items must be submitted by noon the Friday prior to the meeting.

HORSE COMMITTEE:  The next meeting will be Wednesday, November 9th at 5:00 pm at the Extension Office (Flynn Building, 416 Broadway, Townsend). If you have any questions or agenda items, please contact Jan Finn at 406.266.4992. Agenda items must be submitted by the Monday prior to the meeting.

TEEN CLUB: The Teen Club will be meeting on Tuesday, November 15th at 5:30 pm at the Extension Office. We will be making plans to help with Achievement Night. Teen Club is open to all Middle or High School aged members. If you are not currently in Teen Club, but want to find out what it is about, please come to this meeting! Please RSVP to Karen Noyes at 406.949.4852.

 

4-H Animal Project Activities

 

Livestock Judging

There is a series of livestock judging practices scheduled for this fall on Monday evenings at the Braaten’s home (3835 MT Hwy 284, Townsend) through November. The start times will vary depending on daylight. There will be discussion on the evaluation of cattle, swine, sheep, and goats.  We will prepare members to represent Broadwater County in competitions around the state.  Members will have the opportunity to compete in four contests this fall.  The skills learned will help them in their livestock projects. If you have any questions, contact Hugh Braaten at 406.439.8873.

 

Beef Project

Workshop 

There is a Beef project (market and breeding) meeting scheduled for Sunday, November 13th at 1:30 pm at Ferrat Ranch (191 Ferrat Lane, Toston). If members want to weigh their animal/s, they can do so from 1-1:30 pm only. Starting at 1:30 pm will be the workshop focusing on review from previous meeting, planning your project year, and other fun learning activities to enhance your knowledge of the beef industry! Please bring your 4-H record books, notebook/paper and pencil. RSVP is encouraged, so we can have enough materials for everyone. If you have any questions, contact Samantha Ferrat at 406.949.0869 or John Ferrat at 406.949.7911. The next workshop will be December 31st, directly after the mandatory tagging and weigh-in.

Weigh-in & Tagging

Beef weigh In and tagging is set for Saturday, December 31st at noon at GaLor Genetics (8393 US Hwy 287, Townsend).  To respect our host, please try to be on time and not too early.  All market beef animals are required to attend.  If you can’t be there, you must make arrangements for your animal(s) to be there.  Breeding animals are welcomed to come get weighed but are not required to attend.  It is recommended to bring your brand inspection paperwork for the inspector to look over and help provide guidance on what needs to be done prior to Fair.  Also please be prepared to share information about your animal including breed, breeder and birthday.  If you have any questions about the beef project, contact Samantha or John Ferrat.

 

Swine Project Meeting

There will be a swine meeting on Tuesday, November 15th at 6:30 pm at the 4-H Building (189 US Hwy 12 E, Townsend) This meeting will be focusing on planning out your project year. It is highly encouraged that parent’s attend this meeting along with the members. If you have any questions, please contact Hugh Braaten at 406.439.8873.

 

Dairy Goat Workshops

There will be a meeting on Saturday, November 5th at 5:30 pm at the Henke’s house (200 S. Railroad Ave, Townsend). The monthly meetings will be on the first Saturday of each month at 5:30 pm. Meeting places will vary and will be announced before each meeting. Meat Goat members are also welcome! There are many subjects planned to be covered this year including: barn setup, shots, worming, eating habits, milking, disbudding, imprinting, milk products, testing, diseases, and showmanship. If any member would like to give a demonstration at a meeting, this can be scheduled. If you have any questions, please contact Danyel Henke at 406.980.0995.

 

Poultry Workshop

There will be a poultry workshop on Saturday, November 5th from 10:00-11:30 am at the Extension Office (416 Broadway, Townsend). This workshop will be all about market poultry selection and raising. We will cover how to select market turkeys, chickens and ducks. There will also be discussion about raising and feeding to maximize growth and good health. If any member wants to do a demonstration for a project point, please let Alice know. If you have any questions, please contact Alice Kroeger at 406.547.4343.

 

Rabbit Project Update

Rabbit meetings will start in December! Watch for more information in the December newsletter!

 

4-H Non-Animal Project Activities

 

Archery Workshop

The archery project will host workshops in December, January and February. They will be meeting on Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00pm at the Fairgrounds.  If you have any questions, please contact Jason Noyes at 406.949.4851.

 
Sewing Workshops

The next workshop will be held Saturday, November 12th at 9:30am. Sewing workshops are generally held the second Saturday of the month at the Extension Office. There will not be a sewing workshop in December, they will resume on January 14th. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Holland at 406.266.3473

 

.22 Rifle Workshops

The .22 rifle project will meet at the Broadwater County Rod and Gun Club Canton Range (96 Canton Lane, Townsend) on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m., starting on Thursday, December 8. Participants must be age 9 or older to enroll in the project.  Participants will learn firearm safety (first and foremost), firearm nomenclature, shooting skills, shooting positions, and much more.  Participants will shoot almost every meeting starting after the third meeting.  Parents are encouraged, but not required, to remain on-site during the meeting. The gun club provides .22 rifles for participants that do not have a rifle, or participants can bring their own. Scopes and semi-auto rifles are prohibited. Contact John Pavao at 406.422.9590 if you have any questions, if you would like to help out, or if you know of kids that may be interested in joining this project. 

 

Food and Nutrition- Cooking and Baking Workshops

Foods workshops are planned for November 10th, 17th and December 1st and 15th. Workshops will be split by age groups. Members ages 8-11 will be from 5:30-7 and ages 12+ from 7-8:30. Workshops will be held at the Trailhead Christian Fellowship church (20 Trailhead View Dr, Townsend). If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Beatty at 406.490.1362.

 

Statewide 4-H Opportunities

 

Leadership Academy

Join the Montana 4-H Leadership Academy workshops on Sunday afternoons this winter. The Leadership Academy is a network of Montana 4-H members interested in exploring and developing their ow leadership skills while serving their county 4-H program in new ways. Join with groups around the state as well as the Montana 4-H ambassador Officer team virtually and in-person when possible, to work on skill building, planning and mentorship. Registration is submitted online here and is open to 4-H members ages 12+. The dates for the leadership academy workshops are November 20th, December 11th, January 8th, February 5th and March 5th and they are scheduled from 3:00-4:00 pm.

 

Volunteer Institute 2023

Save the Date for the Montana 4-H Volunteer Institute! This is open to all 4-H volunteers in Montana. The Institute will be February 17-19, 2023 in Billings. Registration will cost $75 and will be at the Double Tree Hotel downtown. The institute will be a great opportunity to learn from other volunteers and Extension agents, network and celebrate the accomplishment of volunteers across Montana. We are in need of workshop presenters for the event. Workshops will take place on Saturday, February 18. Fill out this qualtrics form to submit a workshop proposal. Proposals are due by November 28, 2022.

 

Save the Date: Montana 4-H Citizenship Seminar 2023

Sunday, January 15 - Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at the Delta Hotels Helena Colonial (early afternoon to early afternoon)
Open to youth ages 13-19 (13 as of October 1, 2022) and certified volunteer chaperones 21 years of age and older
Look for email with registration and specific seminar information soon!
What is Montana Citizenship Seminar? Montana Citizenship Seminar is designed to inspire 4-H youth as they learn about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Youth delegates gain hands-on experience with the legislative process by participating in a mock legislature, create and debate bills, work with other youth from across the state, meet with elected officials, tour the capitol, and participate in a service-learning project. Citizenship Seminar is traditionally held in Helena in the years when the legislature is in session. Youth delegates share their 4-H experience with current legislature representatives during the Legislative Breakfast which is hosted on January 17 by Montanans for 4-H. 

 

Save the Date: Montana 4-H Legislative Breakfast 2023

Legislative Breakfast will be held the morning of January 17th with a preparatory dinner on the evening of January 16th. 

What is the Legislative Breakfast? The Legislative Breakfast provides an opportunity to educate Montana legislators about the work and success of 4-H in the state. It brings together youth and adult constituents from across Montana to share stories of achievement drawn from their 4-H experiences.  The breakfast also reinforces the vital role of the MSU Cooperative Extension Service budget, which supports 4-H in Montana communities. Watch for more information!


Montana Shooting Sports Leaders Trainings

The schedule for the upcoming Shooting Sports Leaders Trainings has been finalized. Any adult interested in becoming a Shooting Sports Leader must complete training in that particular discipline. The trainings include four online training modules and an in-person training portion. Dates are as follows:

December 2-3, 2022, Kalispell, MT.  The following disciplines will be offered; Archery, Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Muzzle-loading, Hunting Skills, and Coordinator.

December 9-10, 2022, Havre, MT.  The following disciplines will be offered; Archery, Rifle, Pistol, and Coordinator.

December 16-17, Belgrade, MT.  The following disciplines will be offered; Archery, Rifle, Pistol, and Coordinator.

April 2023 – Billings, MT.  The following disciplines will be offered; Archery, Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, and Coordinator.

May 2023 – Manhattan Wildlife Association.  The following disciplines will be offered; Shotgun, Muzzle-loading, Hunting Skills, and Western Heritage.

The 4-H Council can help cover registration fees for a few more adults and junior leaders to attend.  For more information, please contact the Extension Office for details 406.266.9242.

 

Other Opportunities 

 

Small Animal Showmanship Jackpot Show

2T Livestock presents a small animal showmanship jackpot on November 12th at 9:00am at the Billings Metra Center. This is open to all 4-H youth and has novice, junior and senior classes for poultry, rabbit, dog and cat. They will also have a round robin for the top two in each age group. Entry fee is $10 per animal shown. Contact the office for more information. Day of show entries are welcome.