December Newsletter

CURRENT EDITION

Alternatively, download a printable version of the
December 2022 Cascade County 4-H Clover Connection

Newsletter Scavenger Hunt

Everyone who emails Allyssa ([email protected]) by Friday, December 9 with a description of the page containing the snowman symbol above will be entered in a drawing to win a 4-H themed prize. The winner will be able to choose from multiple awesome 4-H items. Please include the description of the page you found the symbol, something you learned form the newsletter, and the name(s) of the 4-H’er(s) to be entered in the drawing. Congratulations to the November Newsletter Drawing winner, Grace Phillips from the Big Sky Explorers 4-H Club!

Thank You!

Thank you to the following people and businesses who donated to the Cascade County 4-H Program over the last month!

Sheryl Smerker
William and Holly Kessler
Russ & Lori Miner – Miner for HD19
Stockman Bank

Extension Office Access Protocol

The Great Falls Public School District is implementing a door camera system at the building in which the Extension Office is located. The following protocol will go into effect Monday, December 5.

1. The doors to the Extension Office will be locked during regular business hours.
2. To gain access to the building, press the button on the door camera located to the right of door 9. Door 9 is the door you have been using to enter the Extension Office.
3. We will come over the speaker and ask your name and why you are coming to the Extension Office. You will also need to show us an ID. You will not be let into the building without showing us some form of photo identification.
4.  We will then buzz you in.

Office Closure

The MSU Extension Cascade County office will be closed Monday, December 26 for the Christmas Holiday. We will reopen Tuesday, December 27.

Tiger Butte 4-H Club Community Service

The Tiger Butte 4-H Club recently assembled 25 Thanksgiving Treat Boxes for the Belt Food Bank. The boxes were given as part of the Thanksgiving Meal Baskets the Food Bank provides to families within the Belt community. Great job, Tiger Butte!

2023 Greytak Calendars

2023 Don Greytak calendars are now available at the Extension office! Calendars at $15 each, and all proceeds benefit the Cascade 4-H Foundation. The Foundation purchases all project books and provides travel and registration cost assistance to all Cascade County 4-H members and volunteer leaders.

Project Day

Registration for the January 7 Project Day will open on December 21 on ZSuite. Project Days are held on the first Saturday of the month through May.

Upcoming Project Day Workshops

Workshops are subject to change.
January 7 – Cloverbuds, Baking, Horse Diseases, Vaccinations, Etc., and Sewing
February 4 – Cloverbuds, Crochet, Cake Decorating, Livestock AI, Horse, and Sewing
March 4 – Cloverbuds, Cooking, Livestock Carcass, Horse, and Sewing
April 1 – Cat, Cloverbuds, Livestock Meat Cuts and Cooking, Horse, and Sewing
May 6 – Star Base STEM, Record Book Office Hours, Goat Milking and Cheese Making, Cloverbuds, and Sewing

Montana 4-H Leadership Academy

Join the Montana 4-H Leadership Academy workshop on Sunday afternoons in 2022/2023. The leadership academy is a network of Montana 4-H members interested in exploring and developing their own leadership skills while serving their county 4-H program in new ways. Each month the Montana 4-H Ambassador officer team members will be presenting a different workshop topic that they have found to be important as they have grown their own leadership abilities. This workshop should be paired with a local county leadership meeting to work on county projects that serve the local 4-H program and community.
Cascade County 4-H Ambassadors will be holding in person watch parties at the Extension office from 2:30-4:00. Snacks are provided! If you would like to join the Zoom meeting with the State Ambassadors, email Allyssa at [email protected] for the link.

Leadership Academy Dates

December 11
January 8
February 5
March 5

Foods Festival and Stir Ups Cooking Competition

Registration is now open for the Foods Festival and Stir-Ups Cooking Competition on ZSuite! This free event will take place at the Extension Office on January 23 starting at 5:15 pm. Registration is due by January 18 at 11:59pm.
The Foods Festival is a fun event for youth interested in the Foods and Nutrition projects. Youth can compete in either the cake decorating challenge, daily foods, table setting, or baked foods competitions. Regular members will talk with a judge about their entry and receive a ribbon placing. Cloverbuds will also talk to a judge, but they will receive a participation ribbon.

Stir-Ups is a cooking competition where youth create their own recipe for a predetermined dish. This year’s dish is soup! Youth have one hour to cook their dish, clean up, and give a presentation to the judges about their dish. Youth are judged on the taste and presentation of their dish, their ability to cook and clean up in the time provided, their ability to follow food safety rules, and their presentation. This is a Congress qualifying event for youth 13+ in 4-H years!

Montana 4-H Recreation (Rec) Lab

Save the date! The 2023 Montana 4-H Rec Lab will be held February 17-19 in Culbertson, MT! This event is open to all youth 13+ in 4-H years. More information will be available soon.

Marion Kay Spices

The Cascade County 4-H Interstate Exchange Group is selling Marion Kay Spices now through December 9! Make sure to talk to an Exchange member to pace your order for the holidays!

Montana 4-H Volunteer Institute

The Montana 4-H Leaders Council is excited to announce the Montana 4-H Volunteer Institute will be held in Billings, February 17-19, 2023. The Institute will feature educational and fun workshops, networking opportunities, and an amazing keynote speaker from Utah Extension. The Cascade 4-H Foundation has funds available to help cover registration, lodging, and travel costs. Registration for the event will open in December.

Montanans for 4-H Legislative Breakfast

The Legislative Breakfast is a statewide Montana 4-H event hosted by the Montanans for 4-H. This event depends on local county participation to bring informed youth and adult participants together with state legislators to communicate the impact 4-H has on their community and our state. This event is open to active 4-H members and volunteers that are interested in citizenship and sharing positive information about 4-H with statewide lawmakers. The event includes a breakfast with legislators on Tuesday, January 17 at 6:30am, and a practice dinner and training workshop Monday, January 16. Both events will take place in the ballrooms at the Delta Hotel in Helena. Registration for this event is open on ZSuite and is due January 4. The cost to attend is $30. Reach out to Allyssa at [email protected] if you have any questions about this event.

Montana 4-H 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, creating and debating bills, working with other youth from across the state, meeting with elected officials, touring the capitol, and participating in a service-learning project. Youth attending Citizenship Seminar will also attend the Legislative Breakfast. The Seminar will be held in Helena January 15-17. Registration is on ZSuite and is due January 4, 2023.

2023 Outbound International Exchange Programs for 4-H Youth

States’ 4-H Summer Outbound programs provide American 4-H youth with the opportunity to travel to foreign countries for a month-long cultural immersion experience. Delegates live with volunteer host families and engage in experiential learning about a new way of life. Delegates experience aspects of daily life that allow them to understand both their host culture and their own culture more deeply. Youth ages 12-18 may go to Japan and South Korea, and youth 15-18 may visit Costa Rica. Contact Allyssa at [email protected] for more information about these awesome opportunities!

Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting

The next meeting of the Cascade County 4-H Shooting Sports Leaders Committee will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2023. Topics of discussion will include discipline reports and live tournament planning.

Shooting Sports Instructor Trainings

Are you interested in teaching youth about firearm or archery skills and safety? The Montana 4-H Center has announced the dates for this year’s 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor trainings! The Cascade 4-H Foundation has funds available to help offset the cost of attending a training. Contact Allyssa at [email protected] or 406-454-6980 for more information about this opportunity.

2023 Instructor Trainings

April 2023 in Billings, MT: Archery, Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun
May 2023 in Logan, MT: Shotgun, Muzzle Loader, Hunting, and Western Heritage

Hunting Project Registration

Registration for Hunting Project meetings is now open in ZSuite! The Hunting Project will meet once a month December-June. More information on when and where meetings will take place will be communicated by the project leader after signing up. The cost for this project is $20. Youth must be 9+ 4-H years in age to participate.

2022-2023 Livestock and Horse Rule Books

The 2022-2023 Cascade County 4-H Livestock and Horse Rule Books are available at the MSU Extension Cascade County office. You will find (2022) after each new or revised rule or policy in the rule book. Contact Rose if you have questions on the rulebook at 406-454-6980.

Livestock Leaders Meeting

The next meeting of the Cascade County 4-H Livestock Leaders will be on Tuesday, January 3 at 7:00 pm at the Extension office. Picking a livestock judge, planning the livestock show and sale, sponsorships for the upcoming year, and other planning will be discussed.

Market Beef Weigh-In

The Cascade County 4-H Livestock Leaders award the top three steers with the highest average daily gain. First place is awarded $100, second $60, and third $40 at the 2023 Cascade County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale. The first weigh-in will be Sunday, January 15, 2023, at Western Livestock Auction (406 Vaughn S. Frontage Rd., Great Falls, MT, 59404) from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Times are strictly followed! 4-H members do not have to be present on January 15. The second weigh-in will be at the Cascade County 4-H Livestock Show on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Monies will be awarded on Saturday, July 8, 2023. Register by logging into ZSuite.

Baylee Herman, Circle S 4-H Club Completes NILE Merit Heifer Program

Cascade County 4-H member, Baylee Herman of Circle S 4-H Club recently competed with her heifer at the NILE in October. Baylee was a part of the NILE Merit Heifer program which “helps youth get a start in the beef cattle business by awarding heifer calves to project participants.” Here’s what Baylee had to say about the program, “As I completed the NILE Merit Heifer Program, I reflected on everything that the program has taught me. This program has taught me about the cattle industry, showmanship, herdsmanship, and so much more! I am very thankful for all the help and support I have gotten through the last year. I would like to thank the Sidwell ranch for donating the heifer to me. But most importantly I would like to thank my parents for their never-ending love and support. I have learned great things about the cattle industry. From breeding to nutrition to health to marketing. I started this program a little over a year ago. I applied to be a recipient, and, in the summer of 2021, I was connected with the Sidwell Ranch as my donor. I picked my heifer up in October and brought her home. I was ecstatic to finally have a cow. I then completed the monthly meetings, and monthly reports, along with keeping in touch with my donor. Finally, the NILE came, and I got to show her. I was nervous but so excited I would finally get my own cow and to start my own cattle herd. I placed third in the All-Other Breed class. I loved being a part of the NILE Merit Heifer program. I highly encourage 4H and FFA members to apply! Here is the link if you would like more information! https://www.thenile.org/p/events/livestock/meritheifer”

Beef Intent to Enter form and Ear Tags

Beef Intent to Enter Forms and ear tags are available at the Extension Office. Electronic copies of the Intent to Enter Forms can be requested from Rose by emailing [email protected]. Steers must be in possession by January 1, 2023 and have the assigned ear tag from the Extension Office in the animal’s left ear. There is a $10 entry fee for each market animal. 4-H members may intent to enter multiple animals per species. 4-H members may enter and sell a maximum of two species at the sale. Species options include market beef, market goat, market sheep, market swine, poultry meat pen of three, and rabbit meat pen of three. 4-H members cannot sell two hogs or two steers. 4-H members must declare specie(s), be enrolled in 4-H, and paid enrollment dues by October 31, 2022.

The Beef Intent to Enter Form must include a full body photo of the animal showing the ear tag so that it can be read and is due Wednesday, January 4, 2023 to the Cascade County Extension Office. Late entries will be issued a $25 late fee per animal. No entries accepted after January 11, 2023.

4-H Beef, Sheep, Goat, and Swine Selection and Feeding Workshop

The 4-H Beef, Sheep, Goat, and Swine Selection and Feeding Workshop will be on Saturday, January 14 at the MSU Cascade County Extension office from 9:00-11:00 a.m. 4-H members in Cascade, Meagher, Judith Basin, and Teton counties are welcome to attend. 4-H members will learn how to select and feed their market animal project for success and ultimate gain. Registration closes on January 13 at noon. Register by logging into ZSuite Events. Speakers include Courtnee Clairmont, CHS; Makayla Paul, MSU Meagher County Extension Agent; Tyler Lane, MSU Chouteau County Extension, and Rose Malisani, MSU Cascade County Extension Agent.

Selection and Feeding Workshop Schedule

Subject to change.

• 9:00-9:45 am – Livestock selection for beef, sheep, goat, and swine
•  9:50-10:20 am – Breakout Sessions
  • Sheep and Goat Feeding
  •  Beef Feeding
  • Swine Feeding
• 10:25-10:55 am – Breakout Sessions
  • Sheep and Goat Feeding
  • Beef Feeding
  •  Swine Feeding

Horse Leaders Meeting

The next meeting of the Cascade County 4-H Horse Leaders will be on Tuesday, January 3 at 5:30 pm at the Extension Office. Agenda items include planning for upcoming 4-H horse events such as project days, clinics, and Horse Camp.

Horse Workshops at the January 7 Project Day

Veterinarians, Elizabeth and Peter Jennings will present on the January project day about horse diseases, vaccines, blood drawing, and horse health. Time is 10:30 am to noon and will be very informative and educational. We’re hoping for good weather to have a horse available to draw blood and have a hands-on demonstration.

4-H CALENDAR

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and Montana State University Extension prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status.