The Spring 2013 4-H Paper Clover Campaign in partnership with Tractor Supply Company (TSC) is taking place May 8 – 19.  Now in its fourth year, the fundraiser allows TSC shoppers to purchase paper clovers for $1 at checkout.  In addition to the $1 Paper Clover, there will now be a $5 Paper Clover available which will be larger than the original.  Both $1 and $5 Paper Clovers will have a $1 or $2 Purina coupon attached available to customers when they make a donation to 4-H.

Paper Clovers are being sold at the 990 Tractor Supply Centers throughout the country to support 4-H.  In New York State 65 percent of the monies raised will be allocated to county 4-H programs and the NYS 4-H Foundation will receive ten percent of the funds raised.  In Fulton and Montgomery Counties there are two Tractor Supply Stores – one at 4584 State Highway 30 in Amsterdam and one at 27 Arterial Plaza in Gloversville.  Individuals are encouraged to shop TSC and buy a clover during this special promotion to support local 4-H youth development program activities.

To date, all TSC 4-H Paper Clover Promotions nationwide have raised a total of approximately $2,161,287. County 4-H programs have received approximately $1,296,772, state 4-H programs have received approximately $216,128 and National 4-H Council has received $648,386. The effort has provided support for 4-H clubs, school enrichment, after-school programs, special interest programs and other activities so youth can explore their interests in everything from animal science to robotics.  Monies from the 2012 TSC 4-H Paper Clover Campaigns helped partially underwrite expenses for Fulton/Montgomery 4-H members to participate in the 4-H Career Explorations Program at Cornell University and helped support the implementation of a two-day 4-H Veterinary Science program for local teens.

New Paper Clover Features

• 100% of Above Funds Raised Last Spring: Starting this spring promotion, counties who participate in-store during Paper Clover with some kind of activity (demonstration, tabling, etc.) and beats the funds raised at their store last spring, get to keep 100% of the funds raised above what that store raised in the spring 2012 Paper Clover promotion. The Amsterdam TSC raised $625 and the Gloversville TSC raised $715 during the 2012 Spring Campaign.
• $5 Paper Clover: In addition to the $1 Paper Clover, there will now be a $5 Paper Clover available for customers which will be larger than the original.
• Exclusive Purina Coupons: Both the $1 and $5 Paper Clovers will have a $1 or $2 Purina coupon attached available to customers when they make a donation to 4-H.
• $1,000 Regional Awards to States Who Average Highest Funds Raised: One winning state from each of the four 4-H regions will be selected to receive an award of $1,000 for being the top performing state by having the highest average amount of dollars raised. To be eligible, the state must have a minimum of at least 50% of their counties have 4-H participation in-store during Paper Clover.

For more information about participating view the whole article below.

4-H volunteers, leaders, parents, teachers, youth professionals are you looking to learn some fun and easy science activities to use with youth (grades 3-8) that were developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology? This fun, educational training will get you active and motivated for exciting hands-on science activities that teach youth about birds, the environment and citizen science.

On Saturday, June 29^th educators will gather for some fun learning about birds, their habitat and much more. Part of the day will involve exploring the Burbine forest looking for birds and their habitats. The event is from     9 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Charleston Municipal Building (480 Corbin Hill Rd. Charleston, NY 12166).  There is a $10 fee which includes lunch, snacks and handouts. Register by contacting the Cooperative Extension office at 673-5525, registrations are due on or before June 17^th. View the registration form below.

“Grow with 4-H” Recruitment Nights in Amsterdam, Canajoharie and Johnstown

Cornell Cooperative Extension in Fulton and Montgomery Counties will be hosting three “Grow with 4-H” 4-H recruitment nights. The first session will be held on Thursday, April 25 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Cooperative Extension Office, 50 East Main Street in Canajoharie. The next session will be held on Thursday, May 2 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Shirley J. Luck Senior Citizen Center, 109 East Main Street in Johnstown. The last session is scheduled on Thursday, May 9 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Amsterdam Free Library, 28 Church Street in Amsterdam. Youth and adult participants will have the opportunity to plant pillow packs with marigold seeds to take home, enjoy light refreshments and learn more about 4-H in Fulton and Montgomery Counties. 

Individuals planning to participate in one of the upcoming “Grow with 4-H” recruitment meetings are asked to pre-register with 4-H staff at Cornell Cooperative Extension by calling at 673-5525, ext. 113 or ext. 114 or e-mailing gad23@cornell.edu or lew9@cornell.edu.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is seeking youth members and adult volunteers to join the local 4-H youth development program and start new 4-H clubs. 4-H Youth Development Program Leader Linda Wegner will share information about 4-H membership opportunities for youth whether they be from rural, suburban or urban settings and will have samples of 4-H project materials on hand. 4-H youth members are able to enroll in projects that fit their interests. Traditional 4-H clubs are open to boys and girls ages 8 – 19 while 4-H cloverbud clubs are open to youth ages 5 – 8.  4-H clubs can have as few as five members or as many as the volunteer club leaders feel can be effectively included in the group. Independent 4-H membership is also available to youth ages 8-19.

Discount tickets to the Enchanted Forest Water Safari, New York’s largest water theme park, will be available from the Herkimer County 4-H Office for $20 per person. Bring your family and friends; and enjoy a day at the park for a discounted rate. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the Herkimer County 4-H Office; and used on August 1st in order to get this rate. Each person/family is responsible for their own transportation to and from Enchanted Forest.

Also available for $10 extra per person is an “all- you-can-eat” lunch buffet which includes: hamburgers, hot dogs, salt potatoes, tossed salad, potato chips, watermelon and unlimited all-day beverages. For those that choose to purchase the lunch option, you will have use of the reserved pavilion for the day to get out of the sun, store your stuff, etc.  Only those purchasing the lunch option will have access to the pavilion. Tickets will be on sale through July 24^th. Tickets must be paid for in full before they will be given out. Call Jenn Collins at (315)866-7920 with any questions. 

Anyone wishing to camp at Old Forge Camping Resort or stay at Water’s Edge Hotel Wednesday, July 31 and or Thursday, August 1 can receive a 10% discount by mentioning 4-H Day when you call and showing your membership card at check-in. Contact them directly for reservations. 

Enchanted Forest Water Safari is located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in Old Forge, New York. Physical address for GPS: 3183 State Route 28, Old Forge, NY 13420. The park is located less than an hour north of Utica, New York. Take the NYS Thruway (I-90) exit 31. Follow Rt. 12 North to Rt. 28 North to Old Forge.

Would you like to teach your dog obedience skills? Schoharie is hosting a dog obedience class for Schoharie, Otsego , and Fulton and Montgomery County youth who are at least 9 years old as of January 1, 2013. Dogs must be at least 6 months old and have current rabies vaccinations. Orientation for youth/parents (no dogs) will take place on Wednesday, April 24 at 6:30 pm at the Extension Center in Cobleskill. Classes will be held on Wednesdays at 6:30 starting May 1 and run through June 19. Pre-registration is required.  

The fee for the class is $55.00. For registration please contact the Schoharie County 4-H Office at 518-234-4303 or stop by the 4-H Office located at 173 South Grand St. Cobleskill. Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie & Otsego Counties is an equal opportunity program provider. Call 518-234-4303 to request assistance to participate in this program.

  Upcoming Dates for those needing re-evaluation or initial riding evaluations this spring are as follows.  All will be at the Indoor Arena at the Fonda Fairgrounds

May 11, 9-11 a.m. , May 23, 5-7 p.m., June 12, 5-7:30 p.m., July 30, 5-7 p.m.

  It is manditory to be evaluated prior to riding in a county wide event or activity such as the Fonda Fair, Bi-County Horse Show, or 4-H Horse Camp.  In addition, riders must be evaluated on every project horse they plan to ride and/or drive.  Contact Bonnie at the CCE office to schedule your evaluation. We need both what date you plan to attend and what time you plan to be there.  A copy of the riding evaluation form is available on this website.

 Come learn about a variety of topics related to poultry at the 4-H Regional Poultry School! The Poultry school will be on Saturday, May 4th from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County (24 Martin Rd. Voorheesville, NY 12186) Topics will include:  

• Incubators and Chick Hatching
• Housing for Poultry
• Laws and Ordinances for Towns
• Composting for the Garden
• Tips for Fitting and Showmanship
• Poultry Care and Feeding
• Chicken Care in Community Settings and more!!

   Please call the Albany County 4-H office at 518-765-3500 to register. There will be a pizza lunch available for purchase. In addition, there will be door prizes and giveaways! 

The Regional Hippology Contest

April 13, 2013

at the Albany County Extension in Voorheesville.

Registration on the day will start at 12:30 with the contest beginning at1:00pm.

Hippology Registration is due to Bonnie by April 8. 

We can send as many members as we would like in each division, and the top 3 scores will be used as your team tally.  Individuals may come and participate and will be eligible for individual awards and regional team selection.  New this year, there will be an opportunity for Novice Particiation, however Novices will not be scored and will not receive ribbons.

Novice- never participated before, non cloverbud and 13 years and under as of January 1^st

Juniors- non cloverbud and 13 years and under as of January 1^st

Seniors-14 years and older as of January 1^st

As in the past, New York State Hippology Rules will be followed with some modifications to the layout and point allocations to fit our regional needs.  For instance, there will not be a team problem.  The judging portion will be a DVD.

Agriculture Literacy Week is around the corner and New York Agriculture in the Classroom is pleased to announce another exciting opportunity. Laurie Krebs, author of this year's Agricultural Literacy Book, The Beeman, will be hosting a a virtual visit to classroom's around New York State. Krebs is a former elementary school teacher and accomplished author of many titles, and she will have a special guest, Bill - Bill is her husband, a beekeeper, and the inspiration behind the story!

The virtual author visit will take place on Wednesday, March 20th at 10am.

Krebs will talk about the book and beekeeping, and then she and Bill will be answering your student's questions about the book and about beekeeping.

If you would like your classroom to participate in this event, please use the link below to register. You will receive a link to connect to the Virtual Author Visit along with additional instructions.

Click here to register your classroom today!

NYAITC is so pleased to have Mr. and Mrs. Krebs joining us for this opportunity. We hope that your classroom can join in on the fun!