February 2015 - Cooke County Office

Volume 3, Issue 6
February 2015
The Cooke County
Clover Connection
The Extension Office will be
closed Monday, February 16 in
observance of President’s day.
AgriLife Extension Office
301. S. Chestnut
Gainesville, TX 76240
Phone: 940.668.5412
Fax: 940.668.5402
E-mail: pagriffin@ag.tamu.edu
COOKE COUNTY 4-H
Making the Best Better!
We are on the Web!
Continue to check the website
calendar for all the latest important 4-H dates. Go to www.cooke.agrilife.org From there,
you can click on “events” to view. The webpage gives options
to view the calendar as a list, by the month, week and day.
You can also scroll down to the right hand bottom of the
event view, click on “ICAL IMPORT MONTH’S EVENTS” and
can import the calendar to your smart phone!
Don’t forget to send us your club meeting minutes, pictures
or anything about what your clubs are doing. Getting the
news out about Cooke County 4-H helps our organization
grow as well as earning that all important community and
business support.
www.cooke.agrilife.org
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!
Wow...It’s hard to believe it is already time for another 4-H Livestock Show and Youth Fair. It is
THAT busy time of the year — IT’S
SHOW TIME — once again! I just
want to say to each and every one
of you … Good Luck! And remember to play by the rules, be a good
sport, keep your grades up, be
good to your animals, but most of
all let your parents know how
much you love them and how
much you appreciate all that they
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Club Contact Info &
Extension Office Info
2
4-H Livestock Show
3
Save the Date
4
Scholarships
4
Barn Talk
5
The Winner’s Circle
6-7
Birthday in a Box
8
Horticulture
8
Refashion & Teen
Retreats
9
February Spotlight
10
Calendar of Events
11
do for you … not only during
show season, but all year
long!!
Happy Valentine’s
Day!
Until next time - Phyllis
Phyllis A. Griffin
pagriffin@ag.tamu.edu
940-668-5416 or 940-7273491
Each year, 4-H’ers have the opportunity to display their talents
in the Share the Fun competition.
There are six different categories
that contestants can compete in
which are: poetry/prose, vocal,
musical, solo/band performance,
choreographed routine & celebrate 4-H.
In 2014, Cooke County’s share
the fun act titled “ Celebrate
4-H—Kook Kounty Fair” qualified
for state competition at the annual 4-H Roundup held in College
Station at Texas A&M University
campus. Team members Sarah
McCormick, William Lewis,
Catlyn Schumacher, Grant Wilson,
Victoria Smith, Stephanie Pitzinger,
Jordan Hale and Davis Grant placed
2nd at the state competition.
This year’s acts are in the early stages of planning countywide. The
county competition will be held on
April 11 at NCTC with entries due
April 2. Winners advance to the district competition which will be May
2 at the Texas A&M Commerce
campus. District winners advance to
state competition which will be held
during 4-H Roundup June 8—12. Be
sure to contact your club manager if
you are interested in learning more
about this fun contest.
Extension Office Contact Information
4-H & Youth Development
Family & Consumer Science
Agriculture & Natural Resources
County Extension Agent
County Extension Agent
County Extension Agent
Phyllis A. Griffin
Angel Neu
Marty Morgan
940-668-5416 or 940-727-3491
940-668-5412
940-668-5413
pagriffin@ag.tamu.edu
adneu@tamu.edu
marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu
Page 2
THE COOKE COUNTY CLOVER CONNECTION
28
bits Club Mtg.
26
Cooke County Youth Fair
27
Food Show Practice
@ 6:00 pm
Sharpshooters Club
Mtg.
Officer Mtg. 4:30
Practice
4:30-6:30pm
19Food Challenge 20 County Council 21
Livestock Show @
Fairgrounds
14 4-H
13
Dallas
7Ag ID Contest in
Administrative Assistant: Kelly Huston 940.668.5412 kelly.huston@ag.tamu.edu
24 Reckless Rab- 25
Carolyn Kilpatrick | 940-768-9916 | dkck@ntin.net
23
Monica Grant | 940-390-5283 | MMendezGrant@mail.twu.edu
22
Valley View
District Lock-in
Bernadette Trammell | 940-768-8356 | bernadettejmiller@yahoo.com
Lindsay Club Mtg.
Laura Eastman | 940-902-7815 | 4sharpshooters@usa.com
Meeting @ 6:30 pm
Sharpshooters
fice Closed
President’s Day
Holiday
Yvonne & Ronnie Sicking | 940-736-9006 | ysichler@yahoo.com
16 Extension Of- 17 Club Managers 18
Katy Smith | 817-980-0147 | katysmith800@gmail.com
Challenge D-4 Entry
Deadline
Red River
15 Food Show &
Pennye Taylor | 940-902-9163 | chrstnmom2004@yahoo.com
Horticulture Validation
Shelley Ruland | 940-206-0007 | kstruland@hotmail.com
Valley View Club Mtg.
Reckless Rabbit
Horticulture Validation
Zonya Klement | 940-759-2972 | ztklement@ntin.net
Muenster Club Mtg.
Cathy Dangelmayr | 940-759-4711 | cdangelmayr@ntin.net
tang Club Mtg
(business)
Muenster
12Midnight Mus-
Robin Levison | Robin.Levison@basicenergyservices.com
Mtg.
Lori Nixon | 903-332-1829 | loridnixon@gmail.com
9Livestock Club Mtg. 10 Red River Club 11
Amy McCormick |940-765-9633 | eaksmccormick@gmail.com
8
Midnight Mustang
new County Ag
Agent
Donna Corcoran | dmcorcoran@ntin.net
6 Meet & Greet
Billie Becker | 940-736-8976 | billiebecker@msn.com
5
Elizabeth Huchton | 940-284-1111 | ehuchton@gmail.com
Practice
4:30-6:30pm
Laura Fisher | 940-736-7206 | fisher7070@att.net
3 Food Challenge 4
Lindsay
2
Kristie Hellinger | 940-902-4506 | kristie.hellinger@gmail.com
1
Billie Paschal | 940-634-2575 | paschals@ntin.net
Sat
Era
Fri
Beverly Fleitman | 940-727-8053 | bevfleitman@ntin.net
Thu
Livestock Club
Wed
Beverly Fleitman | 940-727-8053 | bevfleitman@ntin.net
Tue
Agriculture Junkies
Mon
CLUB MANAGER(S)
Page 11
Sun
CLUB NAME
February Calendar of Events
2014-15 Club Manager Contact Information
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6
Page 3
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6
4-H Show Belt
Buckles & Jackets!
Tony & Edie Tolar with their children: Chloe, Owen & Truett
For the past 15 years, the Tolar family has resided in Cooke County, managing the A-1 Land & Cattle Ranch just west of Muenster. Last fall, A-1 Land & Cattle dispersed their Red Angus herd. This
month, the family will move back home to their original roots in Mississippi, where Tony will be
working for a cattle operation.
Tony and Edie along with their children have been involved as 4-H members and leaders in Cooke
County. A-1 Land & Cattle was a premier Red Angus breeder and their success at the stock shows
proved time and time the quality cattle that were being produced and raised.
We, here at the County Extension Office, would like to thank the Tolar Family for their friendship,
hard work and wish them nothing but the best as they begin a new chapter in their lives. They are a
true representation of the 4-H motto, “To Make the Best Better” and will forever hold a near and
dear place in our hearts.
Page 10
THE COOKE COUNTY CLOVER CONNECTION
Due to the generosity of sponsors, we are very happy to announce that all Grand and
Reserve Champions of each species division at the 4-H show will receive one of the
belt buckles pictured! Additionally, showmanship winners in the Junior and Senior Division of each species will also be awarded a custom embroidered jacket.
Special thanks to these sponsors: Aaron Fleitman, George Silk, First State Bank, Cooke
County Beef Cattle Improvement Association, Becker Dairy, Circle N Dairy, Fuhrmann
Dairy, Drew Springer, Terry & Marci Gilbert, Smith Feed, Sharpshooters 4-H Club, Taco Casa, Martindale Feed Mill, Cooke County Medical Society, Advanced Pedestals Inc.,
Phil’s Collision, Paul Bartush, Texas Star Embroidery, Independence Equine & Small Animal Clinic, Cliffo & Gayle Odom, Chicken Express, Landmark Bank, Shirley Paclik, Rudy
Paclik, Kenneth & Shelley Ruland, The Grant Family, B-29 Investments, Friends of Kanita
Maxwell, Acme Cleaners & Gainesville Glass
SAVE THE DATES FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS
IMPORTANT MANAGER/OFFICER MEETINGS
Please mark your calendars
County 4-H Council Officers
February 20
March 20
April 17
(Meeting times are 4:30 pm @ the Extension Office)
County 4-H Club Managers
February 17
March 31
April 21
May 19
(Meeting times are 6:30 pm @ the Extension Office)
Page 4
Texas 4-H Youth Development Program Opportunity Scholarships are
ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS awarded each year to applicants based on
their academic record, 4-H experience, and financial need. The Texas 4H Youth Development Opportunity
Scholarship Program is conducted in
coordination with the Texas
4-H
Youth Development Program, the
Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. All applications must be
submitted through the applicant’s
county Extension office and meet all
criteria to be considered.
Important Dates To Remember:
February 6, 2015 Applications due
to District Office
District 4-H Food Show & Challenge
March 6 @ TAMU Commerce
Senior Photography Contest
March 13 Photo list due/March 23 entry due
Duds to Dazzle
March 20 County/ April 18 District
4-H Day @ State Capitol
March 25
Share the Fun
April 11 @ NCTC County Contest
Entries Due April 2
County Fashion Show
March 29 1:00-4:30 @ Wheeler House
Entries Due March 24
County Educational Presentation/Public
Speaking Contest
April 1/Entry Deadline March 26
District Round-Up
May 1—2 @ TAMU Commerce
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6
Page
4-H’ers Attend Re-Fashion Retreat
Educational sessions conducted by members of the
Texas 4-H clothing & textiles youth advisory board,
fashion industry experts & Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service were attended by Cooke County 4H Members and adult volunteers this past month.
Caitlyn Taylor & Carly Watson along with a Collin
County 4-Her were accompanied by 4-H Extension
Agent Phyllis Griffin & Adult volunteer
Pennye Taylor. They attended the 2 day
retreat at the Texas 4-H Center in Brownwood—designed to provide 4-H members
an opportunity to receive the most current
information on new categories within the
fashion review of the 4-H clothing project.
The girls engaged in hands-on skills assessments, workshops increasing knowledge &
developing skills for re-fashioning garments
and for shopping on a limited budget.
Additionally, the girls learned about Good
Samaritan Ministries and the volume of
clothing donated to their thrift store in
Brownwood. In a field trip exercise, the 4H’ers visited the thrift store and made purchases toward an outfit with a $25 budget.
They then “re-fashioned” their purchase and
shared their craftsmanship during a style show
held the last day of the retreat.
February 20, 2015 Applications due
to State 4-H Office
April 10, 2015 Interview selection
notification
May 1-3, 2015 Interviews in Austin,
Texas
June 9, 10, & 11, 2015 Awards Assembly in College Station
Sandy Yarbrough Scholarship
If you are an active 4-H member and will
be graduating from high school in 2015,
be sure to contact Phyllis Griffin for details to apply for the Sandy Yarbrough
scholarship. You must also be a participant in the upcoming Cooke County
Youth Fair.
THE COOKE COUNTY CLOVER CONNECTION
State level leadership experience is valuable to 4-H
members on so many levels. January 9-11, two of
Cooke County 4-H’s Council Officers attended a teen
retreat at the Texas 4-H Center in Brownwood.
Grant Wilson and Gabriella Hellinger spent the weekend exploring new & revised projects and curricula
resources. Sessions included: Vet Science, Dog Project, STEM, Food Challenge, Fuel up to Play 360 &
Leadership. Through their experience, they will be
able to return to Cooke County an implement many
of the ideas and skills learned.
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6
What started as a community
service project at state 4-H
Roundup five years ago, has
evolved into a continuing community service project for
Cooke County 4-H’ers.
“Birthday in a Box” serves the
needy— young and old in
Cooke County thru VISTO.
The idea behind the concept is
to provide someone a box full
of all the necessities for a
birthday. Items include cake
mix, frosting, party supplies,
toys, candles—enough for eight
people.
It is estimated that approximately
250 “Birthday in a Box” kits have
been assembled by Cooke County
4-H’ers to date.
HORTICULTURE
Validation for those wishing to participate in the horticulture project will take place Monday, February 9th
from 5-7 pm at the Cooke County Fairgrounds. 4H’ers need to bring their plants and they will be provided paperwork that evening. Plants will be grown
and cared for until the contest which will be held on
March 23 at the AgriLife Extension Office. For further
information you can contact Beverly Fleitman at 940727-8053 or the office at 940-668-5412.
Page 8
Page
4-H Show Schedule—Saturday, February 14, 2015
 Show begins promptly @ 10:00 am. There will be two show rings. Ring #1 will show in the
following order: Sheep, Goats & Swine. Ring #2 will show in the following order: Dairy
Cattle and Beef Cattle. A third show area near the North Door will be for poultry. The
Rabbit Show will take place near the concession stand.
 Registration & Check-In
9:00 am for Beef Cattle, Sheep, Dairy Cattle & Poultry
9:30 am for Goats
10:30 am for Swine & Rabbits
Youth Fair Schedule—Monday thru Saturday, February 23-28, 2015
 Arrival & Check-In
Swine 5:00—8:00 pm Monday, February 23 @ Callisburg FFA Show Barn
All FCS Entries Noon—5:00 pm February 23 @ First State Bank Conference Center
Equine 8:00 am February 25 @ NCTC Arena
Sheep 8:00 am February 26 @ Muenster FFA Show Barn
Goats 9:00 am February 26 @ Muenster FFA Show Barn
Rabbits 8:30 am February 27 @ Valley View FFA Show Barn
Poultry 8:00 am February 27 @ Valley View FFA Show Barn
Beef Cattle 9:00 am February 27 @ Valley View FFA Show Barn
Shop Projects Noon February 27 @ Valley View FFA Show Barn
 Show Schedule
February 24—FCS Judging @ 9:30 am (3:00-7:00 viewing)
February 24—Breeding Swine @ Noon followed by Market Swine
February 25—Equine @ 9:00 am
February 25—FCS Viewing 9:30 am-2:00 pm; Pick up FCS Entries 2:00-4:00 pm
February 26—Breeding Sheep @ Noon followed by Market Lambs
February 26—Dairy/Breeding Meat Goats @ 2:00 pm followed by Meat Goats
February 27—Breeding Poultry @ 8:30 am followed by Broilers
February 27—Breeding Rabbits @ 9:30 am followed by Meat Rabbits
February 27—Shop Projects @ 1:00 pm
February 27—Market Steers followed by Breeding Beef
REMINDER: All 4-Her’s MUST BE ACADEMICALLY ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN
BOTH THE 4-H SHOW AND THE YOUTH FAIR. THE EXTENSION OFFICE WILL BE
VERIFYING ELIGIBILITY.
THE COOKE COUNTY CLOVER CONNECTION
5
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6
Page
Dairy Judging Results—Stock Show & District IV Contests
Owen Tolar with his family and Grand Champion Red
Angus Female of the Jr. Beef Heifer Show in Ft. Worth
Nathan Sutton participating in
showmanship with his chicken at
the Ft. Worth Stock Show
The Cooke County 4-H Dairy judging teams competed at the Ft. Worth Stock Show this past month.
There were two teams—Junior and Senior.
Junior team members Tanner Corcoran, Alison Becker, Anna Marie Becker and Amelia Becker
placed second in reasons. They were also the overall 9th place team. Individually, Tanner Corcoran
was 4th high scoring individual.
Senior Team members Laura Dill, Laura Wyrick and Theresa Wyrick placed 8th overall as a team.
In addition to the Stock Show competition, the contest also served as district IV 4-H’s contest.
Once again, the Junior team was 2nd place overall. Tanner Corcoran was the high scoring individual,
Alison Becker 6th, Anna Marie Becker 7th and Amelia Becker 8th.
The Senior team was 1st overall with Laura Dill earning the high individual scoring award. Laura
Wyrick was 2nd and Theresa Wyrick 3rd.
Dairy judging is a comparative evaluation of cattle in which animals are ranked based on their closeness to “ideal” dairy conformation. 4-Hers competing in this contest learn how to recognize traits,
name the parts of a cow and how to describe differences between animals. Many life skills are gained
through the dairy judging experience. These include observation, decision-making, and public speaking
skills.
The Cooke County 4-H Dairy Judging teams are coached by Wayne Becker and assisted by Michael
Becker and Cecilia Fuhrmann.
Kamden Crisp with her family and Division Reserve
Champion Charolais Female of the Jr. Beef Heifer Show
in Ft. Worth
Cooke County 4-Her’s had an outstanding run at the Ft. Worth Stock
Show with their livestock projects! Congratulations to Owen Tolar of
the Muenster 4-H Club. Owen’s Red Angus Heifer was selected as the
GRAND CHAMPION! Chloe Tolar, sister to Owen, had a Reserve
Division Champion in the Red Angus Breed. Another Cooke County
4-Her, Kamden Crisp of the Valley View 4-H Club showed her
Charolais heifer and was selected as the Reserve Division Champion.
Jon Hess of Muenster 4-H placed 5th with his Charolais heifer.
In the Poultry Show, Nathan Sutton, member of the 4-H Livestock Club
placed 6th in showmanship. Nathan also showed 4 different varieties of
Old English Chickens. He placed 1st with his Blue Wheaton Best Variety
& Silver Blue Best Variety. Nathan also took home a 3rd & 4th place
with his Lemon Blue hens. Congratulations to everyone on a job well
done!
Page 6
THE COOKE COUNTY CLOVER CONNECTION
Junior Dairy Judging Team members Tanner
Corcoran, Alison Becker, Anna Marie Becker and
Amelia Becker with their 2nd place ribbons at the
Tanner Corcoran with his
high scoring individual award
Senior Dairy Judging team members Theresa Wyrick, Laura
Dill and Laura Wyrick with Coach Wayne Becker
7