Iowa State University Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.

PO Box 456, 200 Dodge Street, Keosauqua, IA 52565 | 319-293-3039 | M-W 8-4:30 TH 8-2 FR 8-4:30 Learn more at www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/vanburen

Member News

County Happenings

New for You

Beyond the County

Leader Tidbits

Clover Kids

County Fair Updates

Rules Reminders

Project Corner

4-H Online

Club Information

Classifieds

Dates to Remember

WHAT’S INSIDE: Happy New Year!! 4-H That is!!

Kaye Gilbert VAN BUREN COUNTY EXTENSION County Youth Coordinator kayeg@iastate.edu 319-293-3039

VAN BUREN COUNTY EXTENSION

Kaye

Where has the time gone!?!

I feel we have had a great year! We have done some new activities, tried

some things that worked and some that didn’t. The membership has had a

successful year not only in county activities but also out of county activities. I

am extremely proud of the membership and all you have accomplished this

year.

I have some major goals for myself for the new year. In 2010 we had the

highest increase in membership for the state at 45%. In 2011 we are holding

steady on membership numbers and made wonderful improvements in

several areas. In 2012, my goal is to attract new members, increase our

membership by 10% , increase activities we have to offer and to be a bigger

help to our outgoing senior level members by digging for more resources

for them to receive funding for college! Happy New YEAR!!!!

Van Buren’s September

4-H Messenger

OUR VISION A WORLD IN WHICH YOUTH & ADULTS LEARN, GROW,

& WORK TOGETHER AS CATALYSTS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

Member NEWS

Van Buren Members Win 4-H Stitch This

Tyra Watson & Patricia Townsend participated in the

4-H Stitch This contest held at the Iowa State Fair.

Their team won first place, The Golden Needle

Award. Their dress will be produced for the 2012

Prom Season and they each won a $500 scholarship

to Iowa State University Human Sciences division.

Congratulations Girls—You Did Wonderful!!

Our Junior and Senior Livestock Teams participated in

the State Livestock Judging Competition in Ames

August 27. Andrew Whitaker placed 6th overall in the

for the Senior Division out of 77 individuals. The Senior

Team, Christopher Boley, Tyler Runyon, Marshall

Stevens and Andrew Whitaker, placed 10th out of 20

teams.

Tommee Pelky took First Place Overall Individual in the

junior division. She also had 2nd in questions and 3rd in

the placings division. Jacinta Wenke was 3rd Overall

Individual Junior and placed 2nd in the placings. Joy

Westercamp had high score in the Swine. Out of nine

teams, the Van Buren Team of Christopher DeJong,

Jacinta Wenke, Grace Westercamp and Joy Westercamp

placed 3rd in Swine, 4th in Beef and 4th Overall for the

competition.

The team overall has had a really good season. As of the printing of this article the circuit

standings were being reviewed, but the unofficial results have Grace Westercamp as 2nd,

Joy Westercamp as 3rd and the Junior Team of Grace, Joy and Jacinta as 4th on the Junior

Circuit. Marshall Stevens was 10th in the senior division and the senior team, Christopher

Boley, Marshall Stevens and Andrew Whitaker, were 5th on the Senior Circuit. What a great

year for Livestock Judging! Great Job Everyone!!

VAN BUREN MEMBERS PERFORM WELL AT AMES

MISSION STATEMENT

4-H EMPOWERS YOUTH TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL

WORKING AND LEARNING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CARING ADULTS

Roberts Building 7-9pm

I need volunteers to help with booths as well as some creativity

building a couple booths. Please contact me if you are interested. This

will be our big recruitment activity for the year. Members will be open

to bring at least 1 guest as long as they are in grades K-12. There is a

possibility we will open it up to more. There will be 10 activity booths

and the Monster Mash Mess Hall. Please call, email or phone me on my

cell if you will be available to help!

Halloween Carnival—October 15

County Happenings

The meal will begin at 6:30 with the awards ceremony starting promptly at 7pm. The meal is

a coop supper. Extension will provide the meat and buns. Club responsibilities will include;

set up, drinks, etc. Set up will be the evening before.

A couple things are different this year with Awards Night. Sponsors will have a chair up on

stage for the ceremony. Also, we will not have side chairs. As awards are read, members

who receive those awards will come to the stage. This will replace asking a group of kids

coming to the side of the stage for the reading of several awards. I didn’t feel this process

saved that much time and it only made things more congested, confusing and more chance of

making an error.

Awards Night—November 5th

Due to Labor Day weekend, we will be having a county council meeting Wednesday

September 7 at 6:30 pm at the Extension Office. If you are in grades 9-12 and interested in

joining council, please be sure to attend. Regular meeting times for the year will be 1st

Sundays of the Month, 6:30 at the Extension Office. The only items to effect this meeting time

will be holidays and preset 4-H activities. For example, awards night is the first weekend of

November, therefore, we may have a youth council meeting on Friday night or briefly

Saturday afternoon instead of meeting again on Sunday afternoon.

The agenda for Wednesday will include National 4-H week and the Halloween Carnival.

Youth Council Meeting—Wednesday September 7

BE SURE TO JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

Vanburen Fourh Coordinator

NEW FOR YOU

The Wildlife Adventurers will be holding their next meeting September 10, 10am at Ro & Troy

Scheuermann’s Lake to enjoy a morning of fishing. At that meeting, the date and time will be

set for the October meeting which will be to go canoeing on Indian Lake. If you are interested

in joining the Wildlife Adventurers please be sure to contact Emily Neeley or Kaye Gilbert. If

you have a friend that would be interested in joining 4-H and this club, be sure to give them the

information. Wildlife Adventurers can be someone’s primary club if they are only interested in

those activities.

Want to Fish or Canoe?

The Barnstormers are going to meet the

2nd Sunday of the month at 2pm in the

Stockport Methodist Church with Kaye

Gilbert as leader. If you know anyone in

the Stockport area that is interested in

joining the club, please be sure to give

me a call.

The Barnstormers—New Stockport Club

Saturday September 17

Extension Office

10am—3pm

Come anytime during that time frame to receive help on your record book,

pick up forms or get help putting your book together.

Record Book Work Session

HELP WANTED: during National 4-H Week, October 3-8th. I will be going into Van Buren &

Harmony Elementary schools for an assembly. I would like some of our older 4-H members

to help me with that as well as some our State Fair Exhibitors & some of their projects that

went to the state fair. Tommee has already agreed to do her puppet show as part of the

presentation.

I will also need help on October 8. We are going to put a float in the Forest Craft Festival

parade and have activities in the front yard. I will need a hay rack, truck or tractor to pull it

and bodies to decorate and ride it. Please phone the office, email me or call me on my cell to

see what you can do to help the program during this very busy week!!

Activities for National 4-H Week

The Winchester Renegades are going to

meet the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the

month at 7pm at their leaders, Heather &

Kelly Kennedy’s residence. If you know

anyone in the Birmingham area that is

interested in joining their club, please

be sure to give them a call.

Winchester Renegades—New Birmingham Club

KEEP INFORMED at www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/vanburen

Successful Year at Iowa State Fair

Our county had a great year at the Iowa State Fair.

In addition to the 4-H Stitch This contest, we had

members win special awards on their static exhib-

its.

Gabe Tedrow was selected for the 4-H Gallery

Award for his photograph. His picture will hang in

the 4-H building for the next year.

Alena Whitaker won a $500 scholarship and recognition by the

ISU College of Agriculture for her Bananas for Bio-fuel exhibit.

Her exhibit will be present at Ames for a year also.

Makayla Green, Joshua Wenke, Grace Westercamp and Joy

Westercamp all did Educational Presentations receiving recogni-

tions. Alison Dickinson and Tommee Pelky participated in the

Share the Fun contest as well.

Some of our members also participated in the animal divisions. Tommee Pelky participated in

the Dog Show receiving 3 blues. She also participated in the Poultry Show receiving Reserve

Champion Mediterranean Cockerel, 3 blues and 6 reds. Tyler and Thayne Runyon also partici-

pated in the Poultry Show receiving blues for their entries.

Grace & Joy Westercamp participated in the Rabbit Show. Joy won Best Single Fryer, Supreme

Champion Market Rabbit, champion novice showmanship receiving a purple ribbon, plaque

and trophy belt buckle as well as 3rd place with her presentation “The JOY of Eating Rab-

bit”. Grace won reserve champion intermediate showmanship, first place in educational

presentations and her poster “ Why Raise Rabbits?” won top honors in the animal science

poster division. Joy was named the Novice Livestock Producer and Grace was named the In-

termediate Livestock Producer.

And we did not receive one white ribbon on any static exhibits ! Great Job Everyone!!

Beyond the County

4-H PLEDGE I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty,

my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club,

my community, my country, and my world.

Fall Leaders Meeting

October 5th, 6:30 Extension Office

Record Books Due October 3

Bring any Record Books Turned in

with you to the Meeting.

Since the 1st falls on a Saturday, record books are due to the office or your leader on

Monday, October 3. All necessary paperwork is available on the web as well as in the

office.

If you haven’t already got it, please be sure to check with your leaders or at the office to

get your new year packet with all the awards applications and new year information in it.

Record Books - Due October 3!

LEADER TIDBITS Be sure to read the

newsletter, emphasize

reading the newsletter

to your members & go

through upcoming

events with your club

members at your

monthly meeting.

If you have your new year packet and there is a Clover Kid in your household, there should be a

Hot Pink application in your envelope for Darby’s Gift. For those of you that knew Darby, pink and purple were her signature colors and she had a love

for animals and the little ones. Stuart and I felt a better gift in her memory would be something

to help a Clover get started in 4-H with the animals. Stuart will be building a hutch and then we

will provide the feeding and water supplies, a bag of feed and a critter of choice—rabbit or

chicken. Our thoughts were to provide the supplies at awards night, but the animal with feed in

the spring.

The Clover must tell us in their own words why they want or feel they should receive the gift

and Mom or Dad must sign the application as permission to allow the gift.

Darby always liked seeing someone get a helping hand to start up in something they wouldn’t

always be able to do on their own. This will be Darby’s gift to someone to get started.

4-H PLEDGE I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty,

my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club,

my community, my country, and my world.

The Herdsman Award

will be announced at Awards

Night & the checks

presented at that time.

County Fair Updates

Herdsman Award

I enjoy getting feedback from the membership on items or areas they feel things need

improvement or corrections. That is the only way we can make things better!

Now is the time, while fair is still fairly fresh in your brain, to suggest changes or

improvements. If there is something you feel needs to be addressed but do not have a

suggestion on how to correct, please let me know about it anyway. If you have suggestions on

how to improve, please notify me of that as well.

Things can’t change for the better if I don’t know about it. I have already received requests on

various things. Some of the items I was already addressing, some I was not.

It is very important to me the membership have input into various areas. Please feel free to

email, call or mail me suggestions. I want to hear them!

Suggestions?!? Anyone?!?

Congratulations to

All our Winners!

But

GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!

You should all be proud!!

Mark Your Calendars!

Weigh In Dates have been tentatively set!

Beef Weigh In—Wednesday, December 28

Swine Weigh In—Saturday, April 7

Sheep/Goat Weigh In—Saturday, May 5

All weigh ins will begin at 9:00 am.

If any of these dates change, I will immediately notify the membership.

BE SURE TO JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

Vanburen Fourh Coordinator

We are looking a couple schedule changes to make things a little easier for everyone for the

coming year. The communications will be moving. It will no longer be held on exhibit judging

day, but the actual spot has not been secured at this time.

The Rabbit and Poultry shows will be getting separated. Those times have not been secured at

this time either.

The Dog & Cat/Pet Show seemed to work very well in its new spot. The dogs seemed calmer to

not have the animals there or loud noises during the show.

If anyone has any suggestions, please be sure to let me know.

Schedule & Show Changes

Rules Reminders

I feel everyone did quite well this year with the rules and policies. Sometimes there are just a

few things that need to be reminded. The only one I feel needs to be reminded is the attire as

I put in last month. This is a reprint from last month;

I think there was one rule in particular that not everyone read AND it is in the book in 3

places. The rule states:

All exhibitors are required to wear the white 4-H/FFA t-shirts provided by the fair board

with blue jeans (NO shorts) and full shoes (NO Sandals or flip flops)

Almost everyone had the t-shirt, but I had to remind a few regarding the NO shorts, NO

Sandals and NO flip flops. I had to remind in the Roberts Building and Livestock Sale. The

rule is printed as #3 in the General Rules, #11 in the Livestock Sale Rules and #1 in the

Exhibit Hall Rules.

Next year, you will not be allowed to be judged or sell until you are in the proper attire!

2012 Van Buren County Fair

July 15-23, 2012

We are still missing 3 Medium Harnesses.

The Numbers are 10M, 17M and 20M.

Please check your show boxes & trucks.

We need them back.

OUR VISION A WORLD IN WHICH YOUTH & ADULTS LEARN, GROW,

& WORK TOGETHER AS CATALYSTS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

I took pictures of a few exhibits at the state fair for ideas to help the membership. There are

so many things members may do as projects, but just don’t think about it. I would be more

than happy to share those photos to anyone in the membership. There are fewer of them so I

can easily email them to a family.

If there are certain things you are doing in school, you may be able to put it in a particular

class and display it at the Van Buren County Fair.

Be sure to go to the tip sheets at www.extension.iastate.edu/4h

PROJECT CORNER

In your new year packets, there will not be a re-enrollment sheet unless I knew you did not have

any access to internet at all. If you have internet, you will be able to activate yourself for the new

year, select your project areas & identify your non-market animals. If you are a current

member, you already have a record in 4-H Online so you don’t have to create a new one…...

just go in and activate the existing one. This record will have your award history, project .

information and whatever activities you have been in.

I will be having some workshops this fall on how to use 4-H Online. I may also be making some

visits to club meetings after the new year rolls over to help anyone I can there.

Activate Your Profile for the 2011-2012

Year on September 16th at

https://iowa.4honline.com

Do we have your current email?

If not, please notify the office with your correct email!!

I communicate a lot via email and facebook.

If you have email, you will not only get your newsletter quicker,

but you will also get a lot valuable information quicker.

Parents: Put the kid’s email in their individual personal record as well.

The member will get communication too!! Coming soon to 4-H Online, the ability to send out a mass text message!

Could get a reminders such as “Beef Weigh in Tomorrow at 9am”

Heather Hatton—President

Joshua DeJong—Vice President

Tiffany Beggs—Secretary

Sarah Wells—Treasurer

Wayne Mast—Historian

Ali Hamburg—Historian

2010-2011 VAN BUREN COUNTY YOUTH COUNCIL

Dylan Coffman

Travis Duke

Tyler Runyon

Marshall Stevens

Patricia Townsend

Andrew Whitaker

Hannah Wells

Joshua Wenke

Samantha Westercamp

Van Buren County Clubs

FRIENDLY FOUR

CORNERS BLAZING TRAILS

Rachel Smith

Steve Duke

2nd Wednesday, 7:00-9:00 pm

Extension Office

Michelle Wenke

Darrell Kruse

2nd Sunday, 2:00-4:00 pm

Lebanon Church

Wayne Coffman

Heather Winslow

2nd Sunday, 3:00 pm

Coffman Residence, Douds

Carolyn Pelky

Tommee Pelky Junior Leader

2nd Monday from 3:30-5 pm

Harmony Elementary

Norma Whitaker

Carolyn Pelky

Tony & Peggy Stevens

2nd Tuesday, 7:00-9:00 pm

Harmony High School

Randy Gates

1st Friday, 6:00 pm

Douds Community Center

LIVEWIRES

JOLLY TRIO JOLLY TRIO CLOVERS

NORTH STARS NORTHERN LIGHTS

Kathy Countryman

1st Wednesday, 7:00 pm

Birmingham Lions Club

Sheri Moore

2nd Monday, 7:00-9:00 pm

Douds Community Center

Raymond & Connie Morris

Harry Grabowski

Dave & Tammy Hoaglin

Melvin Green

Mike Mitchell

Matt Platt

Becky Whitaker

Will Whitaker

John Woodruff

3rd Sunday Location & Time

TBA

SHARP

SHOOTERS

Emily Neeley

Kaye Gilbert

1st Saturday 10:00 am -12 pm

Location TBA

WILDLIFE

ADVENTURERS

HORSESHOE BEND

BARNSTORMERS

Kaye Gilbert

2nd Sunday, 2:00 pm

Stockport Methodist Church

Heather & Kelly Kennedy

2nd & 4th Tuesday, 7:00 pm

Kennedy Residence

WINCHESTER

RENEGADES

Bold & Underlined

Main Organizational Leader

KEEP INFORMED at www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/vanburen

CLASSIFIEDS

WANTED: Approximately 60 square bales of straw or hay for use during the Halloween Carnival. Will rent or buy. Contact the office for more information

For Sale—Colt: 16 Month Old. Quarter Horse. Broke to Lead. Needs more ground work. Would make a perfect 4-H project. Dam is registered Dun, Sire is Registered Paint. Have not papered at this time. $175. Call or email Kaye.

FOR SALE OR TRADE

WANTED: Volunteers to help create, put up booths and work booths at the Halloween Carnival. The content of the booths are already selected. Please call or email Kaye!

For Sale—Frames: Various sizes and designs. Some with glass, some without. 5x7 up to 11x14. Some are old. Great for matting photos, art, or needlework. $1 a piece or will negotiate a price for the pile. Call or email Kaye. WANTED: A complete Standard Full Size

Bed. Call or email Kaye.

WANTED: The use of a hay rack for Forest Craft Festival Parade along with someone willing to pull it. Call or email Kaye!

For Sale—Rabbits: Dutch Tort Bunnies born to Aaron Westercamp’s doe shown at the fair. Ready the middle of September. 10 bunnies to choose from. $5 / piece Phone 319-592-3322

For Sale—Ducks: White Pekins. Full grown adults at various ages. $8 / piece Phone 319-592-3322

FREE: Blue Heeler/Beagle Mix Puppy. Female. Has had shots and wormed. @12 weeks old. Born first of June. Colored like Blue Heeler. Call 319-592-3322

FREE: Blue Heeler Male, 2 years old. Will fetch. Has been wormed and had shots. Call 319-592-3322

For Sale—Rabbits: Dutch, Californians, and White New Zealand. Show quality and pet quality available. Californian and New Zealand blood lines from 2010 and 2011 Iowa State Fair Supreme Champion Market Rabbits. Email rabbits@westercampkids.com for more information.

FUNDING: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes operating

loans of up to $5,000 to eligible individual rural youths age 10 through 20 to finance income-

producing, agriculture-related projects. The project must be of modest size, educational, and

initiated, developed and carried out by rural youths participating in 4-H clubs, FFA or a similar

organization. The project must be an organized and supervised program of work. It must be

planned and operated with the assistance of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income

to repay the loan, and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience in

agriculture-related skills. Further information and applications for the loan programs described

are available at the Van Buren FSA Office.

WANTED

FREE

Dates to Remember

December 2-4 Festival of Trees

December 28 Beef Weigh In

www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/vanburen

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US

Vanburen Fourh Coordinator

DECEMBER

Van Buren County Extension

200 Dodge Street, PO Box 456

Keosauqua, IA 52565

November 5 Awards Night

NOVEMBER

October 3 Record Books Due

October 5 Leader’s Meeting

October 15 Halloween Carnival

September 15 4-H New Year

September 17 Record Book Workshop

September 17-18 SESS Certification Training—Oaks

September 24 Wild Game Feed

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER