Kleberg-Kenedy County Webpage:

http://kleberg.agrilife.org

Kleberg-Kenedy AgriLife Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/

klebergkenedy.agrilife

District 12 4-H Website:

http://agrilife.org/d124h/

Texas 4-H Website:

http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/

As Summer 2014 comes to an end and the new school year begins, the 2014-2015 4-H year starts

up. In July, 4-H members attended Texas 4-H Congress, participated in the District 12 4-H

recordbook contest and interviewed for 4-H awards. The Kleberg-Kenedy Summer Youth Program

was also in full swing.

The new 4-H year brings a lot of opportunities to learn new things, compete for awards and honors,

make new friends and learn valuable life skills. I would like to challenge everyone to try something

new this year. Livestock projects are great, but be sure to look into the Food & Nutrition program,

the Fashion Show, Photography, Consumer Decision Making, and Roundup contests, as well as the

Shooting Sports programs. Enrollment begins on August 15th with most clubs meeting for the first

time in September. Bring a friend to a 4-H meeting and show them what 4-H is all about!

This is going to be a great year! With almost 500 youth and over 70 volunteers let’s be the change

we wish to see in the world! Feel free to come by the office if you are interested in serving as a

volunteer to the Kleberg-Kenedy 4-H program or would like to learn about more great 4-H

activities.

Please take the time to read through the newsletter to see what all of these talented kids have

accomplished!

Sincerely,

Niki Kaiser, CEA 4-H & YD

4 - H G r e e t i n g s

September 2014:

2014-2015 4-H Enrollment Begins: Aug 15– Oct 31

4-H Open House: Sept.11th @ Ext. Office

County 4-H Council Meeting: Sept. 15th @ 6:30pm

District 12 4-H Council/Volunteer Workshop: Sept.

20th in Kingsville

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U p c o m i n g e v e n t D a t e s

K e e p i n t o u c h w i t h 4 - h H a p p e n i n g s

August 2014:

State 4-H Recordbook Judging: August 4th in

Victoria

4-H Leadership Retreat: August 11th @ Rec Building

Club Manager Training: August 18th @ 6:00pm

(revised date)

2014-2015 4-H Enrollment Begins: Aug 15-Oct 31

County Achievement Awards: August 24th

Being the Best

Supporting the Rest

Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic infor-mation or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating

SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY-FYI:

Kleberg-Kenedy County AgriLife

Extension Service complies with the law

set forth by legislature regarding

eligibility and school absences.

Members competing or simply

participating in a 4-H event (food show,

fashion, show, livestock show, etc.) must

be certified as eligible to participate by

their respective schools.

School officials will be provided with a

list of students entered in competitive

and/or non-competitive 4-H events.

Should a student be ineligible due to their

respective School District’s Policy

(grades, absenteeism, discipline, etc.),

school officials will notify the Kleberg-

Kenedy Extension Office in writing. The

students and their parents will be notified

in writing of their ineligibility status by

our office.

ENROLLMENT:

2014-2015 4-H enrollments will begin August 15th through the end of October. Families can log on to

the following website as they begin to enter their profile (new members) or updating/activation (current

members) their previous profile/membership:

https://www.4honline.com/login.aspx?id=53

Reminder: The enrollment fee ($20/member) is due upon enrollment. Families reenrolling will be

prompted to a payment screen through 4-H Connect. Payment must be made at the time of enrollment

or re-enrollment. Payment is submitted through a credit card. Please do not indicate county will pay. If

this option is selected, families will have their enrollment returned for correction. This means that

members are not considered official until the office accepts your enrollment. Families with any

questions can call the office. A computer is set up at the office for anyone needing to complete the

enrollment process.

MANDATORY CLUB MANAGER/LEADER WORKSHOP AND CLUB INFORMATION:

The meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 18, 2014, 6:00 p.m. at the A&M AgriLife Extension

Office. Workshop geared for ALL club managers/leaders. The focus will be on enrollment,

recruitment, programming efforts, financial responsibilities, volunteers, etc. Please RSVP to (361) 595-

8566.

4-H ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

BANQUET:

Annual 4-H Achievement Awards

Banquet is scheduled for Sunday,

August 24th at 4:00 p.m. at the Knights

of Columbus Hall (Located on General

Cavazos Blvd.). Registration begins at

3:45 p.m. Please RSVP by August

19th. This is a special event that

recognizes members that completed a

recordbook. Invitations will be mailed

to all members completing a 4-H

Recordbook. All families, parents,

leaders, community supporters, etc. are

invited.

Cost: $8.00/person except members

completing a 4-H Recordbook.

Everyone is encouraged to attend and

have a nice meal catered by Knights of

Columbus!

District 12 4-H Recordbook Contest– July 9th in Pleasanton

Juniors: Intermediates:

Kirby Owen, Beef– Blue Ribbon Luke Kraatz, Beef– Blue Ribbon

Renell Kraatz, Horse– Blue Ribbon Jessica Pena, Food & Nutrition– Blue Ribbon

Steven Grimes, Goat– Blue Ribbon

Darby Florence, Poultry– Blue Ribbon

Alec Mertens, Safety– Blue Ribbon

Miles Mathis, Sheep– Blue Ribbon

Seniors:

Kelsey Richerson, Companion Animal 1st place

Victoria Garza, Goat 2nd place

Hayley Meyer, Leadership- 1st place

Schyler Alexander, Poultry 3rd place

Hunter Meyer, Safety 3rd place

Morgan Mathis, Sheep 1st place

Haley Wagner, Swine 2nd place

Clancy McFall, Wildlife & Fisheries 1st place

State 4-H Recordbook Contest– August 4th in Victoria Congratulations to the 4 Kleberg-Kenedy County Recordbook participants that not only made it to

the State 4-H contest, but did EXCELLENT!

Morgan Mathis– 5th place Sheep

Clancy McFall– 2nd Place Wildlife & Fisheries

Hayley Meyer– 3rd Place Leadership

Kelsey Richerson– 4th place Companion Animal

County 4-H Award Interviews Kleberg-Kenedy County 4-H members applied for county awards and were interviewed on July

23rd. The judges noted how tough the decisions were because all of the interviews were great.

They were very impressed by the interview skills, professionalism and strength of participation in

4-H activities at the club, county, district, and state levels.

TEXAS 4-H CONGRESS

Congratulations to Hayley Meyer,

Hunter Meyer, Haley Wagner and

Russell Wagner for being selected to

attend Texas 4-H Congress as our

Kleberg-Kenedy County

representatives.

Texas 4-H Congress is a four-day mock legislative

experience for 4-H members ages 15 (at the time of

the event) to 18. During this time, 4-H members

assume the roles of senators, representatives,

lobbyists, press corps, and special interest groups to

gain a first-hand understanding of how the

legislative process works. Bills that are written and

sponsored by 4-H members focus on issues

concerning Texas and Texas youth. Texas 4-H

Congress is a premiere leadership program that is co

-planned and co- implemented by the Texas 4-H

and Youth Development Office and the Texas 4-H

Council. The Texas 4-H Council, which consists of

elected delegates from each district within the state

assume many of the leadership responsibilities.

COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING:

County Council will meet on

Monday, September 15th; 6:30 p.m.

at the Extension Office. Delegates

please attend.

2014 ONE DAY 4-H EVENT

2014 marks the 6th year for One Day

4-H in Texas. This year the Kleberg-

Kenedy County will be hosting the

One Day 4-H Philanthropic 4-K

Run/Walk on October 11th at Dick

Kleberg Park. The 4-H 4-K will be

benefiting Kingsville/Kleberg County

Parks. See Attached Flyer for more

information. We would like to see as

many 4-H families participate as

possible. Cost is only $15 per entry

with T-Shirts and goody bags

available to those who pre-register.

Please call the Extension Office if

you would like to make a donation

towards the event.

FALL PAPER CLOVER AT TSC

The 2013 Fall Paper Clover Campaign

begins October 9th through October

20th at Tractor Supply. Every 4-H

club is encouraged to sign up for a day

to sell paper clovers at our local TSC.

contests and 4-H events. A sign-up

sheet is available at the Extension

Office for club managers.

LIVESTOCK PROJECT INFORMATION

STATE LAMB/GOAT PROJECTS AND BREEDING SHEEP:

State Lamb, Goat, and Breeding Sheep validation information is available at the Extension Office.

Families interested in attending a major show with a sheep and/or goat project must order tags. Emily

Rollison, Riviera Ag. Teacher is the point of contact on ordering tags. For more information on ordering

tags, please call Emily (296-3607 ext. 1213). NO EXTRA TAGS will be ordered and no tags will be

ordered without payment, please don’t forget. The deadline to turn in forms and payment to Emily

(Riviera FFA) is August 15, 2014. Validation is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on October 21, 2014 at J.K.

Northway.

MAJOR SHOWS: PLEASE LOOK INTO IT

Families interested in attending a Major Show with a livestock project in the junior division are asked to

please look into that particular show of interest by visiting their website for dates, times, rules, new

additions, etc. Please do not wait, it is important to know what you must do in preparation of the event.

Links (websites) to some of these Major Shows are available on our County web page under links.

QUALITY COUNTS REQUIREMENT FOR MAJOR SHOW PARTICIPATION:

Members planning on entering a Major Show with a Livestock Project must have completed the Quality

Counts online Verification Training and Testing. Please see below for more information and website:

This means youth exhibitors will need to demonstrate their knowledge of the Six Pillars of Character and

the Eight Core Concepts presented in the Quality Counts Curriculum. To do this, they will need to pass

an online test on the website (http://qualitycounts.tamu.edu/) and acquire a Quality Counts

Verification number.

Things you need to know about Verification:

*2014- All Major Livestock Shows in Texas will require Quality Counts Verification at the time of entry-

This means youth will need to be verified prior to entry in the fall of 2014. A Verification number is

obtained by answering 80% of the questions correctly on an online test.

MAJOR SHOW BREEDING HEIFERS:

Members planning on exhibiting a heifer project at the Major Shows much purchase their project, have in

their possession, and have the project registered in their name (junior exhibitor) by November 1, 2014.

Please see new Heifer Validation Program on the next page. Contact the office if you are planning on

showing a heifer at a Major Show.

LIVESTOCK PROJECTS:

If anyone needs assistance in selecting livestock projects for the upcoming show season, please call us

ASAP. A limited number of trips will be made so it is important that you contact us if we can help.

NEW 2014-2015 Texas 4-H/FFA Heifer Validation Program

Texas is privileged to have the largest junior breeding heifer program in the nation.

However, the sheer size of Texas, diversity in counties and beef breed associations has created some challenges for effectively and

fairly managing the program. Because of numerous breed divisions offered, there are inconsistencies in how breed associations record

purchase and transfer information. Heifer Validation is being initiated to ensure a level playing field for all junior breeding beef heifer

exhibitors and to present a unified approach to verifying breeding beef heifer registration papers, ownership and physical possession.

Further, history has proven collecting DNA hair samples during validation has added integrity to market animal divisions. Therefore,

we are implementing a statewide electronic verification process in addition to requiring the physical validation of breeding beef

heifers. An electronic verification process will ensure that ownership has been transferred by the respective owner- ship deadlines.

The verification process along with the added physical validation component will allow for certifying exhibitor ownership,

possession, heifer identification (tattoo/brand) far in advance of each respective major livestock show. Full and part-time personnel

will be required to effectively review and validate all submitted heifer registration papers and to enforce rules during the participating

major livestock shows.

Purpose

An electronic verification for heifer registration papers would serve four primary purposes:

Ensure ownership has been transferred by the respective ownership deadline

Eliminate backdating of junior heifer ownership

Allow heifer verification chair and co-chair to communicate any disqualifications prior to arrival to shows

Allow for a more efficient check-in process

Physical Validation would serve four primary objectives:

Ensure ownership and physical possession of heifer in designated county on validation day(s).

Physical viewing of tattoos/brands allows for verification tattoos/brands match the registration paper reducing disqualifications at

major livestock shows.

DNA collection provides a robust system to authenticate that the heifer presented at physical validation is the same heifer

exhibiting at major livestock shows.

Allows County Extension Agents and Ag Science Teachers to continue building positive relationships with breeding heifer

exhibitors.

2015 Spring Show Timeline

October 1, 2014 Heifer Verification Database is open to ASTs/CEAs

October 1-November 15, 2014 Participating major livestock shows are requiring all junior breeding heifers to be tattooed,

brands recorded and hair samples collected for the DNA Assay between 10/1/2014 and

11/15/2014 for 2015 spring shows. All heifers must be validated at a time, place, and date

determined by the County Validation Committee.

November 1, 2014 Ownership deadline for all spring shows

November 15, 2014 Registration Paper upload deadline and physical validation paperwork and DNA must be

postmarked and sent to Tex- as 4-H Headquarters

December 19, 2014 Projected deadline for all papers to be reviewed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

January 7, 2015 Projected deadline for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to notify all ineligible exhibitors

and major livestock show officials for spring shows

2015 Fall Show Timeline

June 1, 2015 Heifer Verification Database is open to ASTs/CEAs

June 1-30, 2015 Participating major livestock shows are requiring all junior breeding heifers to be tattooed,

brands recorded and hair samples collected for the DNA Assay between 6/1/2015 and

6/30/2015 for 2015 fall shows. All heifers must be validated at a time, place, and date

determined by the County Validation Committee.

July 1, 2015 Ownership deadline, registration paper upload deadline and physical validation paperwork and

DNA must be postmarked and sent to Texas 4-H Headquarters

August 20, 2015 Projected deadline for all papers to be reviewed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

August 25, 2015 Fall show entry deadline

September 15, 2015 Projected deadline for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to notify all ineligible exhibitors

and major livestock show officials for fall shows