July 2019

Glacier County

4-H News

Contact Us

Kari Lewis Extension Agent kari.lewis@montana.edu Mandi Henderson Administrative Assistant glacier@montana.edu Courthouse Annex 1210 E. Main Cut Bank, MT 59427 (406) 873-2239 msuextension.org/glacier

facebook.com/GlacierCountyExtensionOffice

montana4h.org

It’s Marias Fair Fun Time, friends! It’s been a great month of 4-H in June and we’re looking forward to the Marias Fair! It’s been busy with 4-H Camp, Cloverbud Camp, Follow the Beef North tour, and Project Day! Coalter Littrell, Dayne Barbie, Sienna Cundall, and Coley Cundall did a great job as 4-H camp counselors and we had a record setting number of kids at camp and from Glacier County! Thanks to Addisyn Bengtson and Wyatt Berkram for helping out at Project Day and to all the parents who provided supervision as well! Thanks to everyone who donated items to the state 4-H service project, which is donating various items to Montana veterans and collected at Montana 4-H Congress. If you haven’t donated yet and would like to, you can either drop items off at the Extension office (Kleenex, granola bars, jerky, individual coffee packets, gum, cards, hand/foot warmers, Chapstick, lotion) or make out a check to the Glacier County 4-H Council and we’ll buy the items in Bozeman. Best of luck to Sienna Cundall, Coley Cundall, and Grace Rooney as they head to Montana 4-H Congress in Bozeman this month. This event is full of contests, workshops, and friends! Best of luck to our Shotgun members as they compete at their Marias Fair tournament on July 13. James Barbee has been reporting great practices and we appreciate all of his work with the members! As you look through your fair packets, please be sure to ask our office or club leaders if you have any questions. Saturday will be a busy, busy day for Glacier County 4-H as it’s our day for the Food Booth and to help clean up the Exhibit Building. We realize that many livestock members are scheduled to work the Food Booth during the sale. There will be a system to release members from the food booth in order to sell their animal, so don’t stress! However, make sure your animal is clean and ready before you head to the food booth. Also, things will be busy Sunday morning cleaning stalls and checking out with barn superintendents. Please communicate with your barn superintendents if you have multiple barns to be in cleaning, etc. Remember, members need to help take down panels, etc. as well, not just clean their own stall. Lastly, we are looking for a parent or two to consider leading a 4-H club in the coming 2019-20 4-H year. We currently have 62 members enrolled in 4-H clubs and will likely have 8 Cloverbuds moving up, in addition to any new members who would join our 4-H program. 4-H clubs must have at least five youth members from at least three different families and conduct six regular club meetings per year, along with abiding by 4-H policies and procedures. If you are interested in more details, please let me know and we can visit about the process. Our 4-H program continues to grow and we want to be able to continue to provide everyone with a great 4-H experience! Looking forward to a great Marias Fair with you all! In 4-H friendship, Kari Lewis

“We don’t have kids

to help raise our livestock, we have

livestock to help raise our kids.”

4-H: The Youth Development Program of MSU Extension

2nd Fair Packet Fair packets will be ready to be picked up at the Extension office on Wednesday, July 3. Your packet will include stall cards, exhibit tags, wrist bands, parking passes, CHS breakfast tickets, camper map, food booth schedule and other important information. Be sure to pick up your packet.

Wristbands Green wristbands are for everyone staying overnight at the fairgrounds. This includes 4-Hers, parents and family members. White wristbands are for 4-Hers exhibiting at fair, but not staying overnight Red wristbands are event passes for all events held in the grandstands for everyone who requested and paid for them. Green and white wristbands must be worn by kids under age 18 while on the fairgrounds. Red wristbands must be worn to enter the grandstands, otherwise you will be asked to pay again.

Carcass Awards Show The carcass awards show will be Tuesday, July 30 at the Marias Fair Exhibit Building and Wednesday , July 31 at the Glacier County Public Library, both awards shows will begin at 6:30 p.m. The evening will consist of a fun carcass oriented learning program, followed by swine and lamb carcass awards and distribution of checks and pictures. Beef results and awards will be distributed through the Extension Office when complete in mid August.

What to Wear at Fair Casual clothes are ok for working with animals, unloading, etc. but you should wear clean, neat dress clothes for interviews, demonstrations, showing your animal, the sale, etc. When working the Food Booth, you should wear jeans or long shorts, a clean baseball cap, closed toe shoes, and a clean shirt (4-H club t-shirts are great!) A pink shirt for ‘Tough Enough to Wear Pink’ is appropriate for the sale if it’s a dress shirt. Don’t forget to wear your muck boots to wash animals in. Closed toe leather shoes MUST be worn for all livestock activities including weighing-in, washing, etc. Always bring extra clothes, as they get dirty quickly, and make sure to try them on the week of fair so you know they still fit.

What to pack for fair In addition to your supplies for animals and exhibits, these are some recommendations from a list compiled by Dena Fritz. • Markers/Pens/Pencils/Hi-lighters/Scrap paper/Scissors

(make sure to bring a notebook to the livestock judging contest for your reasons notes!)

• Thank-You poster for livestock buyer pre-made • Wire ties/Wire/Wire cutter (you’ll need to hang your

animal’s sign) • Calculator (you’ll need to calculate your animal’s daily

gain, etc.) • Safety pins/Straight pins/Tacks/Staplers--big and small

(you’ll receive an exhibitor number that will need to be pinned on your shirt)

• Tie straps/Bungee cords • Tape, Rubber bands, glue • Spare batteries • Hammer/Screw drivers/Pliers • Extension cord/3 prong adaptors • Ruler/Tape measurer • Laundry bag—there’ll be lots of dirty clothes! • Water, water, water! • Flash light • Paperclips • Needle/Thread/Buttons • Memo board—to serve as a communications center for

everyone in your camper to know who will be where and when.

• Bill of Sale and Travel Permits

MARIAS FAIR DATES

July 3 – 2nd fair packets ready July 13 – Pre Fair Clean Up & 11:30 a.m. Food Safety Training July 17-21 – Marias Fair Fun Time! July 21 – Post-Fair Clean Up July 30 – Carcass Program, Shelby Exhibit Building 6:30 p.m. July 31 – Carcass Program, Glacier County Public Library 6:30 p.m.

4-H: The Youth Development Program of MSU Extension

Fair Clean-up All 4-H members are needed to help in either pre or post fair cleanup. Pre-Fair cleaning will be Saturday, July 13 at 8 a.m. The barns and Exhibit Building will be cleaned and readied for Fair. Please bring brooms, shovels, buckets, hoses, wheelbarrows, rakes, pitch forks, paper towels, window cleaner or anything that you think might be useful in helping spruce up the fairgrounds. Post-Fair cleaning will be Sunday, July 21 in the morning. Post fair cleanup includes cleaning and closing the barns, the Exhibit Building and the Food Booth. Litter also needs to be picked up around the fairgrounds.

Marias Fair Silent Auction The Marias Fair Exhibit Building Silent Auction will benefit the Small Animal Ag Committee this year, with a 10% commission going to support the Exhibit Building Committee. The Committee is requesting that every club and Extension Office donate an item to the silent auction. Please bring your items to the to the Fairgrounds on cleanup day, or to the Extension Office. Anyone is welcome to donate an item and, of course, to bid on items at the fair.

Fair Sportsmanship Tips

Good sportsmanship applies to everyone involved in the fair: 4-H members, parents, leaders, volunteers, and others. • Say, ‘Thank you!’ - Interview judges, show judges,

communications judges, exhibit building monitors, livestock weigh-in helpers, show and sale ring men, fashion revue set up crew, food booth day chairs… the list of volunteers goes on and on. The Fair wouldn't be possible without them. These folks give up time from their jobs and families to support 4-H, please treat them with respect and tell each one thank you!

• Congratulate the winner - Celebrate and encourage one another, and appreciate the competition they bring.

• Respect the “game,” livestock, and those involved - Respecting and following the rules of the event and 4-H policy is critical.

• Look for the lesson - We may not always agree with each judge’s opinion, but we can still learn from their evaluation and the process, and appreciate their feedback to make our best better!

• Reminder: When you’re not competing at fair, check our the exhibits and shows and support your fellow members!

Marketing Your Livestock Project Livestock members – It is up to YOU to market your livestock animal. Each member should plan to invite (personally and/or with a letter and picture of their animal) at least 10 to 20 businesses, individuals, etc. Members should post the flyers that are in your 2nd fair packet, and there is also a tri-fold brochure that members can distribute which contains sale information. When inviting businesses, etc. think outside the box – orthodontist, eye doctor, dentist, insurance agent, grocery store, restaurant, mechanic, relatives, parents’ employer, etc., in addition to the folks you typically see at the sale. In a research study of over 2,000 buyers at a 4-H sale who had received letters from 500 4-H youth, 80% of the buyers wanted to read about the youth’s history and their project work and personal story. 80% of buyers wanted a picture of the animal and the youth. Buyers want to know what members have done in their club and projects, how members have then been active in community service projects, if they shared their knowledge with other members, and what they have learned. Have you developed work ethic and perseverance through challenges in your project? If you would like more tips on marketing your livestock project, please call or e-mail Kari, she has some great resources available! There will also be a Pre-Sale social from 1 – 2 p.m. on Saturday before the sale. Members and parents are needed to help set up and serve during the social, please plan to help if available.

Marias Fair Open Class Entries The Open Class portion of the fair gives residents of all ages from Toole, Pondera, Liberty and Glacier counties the opportunity to participate in the fair by exhibiting entries including livestock, creative projects and homemade items. Participation in the open class is free, although a small barn fee is applied if entering beef, goats, and sheep only. Keep the tradition of the local fair alive by entering your exhibits in the Marias Fair this year! Register at the Open Class Office, located under the grandstands on the East end. Tuesday, July 16th 2019: 5 pm - 8 pm Wednesday, July 17th 2019: 9 am - 6 pm Open Class Phone / Marias Fair Office: (406) 434-2692 You can find the premium book, schedule, and entry form on the Marias Fair Website: https://www.mariasfair.com/open_class.html.

4-H: The Youth Development Program of MSU Extension

Common Showmanship/ Interview Questions • What breed is your animal? • What do you like about your animal? What would you

like to change? (This is referring to your animal’s finish, muscling, structural correctness, etc.)

• Parts of the animal • Cuts of meat • Do you think your animal is finished? (Steer should

have around 4/10 of an inch of backfat, which feels like the back of a wrist)

• What have you fed your animal? Know the pounds and feed type and protein level.

• What is gestation length of this animal? • What have you learned in your project? • What has your animal gained? • What does your animal weigh? (It’s ok to tell an inter-

view judge what the animal weighed as close to fair as you know).

• What is the breed known for that you are showing? • Is the breed a meat or wool breed (sheep), maternal or

terminal breed (hogs), meet or milk breed (beef)? • What would you like to do differently next year? • Where is the loin? • What is the market price of this animal? • What is dressing percentage? • Where are the most valuable cuts on this animal? • What size loin eye (hogs and sheep) or ribeye (beef) do

you think your animal will have? • Know diseases of the species (PEDv for hogs, Scrapies

for lambs, BSE for beef, etc.) • What do you think quality and yield grade will be of

animal? • Why did you do your project the way you did (put in a

zipper a certain way, make your own pie crust, etc.) Look through your project books and ask older members for other possible questions. Some of these questions are for senior members, some are for first-year members, but the more you know, the better!

Barn Painting Small Animal Committee is planning to finish painting the poultry barn on July 1 from 5pm-8pm. They need lots of help to finish before the fair! If you have any questions, please contact Kim Woodring, Toole County Agent 406-424-8350.

Review the Rules A reminder to review your division’s rules in the Marias Fair Book, which is available online at http://glacier.msuextension.org/2019FairBook.pdf. For example, self-waterers are required in pig pens, cattle must have a neck rope, etc.

Tips for Minimizing Shrink in Livestock Going to the fair is stressful, especially on the animals! When they are taken to a new environment with new people, sounds, and other animals, it’s stressful. The animal can stop drinking or go off feed, which also means they’ll weigh less than they did at home. Before the fair, load up your animal and take them to another location so they get experience with a trailer ride and new surroundings. At the fair, your animal may not drink the water due to the chlorination, so bring some 5-gallon bottles of water from home. This will help keep your animal drinking. You can also mix Gatorade (or any flavoring) into the water at home and at fair so the taste and smell is similar. Providing your lamb or steer long-stemmed hay a couple hours before the show will give them a full appearance and also help relax them as they can chew their cud during the show. A hand sprayer with water can be used to mist your pig off before you go in the show to keep them relaxed. IMPORTANT: All market livestock need to be in their stalls by 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, weigh-in starts at 5 p.m. with Sheep, Swine, then beef.

Fair Volunteer Schedules Wednesday Interview & Exhibit Judging Day Assistant

*More help will be needed for Wednesday Interviews, please contact the Extension Office if you can help.

Wednesday Night 4-H Exhibit Building Display Set-Up

Saturday Night Exhibit Building Clean-up

Shift Volunteers Volunteers

6:30—8 p.m. Zach Murphy Eric & Kate Morrisett

6:30—8 p.m. Grace Rooney Regina Wilder

6:30—8 p.m. Lacy Roberts Bonnie Thies

8—9 p.m. Jordyn Fields

Shift Volunteers

1 p.m.—3:30 p.m. Jo Dean Rooney

3 p.m.—finished Hapi Seewald Mary Anderson

Shift Volunteers

7:00 p.m.

Bonnie Thies Bess Hjartarson Sahm Winkowitsch Hapi Seewald Mary Anderson Raylee Johnson

4-H: The Youth Development Program of MSU Extension

Project/Record Book Deadlines July 1 - All project books must be current in all projects that are being entered in the Marias Fair and checked by your project leader, organizational leader or Extension Agent. You must have 5 activities and 2 learning experiences completed in order to participate in the Marias Fair. Some books have varying requirements, please check your project book and if you have questions be sure to ask a leader or the Extension Office. August 11 - Record books are due to the Extension Office if competing for awards, and project books need to be complete for the year (7 activities and 2 learning experiences completed).

4-H Council’s Amazon Smile Account

We encourage you to always shop locally, but if you do end up on Amazon, we would appreciate your support! The Glacier County 4-H Council now has an Amazon Smile account! This means that 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products will be donated to the Council. If you shop on Amazon and would like a portion of what you purchase to benefit the Glacier County 4-H Council, simply click the following link before you do your regular online shopping! https://smile.amazon.com/ch/81-0538507

You can still log in using your own Amazon account, but you will only have the option of donating to your

preferred charity if you use the link provided. Please set a bookmark for this link in your browser so it is easier to access for whenever you want to shop online. Using Amazon Smile does not cost you extra money, it just takes a portion of what you would already be spending and puts it toward the charity of your choosing. The link provided will send you directly to the Glacier County 4-H Council’s account.

Charging Home Stampede 4-H Fair

Thursday, July 11 are the 4-H livestock shows at the 4-H Barn Stampede Park in Browning. This would be a great opportunity to view a show and hear the judges’ comments prior to the Marias Fair. (BONUS – Rocky Forseth will be the judge in Browning AND one of the judges as the Marias Fair, so come hear what he’ll be looking for!) The swine show is at 9 a.m., beef show at 1 p.m., and sheep show at 3 p.m.. Friday, July 12 the dog show will be at 9 a.m., poultry show at 10 a.m., and livestock sale at 2 p.m.

4-H Curriculum Feedback Needed A group is reviewing the current Montana 4-H livestock project books with the goal of making project books more applicable to Montana 4-H youth and also creating additional activities tailored to breeding projects. We are seeking the feedback and suggestions of extension agents, leaders, parents, and youth! Please share your comments and suggestions through an online survey at https://bit.ly/2X94Lck. Please respond by August 15, 2019, but the earlier the better! If you have any questions related to the survey, please contact Kari Lewis, Glacier County Agent, at kari.lewis@montana.edu or at 406-873-2239.

2019 Fashion Review Sienna and Coley Cundall participated in the 2019 Marias Fair Fashion Review, results will be posted at the fair. Best of luck to both of them as they compete in Fashion Review at Montana 4-H Congress July 9-12!

We Need Photos of Your 4-H Projects! The Marias Fair Board is looking for pictures of 4-Hers working on their projects that they can share on their Facebook page in the upcoming weeks to help promote the fair and 4-H! Let’s help them out with this project! Please e-mail photos (clear and in focus) to Lindsey Habets, Marias Fair webmaster at lindsey@hilinewebdesign.com, along with answers to any or all of the following questions: • What is your Name, Age and County? • What projects will you be taking to the fair? • What is your favorite project? • Tell us several things about your project. • What is your favorite part about 4-H? • What is one thing you learned this year? • What are your goals for the future?

4-H: The Youth Development Program of MSU Extension

Project Day

Members from the Blackfeet, Glacier, Toole, and Pondera 4-H programs took part in Glacier County Project Day on June 20, 2019. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers and our Extension Agent, Kari Lewis, we were able to offer some great workshops that allowed members to start thinking about their futures in 4-H, learn about animal care, and prepare them for the Marias Fair judges. Members got some hands-on experience with animal care and interviewing, and some time to ask questions and work on their project/record books. Livestock Quality Assurance and Food Safety were also offered. Thank you to Addisyn Bengtson, Wyatt Berkram, and Greta Gustafson for presenting. Thank you also to all of the parents and leaders that helped make project day possible and to the Cut Bank Community Bible Church for the use of their building!

Small Animal Showmanship Clinic and Barn Painting

Toole County Extension Agent, Kim Woodring, hosted a small animal showmanship clinic and barn painting last month. Glacier County 4-H’ers took advantage of this great opportunity to learn and to serve. The barn still isn’t finished, so if you can, please volunteer to help finish the painting! Kim is gathering volunteers for July 1st at 5:00 p.m. and if it doesn’t get completed that day, then she plans on meeting again on July 2nd at 5:00 p.m. We need all hands on deck to finish this project by the fair! Please bring paint clothes, paint brushes, ladders, and paint sprayers if you can!

4-H: The Youth Development Program of MSU Extension

2019 Multi County 4-H Camp

This year we had 16 Glacier County 4-H’ers attend Multi County 4-H Camp and 4 of our members attend as camp counselors. Thank you to Coalter Littrell, Dayne Barbie, Sienna Cundall, and Coley Cundall for serving as camp counselors. They were charged with planning and leading activities for the younger members. Everyone had a fun and safe time learning, playing, and growing with other 4-H members from 7 different Montana 4-H programs!

4-H: The Youth Development Program of MSU Extension

Way to go Camille Bradley! Through organizing the Glacier County 4-H Soup and Bread luncheon at the Parkview Senior Center, Camille Bradley (pictured right) asked the seniors what needs they had. A conversation began that sparked her Junior Leadership Project. Camille learned the seniors wanted outdoor cushions for their patio tables so they could comfortably enjoy the summer events in the park, watch the parades, and visit outside, etc. Camille led the Clever Clovers 4-H club in writing a Montana 4-H Foundation, Inc. grant ($500 received!), Montana Dept. of Agriculture grant ($500 received!) and she received donations from the Glacier County 4-H Council and her 4-H club as well. She used her 4-H sewing skills to add straps to the cushions to secure them for outdoor use and led 4-Hers in planting flowers and herbs at the Senior Center.

Marias Fair Cloverbud Day Camp

Cloverbud Day camp was held in Sunburst this year. The theme was “Down on the Farm.” The kids (pictured left) got to churn their own butter, make bread from scratch, and create their own stick-horses and race them! They even got the chance to pet some sheep! Glacier County Cloverbuds pictured from left to right are John Neuhaus, Mac McCauley, Sammie McCauley, and Emily Roberts.

Follow the Beef North 4-H Tour

Glacier County 4-H’ers (pictured below) got the opportunity to take a field trip across the border to learn more about the beef industry and what happens beyond the cow/calf operation. This unique educational opportunity consisted of 2 parts: an in-person workshop related to beef cattle feeding and finishing, and a bus tour to Brooks, Alberta to tour the largest commercial feed yard in Canada. 4-H Members got to learn more about modern processing facilities and cattle feeding.

The MSU Extension Service is an ADA/EO/AA/Veteran’s Preference Employer and Provider of Educational Outreach.

4-H: The Youth Development Program of MSU Extension

Glacier County Extension Office Courthouse Annex 1210 E. Main Cut Bank, MT 59427

Calendar of Events

July 1 - Poultry Barn Painting at 5 p.m. at the Marias Fair Grounds 3 - Second Fair Packets will be ready 4 - Independence Day (Extension Office Closed) 9 - 12 - Charging Home Stampede Fair in Browning 9 - 12 - Montana 4-H Congress at MSU Bozeman 13 - Pre Fair Clean-up Day 17 - 21 - Marias Fair Fun Time 30 - Carcass show and awards - Marias Fair Exhibit Building in Shelby at 6:30 p.m. 31 - Carcass show and awards - Glacier County PUblic Library in Cut Bank at 6:30 p.m. August 11 - Record Books due 15 - Project book feedback surveys due