March 12, 2021 Friday News
Wyoming County 4-H
Friday News
March 12, 2021
During COVID-19 we want to make sure we
are keeping all of our 4-H families up to date as much as we possibly can! The
entire Wyoming county 4-h staff is here for anything you and your families may
need during this time so please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us with
your question(s)!
4-H Club Meeting & Activity
Guidance
Happy spring! After a long
winter of waiting, hoping, and planning, I am very pleased to announce that as
of March 15th, in-person programming may recommence. We’re thrilled that we can meet in person
once again—however, organizers and educators conducting these types of
activities must, per the latest guidance NYSDOH and all local authorities,
comply with the meeting guidelines provided below.
In addition to following the guidelines, all participants (who
have not previously done so) must sign the “Volunteer Assumption of Risk Form”. Families may turn in one form per family unit,
so long as they indicate each family participant on the form; each volunteer
must turn in an individual form.
We also request that each group engage in COVID-19 best practices
for all upcoming meetings for the foreseeable future:
1.The number of people in attendance of any meeting may not exceed twenty participants. This
number includes the total number of leaders, members, staff members, parents,
speakers, etc. in attendance. Attendance
should be noted/taken for accountability, contact tracing, and documentation of
meeting size. NOTE: We will continue to
review this number on a weekly basis and may raise or lower the total headcount
allowed throughout the coming weeks in response to local health trends and
state and/or local guidelines.
2.Social distancing procedures include the following best practices:
•The wearing of masks by all participants present OR
•Maintaining 6-foot distances between participants without touching
of any kind
•Meetings should be held outdoors whenever possible, or in a public
or CCE-provided space. If a meeting must
take place at a private home or residence, masks must be worn at all times. Where possible, buildings with increased airflow are preferred (barns,
outdoor meeting areas, etc.).
•Hand sanitizer should be readily available at all times (please
contact us if you need a supply of sanitizer!)
•The meeting time should be kept to less than two hours.
•Only single serve, commercially prepared, food and drink should be
provided. Participants are encouraged to
eat prior to attending the meeting.
•Participants are welcome to bring their own water (clearly labeled
with their name) for hydration.
These recommendations are based on the best available guidance at
this time and are subject to change as new information becomes available.
Additional guidance can be obtained from the NYSDOH, our local health
department, and the CDC. We realize
there will be participants and families who are not comfortable meeting in
person at this time. It is critical that these decisions are respected, and
that there is no pressure applied, or opportunities withheld, due to a decision
not to participate. Please do not
hesitate to continue to hold virtual meetings, should you wish to do so.
We cannot thank all of you enough for your patience,
understanding, and good humor over the winter, and we’re incredibly grateful
for your support as we continue to adapt to current pandemic conditions. I hope that everyone soon gets the chance to
take advantage of our programming soon, and that these new guidelines provide
our participants with the necessary tools to socialize safely throughout the
summer. Please don’t hesitate to contact
us should you have any questions or concerns.
Wishing all of you a wonderful spring season,
Abby Griffith
Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming
County
Important enrollment
deadlines approaching…
- March 31st is the Wyoming County 4-H enrollment
deadline for new youth participating in the lamb, hog, goat, and poultry
auction projects. Enrollees after this deadline can still participate in
many 4-H project areas (but not the auction program.) General 4-H program
enrollments will be accepted until June 1st in order to participate
in fair time activities.
Wyoming County Fair Updates…
- We know that there lots of questions from our 4-H families
surrounding the 2021 fair season. Many neighboring counties are currently
making announcements about fair plans. The Wyoming County Fair
Association is continuing work on several projects including the new barn, in
anticipation of the 2021 fair season. Wyoming County 4-H will continue to
communicate with the Fair Association and work out the best possible options
for our 4-H program as an important component of the Wyoming County Fair, while
working within all the necessary Covid guidelines. Stay tuned for more
information as we move forward!
So, I am new to 4-h
(or not) and trying to figure out requirements to participate at fair within 4-h…
- Next week we will be sending out a special email to our 4-H
families! We will walk through the steps you need to take for different
projects areas from Family and Consumer Science to Animal Science. These
steps will assist you to successfully complete 4-H projects for
exhibition. Most animal science projects have some type of educational
requirement to show at fair, while many other projects do not. If you
have any topics that you have specific questions about and would like addressed,
please email hmh62@cornell.edu
and let me know by Monday 3/15.
Meat animal updates…
-
Market Hog Selection Zoom Meeting
- Thursday, April 1st at 7:00PM we will have an online
session to learn about selecting your next market hog projects. Danny
Ahrens, a swine producer and hog show judge from Ohio will join us to talk
about starting your project off on the right foot! Please register using
this link https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/WYCO4-Hmarkethog_256email or email hmh62@cornell.edu. This event will
satisfy the educational requirement to show beef, sheep, or pigs at the fair!
Market poultry
updates…
-
Market Poultry Project
Registration: Deadline March 31st - Details
for the market poultry project were shared on page 18 of the February 4-H
News. You can register for the project and order chicks here https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/WYCO4-Hmarketpoultry_256 or by filling out the form in the 4-H
news.
-
Market
Poultry Project ZOOM Q&A - We will host a Zoom meeting on March 16th at
7:00pm to discuss and answer any questions about this year’s program.
Register in advance for the meeting here:
https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAocu2srz0qE9wwq1V0E9uUtdBJMInNeJjr (Meeting Concluded) and after registering, you will receive a
confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Dog Obedience…
- We’re gearing up to begin our dog obedience program in April! Look
for our dog brochure out next week – detailing all you need to know about this
great program! In the meantime, if you are interested in signing up for one of
our 5 training locations – please contact our trained leaders to sign up
(Contact information is in the last printed 4-H news).
- Join us Wednesday March 24th at 7pm for our virtual dog
open house to learn all about our upcoming spring program! This Q&A session
is a great opportunity to learn more about this program before it begins.
Register at the link below.
https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJItcO2tpz4sEtGDyfFXeGlm_DlCgMUfDxgH (Meeting Concluded)
Teen Council…
- Our next meeting will be March 15, 2021 at 07:00 PM.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrfuyrrjooGNG8UyWHb8jCasOuy7RrGmOl (Meeting Concluded) After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information
about joining the meeting. This month we will play BINGO and have a quick
chat about volunteering for 4-H cookie sorting at the end of the month.
Dairy
Food Science Cooking Series…
- Funded through the STEM 2035 grant, this is a
four-part series for youth to learn about the science behind dairy foods. Youth
will receive kits and join Stephanie, 4-H educator, via zoom to make and learn
about the science behind dairy products. Youth will join Stephanie, from the
comfort of their own kitchens, and cook these dairy delights along with her.
Each session will start at 6PM. This opportunity is free for all 4-H members.
Registration for all sessions or select sessions is allowed. Registration is
due by March 24th. Call the 4-H office or email Stephanie at sal294@cornell.edu to register.
o Wednesday, March 31st - Mozzarella
Cheese
o Wednesday, April 7th - Homemade
butter
o Wednesday, April 14th - Homemade
Ricotta
o Wednesday, April 21st - Homemade
Ice Cream
Virtual Hippology...
- This event will be live on
Kahoot! from 9AM till 5PM on Saturday, March 27th. Register
here: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/hippology_256before 3/26 in order to receive the game
link. This event will satisfy the educational requirement to show horses
at the fair! If you have questions beforehand, email sac347@cornell.edu.
Registration for Animal Crackers…
-
Animal Crackers - This
statewide program will be held virtually during the month of May. Check
out page 14 of the February 4-H News for complete details and email hmh62@cornell.edu if you are interested in
participating. There is a $50 registration fee but that includes a
workshop material kit and eight sessions!
Cookie
Sale…
- We want to thank all 4-H families who participated in our 2021
cookie sale! Without your support, we could not continue to provide programming
to our county youth. We are diligently working on the cookie delivery schedule,
and will be contacting all families who ordered cookies as soon as we have the
information in hand on a pickup date!
4-H Staff Email Contacts
Holly Harwood: hmh62@cornell.edu
Sarah Clark: sac347@cornell.edu
Stephanie Luders: sal294@cornell.edu
Alesia Ackerman: aea92@cornell.edu
General 4-H: wyomingcounty4h@cornell.edu
Last updated November 2, 2023