DATES TO REMEMBER
March 27 – Shooting Sports Practice at Woodman of the World Range
April 2 – Deadline to Register for Brown County Youth Fair Horse Show
2 – Brown County Youth Fair Horse Validation 3:00pm at the Rodeo Arena
7 – Deadline to Sign Up for D-7 4-H Roundup
15 – Extension Office Closed for Good Friday
18 – Deadline to Order State Steer & Heifer Tags
BROWN COUNTY YOUTH FAIR CHECKS AVAILABLE MARCH 28TH
The 4-H checks for the Brown County Youth Fair will be available Monday, March 28th for you to pick up at the Brown County Extension Office during our office hours of
8:30am – 4:30pm closed 12:00pm – 1:00pm for lunch Monday – Thursday and Friday 8:30am – 12:00pm. A thank you letter should be written to each buyer who contributed towards your project. Make sure that it is stamped and addressed and turned in to the Extension Office! You will not receive your check until we receive your thank you letters. Handwritten “thank you” letters are best but, depending on your personality and penmanship a typed letter can also be appropriate. Thank each person individually, don’t try and thank a group of people in one letter. PLEASE NOTE THAT CHECKS ARE ONLY VALID FOR 90 DAYS.
UPDATE – BROWN COUNTY YOUTH FAIR HORSE SHOW
Exciting new changes to the 2022 BCYF Horse show. We are moving to the Earl Q Wilson Arena! And we are adding speed events!
Classes will include all halter classes, showmanship, barrels, poles, and stakes.
Buckles will be awarded to Grand and Reserved Mare and Gelding, Jr and Sr showmanship, Jr and Sr champion, and reserved champion timed horseman.
Validation and registration are April 2nd at 3:00 at the rodeo arena. You may stay after validation if you need to work with your horse.
The show is scheduled for May 29th. Check-in at 1:00pm.
4-H RABBIT FEED CONTAINERS
If you have bought rabbit feed from the Extension Office and have containers, PLEASE bring them back to the Extension Office. Feed cannot be distributed without containers and at this time Mrs. Becktold does not have containers. PLEASE RETURN RABBIT FEED CONTAINERS!
UPCOMING COUNTY DEADLINES FOR 4-H CONTEST
Below is a list of deadlines for upcoming 4-H contest. If you are planning to participate in any of these contests, please contact the Extension Office by the deadline.
April 7th – District 7 4-H Roundup
2STATE STEER TAGS AND HEIFER VALIDATION
It is hard to believe that it is already that time again to purchase state steer tags. If you are planning on showing a steer in any 2022-2023 major stock shows you must purchase a state validation tag. The state has increased the cost for steer tags therefore, the cost is $22 per tag and the deadline to purchase a tag is April 18th. Please come contact the Extension Office to purchase your steer tag.
If you have a heifer that was not validated in October 2021 or if you are changing ownership and are planning to participate in a major stock show before November 2022, that heifer will need to be validated in June the cost will be $15 per heifer. If you are not planning to show a heifer at West Texas Fair, State Fair, or Heart of Texas you will have another opportunity to validate in October 2021. Please contact the Extension Office by April 18th.
STATE FAIR SWINE TAGS
If you are in 4-H and planning on participating at the State Fair in Dallas with market barrows and/or breeding gilts, you will need to purchase a tag. The cost is $17 per tag. The deadline to order tags is April 18th.
4-H HORSE VALIDATION – MARCH 1st TO MAY 1st
Validation is required for showing at district or state horse shows, and its
purpose is to certify that ownership requirements have been met. The horse MUST be owned solely by the 4-H member, his/her parents (biological or stepparents), brother, sister, grandparents, or legal guardian. Horses under lease to, but not owned by any of the named persons, do NOT qualify. Horses owned in partnership or jointly with any person other than those previously listed do NOT meet ownership requirements. The horse validation process will be completed electronically using the 4-H Connect online management system.
All 4-H members who wish to show at the District Show or the State 4-H Horse Show will be REQUIRED to validate their horse(s) on the 4-H Online system. Horse validation is completed for EACH HORSE and will cover all 4-H youth members in that family profile. When validating your horse(s) on 4-H Connect, you will select ONLY ONE 4-H youth member to conduct the validation under. Once a horse is validated, validation paid, and you begin registering for the District Horse Show, the validated horse(s) can be moved to the appropriate 4-H member(s) that will be exhibiting the horse in the show.
Validation will be open from March 1st to MAY 1st. Any horse validated before or after this date will NOT be accepted. An illustrated step-by-step instruction guide for families is available for download and reference on both the Texas 4-H website (http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/) and the Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science – Equine Science website (http://animalscience.tamu.edu/academics/equine/state-4h-show/). Validation cost for each horse is $10.00 from March 1st – April 15th. From April 16th – May 1st validation cost for each horse is $20.00. Credit Card will be the only acceptable form of payment. If you have any questions, please contact Nick Gonzales at the Extension Office.
The 2022 district horse show will be held in San Angelo, Texas on June 14th.
3DISTRICT 7 4-H ROUND UP
District 7 4-H Roundup is on Friday, April 29th at the Grape Creek Baptist Church and Texas A&M Research. It will consist of many events that Brown County 4-Hers can compete in, such as public speaking, fashion show, Share – the – Fun, and educational presentations. All age divisions are eligible to participate in the District 7 4-H Round Up. We ask that you notify the Extension Office by April 7th if you are planning to participate in D-7 4-H Roundup. If you would like more information, please contact Nick Gonzales.
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR BRIGADE SUMMER CAMPS – LEARN WILDLIFE, STEWARDSHIP, LEADERSHIP, AND MORE
Texas Brigades is now accepting applications for its summer Brigade Camps. The series of eight statewide camps are open to youth, 13-17 years of age, who are interested in the outdoors. Participating young men and women are introduced to subject-specific stewardship, conservation, and management topics throughout 5 days. Camp fees ($500) include meals, lodging, materials, and more.
Each camp is an extensive and hands-on educational camp featuring a conservation subject or theme and is limited to 30 participants. Themes include quail, deer, bass, fisheries, marine species, waterfowl, and ranching. Texas Brigades is now in its twenty-ninth year of hosting summer camps.
Texas Brigades summer camps provide youth an intensive and exciting educational experience built on the important principles of stewardship of natural resources vital to livestock, wildlife, and waters in Texas. Find more information on Texas Brigades and their long-time partnership with AgriLife at www.texasbrigades.org.
Scheduled 2022 Brigade Camp dates and locations are:
- June 10-14, Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade, private ranch near Abilene.
- June 12-16, South Texas Buckskin Brigade, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton.
- June 18-22, South Texas Bobwhite Brigade, Buck Horn Creek Ranch, McCoy.
- June 25-29, South Texas Ranch Brigade – Duval County Ranch (Freer, TX)
- July 6-10, Bass Brigade, Warren Ranch, Santa Anna.
- July 13-17, Waterfowl Brigade, Pintail Hunting Club, Garwood.
- July 18-22, Ranch Brigade, Warren Ranch, Santa Anna.
- July 24-28, North Texas Buckskin Brigade, Warren Ranch, Santa Anna.
- July 26-30, Coastal Brigade, Sea Star Base, Galveston.
Apply online at www.texasbrigades.org/applications by the March 15th deadline. Interested youths will select “Cadet App,” select camp preferences, and answer questions about their interests and experiences. Adults interested in volunteering for camp will select “Adult Leader App.” Camp selections are made by April 15th.
44-H ENROLLMENT IS OPEN ON 4-H CONNECT!
The enrollment process for the 2021-2022 4-H year begins August 15, 2021. All 4-H families, new and returning, are encouraged to log in and enroll to become an official 4-H member.
As you begin your enrollment for the year, here are some tips in using 4-H CONNECT:
- If you already have a profile DO NOT create another one!
- If you lost your email and password, call the county office so we can reset, it for you.
- An active membership will not be granted until the $25.00 participation fee is paid on 4-H Connect!
- You cannot register or participate in an event until your profile is ACTIVE.
- When you are doing your re-enrollment for the 2021-2022 4-H Year please make sure you update your address, phone number, and e-mail address.
- For any youth who is joining 4-H in 2021-2022 for the first time as a 3rd grader we ask for you NOT TO ENROLL until September 1st. September 1st is actual first day of the new 4-H year and what is used to calculate grade/age. If a 2nd grader moving into 3rd grade enrolls before September 1st it will “tag” them as a Clover Kid, not charge an enrollment fee and lock them in as a Clover Kid for the year.
If you experience issues trying to enroll in 4-H currently, we recommend that you wait until September 1st. The system has been updated and currently has issues.