Speed Read for the week of April 25, 2021

County Public Presentations

Congratulations to the 4-H’ers who participated in this year’s Virtual 4-H Public Presentations

program. The program is designed to help youth build confidence and learn how to think on their feet

when speaking before a group of people. A big THANK YOU goes out to the 4-H leaders and parents

who helped 4-H’ers get prepared for this eventful experience! This year’s event was completely virtual

and had its challenges but we believe that the skills that were learned will better prepare our youth for

the future. The 4-H’ers who participated received a 4-H ribbon along with their certificate and

evaluation. A special thank you to all the individuals who served as judges for sharing their time and

talents to support the development of our 4-H presenters and making 2021 Public Presentations a

success! Don’t forget that you can enter your presentation in the Erie County Fair!

Western District Public Presentations

Congratulations to the 4-H members who qualified for the 2021 Western District Public Presentations!

Anna Domanowski, Danica Niefergold, Jack Niefergold, Samantha Parsons, Skylar Metzger,

Holly Niefergold, Kelly Niefergold, Allison Gabel, Jolene Mesch, Kiersten Schindler, Madison Kehr,

Gracy Trombley, Haley Kehr, Mitchell Kehr

4-H Club Meeting Guidelines

Updated: 2/9/2021

Thank you for adhering to the guidance below. These procedures are in place for the health

and safety of all 4-H members, parents, leaders, volunteers, and staff. Your assistance with

this safety guidance will help us begin to reactivate our in-person 4-H activities.

4-H Club Meeting Guidelines:

- Club meetings can be held in public spaces, including businesses, and in outdoor spaces, including barns.

Meetings cannot take place inside private homes. (See information below regarding submitting required

information to the 4-H office prior to the meeting.)

- The number of people in attendance at any meeting may not exceed 25 people, or the current occupancy of the

indoor space, whichever is less. The number includes total of leaders, members, parents, speakers, etc.

Attendance should be taken via role call for accountability and documentation of meeting size. (See below

regarding submitting attendance records to the 4-H Office.)

- Social distancing procedures must be followed and include the following:

o Hand sanitizer must be available at all times.

o All participants must wear a mask (it’s recommended to have a small supply of disposable masks

available for anyone who forgets a mask).

o Maintain 6-foot distances between participants without touching of any kind.

o Hold meetings outdoors as much as possible. Meetings cannot take place inside private homes.

o The suggested MAXIMUM meeting time is 1.5 hours. If the time needed for a meeting is more than that,

please contact 4-H staff to discuss prior to the meeting to determine if the meeting will be allowed to

exceed the 1.5 hour limit.

o If food or drinks are being consumed at the meeting, they should be brought and eaten by individual

families or participants. Do not share foods. (Example: Potluck dinners are not permitted at this time.)

- There will be youth 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.

(Continued on next page)

Steps to Take to Hold a 4-H Group Meeting:

1.) Club Leaders must submit the Club Meeting Request Form

2.) All participants (volunteers and youth) must be enrolled in the Erie County 4-H Program to attend club meetings.

3.) All participants (youth, volunteers, leader, or guests) must also complete the CCE Assumption of Risk Form once

per 4-H year (October-September). The form must be received by the start of the meeting (and then provided to

the 4-H office to be kept on file). Anyone who does not complete the form is not permitted to participate in any

Erie County 4-H activities. This form is included in 4-H enrollment packets for 2020-2021.

4.) Club leaders should provide this health information sheet to adults and youth one day prior to the club meeting,

noting that no one should attend the meeting if they cannot answer “No” to all questions. The health

information sheets should not be collected by the 4-H leader.

5.) Club leaders should take attendance at the meeting or event by checking off names on a roster. Do not pass

around a paper for individuals to sign or have members sign-in. This attendance record must be kept in case

someone attending the meeting/event contracts COVID-19 and information is needed for contact tracing.

Attendance should include all people present at the meeting.

6.) Attendance records must be submitted to the 4-H Office. You can submit your attendance in one of two ways:

1. Complete the Meeting Attendance Form OR

2. E-mail your attendance to:

Megan, for General 4-H club meetings, at msb347@cornell.edu

Tammi, for 4-H Livestock meetings, at tlk6@cornell.edu.

All steps must be completed in order for clubs to meet. These steps are in place for the safety of all Erie County 4-H

participants.

Scholarship Opportunities

Jim Smith Memorial Scholarships

Applications are now being accepted by the Erie County Extension Foundation for the Jim Smith Memorial

Scholarships. Jim was an avid supporter of 4-H youth programs and the Erie County Fair livestock auctions.

Scholarships are available to 4-H or FFA graduating seniors to further their education needs at college,

University, technical or vocational schools. Several scholarships are expected to be awarded.

The deadline for submitting applications is May 31, 2021.

Applications are available at CCE Erie Website - 4-H Scholarships

The Diane Senneff Memorial Scholarship

The Diane Mudd Senneff Memorial 4-H Scholarship was established in 2020 to recognize one current senior

female 4-H member who has demonstrated leadership and service to their community through active

participation in the Erie County 4-H Youth Development Program. Diane was an active Erie County 4-H

volunteer for over 50 years and served as organizational leader of the 4-H Starlites Club for over 30 years. She

highly valued higher education and was a life-long student of science.

Deadline for submitting applications is 4:00 PM on June 1, 2021

Applications are available at CCE Erie Website - 4-H Scholarships

Marion Wittmeyer Memorial Scholarship

The Marion Wittmeyer Memorial 4-H Scholarship was established in 2016 to recognize one current senior 4-H member who has demonstrated leadership and service to their community through active participation in the Erie County 4-H Youth Development Program. Marion was an active Erie County 4-H volunteer for 55years and served as organizational leader of the Lawtons Progressors 4-H Club for 30 years. She highly valued all

that 4-H had to offer, but her true passions were the 4-H club program, public presentations, community service, and exhibiting & volunteering at the Erie County Fair.

Deadline for submitting applications is 4:30 PM on Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Applications are available at CCE Erie Website - 4-H Scholarships

Paper Clover Financial Assistance Scholarship for 4-H Related Events

The purpose of the Erie County 4-H Paper Clover Scholarship is to provide financial assistance for 4-H

leadership opportunities outside of Erie County for 4-H members who exhibit commitment to the Erie County

4-H Program and an interest in sharing their leadership experience with the 4-H community.

Applications are available at CCE Erie Website - 4-H Scholarships

Scholarships will be awarded at the discretion of the scholarship selection committee. The scholarship amount will be determined based on the number of qualified applicants.

Examples of leadership opportunities for which funds may be used: STARR: May 1st ; 4-H STEM Camp in Delhi-TBD; Career Explorations: June 17th-July 1st; Shooting Sports Training—June; ABC at SUNY Cobleskill-TBD; Animal Crackers: May

SENIOR CARE FACILITY BENEFITS FROM

LAWTONS PROGRESSORS SERVICE ACTIVITY

Due to 4-H COVID guidelines, community service activities have been limited. Since the outdoors provides an

option to serve others, the Lawtons Progressors 4 - H Club provided two opportunities to its members to bring

nature a bit closer to the residents at the Eden Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

Members under the direction of Barbara Hoelscher and Peggy Gabel created Bird Seed Wreaths and Plastic

Bottle Bird Feeders. Haley, Madison, and MItchell Kehr, as well as Emily Zehnder created Bird Seed Wreaths

using gelatin molds, bird seed, and Knox Gelatin. Using 2 - liter pop bottles Grace, Jenna, and Leah Gabel;

Madison and Mitchell Kehr: and Wyatt Timmel worked cautiously on the birdfeeders.

On April 11th members spent the afternoon hanging the wreaths and bird feeders on shepherds' hooks

surrounding the facility so the residents could watch from their windows the variety of birds visiting the facility.

The Career Explorations Planning Team and our campus partners are excited to invite youth and adults to this

year’s event!

Career Explorations will be June 17 - July 1, 2021 and activities will be online and at home. The event is open

to youth ages 13 – 19. Youth can pick their own career exploration path (Generalize or Specialize), regardless

of age. In the Specialize track, youth will dive deep into one career pathway with a series of activities. In the

Generalize track, youth will explore multiple paths with several different activities.

Registration is open from now until May 14 or when programs fill up. Program details are posted on the 2021 Career Explorations page. Youth need to register along with an adult mentor (could be a 4-H Educator,

Volunteer, or a family member). Registration is $50 per youth (no cost to adults). Some scholarships are available. (Remember you may also be eligible for an Erie County 4-H Paper Clover Scholarship on our

website CCE Erie Website - 4-H Scholarships)

Simple Sewing

A workshop to expand your knowledge of sewing.

Learn with Sally Hudson, 4-H leader for Marilla Lads and Lassies. Sally will guide you through a pattern to make a pillow

case. Some sewing knowledge is required. Class is in person and limited to 6 participants to ensure we can social

distance. Masks will be required at all times. If you have a sewing machine please plan to bring it with you. Fabric

colors offered for the pillowcase workshop include Green/Blue/Pink/Purple. Fabric will be provided. Please plan to bring

sewing thread to match the color of your pillowcase fabric and sewing supplies (scissors). If you do not have a sewing

machine please let us know at registration and we will provide one for you. Often as a beginning sewer it is easier to

learn on a machine you are comfortable with so we encourage you to bring your own.

When: Thursday, May 20, 2021 Time: 6:30pm

Where: Marilla United Methodist Church, 1910 Two Rod Road, Marilla, NY 14102

Cost: $20 - To Register: Contact Megan Burley, msb347@cornell.edu

Livestock Updates (4-28-21):

Finally, it is warming up and the days are getting longer, soon summer will be here and the excitement of

watching your projects grow. While how our summer will finish out is still uncertain, you should all be looking

forward to getting in the show ring in some fashion or another. Now is a great time to start talking with

potential bidders, get your marketing strategy in place.

4-H T-shirts: Did you get your 2020 t-shirt? If not, send me an email and we will put in it the 4-H hallway for

you to pick up on Friday or a day the following week.

How to contact me: Our office still remains closed to the public. Email tlk6@cornell.edu is the best way to

reach me, but you can also call the office and leave me a voice message and I will return you call as soon as

possible. My phone number is 76-652-5400 ext. 132.

Public Presentations: Last call – if you have not heard from me with a link to connect for your make-up

presentation on May 3 or May 5 please contact me now. If you have not done a presentation in 2021 and you

are planning to show at the fair (or sell a market project) – YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME.

Educational Report Options: Here are some things you can do to learn more about your upcoming livestock

projects on your own. If you do them, remember you can submit a report to receive credit for a species

meeting. Limit of 2 reports will be accepted. Check out these links:

Show-Rite Stock Show Classroom (learn about all aspects of your livestock market projects)

Beef

Steer Halter Videos: I have extended the deadline to May 7th. Each beef member is receiving a personal

link to submit your video, watch your email for the information.

Beef Heifer participants – remember your heifer registration certificates are due in the 4-H office by June 1. If

you are leasing a heifer, that paperwork is also due on June 1. If you need a lease certificate please let me

know and I will email it to you.

Horse

Mark your calendars for the following dates:

• Regional Horse Bowl – in person at Niagara County, Saturday, May 8 at 11 a.m. No lunch will be

provided so please bring your own or there are food places close to the site.

Breyer Horse Club – Our club meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. We have 20 members in the

club and we have learned about the history of the horse, care, colors, markings, equipment and this month we

are focusing on parts of the horse. Our members have been working on posters to exhibit at the fair and soon

we will be visiting a horse facility and working on our horse dressing costumes for the dressing contest at the

fair. Be sure to check them out in the Youth Development Building.

Horse Certificates, Rabies, Coggins – I extended the paperwork deadline date to May 15. You can turn in

your certificate, and copies of your rabies (as long as it expires after our fair dates) and coggins (with a testing

year date of 2020 or 2021) either to the 4-H office or at evaluations on May 1 or May 15. Please contact me

should you have any questions.

Remember all horses in order to be transported on a public highway in the US and NYS must have current

coggins paperwork. All horses to participate in our 4-H program must have a current rabies vaccine.

Rider Evaluations – You must register to be evaluated. All members received an email with information about

registering for your rider evaluation that will be held on May 1 and May 15. They will be conducted at

Stagecoach West from 9-3:30 p.m. each day. If those dates do not work for you, please email Tammi at

tlk6@cornell.edu. We will be offering other dates as needed.

Livestock Updates Continued:

Exciting News: The horse leaders have put some shows tentatively on the calendar, so hold the following

dates open.

Saturday, June 5 – Training Show, location TBD Saturday, July 10 – Hillside Riders, location TBD Saturday, July 17 – Sardinia Saddlers, location TBD Saturday, July 31 – TriColor Equestrians, location TBD Sheep, Swine, Goat

Projects are underway (in just a couple days…) Market Animal registration paperwork is due to the 4-H office

by Monday, May 3. Please be sure to follow each species requirements and be sure all ear tag numbers are

complete.

Record Packets - All Swine, Lamb and Meat Goat participants should have received your record packets by

email. If you have not received them, please email me and I will get one sent out to you for the species you

need. This year I purposely put the animal registration to the back of the packet.

Lease paperwork: If you are leasing an animal from a producer, be sure to submit your lease paperwork.

This demonstrates your commitment to the project and identifies your animal you plan to use. 1st year

members may lease one (1) animal, year 2 participants can lease two (2) animals and 3rd year members can

lease up to 3 animals.

Swine Ear Tags: If you need a 21 tag for your market hogs, please contact me so I can get them to you.

Animal Crackers 2021 – Anyone interested??? I know it seems like a long way off but slots are filling and

remember you can request Paper Clover funding to offset the registration fee.

2021, Animal Crackers will be held via Zoom during 8 sessions at 45 minutes a piece taking place on Tuesday

and Thursday evenings beginning at 6 pm. Each session will highlight a different species. Species being

covered include: Dairy, sheep, goat, rabbit/cavy, poultry, equine, dog, and cat. The program is geared

to 4-H members involved in animal science projects. Youth are strongly encouraged to attend with their

parents or chaperones. Suggested age range is 9-12, however, all youth 9 and up are welcome. Please email

Tammi Kron at tlk6@cornell.edu if you wish to register for this event no later than May 15, 2021 – please

register early. The cost is $50 per youth participant. No fee for chaperones. Erie County members may

apply for Paper Clover funds to offset the cost, email Tammi for details.

Poultry: Our market orders have been placed. Members raising turkeys will be picking them up on

Wednesday, May 5 from 3-6 pm at Haier’s. Each member should have received a post card with the details.

In 2021, we will be selling our market poultry already dressed, mark Sunday, August 8 as your show day for

your market poultry. We will hold our show in the early evening and crate the birds for delivery to Herman

Weber the following morning. Please stay tuned as more details are confirmed.

Rabbit: Attention all rabbit members, in an effort to get this program up and running again, we will be holding

a virtual county wide meeting on Monday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m. The goal is to learn about what you would like

to do with your rabbits – a show, a building activity, interactive learning - bring your ideas. Please register to

get the link at: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMuf-6uqT0iHNByhblDoS-1jw282tNp5ncd After

registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Llama/Alpaca: We will be held our Orientation meeting on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. – virtually. This year

we only have a few members in the program. If you are interested in showing an alpaca, we do have a farm

willing to lease animals, contact me for information.

Dairy Cattle: We will be holding a dairy bowl contest for the Beginner and Junior divisions on Thursday, May

6 at 7 p.m. at the Langford Firehall. Our senior contest will be coordinated by Carl Niefergold on another date.

This year we are only able to send 1 – 4-member team for each division and the contest will be held in June.

Dairy Steer Program – Our video is in the works and finally coming to the finishing stage, the goal is to share

with schools promoting the wholesome product and the benefits of buying local supporting the Farm to School

initiative. Are you interested in having locally grown meat served in your school lunch? Share this program

with your lunch coordinators or have them reach out to Tammi Kron at tlk6@cornell.edu for more information.

Dog: Time has definitely passed and I realize our dog program is at a standstill. I would like to help our

leaders by offering some county wide dog opportunities. To begin, we should all come together in a zoom to

find out what you would like to do as a 4-H member with your dog project. Please join us on Monday, May

17 at 6 p.m. Please register at https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEvf-ysqjsjEtPid0o4NC2z-

fHyjCnrJfQ7 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the

meeting.

Livestock Opportunities at a Glance

Friday, April 30 Market Chicken Orders and Payment due to the 4-H office

Saturday, May 1 Horse/Rider Evaluations at Stagecoach – pre-registration required

Hanging Basket Fundraiser pick up at Bippert’ s 3-5 p.m.

Monday, May 3 Public Presentation Make up – day 1

Wednesday, May 5 Public Presentation Make-up – day 2

Turkey pickup at Haier’s from 3-6 pm

Thursday, May 6 Dairy Bowl Contest for Beginner and Novice, 7 pm at Langford Firehall

Friday, May 7 Beef Halter Videos due

Saturday, May 8 Regional Horse Bowl at Niagara County, 11 a.m.

Monday, May 10 County Rabbit Program meeting at 6 p.m. – pre-registration required

Tuesday, May 11 Poultry Meeting at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 13 Horse Leaders meeting 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 15 Horse/Rider Evaluations at Stagecoach – pre-registration required

Horse Certificates, Rabies and Coggins paper work due to 4-H office

(may be submitted at evaluations)

Animal Crackers Registration due

Monday, May 17 County 4-H Dog meeting at 6 p.m. – registration required

Tuesday, June 1 Beef Heifer registration due.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEEERS

April 18th - 24th was National Volunteer Week! Everyone in the 4-H Program of Cornell Cooperative

Extension of Erie County would like to send out a HUGE THANK YOU, to all our amazing volunteers! Each of

you are irreplicable and without your support it would not be possible to continue with all the programming

and events that we do. Your time and commitment to our program does make a difference.

An important note about dropping items off at or visiting

the 4-H Office in East Aurora!

While the CCE & 4-H office staff are working in the office on a rotating basis, our office is still

NOT open to the public and there are days when a 4-H staff member is not in the East Aurora 4-H Office.

Dropping Items Off: Please leave them in the box located outside the 4-H Office or slide them under the 4-H Office door. Please note-the building in which our office is located is usually unlocked by 8:30 a.m. and locked

by 4:30 p.m. weekdays and may be locked on weekends.

If you need to pick up something from the office, please do not stop by the office without making prior arrangements and scheduling a time to do so with a 4-H Staff member. Most times we will be able to leave

the item in the hall for you to pick up.

How to contact the 4-H Staff…Please leave a message!

Our phone system will forward your voice message to staff via their email.

We will be responding to messages via email whenever possible. Therefore, please leave us your email when leaving a message if you have one. You may also direct any questions to erie4h@cornell.edu or by calling 652-5400 ext. 131

Megan Burley, 4-H Youth Development Educator– 652-5400 ext. 130- msb347@cornell.edu Club Management, 4-H

Program Committee, Public Presentations, Duds to Dazzle, Textile Review, STARR, Career Ex, ECTA (Erie County Teen

Ambassadors), Erie County Fair Youth Development Building-YDB Fair Entries-Volunteer Opportunities.

Sara Jablonski, 4-H Urban Program Educator—sej57@cornell.edu—652-5400 ext. 143: Urban Club Management, 4-H

Program Committee, Public Presentations, STARR, Career Ex, ECTA (Erie County Teen Ambassadors).

Tammi Kron, 4-H Livestock Program Educator – tlk6@cornell.edu – 652-5400 ext. 132: Livestock Programs, 4-H

Livestock Committees, Shooting Sports, Horse Communications, Capital Days.

Lynn Riley, 4-H Administrative Assistant – ldr22@cornell.edu – 652-5400 ext. 131