Iowa 4-H Foundation

My Perspective Today

2011-04-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Unbelievably I am finishing up my second semester with the 4-H foundation and I do not think it would be possible for me to explain how much this organization has impacted me as a student, employee, and person. Eight months ago when I began my internship I knew it would be a great experience, but it ended up being much more than that and somewhat of a life lesson for me.

What I have learned is that 4-H is all about opportunity and growth. It allows for children, teens and even adults to experience life and learn so many valuable skills that will build them into intelligent, loving, and caring inviduals. This became very evident to me when I began interviewing 4-H staff and hearing what they had to say about their positions and duties. Each and every person I interviewed was so passionate about 4-H and their responsibilites to this organization. They all love their jobs and they are truly out to better our youth and the communities we live in. Hearing and learning from the staff was the best part of my internship and I hope that I will be this passionate about my future career! Even on busy and stressful days I still see smiles and everyone really comes together to achieve the goals of 4-H. These are the kind of people that make an organization like 4-H grow and prosper.

This summer I will be interning with Colorado 4-H in Colorado Springs, Colorado and I am really excited about it! I already have a lot of projects and events to attend so I think it will be an amazing summer. I am interested to see the similarities and differences between 4-H in the two states and hopefully I can bring some new ideas as well as learn even more about 4-H from them. I am so lucky I was given this opportunity and I believe I have really grown from this experience and will continue to do so because of 4-H and the people who have guided me a long the way.

So....What does 4-H mean to me? It means an adventure, an opportunity, and a place to learn and grow no matter what age you are!

By: Erika Pletcher

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Annette Brown

2011-04-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Name: Annette Brown
Current Position Title: Region 8 4-H Youth Development Program Specialist
Hometown: Shenandoah, Iowa
Education Background: B.S. from Iowa State University in Adult and Secondary Family and Consumer Sciences Education; M.S. from Iowa State University in Family Studies
Past Work experiences: Student teaching in Nome, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher in Forest City and Lake Mills Iowa
Hobbies/Interests: spending time with daughters’ and their activities, supporting Iowa 4-H Camp
Your Ultimate Goal in working with 4-H: My ultimate goal is to help youth have many opportunities to learn and experience the variety of what 4-H has to offer so they will develop leadership, citizenship, communication, and personal life management skills as well as gain knowledge in the areas they choose to explore.

Annette was a 6 year 4-H’er in the Tarkio Blue Belles 4-H Club in Page County, Iowa (where 4-H originated), and enjoyed project areas like Dairy Cattle, Clothing, Home Improvement, Food & Nutrition, Leadership, and Child Development. She worked at the Montgomery County Extension office for 4 summers while a student at Iowa State University which gave her a basis for wanting a career in Extension.

When discussing Annette’s favorite part of her job she told me that she loves the variety and flexibility that Extension offers. There are so many youth development opportunities to encourage youth to be involved in, and she loves teaching in the non-formal learning environment that 4-H Extension programs are based upon. She said, “I enjoy facilitating Challenge and leadership building activities. I also have a passion for the Iowa 4-H Camping Center and try to get youth and families to experience what the camp offers. I have had many opportunities to grow personally and professionally because Extension is about education. The greatest rewards are seeing young people become involved and to see them grow through their 4-H experiences. Equally rewarding is the value of the volunteers that dedicate their time and talents to guide youth through 4-H.”

Annette enjoys the 4-H Camping center because it is nearby in Boone County where she tries to get as many people to go to the camp as she can through leading a junior 4-H Camp for the counties she serves. “My daughters have grown to love the camp as well, we enjoy going to family camps and they enjoy attending camps every summer”, Annette told me.

What does 4-H mean to Annette? It means a life building and changing experience for youth that helps them develop skills they will use in the present as well as into the future.

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Gail Castillo

2011-04-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Name: Gail Castillo
Current Position Title: Regional Program Specialist / 4-H Youth Development
Hometown: Latimer, Iowa
Education Background: BS – Social Work; MS – Agricultural Education
Past Work experiences: I am a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Equatorial Guinea in west central Africa. That is where I was immersed in the Spanish language and a bit of French.
Hobbies/Interests: Reading, watching ISU football and men’s basketball

Ultimate Goal in working with 4-H: My ultimate goal is that 4-H continue to be a place for all youth and adults to learn together and make a positive difference in the communities around them.

When Gail returned home from Africa, there was a county paid position open for 4-H in Franklin County. She was hired and worked part time while commuting for her Master’s degree at Iowa State. Gail thought once her degree was complete, she would move and work in extension in another part of the country, but as she was finishing her studies she had her first child and realized that her home county was perfect for raising a family.

“No two days are ever identical and I think that’s one of my favorite things about working with ISU Extension” Gail told me. A “regular” day would be in an office in her region working on upcoming meetings, trainings, or materials that will support the growth of Iowa 4-H through members and volunteers. Gail might be at the computer, meeting with staff, or attending a meeting with a partner organization. When asking her what her favorite part of her job was she replied, “I appreciate the variety of my position ~ the many things I get to continue learning about as I work with our 4-H families. LEGO® MINDSTORMS®, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, and community service learning are some of the most recent topics I’ve learned about!”

Gail gets excited about most things in 4-H! County and state fair season is a favorite of hers though. She says, “It is amazing to watch members light up when they explain what they’ve been working on and have an item to show you just what they’ve learned. Watching the “light bulbs” as kids are learning new ideas and mastering new skills is pretty cool.”

What does 4-H mean to Gail? It means a place for kids and adults who want to learn together…where possibilities are endless. It’s where you get to have fun with friends, learn new skills, and experiment with things you have never tried before (building a robot, planting a garden, or speaking in front of a group). 4-H is an instant connect with people of all ages.

The faces of Iowa 4-H: Lisa Berkland

2011-03-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

Name: Lisa Berkland

Current Position: Regional 4-H Youth Development Specialist

Hometown: Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin

Education: B.S. Home Economics Education and M.S. Education both from UW-Stout

Past Work experiences: 4-H Agent, Dunn County Extension

Hobbies/Interests: reading, biking

Your Ultimate Goal in working with 4-H: Her ultimate goal is to be able to provide opportunities for youth where they can positively meet their needs for belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. More simply put, when she was young, she noticed that 4-H was a program that offered success to youth that wasn’t dependent on academic or athletic ability. Her goal is to be able to continue providing those opportunities and help our system be flexible enough to be relevant within our current culture.

Lisa was a nine year 4-H member in Wisconsin. Her projects included Food & Nutrition, Clothing, Photography and Knitting. She was a member of the Hebron 4-H club and she absolutely loved it! Lisa enjoys her job because she never has a regular day. She says, "I am in the unique position that I really do have a virtual office. When I’m not in one of the counties I serve or at a meeting somewhere else, I work from my home. My day includes responding to e-mails, meeting with staff, working with leaders and youth, and thinking strategically about how we can meet our goals."

Some things Lisa gets really excited about is trying new things and tweaking them to make them work. She also loves to see young people who are passionate and engaged in 4-H. After interviewing with Lisa I could tell that she really loves the challenge of taking abstract concepts and figuring out how to communicate them in a way that can be easily understood and applied by the general public. She told me, "When you see that people “get” what you’re trying to teach, it’s incredibly rewarding!"

What does 4-H mean to Lisa? 4-H means so many things to me. It’s hard to wrap it all up in one nice, neat sentence without it sounding like a company line. I once did a series of articles where I described 4-H as a mansion with at least 4 floors and tons of rooms. The cool thing is, all youth and their families have an opportunity to come and explore that mansion. They might go in one room and decide they don’t want to stay there very long, but they are bound to find lots of rooms they don’t want to leave.

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Janet Toering

2011-03-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Name: Janet Toering

Current Position: Youth Program Specialist and Connecting, Learning, and Living Program Director for 4-H

Hometown: Waukee, Iowa

Education: Family and Consumer Science Education and Family Environment/Human Relations from ISU. Masters in Family and Consumer Science Education with an emphasis in Communication and Curriculum development from ISU.

Past Work Experiences: High school teacher in Erlum, Iowa. 4-H Communications and Secretarial for 4-H camp.

Hobbies: Combining living with her work, being outdoors, exploring Iowa with 13 year old son, Traveling, reading, and piano lessons.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: Improve the quality of life in Iowa and the planet.

Janet was a member in 4-H for about four years growing and really loved it. She now works to promote the curriculum in the Connecting, Living and Learning program. More specifically she works with Growing in the Garden for Kindergarten through third grade children to develop tools used for growing curiosity about agriculture and natural resources. It focuses on life skills, critical thinking, communication, citizenship, leadership and healthy living. It is easy for the kids to relate to and a lot of after school programs use this. Other programs she develops are “Food, Land, and People” which is for K-12th grade students, and “Where We Live” for 4-8th grade students.

Janet wrote the curriculum herself along with help from a few others. The project book was amazing and there was so many great activities in it for children to learn. The lessons were very hands on as well making it much easier to use! I loved talking with Janet because she was so unbelievably passionate about her job and the opportunities she has had. She works very hard and it is clear that she truly loves every second of her career.

What does 4-H mean to Janet? It means youth and caring adults working together to improve quality of life for themselves, their families, communities and beyond.

2011-01-31T20:34:00.000-08:00

Name: Jay Staker

Current Position: Extension Youth Development Specialist - 10 years.

Hometown: Woodward, Iowa

Education: Undergraduate degree in Zoology with an emphasis in Fresh Water from Buena Vista. Masters degree in Science Education from Iowa State University.

Past Work Experiences: Worked on the Meat Processing Team for Oscar Meyer. Taught high school science in Ballard for 25 years.

Hobbies: Fishing, reading, writing, biking, and woodworking.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To assist in making 4-H viable in the 21st century and better serve our youth.

Jay works in the Extension office here at Iowa State and is the title director for E-SET and the associate director for Education for the Iowa Space Grant Consortium. His roles support science education for children in Iowa, developing partnerships for science outreach and funding development. He also tries to stay current with technology while working with the Iowa Youth Technology Team.

When asking Jay about his job he told me that new challenges are fantastic and that he loves being pushed to learn new things and new skills while working with amazing people! He loves working with the Technology Team because it is an opportunity for teens to gain communication leadership and social skills. Jay thinks more kids should take advantage of these opportunities because it builds life skills!

What does 4-H mean to Jay? It means opportunity!

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Mitch Hoyer

2011-01-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

Name: Mitch Hoyer

Current Position: 4-H Youth Development Program Specialist

Major Responsibilities: Policy and Risk Management and Educational Design and Delivery.

Hometown: Latimer, Iowa. 4-H Member for 9 years.

Education: Two B.S. degrees from Iowa State University in Animal Science and Agricultural Education. Completing Masters Degree at Iowa State in Agricultural Education and Studies in 2011.

Past Work Experiences: High School agriculture teacher/FFA advisor in Sac City, Iowa (1981-1986). Seed Sales Specialist in Cenex/Land ‘O Lakes (1986-1989). Iowa State Extension (1989 – Current).

Hobbies: Attending ISU sports and cultural events, golf, reading, gardening. Trying to become a better cook, have lots to learn, enjoy experimenting with new “rubs” for meat cuts. But compared to the people on the TV show “America’s Worst Cooks, I could be the next Emeril.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To do whatever I can to promote Program Policy.

When I first started talking with Mitch he told me that his first job was working on the farm walking rows of soybeans pulling and cutting the weeds. This is when I realized that Mitch has grown up around agriculture his whole life and has made a living out of showing and teaching people about what he knows and has learned as well.

Mitch primarily works in planning and preparing for the state fair in the summer. There are a lot of people involved in working to make the state fair exhibits building ready to go and Mitch even hires two interns to help him make sure everything gets done and runs smoothly. One big responsibility he has is to select judges for the competitions and to get about 200 volunteers to help. Volunteers are key to making the 4-H events at the state fair happen. Mitch says, “The Ultimate goal at the state fair is to give young people another opportunity to showcase their talents and what they are doing in the 4-H program. It’s really a great thing!”

Another duty Mitch has is to run the Risk Management program. Risk management is not about risk avoidance but about assessing potential hazards. He educates staff and leaders to ensure all the right steps will be taken in case of an emergency. The goal here is to implement safe programs for young people and create a safe and healthy environment.

What does 4-H mean to Mitch? It means opportunity for young people to learn, discover, and grow into productive citizens.

My Perspective Today

2010-12-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

4-H Center

After working with 4-H Extension for the past three months my views on the organization have changed a lot. I remember stating that I originally thought 4-H was for farm kids, but I was beginning to realize all of the opportunities available to youth. However, I had no idea what I was about to learn and the experiences I was about to get. As you can see from my previous blogs I have met with and gotten to know many of the staff members. My interviews with them have been wonderful and they have really helped me understand each aspect of the programs and how much really goes into the success of Iowa 4-H. It has been incredible to see how hard people work and the amount of determination they have to better the organization and give youth the best opportunities possible.

While all of my experiences this semester have been great I really enjoyed visiting the 4-H center. The center made me feel energetic and happy and it got me excited that there are still camps like this for kids. I also really enjoyed volunteering with the Clover Kids program. I helped out in Gilbert and Boone, and I loved the activities we did with the younger children. Even though 4-H has a target age group, there are opportunities for people of all ages which is what I like the most. Everyone works together, plays together and believes in each other in 4-H. I am so glad that I get to keep exploring different areas of Iowa 4-H next semester and so far this experience has been one of the best times of my life!

Erika Pletcher

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Brenda Allen

2010-12-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

Name: Brenda Allen

Current Position: Extension Program Specialist/4-H Youth Development

Hometown: Montezuma, Iowa

Education: Undergraduate degree in Social Studies Secondary Education. Master’s degree in School Counseling from Iowa State University.

Past Work Experiences: Iowa 4-H Center, National 4-H Center, Teacher for 2 years in Albia, Iowa.

Hobbies: Volleyball, biking and Ragbrai, reading, church, going to basketball games.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To help make stronger young people and stronger communities!

Brenda Allen has been working with 4-H for 11 years now but has been involved in 4-H her entire life! She says that 4-H had an impact on her development and leadership skills and she is so thankful she got such significant experiences growing up. She even went to Norway with the International 4-H Youth Exchange for 6 months! She lived with five different families and got to experience a different culture and a different way of living.

Brenda works with the 4-H Council which is a group of 40 high school students that are chosen to be a part of this leadership group. They have four retreats and they work together to plan the State Conference that is held in the summer. Brenda oversees planning and helps with decision making and preparation. The Conference in the summer lasts three days and usually consists of motivational speakers, educational workshops, community service, dances, and a banquet! There are usually around 1,000 high school students that come and it is a great opportunity to build leadership skills and character in general. Brenda really enjoys getting to see young people own what they are doing and empower themselves and other young people to be great!

What does 4-H mean to Brenda? It means developing the potential of youth and giving them opportunities to show how fantastic they are!

Colorado 4-H Visit!

2010-12-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

I spent Thanksgiving Break with my dad in Colorado Springs, Colorado a couple of weeks ago and it was an excellent trip! Not only did I get to eat great food, see family and go hiking in the mountains, but I got to go visit with faculty in the El Paso County 4-H office! I have had such a wonderful semester with Iowa 4-H and have learned a lot so I thought it would be interesting to see what the 4-H program is like in Colorado. While there I spent most of my time with Jonathan Vrabec, the CSU Extension Agent. There are tons of projects and clubs to join their as well, and it is very similar to Iowa. However, wilderness and hunting are two of the popular areas they are involved with. They do not have big state fair like we do so most of their showcasing happens at their Youth Conference in the summer. One thing I noticed was that just like here in Iowa the adults and volunteers are so passionate and truly care about the youth. It is amazing to see how much work people put in to the development of kids around the nation!

Erika Pletcher

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Marisue Hartung

2010-12-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

Name: Marisue Hartung

Current Position: Youth Program Specialist

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Education: Undergraduate Degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Master’s degree in Social work from the University of Iowa.

Past Work Experiences: Worked as a VISTA volunteer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, The Boys and Girls Club, and the public radio station WOI.

Hobbies/Interests: Walking, visiting friends, reading and listening to books while traveling, gardening, and going to sporting events.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To continue learning about 4-H and to help the counties have the best opportunities so that youth can continue to learn and grow!

Marisue Hartung has been working as the Youth Program specialist for Jasper, Mahaska, Marion and Poweshiek counties for almost 5 years. She has a long background in youth development and strongly believes in helping kids become leaders. While talking she mentioned that after working with other programs she liked that 4-H offered opportunities to kids in the rural and urban areas because everyone should have the chance to get involved. Marisue represents the State 4-H office and helps counties with knowledge of the policies, practices and procedures. She offers information and training, and brings back questions and concerns to the state office.

During our conversation I realized that she basically helps make sure everything is running smoothly and promotes new ideas and plans. What she enjoys most is going to the club meetings and getting to see the 4-H members doing a presentation. “The planning between the leaders, parents and the youth is great to see and it makes everything worth it”, she says. She also discussed how it is really cool to see counties working together and sharing ideas to have the best possible programs for the members.

What does 4-H mean to Marisue?

It means a unique opportunity for youth that allows them to gain skills and challenge themselves.

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Abbie Parker

2010-11-27T17:57:00.000-08:00

Name: Abbie Parker

Current Position: Program Specialist (4-H Center)

Hometown: Fort Dodge, Iowa

Education: Degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Outdoor Education from Iowa State University.

Past Work Experiences: Worked at Geneva Point Shire, a camp in New Hampshire for two years. Camp counselor and Intern for the 4-H Center from 2004 to 2007.

Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, kayaking, sports, working with youth!

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To get every 4-H member to attend the 4-H Camp in the summer!

I went out to the 4-H center and had the chance to visit with the Camp Director, Abbie Parker. We walked around the camp and I got to see a few of the different villages and cabins. I was pleasantly surprised by how large the center was. There was so much land and it was obvious that there are tons of things to do and so many opportunities for kids to participate in during the summer. Abbie highlighted on the fact that there are 25 specialty and combined camps. There are nine weeks of camp that include day camps for ages six to ten and overnight camps for ages seven to 17. Activities include swimming, rock climbing with a zip line, a high ropes course, a team challenge course, canoeing, archery, hiking, creek walks and more!

When talking with Abbie I learned a lot about what she does. She basically creates and runs the programs for all of the camps in the summer as well as hires and manages the staff. When camp is in session she oversees everything and keeps the camp running smoothly creating week by week schedules. Abbie’s favorite part about her job is getting to see the kids and staff grow throughout the summer. She wished someone would have encouraged her to join 4-H growing up because she would have loved the opportunity to explore different projects and different aspects of life in one program.

What does 4-H mean to Abbie? It means a place where kids get to grow and learn skills and qualities that they can use in their futures!

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Marc Peterson

2010-10-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Name: Marc Peterson

Current Position: Urban Program Specialist

Birthplace: Ames, Iowa

Education: Undergraduate degree in Child and Family Services from Iowa State University. Masters in Public Administration from Iowa State University.

Hobbies/Interests: sports, church, running, being outside.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H? To help 4-H grow and adapt to develop new ways to bring the experience to families that have never heard of 4-H.

Marc Peterson works as a 4-H Urban Program Specialist for ISU in Des Moines. He doesn’t work for the traditional side of 4-H, but with the special programs. Marc helps with service learning projects like “Reach Out Iowa”. He also works with 4-H and other organizations to promote community volunteering! The main focus is on middle school and high school kids to get them more involved and helping in their communities.

One of the areas that Marc is working on that really interested me is called “Project Life”. This is a new service learning program that gets college and high school students working with older adults to teach them how to use the Nintendo Wii for exercise! I thought this was a great idea and would be very fun and beneficial. While interviewing Marc it was obvious that he was very passionate about the work he does with 4-H and that he loves helping people!

What does 4-H mean to Marc? It means a community of people that are excited about learning and growing!

Erika Pletcher

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Mike Anderson

2010-10-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Name: Mike Anderson

Current Position: Campus 4-H Livestock Program Specialist

Hometown: Family Farm in Garner, Iowa

Education: Undergraduate degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Master’s in Animal Science from Iowa State University.

Past Work Experiences:

Biotronics – Ames, Iowa as a Beef Ultrasound Lab Manager

Purdue Extension – West Lafayette, Indiana as a 4-H Youth Educator, Decatur County

Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with his wife and daughter, visiting home and helping with cattle shows, and playing sports such as basketball and golf.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To make things simpler for families and kids to get involved and join 4-H. Also, to provide more opportunities for kids in urban areas to be more involved with animals.

When I interviewed Mike it was pretty evident to me that he had been involved with 4-H his whole life. He grew up on a farm with three older siblings and was very involved with his family’s cattle operation. He was in 4-H and FFA throughout his school career.

Mike really loves his job and he told me, “I really enjoy the fact that I get to work with the livestock industry. I grew up around it, know a lot about it, and it is my passion.” One of Mike’s goals is to increase enrollment within the livestock program. He wants to see more kids get involved no matter where they live! Mike’s job is to manage livestock events and activities, and one of the biggest events is at the State Fair. There are usually about 2,000 participants showing their livestock and 250 volunteers. The State Fair is an exciting time and it gives kids the opportunity to gain responsibility, leadership skills and communicating skills!

While talking with Mike I learned a lot of things I didn’t know. It was interesting to hear about all of the hard work that goes in to each event and how much time is spent preparing. There are so many requirements and steps that need to be taken, but when it is all put together the outcome is really rewarding!

What does 4-H mean to Mike?

It means an experience that teaches so many life skills making friends along the way!

Erika Pletcher

Cloverland - Nevada

2010-10-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday afternoon, I volunteered at Cloverland which was held in Nevada, Iowa. It was great to see all of the parent’s and their kids come out and have some fun! I helped at a table making bubble wands using colorful pipe cleaners. The kids loved making different shapes and getting to test their wands. Even Cy had fun blowing bubbles!

There were many activities including:

- Face Painting
- Balloon Animals
- Decorating Cookies
- Coloring Pet Rocks
- Games
There was also:
- Food
- Blow-up slide
- Fire Truck
- and much more!

This was such a great event for families to attend and spend time together! It was a beautiful day and everyone had so much fun!

Erika Pletcher

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Holly Bignall

2010-09-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Name: Holly Bignall

Current Position: 4-H Program

E-SET Coordinator

Birthplace: El Paso, Texas

Other Locations: Illinois, Germany from age seven to eleven, and Iowa

Education: Undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Northern Iowa. Master’s in Women’s Studies, Philosophy, and Religious Studies from Iowa State University.

Past Work Experiences:

University of Northern Iowa - Cedar Falls, Iowa as a water quality project research assistant

Fort Dodge Animal - Fort Dodge, Iowa as a lab technician

The Imaginarium (hands on science museum) - Waterloo, Iowa as a science education director.

Hobbies/Interests: Being a mom, reading, biking and dancing.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: Have a positive impact on kids by providing them opportunities to discover the fun and excitement of science, engineering, and technology. Help them become well-rounded citizens of this country, their communities, and their families because of the growth they experienced in 4-H.

I had the opportunity to interview Holly and I was extremely impressed by the way she spoke about her career and the 4-H program. What really left an impression on me was how fascinated she is with her job and how much she respects the people she works with everyday. Holly told me, “I love the people I work with! I work with the best people, and I have the best job. Everybody here genuinely wants to serve the youth, and we all care about each other. Everyone wants to be here, and we all believe in what we are doing and what 4-H is about!”

Like me, Holly was not a member of 4-H growing up and didn’t really know anything about it. She has now been working with 4-H for two and a half years. She helps run the E-SET program which stands for Extension Science, Engineering, and Technology. E-SET provides support to people doing science, engineering, and technology with youth. The goal is for the kids to have positive experiences so that they are excited to learn about and possibly go into science, engineering, and technology fields.

I asked Holly what she liked best about her job and she said, “I like that everything is different. I always have new projects and while it is hard it is exciting to pull it off in the end. It is so rewarding and I love having a part in that!”

What does 4-H Mean to Holly?

It means positive youth development and helping kids become healthier adults!

Holly and Antarctica Climate Secrets

Erika Pletcher

My Perspective now

2010-09-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

I am new to the 4-H world and was not a member growing up. I honestly thought 4-H was a club only for the rural community, and the farming aspect of the state fair was the only big event that 4-H participated in. I had no idea how wrong I was. There are a lot of families that have no idea how much 4-H has to offer, and my goal is to take a good look into the heart of the organization and spread the 4-H story.

At the end of the summer I volunteered at the event "Stitch This" at the state fair! I was amazed by the creativity and originality of the high school participants. I spoke with one particular girl and she told me that she was really passionate about fashion and creating outfits. She said she was so glad that she found the opportunity to express herself through this 4-H event and that she loved to be challenged! I was amazed by the ideas these contestants came up with and I thought it was such a cool event at the state fair! There are many opportunities in 4-H and I am gaining so much knowledge from my experiences so far.

Erika Pletcher

Meet Our New Intern!

2010-09-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

My name is Erika Pletcher and I am a junior majoring in Child, Adult and Family Services at Iowa State. This is my first semester at ISU as I transferred from the University of Northern Iowa this fall. I grew up knowing that I wanted to work with kids, but I always thought I wanted to be a teacher. Last spring I did my first level of student teaching and that is when I realized I wanted to work outside of the classroom and in more of an extracurricular/activities setting. I realized that I could still teach kids and young adults without being an actual teacher. My ultimate goal in life is to be a leader to kids and show them all of the opportunities they have. I just started interning with 4-H and I believe this is one of the best places to begin. I hope to learn more about 4-H and the programs they have to offer as I continue my journey. The one quote that I try to live by and I think is very important is “Do what you love and love what you do”.

The Magic of an Iowa County Fair is as Strong as Ever

2010-07-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

The following article was published in the Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman's Editorial Section on July 28, 2010. It was written by Rita Cook, an intern with the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers. It is a strong tribute to the impact 4-H and county fairs have on youth and their development of key life skills such as public speaking, creating and achieving goals, coping with the disappointment and being humble with accomplishment.

The Magic of an Iowa County Fair is as Strong as Ever

Cowboy singer Chris LeDoux said it best: “Well, there’s a full moon in the western sky, and there’s magic in the air. Ain’t nothin’ I know of, can make you fall in love, like a night at the county fair.”
Kids and their parents from all over the nation congregate to exhibit their 4-H and FFA projects at county fairs. Those of you who have attended a county fair before have probably felt “the magic.” For those of you that haven’t, allow me to paint you a picture.
More than 30 years ago, two kids felt that magic at the Hardin County Fair in central Iowa, and a few short days after the fair, went on their first date.

A Family Affair
This spring, my parents, Jeff and Val Cook, celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary. All four of their kids were at the 2010 Hardin County Fair—along with 18 head of cattle and a horse.
And the county fair magic didn’t stop there—three of those four hoodlums felt it this year. Becky just finished her sophomore year in high school, and her boyfriend came to the fair to supervise while she washed her calf.
Kyle, who just finished his freshman year in high school, has a girlfriend who not only came to watch him show his calves, but happily volunteered to help clip and groom.
The youngest, Vince just completed 7th grade and one girl asked him out five or six times in four days. He shrugs his shoulders and embarrassedly giggles when you ask him about the love letters that appeared in the showbox.
As for me, I’m a senior at Iowa State University; I came back to help my siblings and reminisce about my fair days. Although there was no whirlwind romance for me, the second kind of county fair magic was as
strong as ever.
Every time I visit the Hardin County fairgrounds, I can’t help but take a walk down memory lane.

Growing Up At the Fair
When I joined 4-H, I was a shy, timid and socially-awkward 9-year-old. During my nine-year 4-H stint, I showed hogs, cattle, horses and my dog. In the meantime, I learned to enjoy public speaking, how to keep financial records, manage money and create and achieve goals.
I learned the importance of not only dreaming big, but also creating an action plan to make those dreams come true. I discovered how to stand up for myself and what I believe in.
At the county fair, I learned how to handle nerves, as well as how to balance responsibility and a social life, as I spent time with friends and also tended animals that depended on me for food and water. Those memories will always be vivid in my mind… the countless hours preparing, the heartbreak of losing and the joy of winning. But learning to win and lose graciously is another lesson learned. And that is the second kind of magic—learning, growing and becoming more than you ever thought you could be.

The 2010 Edition
Youth of all ages learned priceless life lessons at the 2010 Hardin County Fair.
Truthfully, even a veteran like me was challenged and learned new things. I was asked (or maybe instructed) to help announce the market beef show. I admittedly was slightly hesitant to take over the mike, hoping I could sound as professional and encouraging as my predecessor. A crash course in announcing and four hours later, I set the mike down with a tired smile on my face and sore throat.

If you go to a county fair, you won’t find limousines, red carpet or white table cloths. But yet county fairs are a celebration—a cultural gala of a lifestyle that is underappreciated and criticized by people who do not have the slightest understanding of it.

A Celebration of Youth
Although the words “county fair” may seem redneck or uncouth to some, it is truly a celebration of the youth who are learning to take over the reins—the reins that control food, fiber and fuel production in this great nation.
I am thankful that my parents chose to raise my siblings and myself on a farm, and for encouraging and pushing us to participate in 4-H and FFA. Although I don’t know how the cards will fall, I would give anything to return to Hardin County.
When or if I have a family, I hope to be able to raise them on a farm—that is how much influence the farming community, its people and culture have touched my heart.
I will graduate from Iowa State this fall with a triple-major and GPA of 3.78, and the desire of my heart is to go back to a farm—but life is never quite that easy.
Fortunately, my 4-H and FFA experiences taught me to be independent and set a goal, work hard, work smart and keep my chin up. and who knows, maybe next year that first type of county fair magic will catch up with me. After all, it seems to have worked out for my parents.

Another Great 4-H Testimonial

2010-07-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is the latest 4-H story we have received and we would like to share it with you. This was received from Dr. Christopher D. Hill.

"My earliest memories of 4-H in Iowa started with showing model rockets at the Winnebago County Fair and giving presentations on bicycle safety that advanced to the regional Clay County Fair. My experience blossomed to include raising and showing livestock, presenting in local, area, and state settings, and much more. My three sisters and I were all able to serve as members of the State 4-H Council over several years, and I certainly will not forget days and days of fun and hard work to make the Iowa State Fair a success.

4-H is an organization that encourages Iowa's youth to become true community citizen leaders; skills that continue to help 4-H alum succeed in life. 4-H helped me to learn the importance of giving of my time and abilities while honing the proficiency of those same talents. With my family's help, 4-H helped plant the seed of community service and citizenship in my life that assisted in driving me toward a career of giving to others.

I have recently returned to Iowa to serve as an emergency medicine physician, and I am proud to give back to a state that has given so much to me. Iowa 4-H and the Iowa 4-H Foundation should be commended and recognized for yielding young people that have skills sets that go far beyond the doors of their 4-H club meetings, but extend to build communities of caring and talented individuals. Thank you Iowa 4-H for being a stepping stone for me."

Dr. Christopher D. Hill
1996-97, 97-98 State 4-H Council
National 4-H Conference Delegate 1998

Story County Milford Hustlers 4-H History

2010-06-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

Story County 4-H volunteers are hard at work this summer compiling photos, stories and contacts from their history. They have been sharing those photos and stories with the 4-H Foundation and we'd like to share them with you.

Here are photos that were pulled from the book Milford Twp and Proud of It! by authors Dale Hughes and Jurine Borton (Moore). Both are former Story County 4-H'ers from the Milford Hustlers in the late 1940's and early 1950's. The photos are from Milford Township 4-H clubs in the late 1930's-1960's. The number indicated behind each name is the year they graduated from Milford Township.

1939 - In 1964 this group photo was taken of the first Story County Fair Board of 1939. This was 25 years after this Board developed and built the first buildings on present site in the then SW corner of Nevada. Pictured from left are TC Henryson, Story City; Victor Rilery, Ames; Otis Warren, Milford Twp; Dick Jay, Ames, who was the first board president; and Sam Oakes, Zearing. in the background is one of the beautiful barns. Records indicated that since 1951, the board President was from Milford Twp for 50 years.

1941 - Milford Merry Maids 4-H meeting at the Stratton home in the SW quarter of Sec 13 in Milford Twp. Beginning from far left- clockwise: Patty Allen '46, Betty Burley '44, Dorothy Harper '43 (standing), Doris Bailey '44, Delores Borts '41, Leader Mrs. Stratton, Alyce Burley '41 (back to camera), Jeanne Stratton '43 (profile). Note style of 4-H uniforms.

1941 - Two Milford Merry Maids; Jeanne Stratton '43 and Dorothy Harper '43 give a "Correct Posture" demonstration for the Story County competition at the Nevada Field House in 1941.

1941 - Glen Sampson, Milford Hustlers 4-H Club and Milford Twp class of 1943, is pictured with his 4-H Baby Beef project at the Story County Fair.

1944 - This picture is from the Record Book of Ila Mae Bailey, Milford Merry Maids. These two 4-H letters are representative of the times. Her book shows the tabs for the 1941-1943 club years below or prior to her 1944 records. So many organizations, and 4-H was no different, incorporated military themes with the overall interest in the war effort and "Victory" as the goal through their organization. Notice the signature H.J. Montgomery, Story County Extension Director. He served many years.

1946 Ila Mae Bailey of the Milford Merry Maids (1946 graduate of Milford Twp High School) provides an interesting study of the 4-H uniform for the girls during the early forties. Note the cheverons on her left sleeve reminesent of a sargent's stripes, they indicate the four years, one for every year she participated in 4-H. It has also been said they were for each year this person was an officer in their local club.

1946 - Milford Merry maids' representative, Ila Mae Bailey, Milford Twp Class of 1946 is third from the left. She won the Story County 4-H Dress Review and represented Story County at the Iowa State Fair Dress Review in 1946. Photo taken at the 4-H Community Building in Nevada. The outfit cost Ila $11.00

1947 - The Milford Merry Maids after a spring meeting. Pictured left front: unknown, unknown, Mary Rierson, Alicy Matters; middle left area: unknown, Dorothy Murrow, Lois Larson, unknown, Gloria Warren, Juanita Warren, unknown, and unknown; then the fourth in the back row: unknown, unknown, unknown, and Rhoda Honderd. Ida Honderd (Rhiner) was the leader.

1947 - Rhoda '50, little brother Norman '57, and their mother Ida Honderd (Rhiner) are pictured before going to a 4-H event. Ida was then the Leader for the Milford Merry Maids.

1950 - The Milford Merry Maids 4-H Club are gathered late in the summer, shortly after the Story County Fair Demonstration Day. Those in uniform had given demonstrations at the county fair level. In front: Marlene Morfey '57 and Donna Sorem '55; in center: Dordene Brodie '54, Alice Hansen '55 and Jurine Borton '56; in back: Florine Borton '52, Ruth Warren '54, and Leaders Wilma Munson (Arnold) and Ethyleen Sampson (Glen).

1952 - Rex Hughes, a club leader 1952-'55, is pictured with Jurine and Art Borton during the Milford Hustlers 4-H Tour. They are weighing a pig in a gunny sack early in the project.

1953 - Edna and Rex Hughes. Edna was a leader for the Milford Merry Maids and Rex was the leader of the Milford Hustlers. Both were very active in Milford Twp and Story County.

1953 - Ruth Warren, Milford Merry Maids was elected Story County 4-H Girls President. Left to Right: Ruth Warren of Milford Twp class of 1954, Amy Jensen of Gilbert, Bonnie Lein of Slater, Ilene Shaul of Huxley and Jo Ann Nelson of Fernald. The Milford Hustlers (Ag/Boys Club) had 7 County Presidents and the Milford Merry Maids (Home Ec/Girls Club) had 3. Jurine Borton says, one of the things she is most proud of in her 4-H career was being the campaign speaker for both Ruth Warren and her brother Art Borton who were both elected Story County 4-H Presidents.

1953 - The Milford Merry Maids are shown with the banker, Don Warnke, with their initial "$25 Savings Bond Investment." Leader 1951- '53 Edna Hughes, Treasurer Janet Rasmusson '58, President Jurine Borton '56 and Norene Hughes '59. The 12 member club had earned the money at a box social. The Bond actually cost $18.75 to purchase and would mature in ten years.

1953 - The Milford Merry Maids gather outside of Milford Twp School before their first meeting in the fall. Front row: Norene Hughes '59, Janet Simonsen '60, Judith Jorgensen '57, and Sandra Nelson '59. Back row: Marcia Jacobson '58, Shirley Groomes '58, Jurine Borton '56, Sandra Mortvedt '57, Marlene Morfey '57, Janet Rasmusson '58, and Ruth Warren '54. Their leader was Edna Hughes (Rex).

1954 - Jurine Borton is presiding during a Milford Merry Maids 4-H meeting in 1954-'55. Most meetings were held in the Milford Twp School lunch room. Members, clockwise from the lower left: Judith Jorgensen '57, Shirley Groomes '58, Marlene Morfey '57, Jurine Borton '56, Sandra Mortvedt '57, Marcia Jacobson '58, Nadine Safly '59, Sandra Nelson '59, Norene Hughes '59, and Janet Simonsen '60. The club leaders through 1954-'55 were Dawn Jorgensen (max) and Edith Rasmusson (Jeff). Notice the 4-H flag, the US flag is out of sight and to the left beyond Judith.

1954 - Jurine Borton '56 of the Milford Merry Maids is shown with the name banner she used when she was elected to a Story County (girls) Office. (It is interesting to note that since she also had agriculture projects, she was also a member of the Milford Hustlers 4-H Club and was required to keep a completely separate set of 4-H records or another complete 4-H Record Book. She was in each club for 8 years.) In the fall of 1955, it was declared she had the state of Iowa's Best 4-H Record Book and was a delegate to the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago in November (of which she didn't even realize existed at the time) where she was selected as one of the 120 National 4-H Scholarship recipients in the Nation.

In 1956, when she enrolled at Iowa Wesleyan College for a double major in Home Economics and Physical Education, she was the first person in the nation to use a National 4-H Scholarship at a college other than a Land Grant College/University. In 1959, Jurine was selected as an Iowa State Extension Service Summer Trainee and served in Iowa County Extension Service in Marengo, Iowa. She was then hired for a permanent position in Iowa County after graduation in 1960 and served until 1962.

After she was married and had a child-- Marshall Rana, who in 1979 represented Linn County and selected Iowa's 4-H Leadership winner and also went to the national 4-H Club Congress. At that time women could not be employed by the Extension Service if they had small children at home. In the summer of 1976 Jurine also served in the Linn County Extension Service.

1954 - At left is Leslie Henderson, director of the Story County 4-H Chorus and the Milford Twp 4-H Club representation: Ruth Warren '54, Loyd Hughes '56, Jurine Borton '56, Dale Hughes '55, Norman Honderd '57, and Art Borton '57. This was the first year for the Chorus and it was the only County 4-H Chorus in Iowa. It grew out of the Story County 4-H Builders Club which was newly organized earlier in 1954 and both groups were the first and only one of it's kind in the history of Iowa 4-H. Ruth and Jurine were also charter members of that Builders Club, which was established especially for providing older 4-H Youth activities. The Chorus was a terrific opportunity to meet and sing with other high school age youth from all of Story County. They sang at such places as the State 4-H Conferences, events at Iowa State college, at the Iowa State Fair and had one "gig" on WOI-TV. Sadly the chorus only lasted for about three years.

1955-'56 - The Milford Merry Maids 4-H Club are in uniform for National 4-H Week. They wore their uniforms to school and were pictured before their after school meeting. In front: Jurine Borton '56, Judith Jorgensen '57, Geraldine Fitzgerald '59, Julio Cox '59, Sharyl Buchanan '59, Bernita Jacobson '61, Sandra Nelson '59, Sadine Safly '59, and Janet Simonsen '60. In back: Marcia Jacobson '58, Marlene Morfey '57, Sandra Mortvedt '57, Janet Rasmusson '58, Shirley Groomes '58, Janet Sorensen '60, and Norene Hughes '59 (who was without her uniform because of a music obligation outside of school that day). The leaders were Gladys Carsrud (Ernest) and Evelyn Thomas (Homer). 16 members was a sizable club and see 4-H banner on the right.

1957 - The three Milford Hustlers for the Milford Twp class of 1957 won the Story County 4-H Livestock Judging competition and went on to state competition. From left: Norman Honderd, Art Borton, and Pete Hadley. That fall Art Borton also represented Story County with his Record Book to state and was selected to represent Iowa at the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago.

1962 - The Milford Merry Maids are campaigning for Linda Hughes '63, far right, in her run and election to a Story County 4-H (girls) Office. It was a very clever way to "back" Linda!

1963 - Milford Merry Maid Sharon Nelson '64 became the Story County 4-H Girls President and is pictured with the Story County 4-H Boys President, Franklin Albertson. They are holding their gavels.

2006 - The 4-H'er in the center is Cory Sampson, grandson of Glen Sampson '43. He is pictured at the 2006 Iowa State Fair after his reserve Grand Champion Hog sold for a record price of $38,000. He is flanked by his parents to the right. At left is sister Amy who had the 2007 Story County Grand Champion Beef. They had several other winnings in 2008 and 2009. His father, Doug went to school in Milford Twp and the family now farms just out of Milford Twp.

Congratulations to Former Iowa 4-H'er Max Hammond!

2010-06-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to former Iowa 4-H'er Max Hammond on being included in Florida's 4-H Hall of Fame! Below is the article, as posted on the University of Florida's 4-H Youth Development website.

Florida 4-H Hall of Fame 1999-2009: Max Hammond

A 4-H alumnus markets Brahman cattle with success and finds time to give back to 4-H.

Max Hammond was a member of the “Farm Record” 4-H club in Iowa in 1926-1927. He graduated from high school in 1927 and began his career traveling the fair circuit in the western and Midwestern United States showing purebred cattle.

At age 95, Hammond says that he believes 4-H was an important influence on his life, but also hopes that he has left 4-H with a legacy, saying, “I hope I’ve had more impact on 4-H than 4-H had on me.”

In 1933 he joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Subtropical Research Station at Brooksville as a herdsman. In 1948, he became ranch manager at the W.H. Stuart Ranch in Bartow, Florida, a purebred Brahman cattle operation. He frequently hosted 4-H tours and judging teams at the ranch until his retirement in 1981. He was a leader in marketing Brahman cattle all over the world, and in 1982, he was named International Marketing Man of the Year by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

For more than forty years, he purchased steers and swine at the Polk County Youth Fair. He also funded a program to ensure that youth whose animals brought a low price were brought up to a minimum level. His three children were involved in 4-H programs, and Hammond supported their efforts with the 4-H program.

In 1984, he became a charter member of the Polk County 4-H Foundation’s Board of Directors. He has served with the foundation’s board for more than twenty years. He served two terms as president of the board in 1992 and 1993, and spent nine years as its secretary-treasurer. He has also given leadership to the foundation’s investment committee and worked to improve the resources available to help 4-H members be successful.

“Mr. Hammond has been an outstanding role model for 4-H youth,” said Nicole Walker, 4-H extension agent in Polk County. “He has consistently contributed financially to the Polk County 4-H Foundation and helped with other fundraising efforts, including standing at the gate of the County Fair selling raffle tickets for a pickup truck being auctioned by the 4-H Foundation.”

Hammond was instrumental in developing Performance Registry International, where he served as the first president and on the board for many years. He was also the first president of the Florida Beef Cattle Improvement Association. He was president of the American Brahman Owners Breeders Association in 1974 and 1975. He was the only president of the association who was not a ranch owner. He was secretary of the Florida Cattleman’s Association and served on its board for many years. He was president of the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association and a long-time board member.

If you'd like to see the original article on the University of Florida's 4-H Youth Development website, visit: http://florida4h.org/foundation/FL4H/index.htm

Winneshiek County Thanks Donors

2010-06-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

We often hear from the clubs and communities who receive support from the Iowa 4-H Foundation. Here is the latest letter we received from the Turkey Valley Clovers 4-H Club in Winneshiek County.

"It seems quite ironic that I sit down to finally thank you and share some photos with you on the 2-year anniversary of the "Floods of 2008." Fort Atkinson, Iowa was one of the many communities affected by those floods and after 2 years and many hours of volunteer labor we now have a beautiful ball field. In March of 2009, the Turkey Valley Clovers 4-H Club held their annual benefit bake sale. Members brought baked breads, pies, cakes, cookies, bars, and many other tasty treats. We hold our bake sale in conjunction with the local volunteer fire department's pancake and sausage breakfast. We help with bussing tables, pouring drinks, and serving and they allow us to have our bake sale so we both benefit from the partnership.

At our 2009 bake sale we made $679.00 and when we added the $250.00 we received from the Iowa 4-H Foundation Disaster Fund, we had $929.00 to work with. The members had determined that the monies raised would go for something at the rebuilt ball park. We decided that we would help in paying for the picnic tables. The ball park committee ordered 2 - 6 ft. tables and 2 - 8 ft. maintenance free tables for a total cost of $1400.00. The club donated their bake sale proceeds ($929.00) to the purchase, which means we helped pay for 2 3/4 tables.

They have been a "hit" at the ball park! Thanks for the opportunity to apply and receive those funds. The Fort Atkinson community has a long history of ball playing and it will continue for many years to come."

Many Thanks,

Kay and Faye
4-H County Leaders

A Special Week - Just for Volunteers!

2010-04-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

As the 2010 National Volunteer Week, April 18-24, comes to a close, it is nice to look back to see how counties have recognized those that put their time and effort into helping Iowa’s youth. These volunteers give to 4-H all year long, and it is great to have a week dedicated to their hard work.

Here are a few counties that have made the extra effort to show their volunteer appreciation:

With a “driving” theme, Muscatine County handed out cards at a recent leader’s training. “Thank you for Driving Muscatine County 4-H Youth to a Successful Future!” was written on the front, with 4-H member’s individual impact statements on the inside. The county also included a $5 gas card to fit the theme. Some quotes found in the card were:

“My 4-H leader helps me to work towards my goals, learn how to write presentations/other communication, and to learn how to contribute to my community.”

“Our leaders make meetings fun and educational.”

“[Leaders] have shown me to grow as an individual and build great character.”

“I’m really glad that our club leaders are there for us, they guide us and help us have fun at meetings. If our volunteers weren’t there, 4-H might not continue.”

Cedar County handed out reusable 4-H bags with 4-H goodies at their leader’s training, along with a personal note from the county CYC in local papers. Guthrie County sent out a note of appreciation, along with a package of flower seeds.

In Linn County, official “Linn County 4-H Volunteer” vehicle window clings were given as a token of gratitude. The clings were sent home with each volunteer at the 4-H Leader Meeting and Training, along with a card that read, “Thanks for sticking with us!”

Monroe County’s Junior 4-H Youth Council met after school and helped prepare food, create placemats and purchase flowers to present to each leader during their Spring Leader’s Training. The 4-H’ers saw it as a great way to personally acknowledge the leaders who have given their time and talents each year.

There are so many ways to give back to Iowa 4-H. Be a 4-H leader, donate to the program or simply take the time to help 4-H youth in need.
Let’s continue our motto... “To make the best, better!”

Many counties recognized their volunteers during National Volunteer Week. Have a story you'd like to share? We want to hear it!

2010 “Stitch This!” Competition Collides Dresses and Denim!

2010-04-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

The second annual “Stitch This!” competition will be Aug. 20-21 at the 2010 Iowa State Fair. This year 13 teams of high school students will be invited to unite old prom dresses and blue jeans in a 16-hour fashion design competition.

“Last year ‘Stitch This!’ rejuvenated the 4-H clothing event and provided excitement for many who saw and heard about the event,” said Shelly Greving, marketing coordinator of the Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development Program. “People couldn’t wait to see what the teams came up with and this year we hope to expand on that excitement.”

All Iowa high school-age youth are eligible to compete in teams of four. Youth can apply online with a written and video application. Past video applications can be seen at: www.youtube.com/iowa4h. Applications are due June 1.

“We are excited to have VF Outlets participate this year,” said Greving.

VF Outlets is collecting the jeans to be used in the “Stitch This!” competition. Through the month of April, the stores will collect used jeans from consumers in exchange for a 20 percent off coupon. VF Outlets have two Iowa locations in Story City and Williamsburg.

VF Outlet stores are also participating in the National 4-H Paper Clover Campaign along with Tractor Supply Company stores throughout Iowa. The National 4-H Paper Clover Campaign is an in-store fundraising effort to support state and local Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development programs. Shoppers at the two companies will have the opportunity to support local 4-H youth by purchasing paper clovers for $1 at checkout. All funds raised will be donated to 4-H, and will support camps, after-school programs and other 4-H youth development program activities.

“We see ‘Stitch This!’ as an opportunity to unite the fashion industry in Iowa with our youth,” said Greving. “We are currently exploring additional premier sponsorship opportunities for events.”

“Stitch This!” also is uniting with Iowa State University College of Human Sciences to offer $500 scholarships to the grand-prize winning team again in 2010.

“I am so excited to start planning the ‘Stitch This!’ event that will enrich the skills and workmanship of high school students,” said Kelsey Leighton, the State Fair 4-H clothing intern. “This unique event gives a wholesome and rewarding experience to participants with real world fashion experience from all aspects of the industry.

“With ‘Stitch This!’ I hope to expand interest in fashion and design in Iowa,” said Leighton, a student at Iowa State University majoring in apparel merchandising, design and production, a program that ranks top three in the nation.

Learn more about the event, and apply to be involved!

Support Iowa 4-H with a Text!

2010-04-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Now you have an exciting, new way to be a part of 4-H’s success! During the month of April, join 4-H’s Give2Vote Challenge by texting CLOVER to 50555 to give $10 in support of 4-H in your state. You can also take the Challenge by making a secure online donation at 4-H.org to benefit your state 4-H program.

When you give, you vote! Each $10 mobile gift or online donation counts as one “vote” towards Iowa 4-H. The state with the most “votes” at the end of the Challenge receives an additional $5,000. So let's let that be Iowa!! Voting ends April 30th, so don't delay and vote today.

Share this on Facebook, Twitter and e-mail it to all your friends. The fun and easy challenge is a great way to show your Iowa 4-H pride!

VEISHEA Co-chair Uses 4-H Tradition for Tomorrow’s Vision

2010-03-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Nicki Cortum is no stranger to preparation and hard work. Achieving high goals are nothing new for 4-H members, and Cortum is no exception. Cortum, an Iowa State University senior and native of Norwalk, is a past Warren County 4-H member with a very important new role: VEISHEA general co-chair.

She served on the VEISHEA committee her first and second years at Iowa State and worked as the office manager in 2009. This year she went straight to the top -- general co-chair.

“The more I got involved and learned about VEISHEA, the more passionate I became about seeing it continue to be a valued tradition at Iowa State,” said Cortum.

Cortum credits many of her leadership skills today back to her 4-H involvement. 4-H is the youth development program of Iowa State University Extension dedicated to advancing the leadership, citizenship, communication and life skills of Iowa’s youth. She is not alone; research from ISU Extension shows that 72 percent of 4-H members improved their leadership skills, among others.

“I think all the presentations I gave, project goals and reports I wrote and all the judges I talked to about my projects definitely made me a strong communicator, which has helped me be successful at many things I’ve done,” said Cortum.

“Participating in 4-H gave me a sense of work ethic and taught me what it means to finish a project you start,” said Cortum. “That also taught me problem-solving skills and responsibility.”

Responsibility is in no shortage with Cortum. Along with her co-chair, Hallie Satre, she is in charge of seeing that 2010 VEISHEA showcases all that Iowa State has to offer.

Again, Cortum credits 4-H as helping prepare her for this task. In the past, she held an internship coordinating the Madison County Fair, which celebrates all the great things 4-H members have done over a year.

In 2010, VEISHEA will celebrate Iowa State by using Today’s Vision, Tomorrow’s Tradition for the week of April 12-18. During this week the Iowa State campus will host college showcases, entertainment, parades and much more.

Cortum encourages other 4-H members to use the skills they have learned and remain involved.

“Take advantage of all the opportunities you have to learn something new or practice what you have learned,” advises Cortum. “I know that sometimes giving a presentation doesn’t seem like much fun, but these really are skills you will use in the future.

“Also, don’t be afraid to set your goals high and pursue what you love to do,” said Cortum. “If you are passionate about a goal and are willing to work hard to accomplish it, anything is possible!”

Cortum has proved her statement through dedication to what she is passionate about and is confident that her 4-H background will continue to serve her in the future.

“Being a general co-chair has been rewarding and valuable experience that I know will continue to serve me well in the future,” said Cortum.

About VEISHEA
VEISHEA is an annual celebration held at Iowa State each spring and one of its oldest traditions. It serves as a showcase and display of the Iowa State community with a wide variety of educational and entertainment events.

Volunteering with 4-H: It’s About Giving

2010-03-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

Each year nearly 10,000 volunteers contribute their time, energy and expertise to help Iowa youth build life skills through 4-H learning experiences. And Barb Determan knows why they volunteer. It’s about giving.

“I wanted to give back to 4-H. Our family has gotten a lot of good out of it. I want to share that with other kids,” Determan said.

That’s why the Sac County woman serves as a trustee on the Iowa 4-H Foundation board, judges 4-H communication projects at the Iowa State Fair and is midway through her 29th year as an Iowa 4-H club leader.

“I really enjoy working with the kids,” she said, but that’s only part of the appeal. Far beyond the enjoyment, 4-H has given Determan a lifetime of value, the long-time volunteer said.

“I have had great opportunities,” she said.

Growing up in Illinois, Determan participated in 4-H for nine years, even attending the National 4-H Congress. As a student at the University of Illinois, she lived in the 4-H House, a sorority for former 4-H members. When she married an Iowa farmer and moved to Sac County, she called the ISU Extension office right away to get involved as a 4-H leader. Her husband, Steve Determan, became a 4-H leader as well.

Their three children — Kourtney, Dan and Andy — now adults, all participated in 4-H as youth and were state project winners.

“More important, they learned so many skills in 4-H — especially communication, leadership and community service,” Determan said. “4-H taught them how to give.”

4-H clubs expose kids to things they might not try otherwise, allowing them to develop interests they didn’t know they had and learn skills they can use for a lifetime, Determan continued. “4-H is the premier youth development organization. We work with kids from a very young age, making it comfortable for them to become leaders, communicators and [better] citizens.”

Determan’s club, the Early Achievers, is a multi-age club. She’s been a 4-H leader long enough that she’s now working with the children of some of her earlier 4-H club graduates.

“That’s a huge honor for me — to have the second generation of 4-H’ers,” Determan said.

A Citizen Soldier’s Shooting Sports 4-H Story

2010-03-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

Pointing kids in the right direction is not what Thomas Sage of Black Hawk County thought he would be doing when he returned from his National Guard deployment. However, Sage has since dedicated his time, energy and skills to becoming an inspirational 4-H shooting sports instructor.

“I really didn’t know when I got back from Afghanistan what I was going to do. I was tired and frustrated with a lot of things,” said Sage. Sage is currently in the National Guard and was previously a United States Marine. He has completed two combat deployments.

“When I got back from my tour in Afghanistan, I was asked to help start a new 4-H program in our county, shooting sports,” said Sage. “I saw this as an excellent opportunity to give something back to the community, and it’s something I really enjoy doing.”

Sage is not alone in volunteering with 4-H. More than 10,000 Iowa volunteers are members of the proud group who contributed time, energy and expertise to help youth strengthen life skills through 4-H learning experiences in 2009.

4-H Shooting Sports
Sage learned how to shoot a gun at a young age with his father and grandfather. While serving in the Marines, he was able to hone his shooting skills through practice and discipline.

“It is a life skill that is fun, practical and teaches the kids to be safe and responsible,” said Sage. “We treat every one of our 4-H’ers as a young adult. They respond to this kind of environment in a positive manner.”

Shooting Sports has been a part of 4-H since the 1980s, but an Iowa program did not develop until 2003. Today the shooting sports program requires instructors be certified and continues to teach youth the self-confidence, personal discipline, responsibility and sportsmanship required for the use of firearms. Shooting sports is just one of many project areas for Iowa’s 4-H youth who number almost 110,000. Check out this video for more information on 4-H shooting sports.

“4-H shooting sports is a positive way to develop important life skills and provide the opportunity for youth to develop a life-long activity,” said Bryan Whaley, ISU Extension 4-H youth development program specialist.

The following shooting sports disciplines are currently available in Iowa: archery, rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader and wildlife skills. An annual state match showcases 4-H’er abilities in the shooting disciplines, as well as communication and exhibition options. 4-H members also have an opportunity to qualify for the National Invitational Team.

4-H Lessons
Sage has made 4-H a life-long activity and credits his 4-H involvement for success later in life.

“My 4-H background was indispensable. It gave me the skills to be a leader of Marines early on, by giving me the confidence that I needed to get up in front of people and teach,” said Sage. “It also gave me the ability to interact with people that I didn’t know.”

While serving on a training team for the Afghanistan Army in 2005 through 2006, Sage credits his 4-H involvement for helping him relate. Many of the trainees came from rural backgrounds and Sage went above his call of duty to give insight on local agricultural problems.

“4-H is the greatest organization to learn the life skills that I use everyday,” said Sage.

Last year, Sage was recognized as an outstanding 4-H leader completing this third year of involvement. The majority of Iowa 4-H volunteers have been doing so for over five years. Even though Sage is not yet to that mark, he has become highly involved leading the Rifle Training Project, Shotgun Skeet and Clay Pigeon Project, and planning the instruction schedule. Sage also designed the badge reward system for Marksmanship, Sharpshooter and Expert.

“It is the best learning environment I have ever been involved with in my life,” said Sage who is preparing for his third tour of duty this summer.

Four Iowa Youth to Attend National 4-H Conference

2010-02-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

Four 4-H members have been selected to represent Iowa at the National 4-H Conference in Chevy Chase, Md. The conference will be held March 20 through March 25. This year the conference will focus on citizenship.

“These delegates will represent Iowa’s interests in the national 4-H program. These four youth are excellent representatives of 4-H’ers from across the state,” said Brenda Allen, Iowa State University Extension 4-H youth development specialist.

The Iowa delegates are Grant Bargfrede, 18, Ankeny; Emma Christianson, 18, Lake Mills; Natalie DeBerg, 18, Burlington; and Sara Rockow, 18, Fort Dodge. Additionally, Annette Brown, ISU Extension 4-H program specialist from Boone, will accompany the youth. The Des Moines Register and Monsanto will sponsor the youth’s trip to Maryland.

ISU Extension only sends four delegates per year, and candidates are eligible to attend National 4-H Conference only one time. Delegates must submit an application and be selected by a committee.

“We selected these four representatives due to their involvement in 4-H at the local and state level as well as their leadership and communication skills,” said Allen.

The youth 4-H delegates have many conference highlights to look forward to. They will meet with all of Iowa’s legislators to inform them about current 4-H accomplishments. Delegates also will have opportunities to collaborate and highlight local 4-H programs and activities. Additionally, the newly renovated National Museum of American History will host the closing banquet with Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture and fellow Iowan, as the featured speaker.

“This conference brings top 4-H’ers from across the country to share ideas to strengthen the 4-H program nationally and at the state level,” said Allen.

More information on the National 4-H Conference can be found at: http://4hconf.4-h.org/

Three Former 4-H Members Receive New York City Fashion Scholarships

2010-02-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

Three former 4-H’ers from Iowa have returned from an all-expense paid trip to New York City where they received $5,000 scholarships and were recognized at a fashion industry dinner. The Iowa State University students were recipients of the prestigious Young Menswear Association Scholarships.

“This event is like the Super Bowl of the fashion industry,” said Dianna Walsted, scholarship recipient. “It was a great event that was solely directed to us, the YMA Scholars. It was so great to see how much they value young, intelligent individuals who are entering the fashion industry.”

Kristin Geiger, Boone County; Dianna Walsted, Woodbury County; and Jaclyn Wernimount, Calhoun County, are all apparel merchandising and design production students at Iowa State University. The three have another binding factor -- all were past 4-H members.

“4-H showed me how to be compassionate through volunteer work, how to be creative through group craft projects and how to persevere when it came to the trials and tribulations of projects,” said Walsted about her 4-H involvement.

Walsted also recalls participating in volunteer work with her 4-H club. New Iowa State University Extension research shows that Iowa youth credit their 4-H clubs with making them better citizens, leaders and communicators.

“I always loved the accomplishment I felt after going to the fair and showing all of my hard work,” said Wernimount of her 4-H projects. “I felt the same way after I was awarded the YMA Fashion Scholarship. After working so hard on something, it feels amazing to see the outcome.”

Wernimount started sewing in 4-H and grew from there. She completed a service project through 4-H for a local youth treatment center by making pillowcases. She also created baby blankets as a 4-H member for children born during National 4-H week. In a 2008 study by Iowa State University Extension, it was found that after youth had participated in 4-H, 80 percent improved their citizenship skills through 4-H involvement.

“I believe it would have been nearly impossible for me to acquire the necessary skills and experiences that have allowed me successes like the YMA scholarship without 4-H,” said Geiger. “While I was in the program, I was oblivious to how much those projects and activities were shaping me, improving my abilities and helping me grow.”

Geiger has remained active in 4-H after high school, being a special guest at the 2009 4-H Stitch This! runway show. Stitch This! is a competition similar to the show Project Runway, where 4-H’ers take an old garment and turn it into something new. In 2009, more than 10,500 4-H youth were enrolled in the clothing project area, making it the fourth most popular project area.

These three young ladies made the most of their 4-H involvement, have continued to succeed in their interest areas and have a very promising future.

“The scholarship provided me with numerous contacts and a no-fail method of finding a great internship,” said Walsted.

Catch This Current: One 4-H’er's Electric Story

2010-02-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

Tymothy Wood is a lot like other high school seniors -- looking forward to the future. However, Wood has a plan, a very focused plan that he is passionate and confident about.

“Without 4-H I would have never discovered what I like to do,” said Wood. “4-H has given me great insight on what my interests are and what I want to do with college.”

In a 2009 study, the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University found that 4-H youth had higher grades than other youth, and 4-H’ers expectations to go to college also were higher.

“I want to be on the cutting edge,” said Wood. The nine-year 4-H member, from Tabor, Iowa, plans to attend Iowa State University in fall 2010 to major in Electrical Engineering with a focus on green energy.

Additional findings in the Tufts University study show that 4-H youth are more likely to participate in science, engineering and computer technology programs and plan to pursue careers in these areas than other youth.

Wood has been a part of several project areas within 4-H, including food and nutrition and photography. However, he credits a 4-H conference stay in the Iowa State University residence halls for developing his passion for engineering.

“It was really hot in the dorms, so I started looking for ways to cool the place,” said Wood. Knowing that his parents wouldn’t approve purchasing an air conditioner, Wood designed one. And the ball just kept rolling from there.

For example, he also designed a solar-powered charger.

“I would leave the solar panel out in the sun all day and then bring it in at night to charge my cell phone and iPod,” said Wood. This 4-H project received recognition from the Los Angeles Times.

Wood also has developed his leadership skills through 4-H involvement. He is not alone; Iowa 4-H’ers improve their leadership practices by 72 percent through 4-H involvement, according to a 2009 Iowa State University Extension study.

4-H'ers for 4-H
“Serving on State 4-H Council has been a huge step up,” said Wood. However, Wood has enjoyed the chance to meet other youth from across the state. Wood’s primary role on the state council is on the financing committee.

The finance committee oversees the 4-H’ers for 4-H campaign. This campaign receives $2.75 from each 4-H member’s dues and reinvests that money into 4-H. Nearly $34,000 is raised through this campaign every year, and the money helps fund the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference and 4-H camps across Iowa.

“It’s really exciting to see their money working for them,” said Wood of the 4-H’ers for 4-H campaign.

“4-H is a great opportunity that doesn’t come around very often,” said Wood. “It is fun way to get to know yourself and meet new people.”

Region 18 4-H’ers Return to Rural Iowa

2010-02-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

4-H'ers Return to Rural Iowa from Iowa State University Extension on Vimeo.

Terry Tobin: Multiple Roles and Multiple Success through 4-H

2010-01-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

4-H leads to multiple paths of success; just ask Terrence (Terry) Tobin. Tobin has an extensive background with 4-H and is still making use of the skills he learned as a 4-H'er in his current position as director of Principal Enterprise Capital in Des Moines.

“Joining 4-H was just what you did in our family,” said Tobin. “My parents even met through 4-H.”

Tobin, from New Market, Iowa, was a 4-H member throughout his youth. He served as a state 4-H officer during that time. Tobin credits leadership and citizenship skills that he learned through 4-H for his successes in life.

What Tobin gained from 4-H still stands today. In a 2008 study by Iowa State University Extension, it was found that after youth had participated in 4-H, 73 percent improved their communication skills. Additionally, 67 percent increased their leadership skills. Of the same 4-H members, 80 percent improved their citizenship skills as well through 4-H involvement.

“4-H provides knowledge and experiences in a manifold of areas,” said Tobin.

Tobin remains a strong believer in giving back to his community, a value instilled through his 4-H involvement. Tobin is not alone; a recent study by the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University found 4-H’ers are 25 percent more likely to contribute to their communities than other youth.

Tobin has served on a variety of boards including the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors and Department of ISU Political Science Alumni Advisory Committee.

Tobin says a highlight of his adult 4-H career was serving on the Iowa 4-H Foundation Trustees board for six years. He served as president of the board during his term and led the Imagine Together Capital Campaign, raising nearly $2.5 million to support 4-H.

“It was a way to give back to all 4-H has given me personally and my family,” said Tobin of his time with the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

“I was lucky to work with a very talented group of people on the Foundation Board,” said Tobin.

“4-H is many things to many people. It helps our young people to build community leaders for tomorrow,” said Tobin. The research agrees with his statement; Iowa 4-H’ers' survey responses show solid evidence that youth involved in 4-H develop the characteristics of competent, caring, contributing, confident, connected and capable individuals.

Six Steps to Become an Iowa 4-H Volunteer

2010-01-26T12:37:00.000-08:00

1. Decide that you want to help kids grow and explore their futures.

2. Consider volunteering to lead a 4-H group in your community, your local school, or even your church.

3. Contact your local ISU Extension office to find out about local opportunities.

4. Complete Iowa State University Extension’s Child Protection and Safety Policy (CPSP) process if you will have direct contact with youth.

5. Attend a local/state training.

6. Share your skills, knowledge and talents while having fun with kids.

4-H Goes to Time Square!

2010-01-22T12:09:00.001-08:00

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4-H'ers gathered on Time Square on November 30, 2009 to interview New Yorkers about their impressions of the youth organization while a PSA played on the CBS big screen. What a fun way to help promote 4-H!

ACT II Drama Stars Bring New Stage to 4-H

2010-01-20T07:53:00.001-08:00

Seven 4-H members in Henry County are putting a dramatic spin on the values 4-H develops. Club members have been acting out and producing a variety of shows since November 2006. These 4-H’ers are not only showing off their communication talents and building teamwork skills, but are having a great time entertaining others.

“The girls just really like acting,” said Jennifer Lehman, the Act II Drama Stars club leader. “They are super dedicated to each performance.”

The ACT II Drama Stars have done interpretations of children’s stories for a local preschool, where they designed both costumes and sets. Additionally, the club did a dramatic reading of “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” with sound effects, on the local radio station. Members also have done improvisational skits based on reality TV shows.

“Currently, the club is working on producing a video made with flip cameras,” said Lehman. The video will feature spin-offs of movie trailers and commercials.

“The Drama Stars hope to recruit some more members through their video,” explained Lehman.

The ACT II Drama Stars 4-H Club is free to join and open to all youth. Club members have their annual 4-H membership dues paid for by an annual Henry County soup supper.

“Additional materials for club performances come from what members have around their homes,” said Lehman.

Gala Plans to Raise Awareness, Support for Iowa’s 4-H’ers

2010-01-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

With increased budget cuts throughout the Iowa State University 4-H Youth Development program, the Iowa 4-H Foundation hopes to continue showcasing 4-H and raising financial support for the organization during its 60th Anniversary Gala titled “Keeping it Green.”

The inaugural event will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines. A youth robotics competition will be held from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. with live music, interactive 4-H exhibits, silent and live auctions, a selection of Iowa hors d’oeuvres and a special performance by the 4-H Green Man Group.

“It’s exciting to have a gala for 4-H and to have this opportunity to tell the 4-H story,” said Shelly Greving, marketing coordinator for the Iowa 4-H Foundation. “Prior to the start of the gala, attendees will be able to interact with 4-H’ers and see them demonstrate their robots in the robotics competition as well as showcase their 4-H club and interest areas.”

The business-formal event hopes to attract current and potential business supporters, top 4-H donors and past trustees while offering attendees a chance to learn more about the ways 4-H continues to help Iowa youth develop life-long skills. Auctions will include a wide selection of items and trips including two week-long vacations to Colorado, several wine tastings, tickets to the Iowa Speedway, a P. Buckley Moss Iowa State Fair print and an instant wine cellar made up of various donated bottles of wine with personal stories attached.

“Iowa’s outstanding 4-H youth are learning skills that will position them to become the next generation of leaders in our state. They have interests in science, communication, photography, nutrition, education and much, much more,” the invitation reads. “We hope that you’ll join us as we celebrate our 60th anniversary of funding opportunities for Iowa’s youth!”

Singles, couples or table sponsors can make reservations for the event at http://bit.ly/74DC8c or by calling (515) 294-1537. Additionally, if attendees register by Feb. 1, each person in their party will receive a $25 certificate that can be used toward an auction item.

We're Halfway to Pioneer's Match Point!

2010-01-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

Way to go Iowa 4-H donors! In response to Pioneer's matching gift announcement of $150,000, you have stepped up and already given more than $76,000 of the total amount. Pioneer's pledge was to match gifts made to the general fund dollar for dollar

Because of these increased donations, the Iowa 4-H Foundation has been able to provide record amounts of financial aid to youth who wanted to join 4-H but could not afford the membership fees, and has been able to help the 4-H program maintain staff to keep the program open and available in every Iowa county. The match gift program is only for a limited time, so make your donation today.
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Operation Military Kids

2010-01-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

Check out this awesome new video, all about Operation Military Kids!

Consider 4-H for New Monsanto Grant Program

2010-01-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

Iowa farmers have until Feb. 28 to help nonprofit organizations in their communities with nearly $250,000 in local grants through Monsanto’s America’s Farmers Grow Communities™ Project. The Iowa 4-H Foundation hopes they’ll direct those dollars to 4-H through this new pilot program that Monsanto is offering throughout Iowa and in parts of Missouri and Arkansas.

Through the program, qualifying farmers can direct a $2,500 award to a local nonprofit organization that’s important to them and their community, explained Joe Leisz, executive director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The program is intended to benefit nonprofit community groups such as ag youth organizations, schools and other civic groups.

“We hope Iowa farmers will consider 4-H for this award,” Leisz said.

Farmers can apply online or request a copy of the official rules of the award program from the Web site, www.growcommunities.com, by calling (877) 267-3332 or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to America’s Farmers Grow Communities Project, 914 Spruce St., St. Louis, Mo. 63102.

Farmers age 21 and older who are actively involved in producing a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton are eligible. The application period runs through Feb. 28. The program is open to all qualifying farmers and there is no purchase requirement. In Iowa, one winner will be drawn from each of the state’s 99 counties. Monsanto will announce winning farmers and recipient organizations they chose in March 2010.

“Farmers in Iowa and across America work hard to feed, fuel and clothe our country and the world,” said John Raines, Monsanto’s vice president of customer advocacy. “As a company whose only business is agriculture, we want to work together with farmers to help them grow their local communities through the America’s Farmers Grow Communities Project.”

The pilot program is part of a broad commitment by Monsanto to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to society by reinvesting in their local communities.

2009 4-H Day at Cyclone Women's Basketball

2010-01-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Don't miss it February 27, 2010!

2nd Annual 4-H Day at Cyclone Women’s Basketball Is Feb. 27

2010-01-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

4-H youth from across the state of Iowa are welcome once again to attend an Iowa State University women’s basketball game. 4-H'ers have an opportunity to see the Cyclone women take on Kansas State University on Feb. 27. Tip-off for the game is at 7 p.m. that Saturday in Hilton Coliseum.

“We hope that 4-H clubs will take advantage of this opportunity to come to Ames, visit the state 4-H office, see the Iowa State University campus, and of course, cheer on the Cyclones,” said Shelly Greving of the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

For $15, 4-H'ers receive game admission, an exclusive 4-H Cyclone T-shirt and a pregame tailgate party at the Extension 4-H Building on the ISU Campus. The pregame tailgate will feature a pork meal donated by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. Additionally, the price includes a $2 donation to the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

“This is a great way to show dual support for the Iowa 4-H Foundation as well,” said Greving. The Iowa 4-H Foundation finances many 4-H programs including scholarships, 4-H camps and National 4-H Conference.

This is the second annual 4-H Day at Cyclone Women’s Basketball. Last year the event brought around 1,000 4-H members, volunteers, staff and alumni to Ames for the evening, explained Greving.

“We are looking to be close to the 1,000 mark in attendance again this year,“ said Greving. “Anyone associated with 4-H is welcome to attend to make this a great showing for Iowa’s 4-H program.”

For tickets to the game go to the ISU Extension Online Store at http://tinyurl.com/4hisuwbb. Tickets must be purchased by Feb. 1. Tickets and T-shirts must be picked up at the tailgate party prior to the game on Feb. 27 from 5- 6:30 p.m.

4-H Clubs to Give Helping Hand Against Hunger

2009-12-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

If one Iowa 4-H club in one county can raise money for a local food bank, why can’t every 4-H club in every county do the same? The idea made sense to the Country Clover 4-H Club in Lucas County, so they’ve challenged every 4-H club in Iowa to make a difference in an effort they call “4-H clubs giving a helping hand against hunger.”

“With so many people out of work, donations down and the holidays coming up, your local food banks are going to need help,” Country Clover Club President Josh Ruth wrote in a letter to all Iowa 4-H clubs.

Ruth’s club came up with the idea as they were deciding on this year’s community service project. When they learned about the needs facing the local food bank, having their annual pizza party didn’t seem so important. Instead, they decided to donate their pizza money to their local food bank along with other contributions totaling $100. Club leader Tammie Ruth said they also plan to donate proceeds from an upcoming raffle to the food bank.

“One of our members suggested we challenge the other clubs in our county to do the same and someone else said, why not every club in the state?” Josh Ruth wrote. “We challenge all 4-H clubs in Iowa to donate any amount of money to your county’s food bank.”

The County Clovers are requesting only one thing in return — that by Jan. 30, 2010, participating clubs let them know what they do locally. The club plans to keep track of the effort as a statewide community service project.

“This is not a challenge of who can give the most — it’s a challenge for you to open your hearts and just give,” Josh Ruth explained.

The Lucas County Country Clover 4-H club includes Josh Ruth, Zach Ballard, Logan Johnston, Abby Ballard, Paul Long and adult leaders Tammie Ruth and Kelly Johnston.

Community service is an important part of 4-H, said Brenda Allen, a 4-H youth development specialist with Iowa State University Extension. Youth need to feel their lives have meaning and purpose. By exploring 4-H community service and citizenship activities, youth can connect to their communities and learn to give back to others.

Humboldt County 4-H Club Ensures Service Never Stops

2009-11-18T12:45:00.000-08:00

Every day we lose 1,000 of them -- some to old age, others to sickness and many who never got to visit the World War II memorial that was built in their honor. However, as these veterans and service men and women from other wars are especially honored throughout November, the Corinth Red Stars 4-H club has made sure one more is given the opportunity.

After raising funds through a food stand at the Humboldt County Fair, the Red Stars decided to donate $600 to sponsor a veteran through the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping American veterans travel free of charge to see their memorial in Washington, D.C. Only later did they realize that the father of one of their leaders also would be signed up for a future flight.

“I didn’t know my father was going on an honor flight when the girls started the project. It happened after the plans were already set in motion,” said leader Jana Terwilliger, whose father served stateside during World War II as a driver for high-ranking officials in Washington, D.C. “I cannot even tell you how excited he is, though, to see all the things that have changed or developed since he was there. It will be a really emotional day.”

In addition to the Honor Flight Network, the club has been able to experience first-hand what a current military family goes through, as one of their leaders and two of their members awaited the return of their husband and father this past year. Leader Lauri Beilke’s husband, Larry, left in June 2008, served as a helicopter mechanic in Iraq for a year and returned in May 2009. During his absence, Lauri Beilke and her daughters witnessed the support of the club who came over in the summer of 2008 to put together a T-shirt quilt for him and also sent care packages throughout the year.

“The girls were really excited to send things to Larry, and he’d send back updates,” said Lauri Beilke. “Even when my husband was gone though, I was so amazed we got as many thank yous as we did for his service. I mean, we missed him, but he missed everything. We really have a strong supportive community.”

Her daughters Kiersten and Shelby Beilke also saw how his service impacted their fellow club members, and through their involvement in Operation: Military Kids (OMK) during the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference, they realized the importance of the overwhelming support they have received.

“After seeing what my sister, mom and I were going through, it touched all of their hearts and as much as ours,” said Kiersten. “In OMK we also met new people and learned about their situations. It made us realize our school was very supportive. Other kids were told to ‘get over it’ and ‘move on’. Our community, however, was always asking how we were and what they could do.”

Furthermore, the club has continued to extend their time and hands in service to pay another act forward. While in Iraq, a group from Florida sent homemade stockings to troops overseas, including Larry Beilke, who then sent the empty stockings home. Without hesitation the girls agreed to refill them with things like snacks, chocolate, magazines, sunscreen, lip balm and quality toilet paper before sending the stockings over again for this year’s holidays.

“They are a really wonderful bunch of girls who provide so many community services,” said Terwilliger. “They’re so unique, get along really well and are always willing to help out. We have almost 100 percent participation in our service projects, and we have a lot of them.”

In the past the girls have served food at Relay For Life, helped set up the Christmas tree at a local nursing home, made ornaments with the residents there and helped kids wrap presents as part of the “Shop With A Cop” program, among other things.

Additionally, their third leader, Teresa Bleich, found a way for them to emotionally support the Honor Flight veterans by writing letters for them to read on the way to Washington, D.C. Bleich hopes it will spark conversation both among veterans and their families and for the girls.

“The girls grew a lot through this, and it will be neat to see the May flight take off. We also hope that someone will maybe come back and talk to us in person about their experience because that will mean a lot to the girls,” she said. “It’s amazing to see how the trip opens up veterans to talk and discuss, and it’s so neat to hear them.”

“Even Daryl [Long] coming and talking when we presented the check to our local Brushy Creek Chapter was really eye opening for the girls,” added Lauri Beilke. “World War II was something many never said a word about or were thanked or appreciated for. I think that was shocking to the girls and made them understand how important the Honor Flight would be to the veterans.”

While the club does not know whose flight in May they specifically funded, they are assured that one more veteran will have the chance to experience what more than 42,000 others have since the Honor Flight Network’s inception in 2005. World War II veterans are given first priority for the flights, but Vietnam and Korean veterans are also included to see their respective memorials.

Regardless of who gets to go, however, the Red Stars are excited to give someone the opportunity and have a whole new level of understanding and awareness for service men and women, as they continue to reach out to their own community one community service project at a time.

Pioneer Hi-Bred Pledges $150,000 to Support Iowa 4-H Youth Programs

2009-11-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, has announced a $150,000 matching gift pledge to the Iowa 4-H Foundation to support youth programs. This contribution launches the Iowa 4-H Foundation’s President’s Campaign fundraising effort.

Bill Tomlinson, Iowa 4-H Foundation board president and Pioneer Hi-Bred production director, states, "4-H makes a positive impact on our communities and youth through programs that support agriculture, benefit youth and impact education. We are proud to support the 4-H programs across the state that help create the next generation of active citizens and community leaders.”

As part of the President’s Campaign, Pioneer will match contributions to the Iowa 4-H Foundation dollar for dollar up to $150,000 during Bill Tomlinson’s tenure as Iowa 4-H Foundation board president. His term runs through September 2010.

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Alumni Spotlight: Luis C. deBaca

2009-10-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama may know him as the Ambassador at Large to Combat Trafficking in Persons, but Story County fairgoers remember Luis C. deBaca as “Louie,” a Huxley teenager in Wranglers and a cowboy hat, who was never afraid of a microphone during Family Fun Day activities at Christy Hall, the fairgrounds or Inspiration Night at Gates Hall in Nevada.

In the early 1980s, 4-H’er Louie de Baca was known for mixing traditional activities for a farm boy with other endeavors such as stained glass and baking. So, when the chance came up to take the biennial trip to Washington D.C., de Baca jumped at the chance.

On the Washington Citizenship trip, Story County 4-H’ers met club members from other states, studied the legislative process and toured monuments, memorials and museums. In meetings with Iowa’s Congressional delegation, Louie represented the group and presented the Representatives and Senators with a handcrafted stained glass 4-H emblem. In an exhibit for the Story County Fair that summer, he declared a goal: to work someday in Washington, D.C. Luis C. deBaca soon accomplished that goal.

“4-H teaches us to state our goals what we did, and what we learned from each project,” says C.deBaca. “This simple management process has served me in school, as a civil rights prosecutor and now as a diplomat. Whenever I have to convene a working group or give a policy speech, I draw on the things that my 4-H leaders and County Extension staff taught me.”

Ambassador C. deBaca credits much of his success back to his 4-H background and growing up with the Story County Extension Service, and often refers back to it while assessing development projects in countries around the world.

Give the Gift of Grain to Benefit Iowa 4-H

2009-10-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

Crop producers who want to support Iowa 4-H Youth Development have another option besides writing a check or donating cash. They can give the gift of grain.

Giving grain is a viable option for donating to the 4-H program through the Iowa 4-H Foundation, said Albert Grunenwald, the foundation’s associate director.

Self-employed farmers who donate grain to the Iowa 4-H Foundation not only benefit youth across the state, but also reduce their self-employment tax and increase their income tax savings, Grunenwald explained.

“Giving grain can save farmers as much as 49 percent of the donation amount. For example, a grain donation worth $1,000 could save farmers an extra $490 because they gave grain in place of cash,” he said.

For specific instructions on how to donate grain to support 4-H, contact Grunenwald at (515) 294-4780 or abgrunen@iastate.edu.

Win 2 Tickets to ISU vs. Baylor on October 17!

2009-09-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Every 4-Her has a great story to tell – and we want to hear it! Send a maximum of 500 words or a 5 minute video about your 4-H story and have a chance to win two tickets to the ISU vs. Baylor football game on October 17!

Entries must be sent to iowa4h@iastate.edu and are accepted through October 2nd. Winner will be named during National 4-H Week.

Stitch This! Begins

2009-08-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Stitch This! is a 16 hour competition among Iowa high-school youth to deconstruct a wedding dress into another wearable garment. Each group is judged on creativity, teamwork, workmanship, and presentation. The Runway show will take place tomorrow, August 22 at 7:30 PM in the 4-H Building. Here are the groups with the dresses that were randomly selected. We will be streaming Stitch This! live at www.tinyurl.com/4hstitchthis.

ISF: Clover Corolla and the 4-H Store

2009-08-19T18:52:00.001-07:00

Caine Westergard, Plymouth County 4-H'er, stopped by the 4-H Building to check out the Clover Corolla!

4-H'ers gathered to model the 4-H Store clothing for a 4-H TV commercial.

4-H Power!

The Iowa State Fair Parade

2009-08-12T21:09:00.001-07:00

During the Iowa State Fair Parade!

Baton Twirlers from Iowa, Iowa State and UNI!

Pre-Fair Prep!

2009-08-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

A fish shaped cake! A pop can tractor! A colorful barn quilt! All of these are projects brought in by 4-H’ers from across the state today. As Fair creeps closer (yes, we are only a day away!), the 4-H Exhibit Building is filled with judges, volunteers, and staff working to get the building ready for the public. Personally, I enjoy catching up with those that I see setting up for the 4-H Building each year. Several of the people I have been working with for the past two days are the same people that were at pre-fair set up my first year volunteering in the Visual Arts department.

4-H’ers- your hard work on your projects is greatly appreciated. Without you, we wouldn’t have an exhibit building filled with creative projects to show the public. Your community service and leadership throughout the year is appreciated by your individual communities and the state of Iowa. 4-H is proud to have you as a positive role model for the youth in Iowa.

Volunteers- your help preparing for Fair is greatly appreciated. Even more importantly however, your positive attitude and commitment to the Iowa 4-H program year around impacts youth from across the state.

Thanks to you all as we make the 2009 Iowa State Fair the best one yet! It’s Fair Time!

-DeEtta Bohling,
Iowa 4-H Foundation

Getting Closer!

2009-07-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

It’s only 16 days until my favorite time of the year- the Iowa State Fair. What is more fun than 4-H exhibits, people watching, the Giant Slide, chops on a stick and tons of free entertainment? The State Fair is jam-packed with fun and excitement. With over a million fair-goers each year from around the world, I know I am not alone.

Do you remember your first year in 4-H? This past weekend I enjoyed watching my younger brother, Hank show at the county fair. It is his first year in 4-H and he had the time of his life showing his dog, poultry, doing an educational presentation, participating in the Pride of Iowa contest, and being involved with the clothing event. Though he isn’t old enough to show at the State Fair this year, he is excited to see the projects and animals that 4-Her’s will bring to Des Moines in just a couple of weeks.

The Iowa 4-H staff has been busy for weeks and there’s no sign of slowing down ahead! Recently, I pulled the wedding dresses from the closet to take photos of the dresses we recently received so 4-H’ers participating in Stitch This! could begin to make a plan of what they wanted to accomplish. One dress, in particular, was much more than we ever expected! We discovered the lengthy train after the dress had been placed on our model, Karen, the 4-H Building intern. The picture doesn’t quite do it justice but you get the idea.

Events like Stitch This! and the clothing event can’t take place without volunteers and donations. We would like to thank all of the individuals who donated wedding dresses for the Stitch This! event and hope all of you will come to the fair August 21 and 22 to see how the dresses will be reconstructed.

Volunteers are needed, however, for the State Clothing Event. Volunteers are needed August 10-15 – all days or 11-15 are necessary. High school or college age students are preferred. Volunteers will assist with the development of narratives, organization and implementation of program. This includes public narration of style shows and modeling current fashions.

Volunteers receive:
-Free ticket
-Free parking pass
-Meal tickets - $4 for breakfast and $5 for lunch and supper
-Free lodging – at the Cultural center on the fairgrounds

August 10 volunteers would need to arrive at the State Fair ready to work in the 4-H Building at 1:00pm. August 11-12 volunteers will be working in the 4-H Building. On August 13-15 volunteers would get on the bus at the State Fair at 7:00 in the morning and spend most of the day at the Merle Hay Mall and then venture back to the State Fair in the afternoon. Volunteers would need nice dressy outfits for the 13-15.

Volunteers are also needed to assist with other events in the 4-H Exhibits Building August 18 to 24. Volunteers may work any amount of days.
Please contact Karen Naig at kmnaig@extension.iastate.edu if you or someone you know is interested in these volunteer opportunities.

-DeEtta Bohling
Iowa 4-H Foundation

The Voyage to Greatness -- State Conference 2009

2009-07-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Mateys! Over 900 of Iowa's youth gathered together for the 2009 Iowa State 4-H Conference on Iowa State University's campus held June 30- July 2. This three day voyage was jam-packed with hands-on educational workshops, motivational speakers, exploring campus life, community service activities and making new friends. The Iowa State 4-H Conference was planned by the 2008-2009 State 4-H Council and the Iowa State University Extension State 4-H Youth Development staff. Check out the photos of the Voyage to Greatness below!

If you would like to learn how to get involved with Conference next year as a delegate, presenter, chaperone or by donating prizes, food or supplies- e-mail me at dbohling@iastate.edu.

Stitch This Participants Announced!

2009-07-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

With the opportunity to tear apart wedding dresses and design new garments, Iowa teens are ready to Stitch This! Thirteen teams have been selected to compete in the Iowa 4-H “Stitch This!” fashion design event at the Iowa State Fair.

The public can watch the action take place in the 4-H Exhibits Building from 3-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, said Shelly Greving, marketing coordinator for the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The event will culminate in a runway-style fashion show at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 on the 4-H Exhibits Building’s center stage.

“We originally planned for nine teams because we had nine wedding dresses,” Greving said. “We were overwhelmed by the interest from teens who really wanted to participate, so we put out a call for more wedding dresses. Thanks to the additional donated gowns, we were able to expand to 13 teams.”

During the two-day event, each team will be given a wedding dress. Each team must use the dress to create a new garment that will be worn and modeled by a team member during the runway show. The new garment must be noticeably different from the current design and at least 75 percent of the fabric contained in the final garment must be from the original dress. Each team will be paired with an Iowa State University student who will provide direction and overall expertise on patternmaking and construction.

It’s a high stakes competition, Greving said. The grand prize winning team will be featured on Michele Beschen’s “B. Organic” TV show. Each member of the winning team majoring in the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University will receive a $500 scholarship. In addition, each team member will receive two tickets to the ISU Fashion Show, and the team’s garment will be on display at the State 4-H Office on the ISU campus.

Second place, creativity and teamwork awards also will be presented.

Event sponsors are Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development, ISU College of Human Sciences, Michele Beschen and Estilo Salon, which is providing hair and make-up stylists for all the models in the runway show.

Iowa high-school youth who completed grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 were eligible to apply. At least one youth on each team must be a 4-H member. The following teams will compete in Stitch This! at the Iowa State Fair.

Pretty in Park: Debbie Bierschenk, Kathy Manternanch, Hanna Mosley and Mandey Lund, Benton County

Get Bedazzled: Kristina Walz, Erin Ott, MaryAnn Gibney and Miranda Walz, Clayton County

The Fab Four: Megan Kuperschmid and Natalie De Berg of Des Moines County and Rebecca Haugland, and MacKenzie Dreeszen, Johnson County

KBDY Couturiers: Dacey Nguyen, Ya Lee, Brenda Baccam and Kierra Taylor, Polk County

Scarlet Design Team: Vania Boland, Carly Weizoreck, Tiffany Robbins and Chelsea Mongar, Polk County

Sew What?: Caine Westergard, Plymouth County; Sterling Schnepf, O’Brien County; Jenna Tilstra, Lyon County and Andrea Bernard, Woodbury County

The Fierce Fource: Angela Barr, Leanna Doyle, Kelsey Roebuck and Emily Roebuck, Scott County

Fabric Four: Amanda Petersen, Michelle Lee, Becca Stein and Megan Kaufman, Shelby County

Fashionably Green: Jade Moret, Kaitlyn Huisman and Amanda Woudstra, Sioux County

The Trend-Setters: Becca Olsen, Makayla Klonglan, Bailey Collins and Gabbie Lassen, Story County

DKTM (Dominate Kickin’ Team Manifesto): Kallen Anderson, Danielle Border, Meghan Metier and Travis Ness, Webster County

Super Stitchers: Dana Sly, Kaitlyn Brady, Kelsey Orr and Michael Ramm, Woodbury County

Individuals: Lana Miller, Iowa County; Michelle Buboltz, Cass County; and Tirzah Beam, West Pottawattamie County, applied individually but will compete as a team.

Video applications from some of the teams can be viewed on the Iowa 4-H YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/iowa4h.

-DeEtta Bohling
Iowa 4-H Foundation

2009-07-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

Iowa 4-H'ers Got Talent at the Iowa State Fair

2009-06-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

Forget Susan Boyle and David Hasselhoff. Britain and America may have talent, but so do Iowa’s former 4-H’ers. They’ll have a chance to show it during Alumni 4-H’ers Got Talent, Thursday, Aug. 13 at the Iowa State Fair.

Former 4-H members from across the state are invited to perform on the main stage of the 4-H Exhibit Building in this second annual Share-the-Fun competition specifically for alumni, said Shelly Greving, marketing coordinator for the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

Share-the-Fun is 4-H’s version of a talent show. 4-H youth first perform at the county level and top acts compete at State Fair.

“Alumni 4-H’ers Got Talent is open to 4-H alumni who may or may not have participated in Share-the-Fun when they were in 4-H. We’re looking for talent in all ages, shapes and forms,” Greving said. “As long as the individual performer or at least one member of a group is a former 4-H’er, just about anything goes.”

Applications are available from the Iowa 4-H Foundation Web site, http://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/, and are due July 20. Selected performers will be notified by Aug. 1.

Iowa 4-H celebrities will judge the performances during the Aug. 13 competition, Greving said. In addition, audience members will be able to vote by text message to select the “people’s choice” award winner.

For more information contact the Iowa 4-H Foundation at (515) 294-1607 or iowa4h@iastate.edu.

Meet the '09 Iowa 4-H Clover Corolla Interns!

2009-06-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

Meet Maddi
Maddi Sieck grew up in Glenwood, Iowa and is currently a senior in Advertising at Iowa State University. She loves to golf, paint and play piano. Maddi is the Iowa 4-H Foundation Marketing Intern working with Silas to schedule, promote, and exhibit the '09 Iowa 4-H Clover Corolla Raffle. They are traveling all over Iowa to county and state events selling tickets and raising money for 4-H in Iowa! If the Clover Corolla isn’t coming to your county - catch up with Maddi and Silas at the Iowa State Fair in the 4-H Exhibit building!

D.B. Why doesn’t the U.S. drop daisies on other countries to let them know we love them?
M.S. 1) We don't have enough daisies.
2) Some people might have allergies.
I propose we drop cupcakes on other countries. Cupcakes are smaller versions of cakes, and are in no way offensive, they would also help feed the hungry!

D.B. Would you rather be able to stop time while you slept or never need to do laundry?
M.S. I hate doing laundry! So I would stop time while I slept. Here is my thinking: If I can stop time when I sleep, I would be able to get 8 hours more done everyday. With my extra 8 hours, I would get another job, probably a fun job, like being a wedding planner! Then I would become twice as rich and pay somebody to do my laundry and dust my house!

Meet Silas
Silas Pippitt is a senior at Iowa State and is studying public relations. He will be graduating at the end of the summer and is looking forward to working full time in the professional world. Silas grew up in several places in southern Iowa including Keosaqua, Cantril, Essex, and Red Oak. Silas will be joining Maddi with working on the car raffle this summer and plans to sell lots of tickets!

D.B. What was the best thing before sliced bread?
S.P. Bread. Before sliced bread you would get a whole loaf of bread with your meal. If fact that was the recommended serving size. After slicing the bread the lowered the serving size and charged more for the whole loaf. This is a huge rip off because it takes about a whole loaf to feel like you have had any bread at all. It was all just a money making scheme dreamed up by the bread factory kings.

D.B. Would you rather have needles for leg hair or have flares shoot out of your nose every time you say “the”?
S.P. Without having to consider, I would choose the flares shooting out of my nose every time I say "the". It would be great! Think about much more dramatic everything you said would be. It would be like being at a sporting event with everything in your life being announced. Your at a restaurant and you say, "Can you please pass thhhhheeeee (FLARES) ketchup!!!" Or you get asked what you did last weekend, "I took my boat to thhhheeeee (FLARES) lake!!!" You get the idea.

Look for Maddi and Silas at your next event! If you would like to invite them and the Clover Corolla to your town, shoot an e-mail to maddison@iastate.edu or ttippip@iastate.edu. You can check them out at http://iowa4hraffle.blogspot.com/ and follow them on Twitter- "iowa4hraffle".

-DeEtta Bohling, Social Networking and Events
Iowa 4-H Foundation

4-H News

2009-06-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

Calling all Iowa 4-H Alumni: Alumni 4-Her’s Got Talent!
A Share-the-Fun competition for all past 4-H’ers!
Former Iowa 4-Her’s are invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Alumni Share-the-Fun competition, Alumni 4-H’ers Got Talent! On the evening of Thursday, August 13th, 2009, former 4-H’ers from across the state will perform a variety of acts on the Main Stage of the 4-H Exhibit Building at the Iowa State Fair. We’re looking for talent in all ages, shapes, and forms, to apply today! As long as one member is a former 4-Her, anything goes! A committee will review the applications, due July 20th, 2009 and select a variety of performers. To apply go to:
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/StateFair/Documents/2009AlumniTalentShow.pdf

2009 4-H Research Studies
Last month we announced the updates to the 4-H research. The national longitudinal study of the Positive Development of Youth called Waves of the Future is now available online. Find out how 4-H is making a difference across the nation. To view the study check out: http://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/PDF/TuftsStudy/National%204HTufts%20Report(2).pdf

The Clover Corolla is ready to hit the road!
If you would like to see the Clover Corolla at your community event or county fair, contact maddison@iastate.edu or ttippip@iastate.edu. To view the Clover Corolla check out: http://iowa4hraffle.blogspot.com/2009/06/corolla-has-been-clover-ized.html

Keeping up to date
To receive the monthly e-newsletter email iowa4h@iastate.edu. Be sure to find us on Twitter at “iowa4h” and you can also find us on Facebook and Linked In!

DeEtta, Social Networking and Events
Iowa 4-H Foundation

Can anybody spare a wedding dress?

2009-06-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

The wedding dress that you no longer need could get a new life as a deconstructed and reconstructed new designer garment. All you have to do is donate it to the Iowa 4-H Foundation for the Stitch This! fashion design competition at the Iowa State Fair Aug. 21-22.

We got the idea for Stitch This! as a way to use the nine wedding dresses that didn’t sell at last year’s 4-H auction. We’d get nine teen teams -- one per dress. Then, over the course of two days at the Iowa State Fair, each team would take the dress apart and use their creativity to design and construct a wearable garment from the pieces. Each team would be paired with an Iowa State University Textiles and Clothing student who would provide direction and overall expertise on patternmaking and construction.

Well, we have been overwhelmed by the response. We have applications from 50 individuals for a total of 14 teams. (You can view video applications from some of the teams on the Iowa 4-H YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/iowa4h.) They’re all hoping to be selected for the competition. If we just had a few more wedding dresses …

So – if you know of a wedding dress that needs a new life, please contact me at shellyg@iastate.edu or (515) 294-1607 by June 15th. Thanks so much!

-- Shelly Greving, marketing coordinator for the Iowa 4-H Foundation

We want to hear from YOU!

2009-06-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

First let me introduce myself! I am DeEtta Bohling, daughter of Lynn and Elaine Bohling of Greenfield, Iowa. I’m a ’09 Communication Arts/ Public Relations graduate of Wartburg College. I am a former State 4-H Council member, National 4-H Congress delegate and National 4-H Conference delegate.

Some of my greatest memories and friends have come from experiences within the 4-H program. My little brother, Hank is in his first year of 4-H and enjoying every minute of it! I have enjoyed watching him work with his chickens, practice his club demonstration, and grow with the help of the 4-H program. I have a passion for the Iowa State Fair and have spent the last two summers as an intern at the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation.

This summer, I am working at the 4-H Foundation as the Events and Social Networking Intern. I am coordinating the Stitch This! event, 4-H Alumni Day at the State Fair, Alumni Talent Show and connecting with many 4-H’ers through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the Iowa 4-H Foundation blog. Follow iowa4h on Twitter and tweet with us!

I am writing today to tell you we need your help! If you would like to submit a blog to share your 4-H story, discuss a current event, share a recent experience you had in working with 4-H youth/volunteers, or tell what your 4-H club or county is doing, let me know! We would love to hear from you! You can contact me at dbohling@iastate.edu.

More about DeEtta:

Q: Which would be worse—being trapped in a cage with a tarantula or rabid monkey?

A: Both would be pretty awful. Monkeys remind me of the movie Outbreak but a tarantula would be worse. It’s the only animal at the zoo that gives me chills even though it’s behind glass.

Q: Pancakes, waffles or crepes? Which is your preferred fried-cake breakfast treat?
A: Pancakes, for sure! Though, I was just eating a crêpe with bananas and Nutella in Paris last month, nothing can beat my mom’s Mickey Mouse pancakes!

Q: You meet a genie who gives you the choice of spending 10 minutes on the moon or a year traveling around Europe with a $10,000 per month expense account. Which do you choose? Why?

A: The moon. I would bring back a moon rock and sell it for $60,000. I would put some money towards a vehicle (to replace my ’93 Dodge Dakota) and some for a trip to Australia.

Now is the time to support our Extension staff.

2009-05-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

In response to a question posed by a volunteer, we thought you might be interested in knowing what is being done to help the local county Extension staff transition to a new Extension structure in Iowa.

Here is the response from Joe Leisz, Executive Director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

I read the editorial from the Register and have had the opportunity to attend two of the listening sessions where extension director Jack Payne discussed the budget situation, background, and decisions that were made. I've also had the chance to visit with many of our County Extension Education Directors and Area Extension Education Directors -- this is a rough time personally for many of them and anything we can do to listen and help and provide personal support is important to do.
Our 4-H Foundation, under the leadership of our president, Dennis Goering, and trustees like Rozanne King and Barb Determan (among others) took the lead to limit the budget cuts dealt to 4-H, and they are continuing with communications efforts to protect the program in the future. The Foundation has pledged to raise an additional $150,000 to support staff; essentially limiting the number of 4-H positions that will be lost as a part of the budget. I realize this is not much, but we're hopeful we can move aggressively on an endowment fundraising effort to fund that commitment in perpetuity so we can continue with the program support that is needed and maintain the growth of county endowments to help 4-H locally (a million dollar endowment would essentially fund a county's 4-H program: CYC, program, member fees, etc).
Chuck Morris, our State 4-H Leader, is working with a plan to adjust roles and responsibilities so the 4-H Program can remain strong across Iowa and continue to be a source of pride in every county. That plan -- which is essentially an accelerated version of our state plan in support of 4-H club growth (which has been working; not as fast as we would have liked, but it is working) -- is currently being fine-tuned with input from a number of 4-H staff and will then need to be approved by ISU HR. He's doing his best to communicate with all our staff through a weekly adobe connect which is archived for them to review if they cannot attend the live-feed. Again, its not enough, but we're working to do everything we can.
Please keep in touch, and continue being an advocate for 4-H -- and encourage your family, friends, business associates and neighbors to do the same!

4-H’ers make an impact despite the disasters of 2008

2009-05-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

While many 4-H clubs, volunteers and staff from across the state came together to overcome the disasters of 2008, we received many stories regarding the impact of these efforts. Despite the disarray caused by the disasters, 4-H youth and families were able to overcome these challenges and help those in their communities and around the state.

Click on the comments below to read these heart-warming stories.

Miss America Gives Credit to 4-H!

2009-04-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

4-H is making headlines next to people who impact our world once again. Katie Stam, winner of Miss America 2009, credits her passion for community service to her involvement in 4-H

The recently crowned Miss America from Seymour, Ind., would spend hours in 4-H performing in creative dramatics, competing at the county fair, and visiting 4-H friends with her family. She recognizes this as where she learned the values of leadership, mentorship and community service.

With community service as her national platform, Stam could potentially transform the way millions of young people think about giving back to their communities and 4-H. “4-H is such an advocate for community service,” says Stam.” It encourages you to reach out to people in so many different ways.”

Stam uses her 4-H background towards getting the message out about the great things that come from community service and how important and rewarding it is. Her 4-H pride is shown as she aims to get youth involved in their own neighborhoods. The Indiana farm girl was crowned Miss America 2009 in January and is now on the national spotlight.

Know more stories like this? We want to hear them! Share with us right here...

Time for 4-H Summer Camp!

2009-04-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

Summer is quickly approaching, which means it is time to get registered for camp! Camps start as early as the first week in May, and run until the beginning of August. There are several 4-H camps available for all ages. Whether you want to stay a day, a night or a whole week - the Iowa 4-H Center has a program to offer for everyone.

Here is a sample of a starting point schedule for State 4–H Camps:

7:15: Rise & Shine & Get ready for the day
7:45: Flag Raising & Cabin Clean-up
8:00: Breakfast
8:15: Day Campers Arrive
8:45: Morning Huddle
Morning Program Time

9:15-11:45: Specialty Camp program focus

9:15: General Camp first program

10:45: General Camp second program
Noon: Lunch
1:00: Swimming
2:00: Shower/camp store/rest time/ mail & emails distributed
Afternoon Program Time

3:45: Specialty Camp program focus

3:45: General Camp cabin choice time
5:00: Day Campers Depart
6:00: Dinner
6:45: Flag lowering
7:00: Weekly themed all-camp programs (Opening campfire, night hike, pool party, skit night, large group games, closing campfire)
9:00: Get ready for bed
10:00: Cabin Chats with Counselors
10:30: Lights Out

***There is no typical day at camp due to weather and other unforseen circumstances. A day at camp also may vary for what type of programed camp a camper is attending, and also their age.

View a complete list of all the camps 4-H has to offer and get registered today! >>>>>
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4hcenter/

Proposed State Budget Concerns Foundation President

2009-04-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends of 4-H,

We’re writing today to share concerns facing 4-H in Iowa. Budget cuts are happening everywhere, but one significant cut will affect the 4-H program. The Iowa House passed the Regent’s budget yesterday with a cut of $361 million to education. ISU is slated to receive $184.9 million which represents a 10.7% cut. This is significant because ISU’s cut is larger than that of the other regents’ universities. The budget bill “Senate File 470” is currently at the Senate and will then go to conference committee.

We know preliminary plans are to cut approximately $4.5 million from Extension and $500,000 from the 4-H program. You can make a difference.

We all know the value of Extension and 4-H to Iowa. Help us by sharing your passion for these programs and explaining specifically how they benefit you, your family, and your community.

These are difficult times for many. However, the proposed cut for ISU and the resulting plan to balance the reduced budget by cutting Extension and 4-H programs is unnecessary and an unfair burden – threatening the future of Iowa’s youth. Please help us by:

1. Contact your legislators ASAP by phone or e-mail (it only takes a few moments) (http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Legislators/LegislatorInfo.aspx) Encourage them to restore the cuts in Senate File 470 to 4-H and ask them to insert language in the budget bill that prevents Extension and 4-H from absorbing such a great share of the cut. PLEASE NOTE: 4-H is funded through the Board of Regents (those we’ve talked to have stated that they thought 4-H was funded by education and that “education was fine.” This is not the case.) $500,000 would be an investment in our future and this will be paid back many times by the wonderful things our 4-H youth and alumni are doing. Specifically, if you know people in these counties: Palo Alto, West Pottawattamie, Polk, Johnson, Dubuque or Fayette ask them to personally contact their legislators in the House and Senate Leadership about these cuts.

2. Write a letter to the editor. As 4-H youth, parents and alumni you have powerful stories to share. We have prepared two sample letters here that you may use and include your own personalized message. Tell of the impact 4-H has had on you and your community.
4-H Editorial http://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/news/Call%20to%20Action/4-H%20Editorial.doc
Extension Editorial http://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/news/Call%20to%20Action/Extension%20editorial.doc

3. Forward this message and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Sincerely,

Dennis H. Goering
2008-2009 Iowa 4-H Foundation President
Phone: (515) 294-1537
www.iowa4hfoundation.org

It’s Significant: 4-H’ers Become Better Citizens, Leaders & Communicators

2009-04-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

A recent study has proved that 4-H builds youth skills. Dr. Richard Lerner, director of the Tufts study, reports these key findings.

In 4-H, youth contribute more than non-4-H youth to:
Self
Family
Community
Society

In 4-H, youth had higher scores than non-4-H youth in:
• Competence
• Confidence
• Character
• Compassion

In 4-H, youth are more likely than non-4-H youth to show high:
• Personal development
• Family and community contribution

In 4-H, youth work toward the future more than non-4-H youth through:
• Higher grades
• School participation
• College plans

In 4-H, youth are more likely to score higher than non-4-H youth in:
• Selecting positive life goals
• Overcoming obstacles in the way of goals

In 4-H, youth are less likely than non-4-H youth to show:
• Risky behavior
• Depression

Lerner, R. et al. (2008). The positive development of youth: Report of the findings from the first four years of the 4-H study of positive youth development. Tufts University, Institute of Applied Research in Youth Development.

ISU Women's Basketball Game a Big Hit!

2009-03-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

4-H Night at the Iowa State Women's Basketball Game was a huge success Saturday. It was great to see everyone out and supporting the Cyclone's. We hope everyone had wonderful time.

A recap of the night....

Over 1000 4-H guests were in attendance

Glen and Mary Jo Mente were recognized on the court for all the great things they do the Iowa 4-H Program

One lucky fan won a basketball autographed by Bill Fennelley and the women's basketball team

4-H alum interview with Anna Grimley was broadcasted on Cyclone Sports Radio Network
AND.....
Chris Clover, famous 4-H mascot, made his appearance at the game throughout the night

Overall, everyone had a great time. We have some fun pictures that were taken during the game, and we invite you to check them out at our facebook fan page located at:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Iowa-4-H-Foundation/59560467951?v=posts&viewas=16926868

4-H Night at the ISU Women's Basketball Game

2009-02-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,

Just wanted to remind you that we are sponsoring a 4-H Night at an ISU Women's Basketball Game. We already have 446 people signed up.

WHO: All 4-H members, volunteers, donors,
leaders and alumni

WHAT: ISU Women’s Basketball vs. Kansas
(last home game & senior night)

WHEN: March 7, 2009 7:00pm

WHERE: Hilton Coliseum, Ames

COST: $10 (includes admission, hot dog, drink & exclusive I-State/4-H t-shirt)

TICKETS: Go to http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/t16bgz
Click on FIND TICKETS
Select the number of tickets under IOWA 4-H PROMOTION
Enter code IOWA4H to receive this discount.

Make sure to get your tickets by February 25th in order to receive the promotion!!

Hope to see you there!!

4-H Love Stories

2009-02-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so we thought we'd share some 4-H love stories we've heard throughout the years. We hope you enjoy! You may even know some of the couples or have your own story to share.

We'll start off by sharing a story about two generations in the same family who fell in love at 4-H camp!

So what's your 4-H love story? Share in the fun by submitting your own story! Check back frequently to read more 4-H love stories!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Welcome!

2009-01-29T14:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the beginning of the Iowa 4-H Foundation Blog. In hopes to connect former 4-Hers, the Iowa 4-H Foundation is excited to hear stories, how 4-H has impacted your life, and just things you want the Iowa 4-H Program to know. Discussions will be posted every so often, and feel free to bring up any topic or memory you have of 4-H. Keep in mind future contests which may include videos, pictures, and personal 4-H stories.

Check out the following other ways you can connect with 4-H online:

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/): Search Iowa 4-H Foundation and be apart of our group as well as our fan page! We will keep events updated here as well as current 4-H news.

http://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/ is our website and a great way to donate to the program and find out what is currently going on with 4-H.

Visit this address (http://www.extension.iastate.edu/mt/fordtruck/) to see the details of last summers 4-H Truck Raffle. Pictures, videos and blog posts can all be found.