Happy Mother’s Day
to all of our
4-H Moms and Leaders.
Sussex County 4-H Weekly Challenge
This week in a sentence, photo, or drawing show “What is your favorite quarantine memory so far?”. Post your responses under Sussex County Facebook post of our weekly challenge or email them to patrie@njaes.rutgers.edu to be counted. And don’t forget to hashtag them #SussexCounty4HWklyChallange and @SussexNJ4H.
Every week we will be posting a change and choosing one winner of a 2021 Teen Council Dairy Barn gift certificate from all those that participate (one entry per person per week) on Friday (at 5pmish) of that week. All entries must be submitted by 4:30 pm on Friday to count.
Space Still Available in the
4-H From Home Webinars
Join NJ 4-H Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 3:00 PM EST for their 4‑H From Home Interactive Webinars! During each webinar, youth will have the opportunity to participate in interactive hands-on activities, where they will learn about healthy living, science, technology, service, the arts, and more! Each interactive webinar focuses on a different topic. Most webinars are geared to youth in grades 4–8. Youth do not need to be 4‑H members to participate. Registration is required and space is limited.
To register please click on session/s you are interested in participating:
- May 12: Rainbows of Hope Art Session
- May 14: Backyard Biodiversity
- May 19: Title to come (Healthy Food/Fun Snacks)
- May 21: Q&A With Our Feathered Friends
- May 26: Making Flavorful Snacks
- May 28: No-Sew DIY Projects
4-H Animal Science Resource Blog Contest
Current participating clubs don’t forget to participate in this week’s (Week #5) activities to earn up to 5 points for your club for each activity you complete.
Want to get in on the fun and have a chance to win up to $200 for your club? Club leaders can still register their clubs online to enter the contest. Contest ends May 31.
Check out the NJ 4H STEM Blog and Web Page
New Blogs are posted regualerly. Check them out at: https://4hset.rutgers.edu/stem-blog/
Also be sure to subscibe to their page to be one of the first to know when they start a new STEM Virtual 4H STEP Club. The Last STEP club learned from a scientist in Antarctica!
Vote for Your Favorite Animal Video
NJ 4-H 2020 Animal Science
Video Contest and Film Festival
Unfortunately, 2020 New Jersey 4-H Animal Science Film Festival was unable to gather at the Round House of the Rutgers Cook Campus Farm to view and judge this year’s entries as they have in the past, BUT now you have ten great videos to view, and YOU get to vote for your favorite.
Included in the 10 videos entered is one from our very own Kicken’ Chickens 4-H poultry club. They are in the top 4 videos selected from this year.
So pop some popcorn and have a family viewing night and then go vote for your favorite! (Which will be Kicken’ Chickens of course.)
The clubs of the top four videos and the audience’s favorite will receive gift cards to support their 4-H activities. Enjoy the videos! Voting ends May 31.
Deadline Reminder
The deadline to upload videos for virtual presentations is coming Friday May 15, 2020 at midnight.
If you are having any issues or concerns please reach out to Mr. Foord (foord@njaes.rutgers.edu) or Tanya (patrie@njaes.rutgers.edu) before the deadline, as they can not help after the deadline had passed.
Last chance to enter
the American Kennel Club Art Contest!
Show them what “At Home with my Dog” looks like for you! Anyone from kindergarten students to adults is eligible to enter. The top winner in each age/grade level category will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
For more information, rules and entry form go to: https://www.akc.org/public-education/akc-home-dog-art-contest/
Deadline to enter is May 13.
Calling all garden and crafter enthusiasts!
Purina Giving Greatness Scholarship
Graduating seniors are the future of the show industry, and Purina is investing in their future with their new Giving Greatness Scholarship! One winner from each species – cattle, swine, goat and sheep – will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship to use towards furthering their education.
Interested? Here’s how to apply:
· Follow this link: https://bit.ly/35sG4gz
· Fill out personal information
· Thoroughly answer essay questions
· Submit!
The application is open until Tuesday, June 30, so think through your answers and tell Purina what the stock show world means to you.
Middlesex County 4-H clubs and leaders are sponsoring a virtual series open to the public. Registration is required to get the login information. https://forms.gle/WMRFTCfGp9z1Jq9V7
Congratulations to Joey Gigante of the Kicken’Chickens, Sussex Shepherds, and Sussex Squealers 4h Clubs for guessing the closest # of green jellybeans in the NJ 4-H Virtual Jelly Bean Counting Contest held last month.
Shout out to Clubs and 4-H Members who make the best better!
In 4-H, we pledge our HANDS to larger SERVICE. While at home, some have still fulfilled their commitment to service in many ways.
Branchville Needle Pushers l
Summer Blossoms is making cheerful and spring decorations for Bentley Manor.
Ethan Fancher and Bernie of Love on a Leash recorded the first of the ‘Read with A Dog’ Series. Check it out on Sussex County NJ 4H Youtube Channel:
Tell us what you’ve been doing to use your hands for larger service so we can give you the credit you deserve.
Information and Programs For
Our 4-H Parents and Leaders
Rutgers Earth Day at Home Webinar Series
May 11, 2020
Home Vegetable Gardening For Food, Fun, and Stress Management. Growing your own food can be physically and mentally rewarding. There are important tips to consider when starting a home vegetable garden such as location, sunlight, water, soil quality, and wildlife exclusion. This presentation will cover important tips for vegetable gardening including selecting vegetable varieties, starting seeds indoors and outside, planting and spacing, managing pests in the garden, watering, and harvesting the garden. Michelle Infante-Casella, Full Professor/ County Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County.
May 18, 2020
Reducing Food Waste, Thirty to forty percent of all food produced in the US is wasted. This talk will define food waste, its environmental impacts, and will provide tips for reducing food waste at home. Amy Rowe, Associate Professor/ County Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Essex/ Passaic Counties.
Online Beekeeping Workshops
Sustainable Beekeeping
June 9, 2020
This one-hour webinar will discuss ways to maintain your beehives in a more sustainable way, minimizing losses through management, using local bee stocks, and creating resource hives.
Small Scale Queen Rearing
June 16, 2020
This workshop covers queen and drone biology, stock selection, introduction to several queen rearing techniques, tools, and equipment, starter and finisher hives, setting up mating yards, and record keeping.
Visit our webpage at: www.cpe.rutgers.edu/BEES to learn more!
“Ask the Ag Agent”
Weekly 1-hour sessions for farmers, will be hosted on Wednesdays starting April 15th and continue each Wednesday. The online conferencing/call-in events will begin at 7:00PM with an open forum to discuss ag-related questions about production, marketing, regulations, and any other topics farmers wish to discuss. All are welcome! To access via WebEx on a computer go to https://go.rutgers.edu/rc9n3kxt
To join by phone +1-650-429-3300 USA Toll
Access code: 799 743 872
Sussex County 4-H Class of 2020
Senior Spotlight
Madison Civitan
Madison Civitan a member of All Star Rabbits is graduating from High Point Regional High School. She will be attending Cape Fear Community College this fall. Madison is described as a loving, kind and thoughtful girl with heart of gold and would do anything for anyone!!! She is always willing to lend a helping hand. Her true passion is for children. She currently working at Rainbows Of Learning and is planning to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education. She hope to be awesome teacher one day and change little ones lives with truly beautiful memories.
Mitchell Bove
Mitchell Bove is graduating from High Point Regional High School. He will be attending Suffolk University in the fall to study History/Government. In high school he was a 4 year varsity swimmer and captain of the team and he also played lacrosse. He is also a member of the National Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Society and the debate team. He is Executive Vice President of Student Council and Co-President of the All Star Rabbit 4H Club, which he has been a member since kindergarten. Mitchell is an avid outdoors man whether he is fishing, hunting, skiing, hiking or just spending quality time in the woods. We are so proud of him and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for him!