I will be traveling for the vast majority of the month of July. I will be best reached via email. If you need immediate or timely assistance please give the office a call.
We are accepting letterman jacket applications. June 24th is Heifer and Goat Validation for the Fall Major Shows and Steer Validation for all Major Shows. It will start at 7 am and end at 10 am. June 24th is also our monthly 4-H Program Area Committee Meeting. This meeting will start at 5 pm. It will be held in our new office which is located at 227 Rush Street in Linden Texas. If you are planning to show rabbits at the Cass County Junior Livestock Show, please let me know as soon as possible. I have to have these entries submitted by July 1. We had some amazing record books submitted and some still trickling in. If you submitted yours by the deadline, they have been judged and are ready to be picked up and edited. If you are planning on competing at the District Record Book Competition, you need to make sure to enter via 4-H Connect by July 5th. We will take your record book to the competition. We will have our 2018-2019 4-H Banquet Planning Meeting on July 15th in the office at 5 pm. We will decide on our location, theme, and food at this meeting. If you are interested please make sure to attend. This is a great way to get some "leadership" experience for next years record books. If you are interested in showing a goat, we are going to be having a show goat clinic at the office on July 26th. We will talk about both dairy and market goats. If you have interest in any other animal projects but need guidance please reach out so we can help you get started. If you are interested in serving as a County Council Officer, we will have an informational meeting on July 30th at 5 pm at the extension office. This opportunity is open to all 4-H members from grade 6-12. Please let me know if you have any questions or have a club event taking place that you would like me to broadcast.
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I can't believe this 4-H year is beginning to draw closed. It is time to start talking about recordbooks, award applications, and the annual 4-H Banquet.
June 5-7th is Camp Clover. This camp is how we have designated to spend our Tractor Supply Clover Money this year. This camp will be full of hands on experiences and leadership training. It is a free experience, open to all youth of Cass County. To register check out cass.agrilife.org and go to the Camp Clover Tab. If you are a senior level 4-H member and would like to work Camp Clover, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can put you down. We will have a meeting to finalize plans for Camp Clover on May 29th at 4 pm. The county recordbook and award deadline is June 17th. All recordbooks need to be submitted to our office by the end of business on this day. The handbook with the rules and the awards applications can be found Here. If you don't submit your recordbook to the county contest, you will not be eligible to compete at district or TO RECIEVE AWARDS AT THE CASS 4-H BANQUET. This year we will be recognizing 4-H members who have done an outstanding job in their project area at the annual 4-H Banquet. In the past, club managers have submitted names of 4-H members in each project area. This year, in order to be recognized, 4-H members must submit a recordbook to the county office to signify a completion of their project area in order to be recognized at the banquet. We will also recognize 4-H members for outstanding achievements in competition areas. We will hold a Banquet Planning Meeting on July 15th in the Extension Office. On this date, we will determine a theme and begin seeking donations. We will also need to determine what we will serve at the 4-H Banquet. Everyone is invited to attend this planning meeting. As always if you have any questions please reach out. If you have any newsletter submissions, please get those sent my way as well. The Cass and Marion County AgriLife Extension Offices are hosting a Farm Pond Management Program, on May 16th, 2019. The program will take place at SRK Ranch in Linden, Texas. The program will begin at 6pm and a meal will be provided by Lone Star Land Bank.
Farm pond management is something that we get lots of calls on this time of year. People want to make sure that their outdoor areas are in great shape so that they can best enjoy them during the warm months. Many of the issues that we face here in Cass County include low water alkalinity, high water ph, low dissolved oxygen content, and a plethora of invasive and destructive aquatic plant species . The goal of this program is to equip land owners with the knowledge and resources necessary to best manage their farm pond so that it is useful for the intended purpose. We will be discussing ways to use biological control methods as opposed to chemical control methods . We will also be offering on site water alkalinity testing so producers can feel free to bring a pond water sample. This program is being brought to you for free thanks to the sponsorship from Lone Star Land Bank. Please RSVP at 9037565391 Spring is one of the most beautiful times of the year in East Texas. The flowers and trees delight us with their happy colors, ushering in a new season of growth. The birds that enjoy these plants enhance our yards and gardens with their bright colors and song. Many gardeners work to enhance their yard's visitors by providing them with feeders. The feeders themselves can be a visual enhancement to yards and gardens and provide birds with a reason to pay your yard more visits.
When selecting a bird feeder for your yard or garden, you need to make sure that you are selecting one that will be able to keep the seed you put out for the birds clean and dry. There are tall feeders, short feeders, and many in between. The sky is the limit when selecting one for your own enjoyment. Many birds prefer to eat from a perch, so providing a space for them to do so will be beneficial. Hummingbirds feed while in flight, so feeders designed for them do no need a perch. When selecting what type of feed to use for the bird feeder, you need to keep in mind which types of birds your a working to attract. Black oil sunflower seeds, safflower, millet, and thistle are popular bird seed options, or you can buy a prepackaged mixture. If you are seeking to feed hummingbirds, a simple recipe of 1part refined sugar to 4 parts boiling water will make them happy. The red dye found in commerical blends in not needed. Keep in mind that if you are trying to attract a rare bird by feeding it you shouldn't. Feeding them will bring them in close contact with humans which will expose them to dangers, as well as inhibit their ability to forage for themselves if they become dependent on humans for food. This will do more harm to these species than good. Location of your feeder can also have a large impact on your success. Ideally, the feeder will be near nesting sites and structures and have a potable water source. As we move in the February, we have so many opportunities for 4-H members and volunteers taking place! Make sure you are up to date on all of the goings on by checking out our February 2019 4-H Newsletter.
The images in the gallery above are only some of the great things that the Cass County 4-H has taking place. ADULTS and CLUB MANAGERS: We are currently actively recruiting for our Texas Community Futures Forum, a group that meets one time for two hours every five years to help the extension service identify community issues in the areas that we serve. If you would like to participate by voicing your opinion, please register here. The Cass 4-H Agriculture and Natural Resources Coalition is piloting a Goat Kid Give Away program for Cass County 4-H members. If you are interested in participating in this program, you can access the application here. We are lucky to have a Shooting Sports Coach Training in Texarkana coming up. Check out the flyer above if this is an area that interests you! Registration is currently open for this event on 4-H Connect. The Cooperative Extension Program Youth Advisory Board is holding a chance drawing for a customized key hole garden. A $5 donation earns one ticket in the drawing. Contact John Ferguson for more information. [email protected] or 903.756.5391 On February 16th the 2019 Trashion Show will take place at the Fairview Community Center. To register click here. The Linden Lions club has reached out in search of 4-H members who would like to present at their weekly meetings. If this is something that interests you, please let me know so that we can get you on the list. If you would like to attend Texas 4-H Round Up, you need to start making plans with your club. The hotel block is currently open and will fill up quickly. Don't hesitate to reach out to our office if you have any questions or need more information about any of the upcoming activities. In an effort to educate Cass County residents on the importance of water conservation, our office challenges YOU to participate in the 40 Gallon Challenge. We are sending out this information in January to get participating homes started on this project. We will also be sending out water saving tips and tricks monthly.
The population in Texas is steadily rising. We are currently the second most populated state, however with 1500 people moving to Texas everyday, our population is expected to grow 70% between 2020 and 2070. More people means we have a huge need for more resources. Sadly, we only have a finite amount of water. This makes the task of conserving water more important than ever. Take the 40 gallon challenge and lets all do our parts to help conserve our most precious resources and possibly save you some money on your water utility bill. If you are interested in trying out the 40 gallon challenge, reach out to our office so that we can provide your with resources. |
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