Iowa State University Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.

ISU Extension and Outreach Keokuk County , 400 220th Ave—Suite A, Sigourney, IA 52591 | 641-622-2680 LEARN MORE AT WWW.EXTENSION.IASTATE.EDU/KEOKUK

Keokuk County Extension Office Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Phone: (641) 622-2680 Fax: (641) 622-2637

Office Staff Gene Mohling Regional Director

Brenda Spurgeon 4-H Youth Program Specialist

Katharinna Bain Office Coordinator

Michele Sieren County 4-H & Youth Outreach

Coordinator

Jorie Altenhofen Office Assistant

4-H Pledge I pledge my Head to

clearer thinking,

my Heart to greater loyalty,

my Hands to larger service, and

my Health to better living,

for my club, my community,

my country, and my world.

KEOKUK COUNTY 4-H FAMILY NEWSLETTER February—March 2016

Keokuk County Extension and Outreach will be reaching out to Tri-

County Elementary as well as

Sigourney’s SEIDA Headstart program for Pick a Better Snack this

spring!

This will make 4 schools reached within a calendar

year! (We visited Sigourney and Keota this fall)

Pick a Better Snack is a program that teaches youth to make healthier

lifestyle choices— healthy foods, drinks, getting adequate exercise,

and correct portion sizes. Kids get to try a new healthy snack each

week while learning about personal health and wellness. Some past

snacks include kohlrabi, starfruit, apricots, and more!

We are excited for all of our programs this spring!

It’s that time of year again!

Ricochet 2016 kicked off with the 7th graders at Tri-County in January. Ricochet is a youth leadership pro-

gram created by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach with Iowa 4-H.

Ricochet means to move around with a lot of energy and be unpredictable—something like middle school

aged youth. They bounce from one thing to the next, trying on different roles, as they find their place in this

world. Another thing that is unpredictable—when opportunities for youth leadership will arise. Ricochet

helps prepare youth to become leaders, and to be ready to accept the leadership opportunities that will

come their way.

Ricochet uses adventure and experience to teach. Students will build leadership skills and work on a com-

munity service project over the next few weeks.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? FIND US AT: EXTENSION.IASTATE.EDU/KEOKUK OR ON FACEBOOK AT: IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION-KEOKUK COUNTY

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2016 Livestock Weigh-In’s

March 26th, 2016 from 8-10 am

Keokuk County Expo Fair Grounds

All 4-H and FFA Expo Swine and 4-H State Fair swine must be weighed in.

Pigs may weigh no more than 70 pounds at the spring weigh-in. There will be no exceptions!

Each exhibitor is limited to nominate 10 pigs.

May 7th, 2016 from 8-10 AM

Keokuk County Expo Fair Grounds

This will include all 4-H / FFA Expo & 4-H State Fair Animals

ALL 4-H State Fair lambs including: Market, Commercial, Purebred, and Breeding Lambs will be retinal scanned and MUST

attend county weigh-in.

If you are unable to attend one of the scheduled weigh-ins in Keokuk County, please

contact Michele at the Extension Office for additional information on surrounding county weigh-ins.

Below are a few upcoming deadlines and rules for the Antibiotic-Free Swine Show 2016.

To receive a complete list of rules and to officially sign up,

please contact Michele Sieren in the Extension Office at (641) 622-2680 by the March 1st deadline!

A) Participants must sign up by March 1 with the Extension Office, and pay a non-refundable ‘deposit’ ($10 per head).

B) Participants can purchase up to four pigs from the county’s single source producer, and show a maximum of four pigs at the Single Source Antibiotic Free Swine Show. Entrants in the class will not be eligible to show any other pigs in the

Keokuk County Expo 4-H swine show. Exhibitors are also responsible for pigs purchased that might not come to the fair.

C) Pigs will be vaccinated by producer, tagged and weighed by the Swine Committee at the county weigh in on March 26th.

D) All pigs will be selected and distributed to youth randomly by drawing group numbers.

E) Price will be set according to the value of the pig the day of pick up. Participants will pay the balance at the Swine weigh in on

March 26th, minus the $10 deposit fee given to the Extension Office on March 1.

*Rules for the Antibiotic-Free Swine Show are set by Keokuk County Expo Swine Superintendents

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FSQA Training 2016

Requirements are based on grade level:

Grades 4-6: must attend training sessions every year

Grades 7-9: must attend training sessions every year OR pass the Intermediate Level Test

Grades 10-12: must attend training sessions every year OR pass the Senior Level Test

Testing Out Option

Tests may be taken up to three times in one day. You MUST pass with a 70% or higher.

Once a test is passed, the member is certified until moving into the next age bracket.

Who is Required to Train or Test?

ANYONE showing any of the following animals that does NOT have current grade level bracket certification.

Beef (Breeding, Market OR Dairy) Goat (Market OR Dairy)

Poultry Swine Sheep Rabbit Bucket/Bottle

To find out if your child is currently certified for their age bracket,

check the FSQA expiration date under their name in 4hOnline.

If you have trouble finding it in 4hOnline, contact Michele at the Extension Office. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

FSQA Training for Keokuk County Expo Exhibitors will be held on Sunday, February 28th, 2016

at the Keokuk County Extension Office from 2:00—3:30pm.

Contact the Extension Office by February 26th if you plan on attending the training.

Testing will be offered during the training for those old enough to test out.

We will hold three after hours testing dates:

Wednesday, March 9th, 6:00 to 7:00 pm

Sunday April 17th, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

Saturday June 4th, 10:00 to 11:00 am

These are the only dates we will be allowing FSQA Testing through the office after regular office hours this year.

(YOU CAN TEST ANYTIME between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM Monday through Friday—just call us 1 day ahead of time)

*You will need to register for testing one week prior to the after office hours test date.

*If you cannot attend one of the four dates above, contact Michele in the Extension Office to locate another testing/ training date with

another county.

KEOKUK COUNTY EXPO For more information on the Keokuk County Expo please visit their website at: http://expokeokukco.com/

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Upcoming Events 2016

4-H MOTTO: TO MAKE THE BEST BETTER

St. Louis 2016 ~ for 7th, 8th, & 9th Graders of Region 15 ONLY

*March 11-12 *$230.00 per 4-H’er *Registration due by February 1st *NO REFUNDS after February 1st

Trip Highlights

*Busch Stadium & St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame *Gateway Arch *Riverboat Tour *City Museum

*Bissell Murder Mystery Dinner *Hard Rock Café

Contact the Extension Office to get a registration form at (641) 622-2680 ASAP

Transportation will leave Williamsburg Outlet Mall at 6 am on March 11th, and return home at approximately 11 pm on March 12th.

*$30 Scholarships are available to those who apply with a written paragraph—contact Michele in the Extension Office for more details.

2016 Animal Science Swine Workshop

Who: 8th-12th grade 4-H members of Region 15

What: Animal Science Swine Program at Iowa State University

Carcass Evaluation—evaluate pork carcasses for muscling, quality, and trimness

Pig Puzzle—deconstruct a pork carcass and put it pack together while learning the anatomy of the pig

Meat Lab Tour

Great Pig maze—learn some tips for handling pigs while running them through a maze

A Day in the Life of an Animal Science Student—talk with current students about animal science

Sensory Evaluation of Pork—learn what affects flavor and participate in a taste panel

Where: Iowa State University Animal Science Building

When: March 28th, 2016—Leave Extension Office at 6:45 am, return 6:45 pm If this is a school day for your school district, Michele can provide an explanation of the educational components and value of the trip to your

school for an excused absence. Exact Pick up and drop off times may alter slightly after the registration deadline.

Why: By participating in this workshop, you will...

Understand what meats judging means, does, and do it yourself

Have hands-on practice with learning pig anatomy

Practice good handling skills

Learn how and why to select good cuts of pork and taste them too

Prepare for your future with a college campus visit and tour animal science facilities

How: Register by contacting the Keokuk County Extension Office by March 7th, 2016

The $25 fee for this educational opportunity has been paid for by the Elmer Greiner Memorial Fund and the

Peggy Dohlberg Memorial Fund.

Thank you to the families of Elmer Greiner and Peggy Dohlberg for your support to Keokuk County 4-H. (Please thank a family member for the opportunity) There is limited space available, and this is first come-first served.

Questions? - Contact Michele at Keokuk County Extension—(641) 622-2680 or by email at mlsieren@iastate.edu.

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OUR VISION A WORLD IN WHICH YOUTH AND ADULTS LEARN, GROW, AND WORK TOGETHER AS CATALYSTS FOR POSTIVE CHANGE

Announcements 2016

Finding the Heart of 4-H ~ Mandatory Leaders’ Training

The 2016 Leaders’ Training will be held at the Extension Office Conference Room

on February 25th promptly starting at 6pm. The meeting will last approximately two hours.

Keokuk County 4-H Council members will be serving a potato bar starting at 5:15 pm.

LEADERS: Please contact the Extension Office at 641-622-2680 ASAP if you are unable to attend!

The Extension Office is currently accepting donations to go towards the Permanent Photo Wall Project.

This wall will be built close to the show ring on the Expo Fairgrounds, and will be a place for 4-H’ers to stand with their livestock to

take photos to remember their experiences for years to come.

Those who make donations to the Awards Wall will be forever visible in an engraved plaque to be built on the Awards Wall.

To donate, please bring/send your check to the Extension Office and specify the amount you would like to donate, as well as how

you would like your generosity to be read—for example, “The Smith Family”, or “Mr. and Mrs. Smith Family”.

Donations need to be made by April 15th, 2016 to be acknowledged on the plaque with the wall.

Checks can be made out to Keokuk County Extension and sent to 400 220th Avenue, Suite A in Sigourney, Iowa 52591.

Thank you to those whom have already donated!

You have helped make this dream a reality for the 40th Expo Celebration in 2016!

IOWA LIFTS BAN ON POULTRY EXHIBITIONS

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced the order canceling all live bird exhibitions at county

fairs, the Iowa State Fair, livestock auction markets, swap meets, exotic sales, and other gatherings of birds due to avian influenza was

lifted on January 1st, 2016.

The ban was put into place on May 21st in the midst of the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The purpose

of the ban was to minimize the spread and to protect the state’s domestic bird population. The lift is a result of no new cases of HPAI in

Iowa since June, and the lifting of the final quarantine on December 1st. Iowa is now considered free of HPAI.

"This is very good news and another sign that we continue to recover from this devastating animal health emergency. We know

the ban on exhibitions caused some real challenges for those anticipating showing or selling birds, but we appreciate everyone cooperat-

ing as we worked to stop the disease and then allow the industry to recover," said Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.

For more information about the avian influenza situation in Iowa, visit iowaagriculture.gov/avianinfluenza.asp.

You may continue to call or email the Iowa Poultry Association with any questions or concerns.

Randy Olson Executive Director Iowa Poultry Association

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Keokuk County

400 220th Ave - Suite A

Sigourney, IA 52591

February—March 2016 Keokuk County 4-H Family Newsletter 4-H Family

Newsletter

February & March at a Glance...

February 7th—Shooting Sports 1—3 pm at the Ike’s

14th— Happy Valentine’s Day!

21st—County Council Meeting—2:30 pm at the Extension Office

24th—Leaders’ Training (see page #5)

28th—FSQA Training for Keokuk County

March 17th—Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

18th—19th—Annual 4-H Lock-In

25th—Extension Office Closed in observance of Good Friday

26th—Keokuk County Swine Weigh-In

27th—Happy Easter!