MSU announced on 3/3/22 that MSU will no longer require masks in classes, meetings or other events that take place off campus, beginning March 6. This includes all MSU Extension-run events throughout the state, including those that take place at the Eaton County MSU Extension office. Please keep in mind the following:

The Approved Activities website will be updated soon to reflect these changes.

Are you fully enrolled in 4-H? Do you know someone who would like to join? All 4-H members must be fully enrolled by March 15 to be eligible to show at the 2022 Eaton County Fair as a 4-H member. Other 4-H experiences may have different enrollment deadlines.

Not sure if you are enrolled? You can easily check! Log into your 4-H Online account and look at each member row in the chart titled and look under the Program columns. The following options may appear:

Members should receive an email from the system as well once their profile has been approved. You can check your account by visiting https://

www.canr.msu.edu/resources/michigan_4_h_enrollment. If you have questions about your status listed in 4-H Online, please contact the office.

We are pleased to welcome Chevelle Hughes as the AmeriCorps member serving Eaton County 4-H through mid-September! Many of you may recognize her as an Eaton County 4-H alum, please give her a warm welcome! Here is an introduction from Chevelle:

Hello Eaton County!

It feels nice to be back in 4-H although my position looks a little different than usual. I am your new AmeriCorps Member. For those of you that don't know me my name is Chevelle Hughes and I was a 4-Her for 13 years and my passion is to help others succeed. I was born and raised in Charlotte, went to school in Olivet, and now reside in Bellevue with my husband and dog. Eaton County 4-H molded me to the person I am today and helped me be in this position and now it's time for me to give back to the community that gave me so many opportunities. I look forward to building our 4-H community and meeting all of you.

HAY horse members! Do you want to know what the judge is thinking in the show ring? Become the Judge at the 2022 4-H Horse Judging Contest March 27th at the MSU Pavilion. Text Chevelle Hughes at 517-507-8119 by March 10th your name and age if you are interested in becoming a part of Eaton County's Judging Team! The team will participate in learning experiences prior to the 4-H/FFA Horse Judging Contest and then participate in the contest.

April 25 at 6pm, Kardel Hall (note location change). Register for the Zoom option: https://msu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIqde6srjkuE9RBydywDmOyxu8hp9ejKHEs

All clubs should send a representative to this meeting. The Spring Leader Update Meeting will go over 4-H and fair updates and the 2022 Eaton County Fair. Please note: This meeting occurs after spring clean-up for the fair. Fair board will be assigning clubs spots for spring clean-up. Additional information will be shared at a later date.

Eaton County 4-H dog project leaders and members extend a welcome to Michigan 4-H Dog Project members and leaders and invite you to join us for a day of showing and fun being hosted by the Eaton County 4-H Dog Committee. The Eaton County 4-H Pre-Fair Dog Fun Match will be held on Saturday, May 14, at the Eaton County Fairgrounds. Registration the day-of starts at 7:30am and the show will begin at 9am with intermediate agility.

Pre-registration is preferred; please return forms (linked below) by May 1, 2022. 

For more information and registration forms, rules, and flyer, visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/eaton-county-4-h-pre-fair-dog-fun-match

All meetings will be in-person at the PMR (basement conference room at the Extension office building) and will offer a Zoom option to connect virtually to the meetings, unless otherwise indicated. If you would like a virtual connection option for these meetings, please use the Zoom registration link for each meeting to register. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with the connection information. If nobody is registered for the Zoom option by 5pm the day of the meeting, Zoom connection will not be set up.

Weather reminder: With the winter season, just a reminder that when Charlotte Public Schools are closed for weather-related reasons, countywide 4-H in-person meetings are also canceled. If this occurs, the board for the group meeting that day will determine whether to cancel the meeting altogether or move the meeting to Zoom and notification will be sent via 4-H Online to those enrolled in the project areas for the group and posted on the county Facebook page.

February 1 – April 30, we invite you to visit a local @JOANN store to create with your hands and give with your heart through a donation to @4-H. joann.com/4-H/ #JOANNhearts4H

Receive the recognition you deserve while sharpening your communication and writing skills by participating in Michigan 4-H State Awards. A Michigan 4-H State Award is the highest honor bestowed on a Michigan 4-H member and is a great addition to your resume, job, school and scholarship applications. Learn more on how to apply today here:  https://www.canr.msu.edu/4_h_scholarships_and_recognition_program/4-h-awards-and-recognition-program/Youth-Recognition/ Deadline April 1, 2022.

Are you a young person ages 11-12? Apply for the Mark of Excellence Award by April 1. The essay theme is “Because of 4-H, I can…” Tell us how #MI4H has made an impact on your life for a chance to be recognized! extension.msu.edu/4HStateAwards

IT'S BACK! 4-H Exploration Days is Michigan 4-H's largest pre-college program and could be the highlight of your summer! The event is designed to help youth build the skills they need to successfully transition to college and to life as an adult. Michigan 4-H youth who participate have the opportunity to stay in MSU campus residence halls while attending sessions throughout their stay.

Dates: June 22 - 24, 2022

Theme: Explore your Spark

Registration fee: $220 for youth and $110 for adults. All participants will be required to pay a $50 deposit when registering. **NOTE: Eaton County 4-H has many scholarships to offset the remaining cost for this event. Available scholarships can be found at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/eaton/eaton_county_4_h/eaton_county_4_h_club_resources/scholarships

Registration will open in April and will be a first come, first serve basis and will be done in an online system this year. If you are interested in this event, please pay close attention to when registration is announced as this event can fill up fast and will have limited registration this year! More information, including schedule changes from prior years, can be viewed at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/4_h_exploration_days/

Jarls come and Jarls go…but the good cook stays for a lifetime! Well, let’s see just how good a cook we all are! Join us for a special Spring break experience as 4-H in the Kitchen dives into the hardy and wild lands of Skyrim in the ever popular Elder Scrolls video game franchise! Over the course of four days, participants will learn the finer points of spicecraft, learning how to craft three special blends of spices and then learn how to cook a special dish that highlights one of their spice blends. Participants will also have the chance to take part in a weeklong virtual GooseChase Scavenger hunt devoted to the history of spices. Complete the missions for the chance to win a sweet prize!

Because some of the spices required may be a little difficult to find at your local grocery store, participants will receive a list of required spices immediately after they register. This will give participants ample time to obtain them online.

Join us March 28 thru March 31, 2022 so that we can find out if…Skryim Belongs to the Nords!

Money, money, money! In honor of Financial Awareness Month held each April, Michigan State University Extension 4-H is sponsoring the 2022 Cash Composition Contest. Youth residing in Michigan, age 9-12, have a chance to win $100 by writing a 300 word (or less) essay on the importance of saving. Contest registration and essay submission must be completed by April 11. Contest details can be found: https://www.canr.msu.edu/4-h-money-smarts/money-smart-kids-contest

Youth 13-19 years olds, do you want to learn how to harness the power of time to make your money grow AND have an opportunity to win $100 in cash? In this fourth annual Show Your Money Smarts Contest, Michigan youth age 13-19 will compete in an on-line quiz challenge taking place the entire month of April. Contest registration must be completed by April 28, 2022 with the online quiz completed by April 30th. Contest details can be found: https://www.canr.msu.edu/4-h-money-smarts/show-your-money-smarts-contest

To help prepare youth for this contest, we are holding two webinars and have a self-guided learning experience.

March 24 at 6:15pm: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/youth-money-3-24

April 13 at 4:30pm: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/youth-money-4-13

Self-guided learning: https://www.canr.msu.edu/courses/grow-your-money

Save the date: Join Michigan 4-H and the MSU Department of Animal Science for a new program this spring – Animal Science Career Quest March 18-20, 2022! Taking place on MSU’s main campus in East Lansing, youth will learn about all the opportunities an animal science education can bring them. Animal Science Career Quest is open to youth ages 12-19 (as of January 1, 2022) and 4-H volunteers; space will be limited. Keep an eye on the event webpage for updates: https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/animal-science-career-quest. Register at: https://events.anr.msu.edu/AnimalScienceCareerQuest_2022/ For questions, please contact Melissa Elischer at elischer@msu.edu.

Save the Date! Join us on Wednesday, July 13th at the MSU Pavilion in East Lansing! The State 4-H/FFA Livestock Judging Contest is held in conjunction with the Michigan Livestock Expo (MLE) and is a collaborative effort between Michigan 4-H and Michigan FFA. By participating in the livestock judging contest, contestants can enhance their livestock evaluation and selection skills, as well as improve their communication and decision-making skills. Registration information coming! https://www.canr.msu.edu/4_h_animal_evaluation/

So just how radioactive IS that meal you’ve got there? Did you mix in the radscorpion meat? Slice up some mutfruit? Are all of your ingredients Vault-Tec approved? Well let’s find out in 4-H in the Kitchen: Vault Dweller Edition. In this special 4-H in the Kitchen Workshop, participants are going to get to emerge from the Vault and brave the Wastelands of the popular Fallout video game franchise. Participants will learn how to make two tasty dishes…completely free of radiation…and will also get to hear from a special guest, Nuclear Physicist Dr. Curtis Hunt of the Michigan State University National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.

Join us for a rad-free meal on April 16 and 23, 2022 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

Register today!

Oh the days of the Kerry Dancing…oh the ring of the Piper’s Tune! Get ready for corned beef, legions of step-dancers, and green as far as the eye can see! In honor of St. Patrick’s Day 2022, Mason County 4-H is hosting a virtual GooseChase scavenger hunt for those looking to get their Irish on this March! Participants will be tested on everything from their Irish trivia, baking skills, and everything in between. Prizes will be given out to the top three finishers!

The fun starts March 14, 2022 and continues thru March 26!

Click the link bellow to register:

Join Michigan 4-H as we celebrate military families and children during the Month of the Military Child 4-H GooseChase Challenge during the month of April! Whether you come from a military family or not, this online scavenger hunt will be a fun and exciting way to honor military kids across Michigan. New missions will be released weekly in April, for a chance to win prizes! The first 50 registrations will receive a FREE National 4-H STEM Kit (must register by March 30).

Any youth 13-19 can download the GooseChase app to their phone or tablet; younger youth or youth without a phone or tablet can partner with an older sibling or parent/guardian to play as a Team. For more information, and to register, please visit https://tinyurl.com/32dpdv5b

The MSU Community Language School is partnering again with MSU Extension to host the Indian Virtual Culture Experience on Saturday, March 19th from 1-3pm EST. This Virtual Culture Experience is geared for everyone 8 years and above - plus it is free! The cultural experience will showcase language and culture sessions in four 30-minute segments: 1. Language: Learn Some Daily Hindi Words and Phrases 2. Cooking: Learn to Make a Simple Dish from India, 3. Craft: Learn to Create a Traditional Symbol from India and 4. Movement: Learn Some Steps and Move to Music from India.

Sign up for this event by clicking the link: https://forms.gle/JzgJHVs1KCsNnRL89

Register by Tuesday, March 8th, 2022, to reserve your spot!

Zoom links and list of ingredients and materials for cooking and craft activities will be sent out to registered participants.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

cls@celta.msu.edu / cls.celta.msu.edu

Do you love asking questions and discovering the answers? Registration is now open for the Michigan 4-H STEM Workshop! Explore a variety of science, technology, engineering, and math topics on Friday, April 8, 2022, at Mid-Michigan College in Harrison. This workshop is for 4-H staff, volunteers and other adults who will explore their questions and answers with junk drawer robotics, solar and wind energy, and how to teach science when you don’t know diddly squat. Participants will receive a copy of the “Teaching Science When You Don’t Know Diddly Squat” activities and a supply kit! Register at: https://events.anr.msu.edu/michigan4hstemworkshop/

Michigan and National 4-H have traditionally held a variety of events and camps for youth to attend. As many events return to their in-person or new event structures, Eaton County 4-Hers are highly encouraged to participate in these extended learning opportunities. The following are popular events, but many other events occur throughout the year:

Did you know that youth can often attend statewide or national 4-H events for free or at a reduced rate, thanks to the many scholarships our county offers? We have a variety of scholarships through funds from the Tractor Supply Company Paper Clover Campaign, 4-H Council and donated funds, and Small Animal Association. Scholarships can also be combined (so you can use the TSC funds and 4-H Council funds on the same event, for example). Our county strives to help ease the cost of these events as they are important opportunities for youth.

You can find detailed information on event scholarships from the county at https://www.canr.msu.edu/eaton/eaton_county_4_h/eaton_county_4_h_club_resources/scholarships, or contact Kristy at oosterh6@msu.edu prior to registering for an event for detailed help on scholarships for an event.

With the increase in independent groups showing at the Fair this year, we ask that all youth groups (4-H, FFA, Independent), and all youth individuals that will be exhibiting as independents, please fill out this quick sign up form. This is very important to ensure that we are able to contact all groups and share Fair information. Only one sign up per club/group is required. Please share this with your club/group leader. If you have any questions please feel free to send us a message. Follow the link to sign up. 

https://eatoncountyfair.com/pageserver/sign-up 

April 3- 17, fairgrounds

Groups that are exhibiting at the 2022 fair will be assigned spots to clean-up by fair board; spots have yet to be determined.

Sheep tag in will be held at the Sheep Barn at the Eaton County Fairgrounds on April 24, 2022, 1pm-4pm. Tag in information is available at: http://eatoncountyfair.com/pageserver/tag-in

Swine tagging will be in April; watch for more information and tag information will be available soon at: http://eatoncountyfair.com/pageserver/tag-in

4-Hers in the dog project and Eaton County Fair dog exhibitors, please remember to fill out and return the dog project form to Bonnie by May 1!

Form can be found at the bottom of the Dog Committee page at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/eaton/eaton_county_4_h/eaton_county_4_h_associations_and_committees/dog_committee