Good Luck!

We wish the best of luck to all of the Eaton County 4-Hers who are exhibiting at the 2023 Eaton County Fair starting July 8 with non-livestock judging! No matter how you place, congrats on all of your hard work and accomplishments all year that led up to this showcase of your efforts. Have fun and make the best of it!

4-H Program Contact Information

• 4-H Program Coordinator: Zaire Parrotte zaire@msu.edu 517-543-4420
• 4-H Online enrollment questions: Please reach out to Sara Corr, Eaton’s support staff, at 517-543-2310 or msue.eaton@msu.edu
• Newsletter additions: Please reach out to Sara Corr, Eaton’s support staff, at 517-543-2310 or msue.eaton@msu.edu
• You can also reach out to Roxanne Turner, District 8 supervisor (including Eaton), at turnerr@msu.edu or 517-546-3950.

4-H Food Shack Reminders

Are you planning to help with your club's shift at the 4-H Food Shack during fair week? Here are a few things you may need to know:

• Clubs have 4 and 1/2 hour shifts and must provide 3 adults and 5 youth per shift. Check with your club administrative leader for your assigned shift day and time.
• All adults must be Gold or Silver level volunteers. Only Gold level volunteers can work the registers. If you need to apply as a volunteer, you can do so at: https://msu.samaritan.com/custom/502/#/volunteer_home
• Youth ages 8 & up can work in the food shack. Older teens may work registers (will be determined by the skillset of the youth during the shift). No more than two 8-year-old's on the same shift
• Must have clean, closed toe shoes (cannot come from a barn).
• No sleeveless shirts.
• Clean hats are OK, hair must be pulled back.

Dog Committee- Items for silent auction needed for July 8th

We are still looking for a few more silent auctions items for the Dog Show at fair on July 8th. Please send items for silent auction to Bonnie Seitler, Theresa Wojnar or the 4-H Office. Please put name and/or club name on the item(s).

Remember to come and bid on many of the lovely items we have!

Small Animal Silent Auction - Items needed

Silent auction to be help on Friday, July 14th, 11am - 3pm at the Small Animal Barn

Looking for items for the silent auction, can be dropped off at the Extension office during office hours.

Tara has contacted Small Animals clubs in regards to the SAA Sale Luncheon.

Water bottles needed for sale day!

Attention clubs participating at the JLA sale day, we are looking for clubs to sign up to bring bottles of water for sale day. Please contact Zaire at 517-543-4420 or zaire@msu.edu to sign up. Thank you!

Eaton County Fair Dance Sponsored by 4-H Council

Don't forget to stop by the dance Friday, July, 14 from 9pm-11pm at the show area.

Save the Date - Upcoming County Meetings

4-H Council: Thursday August 7, at 7pm, in the PMR.

• Open to all regardless of project area! Every club is encouraged to send at least 1 volunteer and 1 youth to every Council meeting.
• This meeting agenda is TBD.

Jr Livestock Association: Monday August 14, at 7pm, in the PMR

• Open to all youth and volunteers in the beef, dairy beef/feeders, sheep, and swine project areas. This meeting will go over any last minute sale details

4-H JLA Sale Shifts

The JLA sale cannot run without YOU! We need a significant number of volunteers to help on the Thursday and Friday of fair week to make the sale run smoothly. Sale shift sign up will be available in June. As a reminder, youth who work a sale shift (or have a representative work a sale shift on behalf of the youth) will receive their sale check a week earlier than those who do not.

Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/RYEAXYG

Note that adults will need to complete screening in order to volunteer this year! This includes all adults for the shifts listed below, whether you come from 4-H or FFA. 4-H age youth (4-H or FFA) do not need to complete screening to help. Screening at a Gold level may take 2-4 weeks and screening at a Silver level may take 3-4 days, so please plan ahead (if staff are processing a large volume, it will take longer - applying now is highly recommended! If you are not accepted as a volunteer prior to fair, you may not volunteer in the role). If adults are interested in volunteering for one of the sale shifts mentioned below and need to complete the minimum level of screening listed, you can apply at: https://msu.samaritan.com/custom/502/#/volunteer_home

Overview of sale shifts

Throughout fair week:

• Money Counting: Adults (Gold level volunteers only) and older teens. Help balance the funds collected with records for deposit. Time varies (early in the week is 30 minutes or less, sale day is an hour or more).

Thursday shifts:

• Lunch: Adults (Silver or Gold level volunteers) and youth. Help serve food at the JLA Buyer Luncheon on sale day. 2 hour shifts.
• Counter: Adults (Gold level volunteers only) and older teens. Help register and check out buyers and answer questions about the sale. 3 hour shifts.
• Tech: Adults (Gold level volunteers only) and older teens. Help record buyer information, clerking sheets, premiums, and payments into the Fair Entry system. 2 or 3 hour shifts (shifts are staggered throughout the day).
• Filing: Adults (Silver or Gold level volunteers) and youth. Help file buyer folders in numerical order. 2 hour shifts.
• Runners: Youth. Help run back and forth between the sale ring and the office with clerking and premium sheets. 2 hour shifts.
• Clerking: Adults (Silver or Gold level volunteers). Help record buyer information and other sale information in the ring. Entire sale (with breaks).
• Thank you table: Adults (Silver or Gold level volunteers) and youth. Help hand out pen thank you signs to youth to put above their pens. 2 hour shifts.

Friday shifts:

• Office support: Adults (Gold level volunteers only) and older teens. Help with counter or tech related work with checking out buyers, processing payments, and animal shipping information. 2 hour shifts.

Carcass class & superintendent information

Please see below for updated Fair Book Carcass information. Paperwork needs to be ready when the animal comes in.

Jesse Harris 517-819-4720

Carcass Superintendent

Carcass prices for 2023

• Lambs: $7.00
• Hogs: $2.50
• Beef: $3.50

4-H JLA Sale Information

July 13, 2023

Eaton County Fairgrounds (in-person sale)

Sale will start at 10:00 a.m. with a pause for lunch following the beef sale.

Sale Order: Beef - Sheep - Swine

You can find many resources for youth sellers and for buyers on the websites linked below, including the following:

Website for Youth Sellers: Sale rules (in the JLA Bylaws), Frequently Asked Questions document, lunch schedule and food list (when available), shift sign-up (when available), sale forms, carcass instructions

Website for Buyers: Sale Flyer, Proxy and Premium Forms, Frequently Asked Questions document, and additional information

Reminder- JLA Sale BBQ Shift Schedule - Thursday July 13, 2023

9:00 am – 11:00 am (set up)

• Millerburg
• Charlotte FFA
• Eaton Equestrians (2 members, 1 adult)
• Vermontville Jr Farmers

Provide 4 older members and 1 adult

10:30 am – 12:30 pm

• Springport FFA
• FIRST
• Gresham Grain Grinders

Provide 3 older members and 1 adult

11:30 am – 1:30 pm

• Organized Chaos
• Crazy Clovers
• VFW Dynamos
• Maple Valley Riders ( 1 member, 1 adult)

Provide 3 older members and 1 adult

1:30 pm –3:30 pm

• Backyard Bandits
• Golddiggers (2 members, 1 adult)
• Spaulding

Provide 3 older members and 1 adult

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm (BBQ Clean up)

• Chasing Purple
• Benton Variety
• Bellevue FFA

Provide 3 older members and 1 adult

4:30 pm – 6:30 pm (Drinks & Cookies to Buyers and clean up)

• Walton Wonders
• RRR
• Barn Busters (1 member, 1 adult)
• Eaton Equestrians

Provide 2 older members and 1 adult

6:30 am – or end of sale (After Sale Clean up at Sale Ring)

• Olivet FFA
• Maple Valley FFA

Provide 5 older members and 1 adult

We will have 3 members each shift to serve the meat. And 2 members each shift to hand out the buns.

Adult needs to be silver status

If your club doesn’t appear on this list please come for clean-up. Thanks

4-H SAA Sale Shifts

The SAA sale cannot run without YOU! We need a significant number of volunteers to help on the Thursday and Friday of fair week to make the sale run smoothly. Please click the button below for the sale shift sign up.

Note that adults will need to complete screening in order to volunteer this year! This includes all adults for the shifts listed below, whether you come from 4-H or FFA. 4-H age youth (4-H or FFA) do not need to complete screening to help. If adults are interested in volunteering for one of the sale shifts mentioned below and need to complete the minimum level of screening listed, you can apply at: https://msu.samaritan.com/custom/502/#/volunteer_home

Overview of sale shifts (all shifts on Saturday, July 15):

• Lunch: Adults (Silver or Gold level volunteers) and youth. Help serve food at the SAA Buyer Luncheon on sale day. 1.5 hour shifts.
• Silent Auction: Adults (Gold level volunteers only) and youth. Help run the silent auction. 1.5 hour shifts.
• Counter: Adults (Gold level volunteers only) and older teens. Help register and check out buyers and answer questions about the sale. 2 to 3 hour shifts.
• Tech: Adults (Gold level volunteers only) and older teens. Help record buyer information, clerking sheets, premiums, and payments into the Fair Entry system. 2 hour shifts.
• Filing: Adults (Silver or Gold level volunteers) and youth. Help file buyer folders in numerical order. 2 hour shifts.
• Runners: Youth. Help run back and forth between the sale ring and the office with clerking and premium sheets. 1 hour shifts.
• Clerking: Adults (Silver or Gold level volunteers). Help record buyer information and other sale information in the ring. Entire sale (with breaks).
• Thank you table: Adults (Silver or Gold level volunteers) and youth. Help hand out pen thank you signs to youth to put above their pens. 1 hour shifts.

4-H SAA Sale Information

July 15, 2023

Eaton County Fairgrounds (in-person sale)

Sale starts at 1:00 p.m., Silent Auction TBD, luncheon begins at 12 p.m. noon

Sale Order: Poultry - Rabbits/Cavies - Goats

You can find many resources for youth sellers and for buyers on the websites linked below, including the following:

Website for Youth Sellers: Sale rules (in the SAA Bylaws), Frequently Asked Questions document, lunch schedule and food list (when available), shift sign-up (when available), sale forms

Website for Buyers: Sale Flyer, Proxy and Premium Forms, Frequently Asked Questions document, and additional information

Interested in attending a state or national 4-H workshop, camp, or other event? Don't forget - Eaton County 4-H has many scholarships available to help cover the cost of the events! For more information about scholarships, visit the link in the button below or contact 4-H staff.

Registration is open for 4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resource Camp!

4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp is an annual three-time national award-winning camp that mixes summer fun and hands-on science education. The camp will be held July 23-29 on the shores of Lake Esau at Camp Chickagami in Presque Isle. This pre-college program is for teens who will be age 13 to 15 during camp. 

During this enriching MSU Extension educational program, campers will increase their science literacy and stewardship as they learn from natural resource experts in fields such as Great Lakes coastal and fisheries management, limnology, wildlife, forestry, geography, geology and environmental education.

In addition to hands-on learning, attendees will also enjoy exciting natural resources recreation activities such as kayaking, snorkeling, sailing, fossil hunting, archery, photography, and evenings around a campfire.

First-time campers also go charter fishing and learn and learn to fillet their catch while all campers have fun and make new friends with people from difference backgrounds and areas.



Registration is now open! The registration fee is $500 and includes six nights of lodging, all meals and snacks, a t-shirt and program and activity costs. Space is limited to 70 campers so register today. For more information and to register, visit canr.msu.edu/4_h_great_lakes_natural_resources_camp/.

Host a Japanese youth in Summer 2023 through States' 4-H International!

Host a delegate in your home this summer and give your family a global perspective!

Invite an international youth into your home for three and a half weeks and share an American experience. Expand your family’s cultural understanding, learn about new foods and customs, and possibly a new language all while sharing your own. Your children will build lifelong friendships and will gain new perspectives on their own country too! Applications to host can be found at www.states4hexchange.org

For more information

Visit: http://www.states4hexchange.org

Email: exchange@states4h.org

Contact Michigan 4-H International Exchange Programs Coordinator Jan Brinn brinn@msu.edu or Co-Coordinator John Wurm wurmj@msu.edu.  

This section will feature a different topic each newsletter highlighting best practices for 4-H clubs. Everyone, youth 4-Hers, adult volunteers, and families, can contribute toward making their club the best and following best practices!

Fair season and sportsmanship

It’s fair season, and that means youth will be competing at county fairs and animal shows around the state with their 4-H projects. Let’s review some sportsmanship guidelines so that all youth and adults have positive experiences at the fair.

Good 4-H animal project sportsmanship is defined as:

• Displaying respect for animals. This mean exercising good animal management through proper healthcare and nutrition, as well as fair training practices. Animals deserve humane treatment in exchange for what they provide.
• Displaying respect for opponents. Sportsmanlike competitors recognize and appreciate a well-prepared, challenging opponent who can bring out the best in them and share that appreciation with their opponents.
• Displaying respect for the “game.” This includes respecting and following the rules of the event. It also includes always trying one’s best, using skill and training to achieve positive results and appreciating the training process.
• Displaying respect for others. Judges, show managers, parents, trainers, coaches and leaders deserve respect as well. If one is feeling frustrated, it is important to find an appropriate location and time to vent or show this frustration.

Exhibiting good sportsmanship is not just for youth 4-H members – it applies to everyone involved, including volunteers, parents, leaders and others.

Additional sportsmanship resources can be found at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/competitive_event_resources

Adapted from "Fair season and sportsmanship" by Michelle Neff. Find more about this article at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/fair_season_and_sportsmanship.

Registration via Fair Entry NOW OPEN!

Fair Entry is now open for registration! https://fairentry.com/Fair/SignIn/19004

NOTES:

• Please make sure to use the fair book when registering as you will need to know what classes are appropriate for you to register in. The fair book can be found online at http://eatoncountyfair.com/pageserver/fair-book.
• Keep the email that the system will send as confirmation of your entries. Entries will be approved by the fair office and you will receive a second email when your entries are approved.
• All pen space request forms, June 1 forms, and camping forms will be collected by the superintendent/fair office as appropriate, NOT through Fair Entry.
• Please do not enter into a class unless you are planning to exhibit in that class at fair.
• If you tagged multiple animals, you may need to create separate entries for each animal.
• Youth exhibitors should enter into classes which are not in a department labeled "Open Class..."
• Open Class entries will open on June 2nd and close on June 18th.
• If you have any questions or problems, please contact the Fair Office at 517-543-4510 or Martin Fabrik at 517-667-1293 via call or text.

Fair board meetings

Fair board holds public meetings on the third Monday of the month. The next public fair board meeting is Monday, May 15th, at 7pm at Kardel Hall.

Fair Office Hours

The fair office is now open full time, 9am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday, and open until 6pm on Wednesdays.

The fair office is located in the Theo Savage Exhibit Building on the side of the building closest to Cochran Ave.

Contact information can be found at: http://eatoncountyfair.com/contact-us