Join us for our first County Council meeting Monday, 9/24

Come join us for our first County Council meeting of the year this Monday  September 24th, at 6:30 pm in the Extension Office! We'll be planning our community service projects for the year!

2018 4-H Club Officer Training - 9/22

The Travis County 4-H Council is hosting a 4-H Club Officer Training this Saturday, September 22, 2018, from 9:30 AM to 12 Noon at the Travis County Extension Office.  Topics to be covered include:

• Officer roles & responsibilities
• Basic parliamentary Procedure
• Fun Activities

RSVP and let us know you plan to attend at https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/4-h-programs/4-h-events/registrations/

2018 Travis County Food Challenge

Please see flyer below for date and time.
To Register for the Food Challenge, please go to https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/4-h-programs/4-h-events/registrations/ . Once you register you will need to submit $10.00 per team to the Travis County Extension Office. See you there.!

Registration Deadline is October 26th, 2018

County Extension Office Closed Thursday, September 20, from 1pm-5pm

As most of you know, we have a LOT of construction taking place around our office.  The city has let us know, just now, that they are cutting off the water to our building and working on some items that will affect access to our office on Thursday, September 20, in the afternoon.  So, the Travis County Extension Office will be closed on Thursday, 9/20, after 1:00 PM.  

We will resume normal business hours unless otherwise stated on Friday.

2018 District 10 Fall Roundup Guides & Resources - Registration Open from 10/22 to 11/7

The District 10 Fall Roundup Guide has been released!  The District 10 Fall Roundup is scheduled for December 7-8, 2018 in Kerrville, Texas.  More specific times and addresses for each of the contests are available in the guide 

Link: 2018 District 10 Fall Roundup Guide
Contests included in this Roundup are:

• Food Challenge
• Food Show
• Entomology
• Beef Quiz Bowl
• Horse Quiz Bowl
• Nutrition Quiz Bowl
• Public Speaking
• Educational Presentations

ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK REQUIRED FOR FOOD SHOW ENTRIES:  

Food Show Forms – signed hard copy due to the County Extension Office by Friday, October 26th at 12 Noon, participants must advance from County Contest

Please see the updated 2018-2019 Supply Box lists for Food Challenge.  Participants must advance from the County Contest

• 2018 District 10 – Junior and Intermediate Food Show Paperwork
• 2018-2019 Senior State Food Show Paperwork

Major Updates have been made to the following Contests for 2018-2019:

• Updated State Food Show Guidelines
• Updated State Food Challenge Guidelines
• Updated State Quiz Bowl Guidelines (All Quiz-Bowl general guide)

Updated Food Challenge Supply Lists for 2018-2019:

Please see the updated 2018-2019 Supply Box lists for Food Challenge.  Participants must advance from the County Contest

• Junior Supply Box – Food Challenge
• Intermediate Supply Box – Food Challenge
• Senior Supply Box – Food Challenge

Ultimate Contest Resource Page: https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/events/roundup/ 

Check Out the Flyer Below - Pig Sale!!!

Reminder to Enroll in 4-H CONNECT

Remember to enroll in 4-H Connect at https://tx.4honline.com/.  Be sure to enroll so we can send eligibility letters and process entry activities!

2019 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Updates - entries due 11/6/18

Please see the information below regarding the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo scheduled for January 18 - February 19, 2019  Information is also posted at https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/4-h-programs/4-h-livestock-information/.   

All entries are due to the County Extension Office by 8:00 PM on Tuesday, November 6th.

Please note that an updated Quality Counts Number will be required for each exhibitor in the new Quality Counts System.

Important Links for Fort Worth:

• Livestock Entry Applications
• Premium Book
• Fort Worth Stock Show website

A summary sheet for all shows will be printed when all show entries are released.

2018-2019 TCYS Updates & Information - Entries Due 10/17

Please see the information below regarding entries into the 219 Travis County Youth Show.  Links to entry information are also posted online at https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/4-h-programs/4-h-livestock-information/ 

Entry Forms & Rulebook: 

• Contest Rules & Entry Forms available at: http://traviscountyyouthshow.org/page.aspx?ID=34
• Livestock Entry Forms & Rulebook are available at: http://traviscountyyouthshow.org/livestockshow/

TCYS Entries/Deadlines:

• October 1^st  – TCYS Plant orders due to TCYS by 5 PM; order forms are available online here (http://traviscountyyouthshow.org/page.aspx?ID=51)
• October 15^th  – TCYS Poultry orders are due to TCYS; forms are available at http://traviscountyyouthshow.org/livestockshow/
• October 17^th  – TCYS Entries due to the Extension Office by 12 noon (INCLUDES contest entries)

Contest Dates:

• TCYS and County Consumer Decision Making Contest – Thursday, December 20^th at 6:00 PM (individuals only, participation required to advance to District 10 CDM)
• TCYS Food Challenge – Thursday, January 24^th, following the Floral Design Contest

PLEASE remember that each CLUB needs to submit one check or money order made payable to “TCYS”  - we will not run TCYS funds through the Travis 4-H Account for tax purposes.  We will not accept personal checks or cash from families.  

Reminder: Late Swine Validation and Late Major Broiler Orders are due this week!

VALIDATION TAG ORDER INFORMATION

Validation Tag orders have been posted to https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/4-h-programs/4-h-livestock-information/; simply click on the link and scroll down to the appropriate specie(s).  Direct links to the forms are also provided below:

PDF and Fillable PDF Forms have been posted for the following Validation Tags:

2018-2019 Major Swine Validation Tags:

• 2018-2019 Major Show Swine Validation – 4-H Orders –PDF Form & Fillable PDF Form
• Due by 12 Noon on Friday, September 14th, at $20 each
• Late Tags accepted until 12 Noon on Thursday, September 20th, at $30 each
• Our Extension Office must postmark our order by the morning of September 21st

2018-2019 Major Show Broiler Orders:

• 2018-2019 Major Show Broiler Orders – PDF Form & Fillable PDF Form
• Due by 12 Noon on Friday, September 14th
• Late Orders accepted until 12 Noon on Friday, September 21st with $25 late fee
• Our Extension Office is post-marking these as soon as possible on the 21st in order to secure an early spot on pick up days

GOOD NEWS: District 10 Conference Registration is extended to September 19th!

Reminder: Registration for the 2018 D10 4-H Conference Closes on 9/14

The 2018 District 10 4-H Conference will be held Saturday, September 29th at the Comfort High School in Comfort, TX.  This conference will feature three (3) tracks (2 for adults and 1 for youth).  These sessions will offer various training on available contests, scholarship opportunities, volunteer resources, and much more.           

Conference will begin with a brief group session and then will break into the different tracks. Once all sessions are complete, the District 10 4-H Council Meeting will be held.  Lunch and a T-shirt are included in your registration.  The registration fee is $30 per person when registering by September 14th on 4-H Connect. Information regarding the sessions and registration can be found below.  If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 512-854-9600 and ask for Julissa or Mellanie.

2018 Waller County Fair Livestock Judging Contest - 10/5

Please see the Livestock Judging Opportunity below!

Guadalupe County Livestock Judging Contest - 9/22/18

Palo Pinto Showmanship Clinic - 10/21

I-10 Extravaganza (Alexis Cardwell Memorial Scholarship Show Pig Sale) - 9/23

Back to School Lamb & Goat Sale 9/15

Tri-County Champions in Training Swine Clinic - 9/22

The Cooke, Denton, and Grayson County 4-H Programs will be hosting an animal clinic for new families interested in raising and showing livestock on Saturday, September 22nd at the Cooke County Fair Grounds. If you have families interested in attending they can sign up at https://grayson.agrilife.org/champions. 

2018-2019 Travis County Food Show-10/30

Please see the flyer below for the upcoming Food Show contest.

The Contest is free, Registration is available at https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/4-h-programs/4-h-events/registrations/

REMINDER: TCYS Leadership Applications are DUE at TCYS 9/12

The TCYS Leadership Applications are currently available on the TCYS Website.  They are DUE in the TCYS Office by Wednesday, September 12th.  More information is available below!

Please remember that Agents will NOT be in the Extension Office on the 12th - please make sure that you get these signed by your Extension Agents by September 11th at the VERY latest.

JOB DESCRIPTION     Individuals will work cooperatively with Travis County Youth Show Board members, volunteers, participants and judges in creating a quality county contest and fair.

KEY DATES      Applications must be received by September 12, 2018 Applicant Interviews: Selected candidates will be notified by email by September 22, 2018 Interview date will be TBD. Time is TBD and will be set up first come first serve through a sign up. 8/30 UPDATE: Please note, due to District 10 Round Up, the Interview dates are being rescheduled. Ag Teachers/Agents will be updated of this changed date and it will be posted here.

RESPONSIBILITIES, REQUIREMENTS & EXPECTATIONS      Only bona fide FFA, Junior FFA, or 4-H members regularly enrolled and attending public, private or home schools of less than college level in Travis County are eligible to participate in the TCYS Leadership Contest Queens Court: Girls must be between 6th and 8th grade to be eligible for the Princess contest, and between the 9th and 12th grade to be eligible for the Queens contest. Junior Superintendents: Applicants must be in 9th-12th grade. Be in good academic standing (C average and above) at your school or equivalent. Be in good standing as a 4-H/FFA member. Assist the livestock superintendents, general superintendent, youth fair superintendents with various areas: Check in/Check out, Judging, Auction and any other events that may come up. Always maintain a professional attitude when handling County Contest/Fair participants. Promote the County Contest/Fair as a positive educational opportunity for youth to exhibit their projects. Behave as a good role model at all times (at school, outside of the classroom & during all TCYS activities). Dress appropriately at all TCYS activities. Assist in promoting our show (prepare floats for parades, tv/radio ads, etc). Queens Court: For those who been selected as the Queen or Princess in a previous year, you may not run for that position again. If selected as a Queen or Princess Runner-up, you may apply again. Mr. TCYS is an optional position. This position will be selected out of the pool of finalist for Jr Superintendent. This position is not required and will be managed at the discretion of the committee if they feel this position is needed. A candidate may not apply to be Mr. TCYS. Late applications WILL NOT be accepted. Applications MUST be postmarked by the deadline and signed by your Ag Teacher/County Agent. Club leaders may not sign for the County Agent. Each candidate must attend the interview on the interview date listed below. Selected interviewees will be notified by email. AWARDS: The 2019 Queen will receive a belt buckle. Overall Jr. Superintendent and Runner Up will each receive a Belt Buckle at Auction after voting is concluded. PLEASE NOTE: Missing signatures and/or unanswered questions will result in disqualification. The decisions of this selection committee are final.  TCYS will provide each first time finalist an official TCYS shirt to wear at the auction, show, and events. Jr. Superintendents will get an additional t-shirt. Queens Court will receive a tiara and sash. Jackets may be purchased separately, the cost ranges between $25 and $75.

Washington County Fair Livestock & Dairy Judging Contest - Saturday, September 22nd

The Washington County Fair Judging Contest Committee would like to invite you and your judging teams to attend the Washington County Fair Livestock and Dairy Judging Contests on Saturday, September 22^nd at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Brenham, TX (1305 E. Blue Bell Rd., Brenham, TX 77833).

NEW THIS YEAR: A $1,000 Scholarship Will Be Awarded To The Overall High Point Individual In The Livestock Judging Contest & A $500 Scholarship Will Be Awarded To The Overall High Point Individual In The Dairy Judging Contest.

Cost: $10 per individual

Check In: 7:00-8:00a

Contest Start Time: 8:15a

Results: 1:00pm

Age Divisions: Junior (3^rd - 5^th Grade), Intermediate (6^th - 8^th Grade) and Senior (9^th - 12^th Grade)

For more information and rules about the Washington County Fair Livestock and Dairy Judging Contest, or if you have any questions, please contact Debbie Schroeder at the Washington County Fair Office (979-836-4112)

NEW Quality Counts System has been released for livestock exhibitors!

Quality Counts has a new look, a new site, and a new exam! The State Validation Office is excited to release the new version of the program! The new curriculum has been designed to better equip our youth livestock exhibitors with the most relevant and timely information related to the livestock project area. Focused on quality assurance and character education, Quality Counts is designed to teach young people the importance of displaying good character in carrying out livestock projects, and in every aspect of their lives.

What's New:

• The curriculum site requires unique email addresses for each user - If a family cannot use a parent email, create one, or use a student email address, we will assist on a case-by-case basis
• Exhibitors will first be required to engage in the full learning content before being presented with the verification exam. (Please be aware of this in advance as this could take around two hours for most students to complete the full content and test - there is no clicking through anymore.)Exhibitors will be able to start and revisit the curriculum as many times as needed
• Exhibitors will have to complete the test once it is started
• Exhibitors must achieve 80% or great to pass the exam, but can take it as many times as needed.
• Exhibitors will be exposed and tested on the content potentially three times in their livestock showing career: junior (grade 3-5), intermediate (grade 6-8), and senior (grade 9-12).Verification on the new system will be required for entries into Spring major livestock shows. 

Link to Access:

•  New website -  https://www.texaslivestockvalidation.com/qc/qcregister.asp
• This will be connected to the current Texas Livestock Validation Website for ease-of-access to information for supervising County Extension Agents and Agricultural Science Teachers.

How to Enroll:

Please read the instructions below very carefully

The website is designed to be very user-friendly, and the initial enrollment screen should look like the image below.  If you are enrolled in both 4-H and FFA, please enter the information for BOTH. 

Please let us know if you have any questions!

2018-2019 Texas 4-H Food Show Guidelines & Updates

Click here to find the 2018-19 Texas 4-H Food Show Guidelines developed by the state committee.  SEVERAL things have changed so pay close attention to areas marked with a purple bubble with "NEW".

Major changes include:

Theme:  The theme for 2018-19 is Restaurant Re-creations.  Contestants are asked to put a healthy twist on their favorite restaurant dishes.

Categories:  Categories are now consistent with Food Challenge (Nutritious Snacks, Main Dish, Fruit & Vegetables, Breads & Cereals)

Texas 4-H Roundup Changes:  

• The on-site Food Show orientation has been eliminated.  There will be an online information session prior to Roundup for contestants and parents.  
• Pre-prep of foods is now allowed.  Contestants may bring ingredients pre-sliced, diced, grated, etc. to save time in the preparation area. 
• Kitchen time limits will be developed for contestants based on number of entries and recipes.  No longer may contestants come and go throughout the day.  Their interview  will occur immediately following the end of their scheduled kitchen time. 

This is the first time in several years that major changes have occurred to the Roundup preparation facilities, kitchen time limits, and food preparation guidelines so please help the state committee get the word out to 4-H members and parents in our county!  

Also, please remember that our County and District rules may slightly vary from the State Rules, so please double check the rules for each contest before you enter.

2018 Texas 4-H Food Challenge Guidelines & Updates

The Texas 4-H Food Challenge contest is one of the most popular contests in the 4-H program and this year it is getting a facelift!  Changes have been made to the contest for several reasons:

• To reflect consistency with other state and national contests.
• To reflect comments and suggestions from agents, 4-H members, and coaches.
• To reflect easier to use resources for our youth.
• To reflect the need to continuously evaluate the success of our programs!

Below you will find the updated Texas 4-H Food Challenge Guide with changes reflected throughout, as well as contest resources.  Please use this guide as you begin preparation for the new 4-H year.  Below is a summary of major changes; please see the guide for additional changes, updates, or modifications which are denoted with this bullet:

• 4-H Food Challenge Scorecard - Preparation (download)
• 4-H Food Challenge Scorecard - Presentation (download)
• Rules and Guidelines Manual (download) 

Team Members:

To provide consistency with other Texas 4-H contests, as well as national contests, the number of team members for Food Challenge has changed.  Teams will have at least 3 and no more than 4 members per team. 

Contest Resources:

Contests resources have changed!  Resources which will now be used for the contest include the following:

• MyPlate Mini-Poster
• Fight Bac Brochure
• Know Your Nutrients
• Food Challenge Worksheet

The previous resource of Altering Recipes for Good Health is now considered a training resource for agents and coaches to use when preparing teams for contest.  Nutrient Needs at a Glance has been replaced with a more user friendly resource:  Know Your Nutrients.

Supply Box Changes:

Quantities and sizes of a few items have changed.  Please refer to the list for these changes.  Also, a new “Gadget of the Year” has been added!  This will change annually to give teams an opportunity to learn how to use various kitchen gadgets.

Presentation Changes:

ALL team members must now participate and have a speaking role during the presentation to the judges. 

Scorecard Changes:

Scorecards have been updated to reflect subject matter to be included in presentations AND a new numerical scoring system.  Although space is limited on the front of the scorecard for judge’s comments, agents should encourage judges to use back of sheet for commenting.

Some Clarifications to note:

1. Presentation Guidelines - The presentation guidelines have been updated to read “All team members, or at least a majority, should participate in the presentation.”  This update is to encourage all youth to participate in the Food and Nutrition Project and Food Challenge contest, especially those who may be first year and a little hesitant to speak publicly.  This update also provides more inclusion for those who may have disability or other circumstance which may make it difficult for them to participate fully in the presentation.
2. Rules of Play #1 Clarification – Food Challenge Committees may make the decision to provide only a set of ingredients or to provide a set of ingredients and list of ingredients with amounts.  Food Show Committees should consider the age level of the contestants. It is suggested that younger age groups receive a list with amounts.   
3. County/District Rules - Please remind 4-H members, parents, and food challenge coaches that county and district rules may differ slightly from state rules.  They should consult these rules FIRST. 
4. Scoresheets – We have removed the watermark from the scoresheets to make judges’ comments easier to read. 

The Texas 4-H Food and Nutrition Project continues to be one of the most popular project areas in the state.  This project is the foundation for healthy eating and reduction of chronic disease risks.  The Food Challenge Contest is just one avenue to teaching youth how to improve their health habits!  

2018 Texas 4-H Day in AggieLand - 10/6/18

4-H Day in Aggieland

This year, we have a new event to kickoff National 4-H Week in Texas. Texas 4-H Day in Aggieland will be October 6, 2018. There are several opportunities with this event: 

1) Order football tickets as a group and attend the Texas A&M vs Kentucky football game. Tickets are $30. Click here to order football tickets. Enter the promo code Texas4H.

2) Be part of the Texas A&M College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and Texas 4-H "Going Green" tailgate 3 hours prior to game time. This is a very fun and FREE event for your 4-H families and volunteers to join. RSVP for the tailgate here. A fun opportunity for 4-H attendees to mingle with college faculty, students, donors, and alumni, as well as other 4-H'ers who attend. Food and entertainment are provided.

3) 4-H youth, their families, volunteers, and all who would like to join are invited to a prospective student session with faculty and students in the College of Ag & Life Sciences. This is a great opportunity for youth of any age to mingle with faculty and students... and it's FREE! RSVP to the prospective student session here. 


4) Order a TAMU COALS/Texas 4-H Going Green Tailgate T-shirt. This information will be sent out on the blog once we have details from the college on price, order link, etc. 

2018 W. Rode & Sons Pig Sale Information