May 2014 4-H Clover Power Newsletter
4-Hers Doing Great Things
We know how amazing our Polk County 4-Hers are,and we want to share with you what great things they are doing! Way to go and keep up the good work!
- Addison Hild made 2,000 puzzle piece autism ribbons for April National Autism Week to spread the word about Autism. She took ribbons and posters to Altoona Elementary, Centennial Elementary, Four Mile Elementary, Runnells Elementary and SE Polk Jr High for students to wear the ribbons on their backpacks in support of Autism Awareness Month.
- The Callanan 4-H Club has been learning how to make fleece tie blankets and dog toys over the past few months. On April 10 they were able to deliver 30 blankets and 70 dog toys to the Animal Rescue League facility on 22nd Street. Students toured the facility and learned about the animals from very helpful volunteers. Some are looking forward to volunteering when they are old enough to do so. The club is learning what it means to be a good community member by serving others, including our animal friends.
- On the morning of April 19, hundreds of visitors walked past the rabbit display tables of Sebastian and Simon Janelle (Ankeny 4-H Club) and Trinity Lawry (We XL 4-H Club). This was all part of the Family Easter Party sponsored by Living History Farms. Our Polk County youth answered questions about their rabbit breeds, how to feed and care for rabbits and talked about showing them at the County Fair.
Congratulations Seniors!
Congratulations to all of our graduating 4-H members! It has been exciting to see all of you grow through the program and bittersweet that this is your last year. The Polk County Extension Staff is proud of your accomplishments. The 2014 graduates are: Brooke Armstrong, Mandy Brown, Caleb Burke, Matthew Burket, Abbi Colby, Jessica Cole, Sam Feldstein, Emily Freel, Grace Harper, Jenna Kasper, Elizabeth Macro, Andrea Nelson, Courtney Neuendorf, Kiki Paulsen, Lena Pinkley, Blake Printy, Michael Rimathe, Alexander Ritchie, Jayme Sickerson, Brandon Sjullie, Chandler Smith, Alyssa Sullivan, Jessica Sutton, Kelvey Vander Hart, Tayler Veldhuizen, Bekah Ward, and Ellen Westhoff. Best of luck to you in your future!
Recognition
162 4-Hers participated in the State 4-H Recognition interview process with 262 interviews on Saturday, March 29. Those selected for State Awards will be recognized at the Iowa State Youth Conference closing ceremonies on Thursday, June 26. 4-H’ers selected for State Recognition from Polk County are as follows:
4-H State Council – Emma Thayer
State 4-H Project Award – Rebecca Osthus
2014 Polk County Fair Dates
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The 2014 Polk County Fair is scheduled for July 16-21 at the Iowa State Fair Grounds. The theme is “All Creatures Great and Small- 75th Year of the Polk County Fair.”
New 4-H member? Have Questions?
Join other new 4-H members and their families in this series to learn about what it means to be a 4-H member. We’ll answer your questions about goal setting, projects, the Polk County Fair, conference judging and everything else about 4-H that you would like to know. Join us for the fun, the learning and the rewards that come with being a member of Polk County 4-H! Please RSVP to Carla at by the day before the event. All meetings will begin at 6:30 PM at the Polk County Extension Office in Altoona.
·May 8 –Topic: Record Keeping
·June 12 –Topic: County Fair Preview
New to Clover Kids, or just have questions?
Do you have questions about Clover Kids? Join other Clover Kid members and their families for a fun and informative night to learn about what it means to be amember of Polk County Clover Kids. We’ll answer your questions about projects, conference judging and the Polk County Fair, and everything else about Clover Kids that you would like to know!Please RSVP to Carla at by the day before the event. All meetings will begin at 5:30 PM on June 12that the Polk County Extension Office in Altoona.
4-H Adventureland Day
Join us June 1st at Adventureland Park for a fun-filled day of amusement park rides and swimming at Adventure Bay waterpark.With a $17 savings, tickets come to just$25.00!This would be a great club or family outing to relieve some stress before county fair! Please contact Joy by May 23rd to reserve tickets or with questions at 515-957-5771, email at .
4-H Night with the Iowa Cubs!
Join us on June 6thwhen the Iowa Cubs take on the Colorado Springs Sky Sox for a fun night of baseball and fireworks. 4-Hers will sit together during the game and be recognized on the bigscreen. Tickets are $6. Please contact Joy by May 30th to reserve tickets or with questions at 515-957-5771, email at . Go Cubs!
Babysitting Clinic
Polk County Extension and Outreach and the Grimes Community Center are partnering to hold a babysitting clinic onSaturday, May 17th, 9AM-3PM at the Grimes Community Center (410 SE Main Street in Grimes). The clinic is designed for kids completing 5th grade and above.
The registration fee is $30.00, which includes the Babysitting Clinic workbook, snacks, lunch and other child care resources. Your registration will be complete when payment is made by Friday, May 16th. To register, call Marci at the Polk County Extension office at 515-957-5770. The fee can be paid over the phone via a debit or credit card OR can be mailed or dropped off to the Polk County Extension Office. Please make checks payable to ISU Extension.
Communication Event
The Communication Event will be Thursday, July 17 at the Polk County Fair. This event is for everyone planning on giving an educational presentation, demonstrating a working exhibit, or a senior 4-H member doing extemporaneous speaking. Communication Day entry forms can be found in the downloadable fair entry packet at the same sheet as Share the Fun, and Clothing Event.The deadline to submit entry forms is July 1.
** Consider adapting a presentation you have done for your club. This event is a great way to share your interests and knowledge with others. Judges can selected up to six educational presentations, four working exhibits and two extemporaneous speakers for State Fair, as well as one educational presentation and one working exhibit for Clay County Fair’s District Competition.
In past years, Communication Posters have been judged on conference judging day, but THIS year they will be judged during the Communications Event. Please remind 4-H’ers that they will need to put Communication Poster entries on the Communications Event form, NOT the 4-H Exhibit Building entry form (the old blue sheet).The top two posters are eligible to go to the Iowa State Fair.
This year’s poster themes are:
4-H is… (open to 4-H’ers interpretation)
Join 4-H
Ticket to Success (The 2014 State 4-H Conference theme)
4-H, Nothing Compares(The Iowa State Fair theme)
Copyright Form
As fair approaches, youth bringing building exhibits should be cautious and thinking about copyright/trademark issues. A sample letterfor you to use to write to the copyright holder to get permission to use logos, trademarks, photographs, etc. can be found at: safest course of action is: do not copy anything unless you have permission!!
Clothing Event
Judging for the Clothing Event is scheduled for the morning ofSaturday, July 12 at the Extension Office. The Clothing Event consists of three divisions: Fashion Review, Clothing Selection, and the $15 Challenge. Fashion Revue is a competition for youth who are modeling clothing they have made themselves. Clothing Selection is a competition for youth who are modeling clothing they have purchased from a store. The $15 Challenge is a competition for youth to choose an outfit from a garage sale, consignment store, etc. with a total cost of under $15. Entry forms will be in the downloadable Polk County Fair Entry Packet; additional rules and regulations are in the fair book; both of these can be found at Tips for modelling and filling out reports are also available from the Extension Office.
New in 2014:4-H Awardrobe Clothing Event participants(State Fair) will be able to participate as many times as they are selected at the county level in Clothing Selection, Fashion Revue, and $15 Challenge categories. But all still participate in only one area each year at the state level. However, they can now participate more than once in the same category.
Gift Basket Silent Auction
Again this year, the Polk County Advisory Board will be hosting a Gift Basket Silent Auction. Gift baskets will be on display during the fair. Proceeds will provide funds that the Advisory Board uses to promote and grow our Polk County 4-H Program. Baskets can be provided by individuals, clubs or businesses. Anyone or group interested in providing a basket must pledge their participation by June 2 by contacting Kris Partridge at 515-491-9733 or .
King Arthur Cupcake Contest
King Arthur Flour will be sponsoring another Cupcake Contest at the county fair this year. First place in the adult category will receive a $75 gift certificate and the youth category will receive a $50 gift certificate. Rules are posted on the county fair website,
County Fair Help Needed
We are looking for youth to help in the 4-H building on exhibit judging day. Jobs include helping with the bake sale, running projects, helping set up displays and other jobs on judging day and throughout the fair. Please contact Joy Niklasen at 515-957-5771 or .
4-H Cook This!
The 4-H Cook This! Culinary Challenge will hold a preliminary competition on the ISU campus on Wednesday, June 18. The preliminary is for all youth participants in grades 5-12. The event will consist of a culinary, communication, and food and nutrition challenge to test participant’s food and nutrition knowledge and to see if they can Cook This! Top teams from each age division will then be selected to compete in the finale on Thursday, August 7 at the Iowa State Fair. Applications will open for the event next week on the 4-H Cook This! webpage ( will close on Monday May 30.For more information, please contact: Cayla Taylor,
2014 Iowa 4-H’ers for 4-H Campaign Begins!
The 2013-14 State 4-H Council is putting the finishing touches on this year’s campaign. Their goal is to raise $26,513.14 for projects and programs that will benefit a number of 4-H’ers across the state. One campaign project is raising support to finish building a tornado-safe room at the Iowa 4-H Center. Donations and contributions can be sent directly to the Iowa 4-H Foundation or delivered to the Polk County Extension Office by May 15.
Why support this campaign? Approximately one-third of the funds support the State 4-H Council program, which in turn provides the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference experience for your 8-12th grade 4-H’ers. Almost half of the funds are distributed back to 4-H members in the counties in the form of scholarships for out-of-county 4-H experiences and financial assistance to help cover program development fee costs.
In 2013, Polk County donated $1,123.50. With that amount we placed 3rd for the total amount donated. Let’s see how much we can get this year! Contact Joy Niklasen, or 515-957-5771.
Little Hands on the Farm
The Iowa State Fair would like to invite your club or county to participate in a shift of volunteers at Little Hands on the Farm. As a participant, your club or county would commit to providing the volunteers for the exhibit for an entire shift. In return they will list the name of your club or county on the entrance and exit gates of Little Hands on the Farm, as well as on the Iowa State Fair website as a volunteer group.Shifts are filling up quickly so if you would like further information on what days and shifts are still available, please contact Emily Brewer; ; Iowa State Fair; Agriculture Education Coordinator; 515/262-3111 ext. 244
Discover… The Twin Cities – Intermediate Trip (7th & 8th grade)
Make plans to join the fun on June 16-17to discover some great places in Minneapolis & St. Paul. along with other 4-H’ers from Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Polk, Poweshiek and Warren counties. This is a great opportunity to meet other Iowa 4-H’ers! The itinerary includes stops at Cabela’s, Mall of America, Target Field, Como Zoo and Valleyfair. The bus will leave Des Moines at 7:30 AM on June 16th and return home in the evening on the 17th.The price for the entire trip is $215. If you are interested in attending please contact Joy Niklasen at 515-957-5771 or .
Taste of Camp
Polk, Madison, Dallas, and Warren counties will be hosting the 2nd Annual Taste of Camp at the Iowa 4-H Center near Madrid, Iowa on June 18-21, 2014. This is a great opportunity for 4-H’ers and Clover Kids to experience all the fun at camp! A 4-day 3-night experience is offered for Junior and Intermediate 4-Hers, and a shortened 2-day 1-night experience is offered for Clover Kids. Senior 4-Hers are offered a leadership opportunity as cabin leaders. To learn how to register, visit Please contact Joy with any questions at 515-957-5771 or .
2014 Iowa 4-H Youth Conference: Ticket to Success
The 2014 4-H Youth Conference will be heldJune 24-26, 2014 for a great three-day adventure on Iowa State’s beautiful campus! The registration cost is$175 per person. This is the same fee for both youth and adults, which covers 2 nights of lodging, 7 meals, 3 keynote speakers, transportation for workshops and community service, facility rental, 2 dances, and a t-shirt, among other supports, services and activities. When you look at your return on investment, it’s priceless! If you have any questions about the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference, check out the website for updates at or contact Marci, 515-957-5770 or .
Online Registration for 2014 State 4-H Camps
Registration for the four State 4-H Camps to be held this summer at the Iowa 4-H Center is now live. The camps are open to students in grades 5-8; 4-H membership is not required. Registration for the statewide camps can be made online at The fee for each session (five days/four nights) is $240. Additional information about the themed camps is available online as State Camp FAQs. Contact Bill Beckley at with questions about registration and for more camp session information.
4-H Photo Camp
Youth in grades 7-12 in the 2013-14 school year have the opportunity to participate in PHOTO CAMP at the Iowa 4-H Center near MadridonJune 16-18.Both 4-H’ers and non-4-H’ers are welcome.4-H Photo camp is designed to give kids the opportunity to learn the basics and techniques of photography, while having a great time! Campers will learn from qualified professional photographers, and then get the chance to try out their new skills themselves.
The three-day event places emphasis on landscapes, close-ups, composition, and people photography, as well as painting with light, and other special effects. Both point-&-shoot and adjustable SLR camera operation are covered, as well as a complete section on computerized digital photographic enhancement. Field trips in the past have included the ISU campus, Ledges State Park, the Iowa Arboretum, Reiman Gardens, The Bonebright Memorial Armory, and much more!Cost for this camp is $180 prior to May 1st – Late FEE $200 after May 1st. Registration forms are posted on line at Dave Entriken for more information ().
Sheep and Meat Goat Weigh-In
Sheep and Meat Goats– Saturday, May 3rd from 8:00 – 11:00 at the State Fairgrounds in the Sheep Barn. Remember, the sheep department of the Polk County Fair Board requiresthat all female and intact male animals being weighed-in have scrapie tags at the time of the weigh-in. Please bring all breeding sheep to the weigh-ins to be ID’d. Commercial ewes for State Fair will also need a 4-H tag and to be retinal scanned this year.
National Scrapie Eradication Program for Sheep and Goats
The federal National Scrapie Eradication program to eliminate the disease scrapie from US sheep and goat flocks, began in November 2001. Because of the cost to the industry, the long time between exposure and symptoms, and the prevalence in the US, all sheep and goat producers, including 4-H’ers, must help to eradicate this disease.To register your flock for the scrapie program and receive your free tags, call 1-866-USDA-TAG, or 1-866-873-2824. For more information about the nationwide program, go to the USDA’s Scrapie information website at
2014 Swine Show Changes
The following changes have been made for the 2014 Swine Show.
- Polk County will NOT hold a swine weigh-in. Instead, you will need to tag your pigs, and then register them in 4-H online by May 15. You can pick up your tags (and a tagger if needed) from the extension office, along with the instructions to enter them into 4-H Online. If you have any questions about the entry process please contact Marci at or 515-957-5770. Please call ahead to be sure we have a tagger available, in case they are all checked out.
- Due to not having a swine weigh-in, there will not be a derby class at the county fair. This is because a beginning weight is required to do the calculations for a derby. This year there will be a carcass class, which will use the same ultrasound information.
Rabbit Workshop Series