Youth Tent Committee Meeting Minutes-April 25, 2013, 6:30pm

Members present: Valeri Scheps, Lynn Kolpack, Arlaina Meyer, Pete Kolpack, Alicia Wirth, Mary Pardee, Fran Felber, Katie Bernicker, Cathy Solum, Tim Jergenson, Robin Hanson, Mel Pearson from AgStar, Linda Bilodeau, Traci Petersen, Aimee Pintens

Mel Pearson from AgStar came with a big check for 10G and we had our picture taken.

We will plan on one golf cart for our use, but Tim said that we can call for a cart from the courtesy cart pool. Okay/good to schedule it ahead of time. We are getting either a gator or golf cart. Whomever is going to drive a cart needs a training. Trainings will take place in late May and early June.

Volunteers-Letters have gone out to 4H people and also 300 emails have been sent out to ag-related people and different counties through the extension system about volunteering. There is a printable and fillable form available. Severt has a list, too. May 9th is the deadline.

Exhibitor spreadsheet was reviewed and discussed.

We need something to mark the front door-canopy/arch or something.

Pete talked about a tent for the tractor testing area/field testing. Could we find one and not rent one? Traci has one, Linda has one, Pete thinks Lynn has one or two and Pete will help her find them. We will need about three of those.

Mary has the ‘animalpedia’ information-about a dozen informational signs. There are questions and answers for interaction. No worker needed.

Animal tracks/Katie: Let’s use moon sand so it can be reused and there’s nothing to take away. One worker.

Vet booth/Aimee: need two workers. Aimee has ordered a lot of materials from UW-Madison. This might need two booths. This is separate from Brenda Tabor animal learning/wellness center.

Animal birthing video is ready to go-I hour looping video. Electricity and TV screen needed. Bean bag chairs would be fun to have here. This could be by the vet booth. “Animals Inside and Out”

Aimee brought some rubberband guns, but two probably won’t be bad enough. Let’s do this in the same place where we’re doing archery. Aimee will order four more.

Cathy Solum shared dairy information. 3 days of booth in canopy area outside. They have a lot of dairy things that they can do, but how much space is there? There will be a young calf that can be tended to and another area where kids can get a milk mustache picture taken. How will we manage photos? Parents can take their own pictures or we can take one and either email or text it to them. The state association will have information on how to be a member. They will have a milking cow and bottles. The name: Dig into Dairy. In the arena, ag Olympics/day of a farmer all 3 days and they’ll take as much time as they can get-hopefully 45 minutes for each. Fitting a dairy animal-30 minutes all three days. Little britches/lead a calf-each day. Sound system and electricity will be needed for outdoor. Kids that went to State Dairy bowl-either outside or inside on the stage- 30 minutes each just one day. 2 volunteers are needed for each shift all three days. Mary asked if there was a concern about liability for doing little britches. We need to check that out.

Fran says we can get straw for $5/bale for bedding. Lynn will contact the grounds committee and order 20 bales of straw to have on hand for bedding.

T-shirt order next is May 16th. It will probably be a partial order.

Mop ponies and veggie races-how often do we want to run those? Mop ponies 15 minutes every hour or every two hours. Veggie races on the hour flip-flopped with the mop ponies but in its own space. Prizes could be cushy little cows to the winners and stickers to the participants.

REC demo is interested in three different times each day. They have their own sound system, so they aren’t locked into our schedule.

Llamas and sheep on Thursday. Sheep show cannot be changed from the schedule. Thursday 10am.

The big police dog show will be in the big arena and Chris Fitzgerald will organize this. Nathan Emmons still wants to come and be there all three days with Blitz. Lynn will talk to him, show him our space, and possibly he could be on-stage. He will need a portable microphone.

Alicia brought sand toys for the small sand pools. Wirths will donate the toys. There will be several of these and could they each have their own theme.

Sandcastle Toys will not be demonstrating because they are closed. Butch Bohler, president of the model airplane club, was contacted about demonstrating but his people work during the day. Butch said that they could do demonstrations in small spaces and Lynn will follow up with this.

Fencing-Traci contacted Superior Silica and they agreed to pay for us to rent fencing. Briggs doesn’t have the fencing that we need. A-1 doesn’t have it.

TRACI INFORMED US THAT OUR SPACE IS NOT THE SIZE WE THOUGHT. IT IS NOW 150’ X 275’.

Thank you/acknowledgments: DeWayne’s, Ag Risk Managers, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Barron County Master Gardeners, Greeners Lumber, Wirth Bros. Excavating, Barron County Safe and Stable Families Coalition, Barron Area Schools, Link Implement, USDA-NRCS,

Media Day May 29th: Mary will represent us and someone else can come, too.

We looked at and discussed the layout and outdoor canopy use. Sub-committee of Lynn K., Linda, Mary, Pete, and Traci will meet and figure out the layout. Traci can draw it for us. Arlaina, Valeri, and Lynn K will get together to figure out the schedules indoor and outdoor.

Next meeting is May 16th, 6:30 upstairs in the Government Center.

Next NEXT meeting is Wednesday, June 5th, 6:30pm at the Government Center.