Dates to remember
March 27 – Shooting sports training at the Woodman of the World Range
April 2 – Brown County Youth Fair Horse Show Entry Deadline
2 – Brown County Youth Fair Horse Validation at 3:00 p.m. at Rodeo Arena
7 – Registration deadline for D-7 4-H Roundup
15 – Extension Office Closed for Good Friday
18 – Deadline to order State Steer & Heifer labels
Fair Trade Youth Checks available March 28
4-H Checks for the Brown County Youth Fair will be available Monday, March 28 for you to pick up at the Brown County Extension Office during our office hours of
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. closed 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. for lunch Monday to Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. A thank you letter should be written to each buyer who contributed to your project. Make sure it is stamped, addressed and delivered to the extension office! You will not receive your check until we receive your thank you letters. Handwritten thank you letters are best, but depending on your personality and handwriting, a typed letter may also be appropriate. Thank each person individually, don’t try to thank a group of people in one letter. PLEASE NOTE THAT CHECKS ARE ONLY VALID FOR 90 DAYS.
horse show
Exciting new changes to the 2022 BCYF Equestrian Show. We are moving to the Earl Q Wilson Arena. And we are adding speed events.
Classes will include all halter classes, staging, barrels, poles and stakes.
Loops will be awarded to Large and Reserved Mares and Geldings, Jr and Sr Presentation, Jr and Sr Champions and Reserved Champion Timed Rider.
Validation and registration take place on April 2 at 3:00 p.m. at the rodeo arena. You can stay after validation if you need to work with your horse.
The show is scheduled for May 29. Arrival at 1:00 p.m.
4-H Rabbit Feeding Containers
If you bought rabbit food from the extension office and you have containers, bring them back to the extension office. Food cannot be distributed without containers and at the moment Mrs. Becktold does not have any containers.
4-H contest deadlines
Below is a list of deadlines for the upcoming 4-H contest. If you plan to enter one of these contests, please contact the Outreach Office before the deadline.
April 7 – District 7 4-H Roundup
Status Steer Tags and Heifer Validation
It’s hard to believe that it’s already time to buy state direction beacons. If you plan to show a steer in any of the major 2022-2023 stock shows, you must purchase a state validation tag. So the state has increased the cost of directional beacons, the cost is $22 per beacon and the deadline to purchase a beacon is April 18. Please contact the extension office to purchase your direction beacon.
If you have a heifer that has not been validated in October 2021 or if you change owners and plan to attend a major breeding show before November 2022, that heifer will need to be validated in June, the cost will be $15 per heifer. If you are not planning to exhibit a heifer at West Texas Fair, State Fair, or Heart of Texas, you will have another opportunity to show in October 2021. Please contact the extension office by April 18.
State Fair Pork Labels
If you are in 4-H and planning to attend the State Fair in Dallas with barrows and/or breeding gilts, you will need to purchase a tag. The cost is $17 per label. The deadline for ordering tags is April 18.
4-H equestrian show validation
Validation is required for presentation at district or state horse shows, and its purpose is to certify that ownership requirements have been met. The horse must be owned only by the 4-H member, his or her parents (biological or step-parents), brother, sister, grandparents or legal guardian. Horses leased to, but not owned by any of the named persons are not eligible. Horses owned in partnership or jointly with anyone other than those previously listed do not meet the ownership requirements. The horse validation process will be completed electronically using the 4-H Connect online management system.
All 4-H members wishing to attend the District Show or the State 4-H Horse Show will need to validate their horse(s) on the 4-H Online system. Horse validation is performed for each horse and will cover all young 4-H members in that family profile. When validating your horse(s) on 4-H Connect, you will select ONLY ONE Youth 4-H Member to complete the validation. Once a horse is validated, validation paid, and you begin registering for the District Horse Show, the validated horse(s) may be transferred to the appropriate 4-H Member(s) who will exhibit the horse at the competition.
Validation will be open from March 1 to May 1. Any horse validated before or after this date will not be accepted. An illustrated step-by-step instruction guide for families is available for download and reference on the Texas 4-H website (http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/) and the Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science – Equine Science Website (http://animalscience.tamu.edu/academics/equine/state-4h-show/). The validation cost for each horse is $10.00 from March 1 to April 15. From April 16 to May 1, the validation cost for each horse is $20.00. Credit card will be the only acceptable method of payment. If you have any questions, please contact Nick Gonzales at the extension office.
The 2022 District Horse Show will be held in San Angelo, Texas on June 14.
DISTRICT 7 4-HOUR SKYLINE
District 7 4-H Roundup will take place Friday, April 29 at Grape Creek Baptist Church and Texas A&M Research. It will consist of many events that Brown County 4-Hers can participate in such as Public Talks, Fashion Shows, Share-the-Fun, and Educational Presentations. All age categories are eligible to participate in the District 7 4-H Roundup. We ask that you notify the extension office by April 7 if you plan to participate in the D-7 4-H Roundup. If you would like more information, please contact Nick Gonzales.
Texas Brigades
Texas Brigades is now accepting applications for its summer brigade camps. The series of eight statewide camps is open to youth ages 13 to 17 who are interested in the outdoors. Participating young men and women are introduced to specific topics of stewardship, conservation and management over 5 days. Camp fees ($500) include meals, accommodations, gear and more.
Each camp is a comprehensive, hands-on educational camp on a conservation topic or theme and is limited to 30 participants. Themes include quail, deer, bass, fishing, marine life, waterfowl and farming. The Texas Brigades are now in their twenty-ninth year of hosting summer camps.
Texas Brigades summer camps provide young people with an intensive and exciting educational experience grounded in the important principles of stewardship of natural resources vital to Texas livestock, wildlife, and waters. Find more information about the Texas Brigades and their longstanding partnership with AgriLife at www.texasbrigades.org.
The dates and places planned for the 2022 brigade camp are:
June 10-14, Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade, private ranch near Abilene.
June 12-16, South Texas Buckskin Brigade, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton.
June 18-22, South Texas Bobwhite Brigade, Buck Horn Creek Ranch, McCoy.
June 25-29, South Texas Ranch Brigade – Duval County Ranch (Freer, TX)
July 6-10, Bass Brigade, Warren Ranch, Santa Anna.
July 13-17, Waterfowl Brigade, Pintail Club, Garwood.
July 18-22, Ranch Brigade, Warren Ranch, Santa Anna.
July 24-28, North Texas Buckskin Brigade, Warren Ranch, Santa Anna.
July 26-30, Coastal Brigade, Sea Star Base, Galveston.
Apply online at www.texasbrigades.org/applications by the March 15 deadline. Interested youth will select “Cadet App”, select their camp preferences and answer questions about their interests and experiences. Adults interested in volunteering for camp will select “Adult Leader App”. Camp selections are made by April 15.
4-H Registration
The registration process for the 2021-2022 4-H year begins August 15, 2021. All new and returning 4-H families are encouraged to log in and register to become an official 4-H member. H.
As you begin your registration for the year, here are some tips for using 4-H CONNECT:
If you already have a profile, do NOT create another one!
If you’ve lost your email address and password, call the county office so we can reset it for you.
An active membership will not be granted until the $25.00 participation fee is paid on 4-H Connect!
You cannot register or attend an event until your profile is ACTIVE.
When you re-enroll for the 2021-2022 4-H year, be sure to update your address, phone number, and email address.
For any youth joining 4-H in 2021-2022 for the first time as a Grade 3 student, we ask that you do not register until September 1. September 1 is the actual first day of the new 4-H year and what is used to calculate grade/age. If a 2nd grader moving into 3rd grade enrolls before September 1st, it will “brand” them as a Clover Kid, charge no enrollment fee, and lock them in as a Clover Kid for the year.
If you are currently having trouble registering for 4-H, we recommend waiting until September 1st. The system has been updated and is currently experiencing issues.
Don’t wait until the last minute to register because after October 31 the cost goes to $30.
