Extension open house and 4-H enrollment night

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The Purdue Extension Putnam County office moved a couple of months ago and is now located at 12 Central Square in the same building as Pershing Accounting and PNC Bank just northeast of the Courthouse square.

The staff invites everyone to come see us at our new location during an upcoming open house on Monday, Feb. 27. Whether you have difficulty making it to the office to pick up 4-H materials or just want to see our new office location, the office will be open 5-7 p.m. for the event.

This will also include a "4-H Open Enrollment and Registration Night" enabling youth and parents to stop by for forms, manuals and to submit completed forms for registration.

Also for adults who are interested in "Open Class" projects, there will be handbooks and representatives available for those respective areas to help answer questions. The Extension staff locally is seeking to make Purdue Extension programs and the Putnam County Fair a "family affair" so to speak.

Youth grades 3 through 12 are welcomed to join 4-H and are reminded that the deadline to enroll is April 1. The 4-H program is not strictly about the important lessons learned from showing livestock or farm activities. There are more than 50 non-animal projects that include shooting sports, scrapbooking, photography, sewing, aerospace, ATV safety, small engines and model building crafts.

While Putnam County 4-H'ers decide which projects and activities to enroll this year, the 4-H'er and your Purdue Extension-Putnam County staff would like to offer a challenge to family members, friends and fellow county residents to "Share the resources and opportunities!"

When the 4-H'er is working on a craft project such as a wall hanging, adults can learn the same skills by working side-by-side with a similar or like project with them and exhibiting it during the Putnam County Fair in the Adult Open Class exhibit area. If the 4-H'er travels around the county taking pictures for his or her photography poster, adults should consider taking a second camera on the venture and utilize photographs while exhibiting the product at the fair.

Also consider working adjacent to the 4-H'ers in your life as they maintain their vegetable and flower garden areas so they will have products to exhibit at the fair. The 4-H'er, other youth and adults can exhibit in the Open Class Horticulture exhibit area in Harris Hall.

While food preparation and preservation skills are being developed by 4-H members, the family can go beyond enjoying the tasty time of the project activities but can share in a family fun time of planning a healthy meal, shopping for the needed items, preparing the food dishes, and enjoying dinner time together.

If a family or group of friends like to spend time outside, how about learning what is needed to set up a weather station at your home, developing an exercise regimen, studying our local trees or wildlife, or get involved with the adventure of a bicycle and ATV project? Involvement with the many animal project options would guarantee family and close friend time together. Extension resources are available pertaining to beef and dairy cattle to rabbits and poultry; sheep and swine to goats; and cat and dogs to horses.

The 4-H project manuals and reference books are good resources for persons of all ages. Additional sources of information are available through the expanded Purdue University website located at www.extension.purdue.edu

This is your challenge: Work toward increasing your time spent with those in your life that you cherish while expanding your knowledge through quality leisure time activities.

Note the Extension Office is now located at 12 Central Square in the Pershing Accounting and PNC Bank Building. Check our websitewww.extension.purdue.edu/putnam to view the most up to date info. You can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 653-8411 for more information regarding column topics or to RSVP for upcoming events.

It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee.

Upcoming Events

Feb. 22 -- Winter Cover Cropping system meeting McCormicks Creek

February 25 -- Putnam County Master Gardener Advanced Training 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Fairgrounds

Feb. 27 -- Purdue Extension Putnam County Open House, 5-7 p.m., Extension Office

Feb. 27 -- Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Symposium

March 3 -- 4-H Beef Weigh-in and Tagging

March 3 -- Cover Crop Field Day SWCD

March 10 -- Ag Day -- Putnam County Fairgrounds

March 20 -- Cooking Up a Food Business in the Home Kitchen -- Putnam Extension office

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: