Opinion

4-H open enrollment, registration night set

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Have trouble making it into the office during regular hours at the Extension office to enroll or pick-up 4-H materials?

On Monday, March 30 the office will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. for 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.

Youth grades three 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 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 where they want to enroll this year, they and your Purdue Extension-Putnam County staff would like to offer a challenge to their 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 making one 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 regiment, studying our local trees or wildlife, or improving your knowledge of bicycle and ATV safety?

Involvement with the many animal project options would guarantee family and close friend time together. The Extension resources are available about 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 though quality leisure time activities.

You can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 653.8411 for more information regarding this week's column topic 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. All times listed are Eastern Time.

Upcoming Events

*March 13-14, Putnam County Lawn & Garden Show, Fairgrounds

* March 14, Central District 4-H Judge/Leader Clinic, Lebanon, 8:30 a.m.

* March 16, Where Does Your Money Go? Courthouse Annex, 3 p.m. or 6 p.m.

*March 17-19, Putnam County Ag Day Events

*March 17, Ag Week Breakfast, Fairgrounds, 6-8 a.m.

* March 19, Mini-Farm Fest, Fairgrounds, 6:30 p.m.

*March 18, Extension Homemaker District Meeting, Ellettsville

*March 23, Where Does Your Money Go? Courthouse Annex 3 p.m. or 6 p.m.

*March 23 Small Farm Work Group, County Annex, 6 to 8 p.m.

*March 26, Private Applicator Program, Putnam Fairgrounds, 1 p.m.

*March 30, 4-H Open Enrollment & Registration Night, Extension Office, 5 t0 7 p.m.

*March 31, Fish Cage Construction Workshop, Spencer, 6 p.m.

*April 1, 4-H enrollment forms due

*April 2, 9, 16, 23 Dining with Diabetes classes, call to register

Mark Evans is the 4-H extension educator for the Putnam County Office of the Purdue Cooperative Extension.