Kaufman County 4-H'ers start the 100 year Anniversary with "Hay Cakes"

Texas 4-H will be 100 years old starting September 1, 2007! For a century, kids across Texas have been learning, leading, and having fun in 4-H. In 4-H, you learn the value of helping your community, the importance of being a great leader, and, at the same time, you have fun.4-H provides youth from ages 9 (or 8 and in the 3rd grade) to 18 the experience to travel, work with other youth, participate in positive competitive experiences, and develop at the rate they want. Is 4-H for you? Yes, 4-H is for everyone, from those in the biggest Texas city to the smallest community. For the young person that wants to learn about computers to the teenager that wants to travel around the country. 4-H allows you to "Make it Yours".

The Kaufman County 4-H members participated in the County Hay Show by showing their club spirit. The 4-H clubs used their creativity decorating bales of hay like birthday cakes. Up for grabs was a pizza party for the winning display sponsored by the County 4-H Council.

Participating 4-H clubs were the Scurry Rosser 4-H club, the Silver Spurs 4-H Horse Club, Kaufman 4-H, and the Green Machine 4-H club of Forney.

Placing 1st was the Scurry Rosser 4-H Club (Top) and 2nd was Kaufman 4-H (Bottom). Congratulations on the great spirit for 100 years in 4-H!!

For more information about 4-H in Kaufman County please contact us at the Kaufman County Cooperative Extension Service by phone (972) 932-9069 or by email cl-sharp@tamu.edu. We also have a website at http://kaufman-tx.tamu.edu/.

Hay Show "Hay Cake" Displays

Silver Spurs 4-H Club (left) and the Green Machine 4-H club (right) displayed their 4-H Spirit with their "hay cake" displays at the County Hay Show in Kaufman.

Kaufman 4-H Club prepare planters

Kaufman 4-H club officers, Rachel Braddock, John Mitchell and Christa Day prepared the planters outside the gym of Kaufman High School for the start of school

Klee Walker Wins Big in Denver

Kaufman County 4-H Beef Club member returned from the Jr. Nationals in Denver, CO, this summer. Klee exhibited his Sr. Yearling Horned Heifer at the show and recieved a Champion placing along with the $6000 scholarship.

Citizenship Youth Team Travels to Washington, DC

Kaufman County 4-H Youth Citizenship team Learns Leadership, Civic Process at Citizenship Washington Focus

[KAUFMAN, TX]—The Kaufman County 4-H Youth Citizenship team experienced the nation’s capital and governmental processes first hand this summer as part of Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF), a 4-H summer civic education and leadership program for high school youth held at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Md.

“Watching the Youth team come together and work on national issues that they can bring home to the county to make a difference here was truly inspiring,” said Carrie Sharp. The teams choose Childhood Obesity to develop action plans and to help bring information out using good nutrition and fun exercise to help this disease that is effecting youth in American today. Representing Kaufman County was Logan Moore, Brianna Moore, Christa Day, Samantha Sunquist, Aaron Johnson, Alyssa Word, and Mandie Tippitt.

For more than 40 years, 4-H members from across the country have been coming to the National 4-H Youth Conference Center to experience the nation’s capital and the process of the federal government first hand through CWF. These 4-H youth broaden their appreciation and respect for themselves and others in the world through civic workshops, committees, and field trips. Participants learn and practice skills intended to make them better citizens and successful individuals. Nearly 2,000 youth will attend CWF in 2007.

“CWF is a premier 4-H opportunity that allows some of the brightest 4‑H yoH uth from across the country to visit their national 4-H home and explore the nation’s capital,” said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., president and CEO, National 4-H Council. “These youth are exceptional leaders today, learning through 4-H how they can impact their communities, country and world now and in the future.”

4-H is a community of more than 6.5 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H is led by CSREES National 4-H Headquarters at USDA, the nation’s 106 land-grant universities and colleges and National 4-H Council. Learn more about CWF and 4-H at http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/.

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Contacts: Carrie Sharp, Kaufman County 4-H, 408 East College Street, Terrell, TX 75160 (972) 563-0233 Email – cl-sharp@tamu.edu

Texas Tech Comes to East Texas

Over 40 youth and adults participated in the 5th Annual 4-H Working Cowhorse Clinic held at the Henderson County Fair Complex. Clinicians from the Texas Tech Working Cowhorse team worked with the participants over the 3 day clinic to help the participants gain a better understanding and appreciation for the three basic skills of the working cowhorse class. Reining, boxing the cow and fencing was focused on for the participants.

These clinics have provided a much needed increase in basic horsemanship knowledge for the youth of Texas. This program was designed to offer a more specialized approach to summer horsemanship clinics by offering a more discipline specific format to target the growing group of youth 4-H members interested in reining and working cowhorse events, and to encourage clinic participation by adult volunteer leaders. Participation in working cowhorse classes is rapidly growing in Texas throughout many different horse groups and associations. This growth is no more apparent than at the State 4-H horse show where the entries in the working cowhorse totaled near 100 in 2006.

Kaufman and Van Zandt Counties host a Clothing Freanzy

27 Kaufman and Van Zandt County 4-H'ers spent a day making pajamas and having fun at the Clothing Freanzy hosted by Dee Lee Smith, Van Zandt County CEA-Family and Consumer Science Agent and Leona Page, Kaufman County 4-H Program Assistant in Wills Point, Texas.

The day focused on learning how to cut out the pattern and sew a pair of pajama pants. In addition, the girls learned how to model and to accessorize their garments.

At the end of the day they hosted a fashion show for their parents and by-standers.

Aston Wood Receives Reserve Grand Champion

Aston Wood of Crandall, Texas received a reserved grand champion overall at the Fort Worth Junior Livestock Show for her boer doe goat.

Congratulations, Ashton and good luck in San Angelo!!