JANUARY

• January 12: 4-H Member Re-enrollment & Beef Project Enrollment Deadline
• January 15: Champaign & Vermilion Co. Extension Offices Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 16: Ford & Iroquois Co. 4-H Officer Workshop @ Ford-Iroquois Co. Extension Office (Onarga), 6:30-8 p.m.

• January 17: Vermilion Co. 4-H Federation Meeting @ Vermilion Co. Office, 6:30 p.m.
• January 17: Champaign Co. 4-H Officer Workshop @ Champaign Co. Extension Office Auditorium, 6:30-8 p.m.
• January 20: Vermilion Co. 4-H Officer Workshop @ DACC Copper Penny Room, 10:30 a.m.-Noon
• January 23: Vermilion Co. 4-H Livestock Committee Meeting @ Vermilion Co. Extension Office, 7 p.m.
• January 27: Veterinary Science Outreach Program Hands-on Workshop @ U of I College of Vet Medicine, 2-4 p.m.

FEBRUARY

• February 3: Vermilion Co. 4-H Beef Weigh-in @ Buddy Edenburn’s, 8 a.m.
• February 3: 4-H Card Making Event at JOANN in Champaign & Danville
• February 10: Champaign Co. 4-H Beef Weigh-in @ U of I Large Animal Clinic, 8-10 a.m.
• February 21: Vermilion Co. 4-H Federation Meeting @ Vermilion Co. Office, 6:30 p.m.
• February 24: State Dairy Quiz Bowl Contest
• February 24-25: Junior Leadership Conference in Springfield
• February 28: Deadline to Apply for Farm Credit Illinois Scholarships & Club Community Improvement Grants

MARCH

• March 1: Deadline to Apply for Illinois 4-H Livestock Scholarship & Legacy of Leadership Scholarship
• March 21: Vermilion Co. 4-H Federation Meeting @ Vermilion Co. Office, 6:30 p.m.

APRIL

• April 13: New Member & Project Add/Drop Deadline
• April 18: Vermilion Co. 4-H Federation Meeting @ Vermilion Co. Office, 6:30 p.m.

The Vermilion County 4-H Shooting Sports club will meet this Sunday, January 7 at 2 p.m. at the Vermilion Co. Extension Office (3164 N Vermilion St. Danville). For more information, contact Joshua Hayes at 217.799.3092.

Archery: Monday evenings 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Hunters Haven (1040 W Bloomington Rd, Champaign). A $5 fee will be collected for each session; paid directly to Hunters Haven.

Jan.22

Feb. 5 &19

Mar. 5 &19

Apr. 2, 16, & 30

Air Rifle/Air Pistol:  Monday evenings 6:00-7:30pm at the Warehouse, corner of Randolph and John St., Champaign), white brick bldg. Look for the 4-H signs. A $3 fee will be collected for each session.

Jan. 29

Feb. 12 & 26

Mar. 12 & 26

Apr. 9 & 23

In order to participate, members must be enrolled in a 4-H Shooting Sports Club(s) of interest -Air Rifle, Arrowheads Archery, and/or Clay Busters Shotgun and then selected your projects- Air Rifle, Air Pistol, Archery, Shotgun. *(note- shotgun will not start meeting until warmer months of Spring/Summer) 

If you have any questions about 4-H shooting sports or would like more information on how to join one of these clubs please contact 4-H Program Coordinator Jen Odle at 815.268.4051 or jodle@illinois.edu.

Champaign & Vermilion County 4-H Members:

We are looking for 4-H members ages 12-18 that want to participate in a survey so we can learn more about what motivates you to participate in your 4-H Fair or 4-H Project Expo. If you agree to be in this study, we will ask you to complete an online questionnaire. Your answers will be very useful to the people that manage the 4-H clubs and programs and will help 4-H make the best better.

The survey consists of 17 questions. We ask that you answer them to the best of your ability. If you do not know how to answer a question, you can skip it or contact Kristin Puckett, 4-H Program Coordinator for clarification, knblock2@illinois.edu or 217.442.8615.

If you want to speak with someone who is not directly involved in this research, contact the University of Illinois Office for the Protection of research Subjects (OPRS). You can call them at (217) 333-2670 or send e-mail to irb@illinois.edu. This survey is safe and will not put you in any danger.

For more information, about the survey, click HERE. If you agree to participate in this study, please click on the following link to complete the questionnaire https://illinoisaces.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2nqmcLS4ZKz61RX. The survey closes on January 8.

The re-enrollment and Beef project deadline for 4-H members in Champaign and Vermilion Counties is January 12, 2018. New members must be enrolled by April 13. Visit https://il.4honline.com to enroll today!

Note about paying with credit cards: If you are re-enrolling in 4-H and paid with a credit card last year, please ensure that the card you used last year has not expired. To update your credit card information, you will need to delete the card information entered last year and input your current card information. If you card is declined due to being expired, you will be mailed an invoice to pay by check or cash. Checks should be made payable to the University of Illinois.

Vermilion County 4-H Member Enrollment Drawing

All 4-H members that enrolled in 4-H from September 1, 2017-January 3, 2018 were entered in a drawing to receive a 4-H Swag Bucket. The 4-H member selected to receive the bucket is Jayson Boose! Jayson is an 11-year 4-H member of the Jamaica Flanders 4-H Club. Congratulations Jayson, please stop by the Extension Office to pick up your bucket!

Deadlines:

• Re-enrolling 4-H Members: January 12, 2018
• 4-H Members Enrolling in the Beef Project: January 12, 2018
• New 4-H Member Enrollment: April 13, 2018
• All Member Project Add/Drop Deadline: April 13, 2018

Champaign County

The next Federation meeting is TBD.  All Champaign County 4-H high school members are invited to attend.

Vermilion County

Vermilion County 4-H Federation will be meeting the 3^rd Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Extension Office. All high school age 4-H members are invited to attend. Federation is planning a countywide community service project as well as some fun events for all 4-H members this year. If you want to have a part in planning these events, join Federation! For more information, contact Kristin at knblock2@illinois.edu or 217.442.8615.

Three workshops will be offered for 4-H club officers and members that are interested in learning about what it takes to hold a leadership position within your club. Current officers are strongly encouraged to attend. The workshops will be facilitated by University of Illinois Ag Education students! 4-H members do not have to attend in their county of membership if there is another date/time/or location that works better for you.

Mark Your Calendars:

• January 16: Ford-Iroquois Co. Extension Office (Onarga), 6:30-8 p.m.
• January 17: Champaign Co. Extension Office Auditorium (801 N Country Fair Dr., Champaign), 6:30-8 p.m.
• January 20: Vermilion Co. Danville Area Community College Copper Penny Room, 10 a.m.-Noon

Click HERE to register today!

Vermilion Co. 4-H Federation is planning a county bowling party of all members. The tentative date is set for Saturday, February 17. To help plan this event, Federation is asking families to give feedback. Please take this short survey by January 16. Click HERE to take the survey. Thank you!

The Kankakee Co. Extension Office will be offering a sheep and goat workshop on January 27 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Featured topics include an overview of sheep and goat production practices. Speakers will include U of I Extension educators and valuable information will be offered by experienced sheep and goat producers. Topics will touch on animal husbandry and how to handle breeding and lambing or kidding issues. Other topics will address pasture establishment and intensive grazing management, year-round animal care and nutrition/health issues.

A pre-registration fee of $25 (includes lunch) for the workshop is required by January 24, 2018 to allow enough time for adequate preparation. Click HERE to register or contact the Kankakee Co. Extension Office at 815.933.8337.

Join the students of the Veterinary Science Outreach Program as they teach you how to conduct hands-on veterinary skills on live and model animals! 

Are you a student interested in veterinary science and animals? This is a workshop for you! 

When: Saturday, January 27 2018 from 2:00-4:00pm 

Who: 4-H Members

Where: 2001 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, IL 61802 (University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine)

There is no cost for this workshop. Click HERE to register.

The U of I College of Vet Medicine is hosting a Horseman’s Clinic on Saturday, January 27 from 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The purpose of the Horseman’s Clinic is to increase education and awareness of all horse owners on basic and in-depth topics pertaining to a horse’s health maintenance and prevention of disease. The speakers will also address how to handle common horse emergencies and behavioral problems. Click HERE for more information and to register. Contact the Office of Public Engagement, 217-333-2907 or ope@vetmed.illinois.edu.

Vermilion County: The Vermilion County 4-H Beef Weigh-in is scheduled for Saturday, February 3 starting at 8 a.m. at Beef Superintendent Buddy Edenburn’s Farm. 4-H members planning or considering attending the Illinois State Fair with their steer or market heifer projects should attend. For more information and to schedule your weigh-in time, contact Buddy at 217.649.0108.

Champaign County: The Champaign County 4-H Beef Weigh-in is scheduled for Saturday, February 10 at U of I Large Animal Clinic from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. 4-H members planning or considering attending the Illinois State Fair with their steer or market heifer projects should attend.

Note: Final year for market heifer division at state fair junior show

Illinois State Fair Junior Livestock officials have announced this is the final year for the market heifer division at the state fair junior beef show. Market heifers will show at the 2018 Illinois State Fair.

If you are an Illinois 4-H member in 7^th or 8^th grade, it’s time to reserve YOUR spot for the 2018 Illinois 4-H Jr. Leadership Conference! We’re focusing on Mission: Adventure – Find the Clue to YOU! 

Our 4-H’ers fill the Illinois 4-H Jr. Leadership Conference to capacity each year, and we’re hoping to do the same for our 2018 event! Save the dates of February 24-25, 2018 and travel to Springfield to join us at the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield Hotel. Registration is open and fills on a first-come, first-served basis with the first 100 youth. More information and the registration link is posted on the Illinois 4-H website: go.illinois.edu/4Hjlc.

Save the date for the 2018 Redbird Rumble jackpot cattle show, March 9-11 at the Interstate Center in Bloomington, Illinois. This show is sponsored by the Illinois State Hoof N’ Horn Club. For more information, click HERE.

Current & lifetime 4‑H members, parents of members, volunteers, and 4‑H staff can save 15% off total in-store and online purchases every day with 4‑H Rewards. JOANN will give a minimum of 2.5% of every eligible transaction to 4‑H. Sign up online @ http://www.joann.com/4-h.

JOANN Stores will be hosting a Paper Clover event similar to Tractor Supply Co. during the month of February. There will be a choice of $1 or $4 Clovers at the register. Customers choosing $4 clovers will receive a $4 coupon for their next visit.

In-Store Required JOANN Event on February 3

JOANN Stores are requesting that 4-H members/clubs be present from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on February 3 in our local JOANN Store (Danville & Champaign). Members will be making cards at the store and JOANN will provide all of the supplies. 4-H members will be responsible for choosing the organization for which they are making the cards and delivering the cards. If you or your club is interested in attending, please contact Kristin (Vermilion Co.) at knblock2@illinois.edu or 217.442.8615 or Amy (Champaign Co.) at amycain@illinois.edu or 217.333.7672.

Looking for funding support to conduct community service outreach in your community?  Farm Credit Illinois is ready to help Illinois 4-H clubs and FFA chapters bring positive and visible change to Illinois communities! Fifty $400 Community Improvement Grants are available. Clubs must be located in one of the 60 central and southern Illinois counties served by Farm Credit Illinois. Check if your club is eligible and apply today at farmcreditIL.com. The application deadline is February 28.

All 4-H volunteers and leaders that enrolled from September 1, 2017-January 3, 2018 were entered in a drawing to receive some 4-H Volunteer Swag. The volunteer selected to receive the 4-H Swag is Annie Winans! Annie has been a 4-H volunteer for 8 years where she served as a co-leader of the Top of the Line 4-H Club and is currently the 4-H Rabbit Superintendent and on the 4-H Livestock Committee. Congratulations Annie, please stop by the Extension Office to pick up your Swag!

If you are a new or returning leader, please make time to enroll/re-enroll. 4-H leaders cannot access club information or receive project book orders until they are enrolled/re-enrolled. There are still several leaders that need to enroll. Visit https://il.4honline.com to enroll today!