4-H Open House and Apple Cook-Off on November 1

The date of the annual 4-H Open House and Apple Cook-Off is rapidly approaching. All 4-H clubs are invited to promote their clubs, sell items to raise funds, share 4-H activities and experiences, and enjoy the day with the Pinellas County community. As of this writing, we have the following activities lined up:

• Ambassadors 4-H is hosting the Extreme Gingerbread House Contest
• Crazy 4 Canines is selling pet treats
• Ochs 4-H Garden Club is sharing news of the vegetable garden and making apple chips
• Pony Pals 4-H is hosting an activity, perhaps horse related
• 4-H Horse Program display
• Tasting of Apple Cook-Off entries
• Rocketry
• All Things Equine 4-H is selling personalized brushes
• Consumer Choices Skill-a-thon
• District Council

There are more displays planned. If your club is interested in being part of the 4-H Open House, there is still time to reserve a table. Please contact Jean Rogalsky at (727) 582-2597 or jrogalsk@pinellascounty.org.

A big part of this day is the Apple Cook-Off. Pre-Registration forms are available on the 4-H website, or from the 4-H Office. The deadline has been extended, but is limited to the first twenty entries. The recipes can be sweet or savory. Apples can be used in a variety of ways, so be creative! And don't forget that 4-H pecans go very well with apples.

After registering for the contest, be prepared to bring the finished product to the Extension Office by 10:00 A.M. November 1.

Another big event on November 1 is the opening of Market in the Park and the grand opening of the Children's Trail.

These events take place at Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. The Open House runs from 10:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. Come join us for a great day!

4-H Marine and Aquatic Photography Contest

Do you like to take pictures out of doors? If so, the 4-H Marine Ecology program would like to see your pictures of saltwater (marine) or freshwater (aquatic) habitats.

The Marine Ecology Photography Contest is open to 4-H youth, including Cloverbuds. Each 4-H member can enter three photographs in the contest, in any category. Although photographs submitted by Cloverbuds can’t be officially judged in the competition, they will be on display at the event. All photos entered must have been taken in Florida within the last year.

All photographs for the photo contest must be received by the Pinellas County 4-H office by October 17th. All photographs received will be on display at the Marine Ecology Event at the Osceola County Extension Office in Kissimmee on Saturday November 15. Youth do not need to be present at the November 15 event in order to receive a ribbon.

There are 5 categories in which to enter and youth may enter single print photos in any category. All photos must be related to habitat with water and can include photos of animals found in both marine and freshwater environments. The categories are :
· Marine Habitats where the focus in on the habitat not an individual animal or plant.
· Marine Life where the focus is on the animals and/or plants or grouping of marine life
forms (no freshwater).
· People and the Marine/Aquatic world showing how people use and impact both salt and
freshwater world.
· Aquatic Habitat, showing freshwater lakes, ponds, wetlands, swamps or rivers.
· Aquatic life showing specific plants/animals that can be found in freshwater or along the shore.

For questions or further information contact Betty Lipe at blipe@pinellascounty.org or 582-2528, or you can visit this website: marine photo contest rules

4-H Open House and Apple Cook-Off - November 1

Most of you have probably heard about the upcoming 4-H Open House and Apple Cook-Off. If not, each 4-H club is invited to participate by reserving a table to promote your club, hold a fund raiser, or host an activity. Last year nine 4-H clubs showed off their clubs' activities and accomplishments. What would your club like to do?

In addition to the activities, workshops, and exhibits, we will be hosting the 2008 Apple Cook-Off. This year we are adding the savory category. This category will include those recipes that are not dessert-like, or sweet. The savory category will be divided the same as the sweet with Youth, Adult, Family, and Healthy divisions. Interested? Here's what you need to know:

• All recipes must include at least one apple.
• Finished product must be checked in by 10:00 a.m. (November 1).
• A card or printout with the recipe and a card with the entrant's name, category, and phone number must accompany the entry.
• All entries must be pre-registered. Pre-registration forms are available at www.pinellascounty.org/4h (underneath the list of Cloverleaf newsletters), by e-mailing jrogalsk@pinellascounty.org, or by calling the 4-H Office.
• Ribbons and certificates will be awarded. Prizes will be awarded to the top winners in each category.
• After judging, all entries will be offered for sampling.

Mark your calendars for November 1, 10:00 - 3:00, at the Extension Office for the 4-H Open House and Apple Cook-Off. Invite your friends and neighbors to come out and see what 4-H is all about. This is also the opening of Market in the Park, so plan on parking at the EMS parking lot.

4-H Apple and Pecan Sale

Sell, sell, sell, apples and pecans is the motto for September! Each club leader should have received their apple and pecan order forms for their members. This fundraiser is not only important to raise needed funds for your club, but it is also the largest fundraiser of the year for the 4-H Foundation. The foundation needs money because they support all of your scholarships to camps, Congress, Legislature, and many other great 4-H activities and events.

The following are some sale tips to get you going:

• Deliver a letter/flyer to neighbors telling them about the sale. Leave an order form with the letter/flyer so they have time to look over what you are selling. Follow a couple days later to close the sale.
• If there is a special event in your area, ask if you can set up a table to sell and promote your club at the same time.
• Spread the word. Ask friends and family to help you sell by asking people they know to buy apples and pecans.
• Sell to the parents on your sports teams or other youth organization you belong to.
• Sell to family and friends (Grandma is always good.)
• Ask your parents to sell at their work (maybe the boss will buy a bushel of apples to share with all his/her employees.
• Make a pitch or come up with a gimmick to let people know how good the apples taste.
• Sell to former northerners or snow birds who know just how yummy apples from up north can be.
• Offer to sell 1/4 bushels (you would have to handle this one yourself) and turn in 1/2 and full bushel orders to the 4-H office.
• Ask a local supermarket if you can sell outside their store.
• Ask organizations or churches that you belong to if your information on the sale can be included in their newsletter (timing would have to be just right for this one).

Ochs 4-H Vegetable Garden Orientation September 2

The Ochs 4-H Vegetable Garden project has a limited number of 10' x 12' plots remaining. Membership is available to youth 5 t0 18 years old, as of September 1, 2008. What better way for your child to learn life skills than through 4-H, growing and eating fresh nutritious vegetables.

Orientation

September 2, 2008 at 6:30 P.M.
Pinellas County Extension
12520 Ulmerton Road
Largo 33774

In order to attend orientation, you must pre-register by calling Jean Rogalsky at (727) 582-2597.

Youth who join the Ochs 4-H vegetable garden also become members of the Ochs Garden 4-H Club with full county 4-H membership for the 2008-09 year. The garden and club are located at the Ochs 4-H Educational Center at 14644 113th Ave, Largo. The garden is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. Club meetings are Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. The cost to join 4-H is $15 per year, plus $10 per garden plot. Seeds, starter plants, project books, and tools are provided.

www.pinellas4htravel.org

Dear Fellow Pinellas County 4-H Foundation Supporter:

I want to thank you for your passion for Pinellas County 4-H Foundation. Over the years you have supported Pinellas County 4-H Foundation with your voice, your energy, and your dollars. Now, we're proud to say, it's time to give you something back! Pinellas County 4-H Foundation has a new membership service that actually puts the "fun" into fundraising...and it won't cost you a penny.

Pinellas County 4-H Foundation now has its own travel website at www.pinellas4htravel.org!
This new service is like having our own Expedia® just for Pinellas County 4-H Foundation supporters and friends! Everything you need is right here. You get access to the same airlines, hotels and rental car companies, cruises, and vacation packages you find on all the other major travel websites, and, best of all...you get some of the lowesttravel prices on the internet!

Getting great travel prices for you is fantastic, right? But, how is this going to help raise funds for Pinellas County 4-H Foundation? Here's How it Works - if you don't know, every time you use a travel website like Expedia®, the travel companies pay BIG commissions for your reservation.
Well, now when you book travel on our website, Pinellas County 4-H Foundationwill receive royalties from YTB totaling a whopping 60% of those commissions!

Any way you look at it, this is a win-win situation. You get great travel rates and you help funnel dollars from the travel companies into Pinellas County 4-H Foundation. With your help and other Pinellas County 4-H Foundation supporters like you...we can raise TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars for Pinellas County 4-H Foundation!

Why not take the Pinellas County 4-H Foundation travel website for a "test drive" right now? I'm sure you'll like what you find and it would be a great way for us to kick off this new service.
Try out our new website at:www.pinellas4htravel.org

Use our new travel website and while you are traveling you'll know you are supporting Pinellas County 4-H Foundation! It’s that simple!Oh, and one more thing, please bookmark our new website. That way you'll be able to use it anytime you need travel. Thanks for your commitment to Pinellas County 4-H Foundation and for trying out our travel service at www.pinellas4htravel.org.

Applications Now Being Accepted for Youth Leadership Pinellas

I would like to recommend this program to 4-H members that meet the requirements stated below. I participated in the adult Leadership Program in 2002 and learned so much about my community and how I could make a difference. The Youth Leadership Pinellas program, sponsored by Leadership Pinellas and the YMCA of the Suncoast, is accepting applications for the Class of 2008-2009 through October 6, 2008. The program seeks to provide information on community resources and issues, develop an excellence in leadership, build teamwork skills and foster involvement in community services for a diverse group of 10th and 11th grade high school students.

Youth Leadership Pinellas is a seven-month program, operating from November through May. Participants meet for five full-day sessions, plus an orientation retreat and graduation event.
Dialogue is created between established and potential leaders of diverse backgrounds, including business and professional individuals, plus leaders of government, education and other fields. A wide range of topics exposes the youths to the decisions facing their community today. Emphasis is on active, hands-on experience that makes the learning meaningful and interesting.

To be eligible for the program, students must attend an accredited high school in the Tampa Bay area, demonstrate leadership or be emerging leaders in school or community activities, have an interest in addressing issues in their community, be academically sound (a B average or better is recommended), be eager to learn and have strong team spirit and be willing to follow the School Code of Conduct and policy set forth by Youth Leadership Pinellas.

For more information about Youth Leadership Pinellas, or to request a program brochure and application, contact Stephanie Zaragoza at the YMCA of the Suncoast, (727) 467-9622, or Leadership Pinellas, (727) 585-8889.

The application dates for YLP are the following:
Application deadline - Monday, October 6th
Interviews – The Week of October 20th (exact days and times dependent on number of applications received)
Orientation – Sunday, November 2nd