The Oklahoma beef check-off through the
Oklahoma Beef Council, and the Oklahoma CattleWomen
Incorporated(OCW) are hosting the annual State Beef Ambassador
Talk Contest June 2 at 6:30 p.m., in conjunction with the
Oklahoma Junior Cattlemen’s Association Summer Preview
Show in Stillwater at the Payne County Fairgrounds. Entries are
due May 16. Details of the
event along with registration forms are attached.
Recently visitors at three different
petting zoos in Florida were stricken with a vicious strain of
the bacterium _E. coli_ that so far has sickened dozens of
people, most of them children. The organism causes bloody
diarrhea and abdominal cramps, but the biggest concern is that,
in some patients, it has triggered hemolytic uremic syndrome,
an illness that shuts down the kidneys and leaves victims
paralyzed or blind.
Simple hand-washing is key to preventing
transmission of these bacteria and parasites, health officials
say. "The very sensible practice of strict hand-washing
whenever you come in contact with animals – not just at a
petting zoo - must be emphasized, especially if you are a
child, an elderly person or someone who is susceptible,"
said Dr. John O. Agwunobi, secretary of health for the state of
Florida. "Parents should go prepared . . . and assure that
their children aren't touching farm animal waste or
contaminated equipment. . . . At this point, this is what
science advises people to do." A well-designed petting zoo
will station an area equipped with hand-washing facilities
between the animal areas and the non-animal areas, clearly
marked with signs that direct visitors to wash hands upon exit.
If your county hosts any kind of petting
zoo, it is advisable to have hand washing and hand sanitizer
present. Activity insurance should also be in place.
The forms and information you need to
register your delegates for the 2005 State 4-H Roundup,
“LEARN in your World, LEAD in Ours!” are on the 4-H web page.
If you have questions or need additional information, please
contact the state 4-H office.
A contest will take place on April 21st,
10 am - 12 pm, at the Oklahoma City State Fair Park, west of
B-52 Airplane Display (located between Transportation &
International Buildings). Adult participation is welcome, and
special awards and scholarships will be provided. Teams will
consist of four members per team / top three counted (3-member
team is eligible) There is no limit to the number of teams or
individuals per chapter or county
Awards to top three teams each of 4-H and
FFA and to top three individuals each of 4-H and FFA
Registration 9:00 a.m. and the contest
will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. with a cattle
grading demonstration / school followed by
the contest. If you are planning to attend please let
Rodney King in Muskogee county know my April 15 so we will know
how to prepare for the contest.
More details about the event and the
awards is attached.
Charles Cox
Agriculture continues to be one of the
most hazardous occupations in the U.S. Approximately 200
children die each year as a result of injuries sustained on
farms. In addition, thousands of serious injuries and deaths
occur to adults while they work with farm machinery and
livestock, or perform other agriculture-related tasks. We know
that actions at the community and individual level can have the
greatest impact on usual practices and safety behavior. The
Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention,
and Education is making funds available for a number of small
grants ($1,000 - $5,000) to organizations and clubs committed
to education and outreach efforts that will make a difference
in their community.
Please take a few minutes to review the Request
for Application attached. You
can also visit this website http:
//www.swagcenter.org for
more information about the national agriculture initiative of
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Remember all grant requests do need to be routed through your
district office.
Saturday and Sunday, August 27 & 28,
The Lazy E Arena will be transformed into the state's largest
indoor and outdoor recreation event. Come discover new and
exciting ways to enjoy your outdoor Oklahoma. It's an outdoor
experience where visitors fish, shoot, kayak, rock climb,
mountain bike, see and touch wildlife, learn about recreation
in the great outdoors. And it's FREE! Presented by the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation and a coalition of
conservation organizations (including 4-H), agencies and
sponsors, Expo celebrates our great state's natural diversity
and opportunities for the sporting enthusiast. From camping and
outdoor skills to shooting sports and fishing, from bird
watching to kayaking, Expo visitors have an opportunity to try
their hands at two full days of fun in the outdoors. If you or
your 4-H Shooting Sports Club would like to help staff booths,
including the 4-H Air Rifle Trailer, please contact Carey
Pribil, either by e-mail or phone at: clposu80@flash.net
or (405) 340-3353.
Congratulations to the 11 counties who had
youth at the State Skeet Shoot on April 9. Oklahoma
County won the Sr. Team Division and Pontotoc won the Junior
Division. The State Trap Shoot will be held in El Reno on
May 14. Details are posted on the 4-H Website.
Nos. 191, 193, 194—(Aquatic) Keeping
Fish Alive Member Manual 1, Special Aquarium Set-Ups Member II,
Live Plants In Aquarium Leader III (ea. $4.00) are very good
informational resources for 4-Hers and volunteer leaders
working with this project. For more information on Aquatic
publications/CDs, please check the National 4-H Supply website.
No. 545, 569—Breeds of Swine 4-H
Quiz Gram (no charge) and Basic Swine Manual ($1.00) are very
popular for swine projects within each county and can be
ordered by calling (405) 744-8887, email
Rosalyn.Weston@okstate.edu/; Fax: (405)744-6522.
No. 800—Fabric and Fashion Notebook
is under review at this time and will be on the 4-H website
when completed. At this time there will be a limited
supply to order—one per county—to utilize per
county need. Any parts of the manual may be duplicated.
Nos. 801, 810, 819—Beginning, Intermediate,
Advanced construction cards will continue to be shelved at this
time. These cards are utilized by 4-Hers for the county and
state fairs exhibits.
There are complete sets of Child Care
available toward a 4-H moneymaking project plus the member
receives a certificate and wallet card certifying she/he has
gone through the 4-H project training.
No. 148—Oklahoma Land Judging
Manual’s cover is tinted differently to designate the
2005 manual available to be ordered and utilized at Oklahoma
State and National Contests. There were a couple of very
minor changes in the content but the previous manuals can be
studied for the 2005 contests. The scorecards remain the
same content with no changes.
No. 473—Animal Tracks is now
available on POD/News Extra. This information provides how to
make and identify animal tracks in backyard habitat.
The E-set series on the 4-H website
contains information for several fair projects such as: science
and technology in food processing, developing maps, providing
ideas on community services, digital photographs, computer
projects, and build, program robots.
Please check the 4-H website for
additional material; set up a county account with Dwayne Hunter
for POD. News Extra 4-H fact sheets can be printed from the
same website as POD. An easy way to access POD/News Extra is go
to the 4-H main website; scroll down to Links on left-hand
side; open OCES; open Extension Fact Sheets on right-hand side;
select 4-H Youth Development; enter your county account number
to order POD fact sheets; select orange NewsExtra in middle of
the site to print hard copies of the fact sheets available on
POD. Any fact sheets still shelved at University Mailing
are sent before printing on POD. Once a fact sheet shelf supply
is depleted, then the order is through POD.
