Junior Camp Registration NOW OPEN!

Are you excited? We are! 2012 Camp is going to be great! Junior Camp will be held June 17-21 at the NOVA 4-H Center in Front Royal. Registration forms and your $50.00 deposit are due April 6, but don;t delay because camp fills up quickly!! The total cost to attend camp is $220 this year; scholarships are available for those with financial need. Brochures are avaliable in school, at the Extension Office or online .

Required StatementsVirginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disbility, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in any of these advertised activities, please contact the Madison Extension Office at 540-948-6881/TDD* during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. *TDD number is 800-828-1120

Sign up for e-mail updates to our Madison 4-H blog.

Rather than having to check the site, you will receive an e-mail notice that new information has been posted. Enter your address in the box in the top right corner of the blog, right under the header. Let us know how this new system works for you.

Stock Show University Beef Cattle Fitting Clinic

The Loudoun County 4-H Beef Club will host the Stock Show University Fitting Clinic on March 31, 9:00 a.m. at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds. Derek Jones will be the Sullivan’s Professor running the clinic. Derek has extensive experience showing, clipping, and fitting both steers and heifers. He became a Stock Show University Professor in February, and he has given demonstrations in both North and South Carolina. Please RSVP by March23, 2012 to Amy Lawson – starlightfarms@aol.com or Shannon Simpson – shannon0924@hotmail.com

CMR Farm Show BBQ Dinner Fundraiser

Come out for some great food and support the Culpeper-Madison-Rappahannock Farm Show. On April 22 they will host a BBQ Dinner at the Salem Fire Hall. Tickets cost $10.00 per person and are available for purchase at the Madison Extension Office.

Explore the World - Host a 4-H Delegate from Argentina this Summer!!

Host families with teens are needed to host incoming 4-H delegates from Argentina. Can you open your home to a visitor from July 9 to August 7th? This is a great opportunity to learn about another culture and expand your family's horizons. Timing is of the essence - if you want to host you need to let us know ASAP so we can get you the application and reference form.
Also, if your children are currently taking Spanish in school, what better way is there to learn the language than to live with someone who is fluent?

Explore the World of 4-H...Host a Japanese Delegate this Summer!

Are you looking for the summer of a lifetime without the costs of world travel? The 4-H Japanese LABO Exchange program may be just for you. Host a young boy or girl, age 12-14, and share our American culture while learning about Japanese culture. It's only a month, but the memories will last a lifetime! Please contact the Extension office for more details about this great program.

Required StatementsVirginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disbility, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in any of these advertised activities, please contact the Madison Extension Office at 540-948-6881/TDD* during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. *TDD number is 800-828-1120

Scholarships available for High School Seniors

There are several scholarship opportunities for those graduating this year.

• Virginia Rucker Crigler Scholarship - This is a scholarship for Madison 4-H members. Applications are available on the website or at the guidance office. Due May 1

• Madison Young Farmers Scholarship - This application is available at the guidance office or see the High School FFA advisor.

• Madison Farm Bureau -Application available at the Farm Bureau Office or at the guidance office.

• The Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District has posted theircollege scholarship application, which is due April 13th. Visit www.culpeperswcd.org for an application packet. A total of $3,000 will be awarded to students in the Culpeper District (which includes Madison) who are majoring in a field related to conservation.

Seniors: please don't miss out on these great opportunities!

Summer Camp Opportunities for Teens

Teens who are interested in attending the Forestry Camp at Holiday Lake or the Youth Conservation Camp at Virginia Tech may be able to qualify for a full scholarship from the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District. We have heard wonderful feedback on these events, both of which offer incredible opportunities for youth interested in forestry and conservation. These camps help youth network with a number of professionals around the state. Visit www.culpeperswcd.org for more information.

Spring 4-H Leaders Conference

4-H volunteers in the Central District are hosting the spring leaders' conference, and all Madison 4-H volunteers are invited to register. Conference dates are April 14-15, 2012, and the event will be held in Nottoway County. Workshops scheduled include: scientific method, shooting sports, scrapbooking, cooking, Parliamentary procedure, and table-top hydroponics. The Extension Office is willing to provide scholarships for volunteers who wish to attend. Please contact Kelly for more details.

Required StatementsVirginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disbility, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in any of these advertised activities, please contact the Madison Extension Office at 540-948-6881/TDD* during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. *TDD number is 800-828-1120

4-H Share the Fun

Come show off your talents at the annual 4-H Share the Fun Contest on March 7 & 8. This is a great opportunity to get on stage and exhibit the great voice, comedy skit or dance routine. Youth of all ages (5 - 19) can participate. Call the Extension Office 948-6881 or visit the website for more information. Deadline to sign up your act is March 1.

Check out this Share the Fun act from Southwest VA. 4-H does have TALENT!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE_9CvRbZA4&feature=share

Required StatementsVirginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disbility, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in any of these advertised activities, please contact the Madison Extension Office at 540-948-6881/TDD* during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. *TDD number is 800-828-1120

Madison 4Hers Practice Citizenship

On Febuary 8, seven 4-Hers from Madison traveled to the state Capitol in Richmond to see citizenship in action. First went to visit with Holly Herman, Senator Emmett Hanger's aid. Senator Hanger was busy in committee meetings but Holly told us about the work he does. We also visited with Senator Bryce Reeves. He is new to the Senate this year and talked about how he got interested in serving in the Senate. Our next stop was to visit with Delegate Ed Scott. He talked to us about some of the Bills he is working on in the House and more about the process of getting a bill made into a law. We also took a quick tour of the Capitol building. We also learned about VDACS (Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services) and how it help farmers and consumers. It was a busy day on Capitol Hill, but we were able to squeeze into the House gallery to see our lawmakers in action.

Required StatementsVirginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disbility, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in any of these advertised activities, please contact the Madison Extension Office at 540-948-6881/TDD* during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. *TDD number is 800-828-1120