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It is with great pleasure that we honor Mrs. Piper Venable as the 2024-2025 Acadia 4-H Achievement Day Honoree. Since 2017, Mrs. Venable has been a dedicated 4-H leader at Mire, supporting and guiding her club members with care and commitment. As a wife and proud mother of three sons, Mrs. Venable values hard work, compassion, and leadership. She strongly believes in the importance of service learning, and under her leadership, her club has focused on projects such as literacy, supporting veterans, and pet care, to name a few. Through these efforts, Mrs. Venable has taught her members the value of community service and making a positive impact. Mrs. Venable’s commitment to service learning through 4-H has been a guiding force in her leadership. Her emphasis on service projects has not only helped her club members develop a sense of responsibility and compassion, but it has also contributed to her earning the Lilly Pousson Memorial Scholarship and Award several times. Mrs. Venable places a strong focus on leadership development within her club. Her guidance has helped members gain valuable life skills, including problem-solving and teamwork. Under her leadership, her club has won the Outstanding 4-H Club Meeting award multiple times. Her ability to motivate and support her members has helped make her club a strong presence in the parish.
Mrs. Venable’s dedication to 4-H, her leadership, and her commitment to service make her a respected figure in the community. We are proud to recognize her as the 2024-2025 Acadia 4-H Honoree and thank her for her ongoing contributions and dedication.
Once again, the 2024-2025 Achievement Day Service Project will be can pop tops! Remember that you can start collecting can pop tops now! All clubs will turn in the pop top donations at Achievement Day. All proceeds will go to the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis, Tennessee. Many children and their families from St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital use this location. Please feel free to get the whole school involved and put out collection jars if you would like to make some.
This is a fun activity open to all 4-H members. It will be held at the Crowley Rice Arena located at 159 Cherokee Drive Crowley, LA on Monday, January 13, 2025. One dog per participant (may choose to take part in 2 categories). In the event you are not a dog owner, you are allowed to show a neighbor or close friend's dog! Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6:00 p.m. This is a dog ONLY contest. Do not bring dogs that are too big or too aggressive for the 4-H'ers to handle. All animals MUST be vaccinated and restrained on a leash. Only dog 4-H exhibitors will be allowed in the arena. This year's categories are Best Dressed, Owner Pet Look Alike, Waggiest Tail, Highest Jumper, Most Obedient, and Best Bark. Disclaimer: your dog will be in close proximity to other dogs, so be mindful of your dog’s temperament.
We will also have the Vet Set Geaux contest happening at the same time. This contest includes identifying breeds of dogs, cats, birds, etc. It also requires knowledge of pet care.
As we wrap up another fantastic year in 4-H, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your participation, dedication, and hard work. Your commitment to learning, leading, and serving has truly helped to make the best better! We hope this holiday season brings you joy, warmth, and wonderful moments with family and friends. We look forward to seeing all the amazing things you'll achieve in the coming year. Wishing you a festive and joyful holiday season!
Warmest wishes, The Acadia Parish 4-H Team
We are once again offering horse clinics this year for FREE! This year Acadia parish will be offering horse clinics every month! We will again team up with master horsemen throughout the region. Clinics will be held at the Acadia Parish Rice Arena on January 27th from 6-8 PM. In order to attended youth must be an approved 4-H member AND bring your own horse. For more information or questions, please call Emma Zaunbrecher Tyler at 337-366-2109.
Last month’s mystery item was pecans. We learned about tree grafting as we practiced grafting on carrots. Our January lesson will continue to reinforce the importance of agriculture in Louisiana. This month’s mystery item is full of iron when consumed but is also utilized in baseball gloves, soap and even medicine. Can you guess what it is?
Acadia Parish 4-H Jr. Leader club will be hosting a silent auction at this year’s Acadia Parish Livestock Show, January 16-18, 2025. The winners will be posted at the buyers' auction. We are asking for you to come out and show your support by stopping by the auction table. We are sure you will like the unique items you cannot find anywhere else. The proceeds will support the Acadia Parish Jr. Leader 4-H club.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Life Book contest! We had over 95 Life Books created and turned in for this contest! All of the Life Books created were donated to youth in foster care in Acadia Parish!
4th-6th Grade winners
1st Cora Fontenot, Lucky Clovers
2nd Remi Hebert, Evangeline
3rd Layla Stelly, Mire
7th-12th Grade winners
1st Libby Fontenot, Lucky Clovers
2nd Addison Bergeron, Lucky Clovers
3rd Aleigha Thibodeaux, Morse
Do not forget!!!! Exhibitors, you must have health papers on your animals before you are allowed to enter the show barn with your animals. Health papers should be issued within 60 days of the show. To ensure that your papers are current through the state show, take your animals to the veterinarian a week or two before the parish livestock show. Lambs and goats must have a scrape tag in their ear. Remember, there is a dress code when showing and selling your animal in the arena: No T-Shirts, No Shorts, No Hats, and shirts need to be tucked into pants.
The parish Livestock Judging contest will be held Friday, January 17th at the Rice Arena in Crowley, beginning at 5:00 p.m. or after the conclusion of the show. 4-H members will judge at least one class of sheep, beef, and swine. Each class will be comprised of four animals. Senior 4-H members will also be required to give oral reasons on one of the judging classes. This contest is open to every 4-H member. To learn more about and practice your livestock judging skills, visit YouTube and search for livestock judging.
As we prepare for a successful record book season, we would like to encourage members to schedule a one-on-one meeting with the 4-H agents to discuss in detail their record book and the do’s and don’ts to ensure you submit a competitive record book.
Section 2: 4-H Project Overview List the size and scope of your participation in your 4-H project(s). Use this space to give specific details about what you did in your 4-H project and remember to complete one of these for each project. Use numbers when appropriate to show size, growth, profits, losses or savings related to your 4-H project. For example, consider providing numbers on animals, dishes prepared, meals served, clothing made, repairs completed, pictures taken, workshops attended, interviews conducted, etc. Report year(s) of project work based on your grade level. 4th, 5th, and 6th graders: Provide a narrative summary, list, and/or chart that covers the project work you have completed in the past year. 7th and 8th graders: Provide a narrative summary, list, and/or chart that covers the project work you have completed in the past two years. 9th - 12th graders: Provide a narrative summary, list, and/or chart that covers the project work you have completed in the past three years.
Section 3: This Year’s 4-H Project Summary (1 page only) This 3- part section should include only 1 year [the current year] of your 4-H project work. Use the 3 charts in this section to record progress on your 4-H project(s) work. Learning Experiences: List the opportunities you have had for learning. Include tours, interviews, demonstrations, camp/conference sessions, workshops, clinics and other sharing experiences. Financial Summary: Include all information on expenses and income related to your project. Expenses include all items or services you paid for to support this project. Income includes all money received from the sale of services, products and/or premiums from this project- if applicable. Project Accomplishments/Summary: List the major accomplishments or outcomes you made in this project this year. Describe the impact that your project work has had for you, your family, your 4-H club and/or your community.
Sections 4: Leadership (1 page per year, 3 pages max) In this section, include any time that you led an activity. Include times that you taught, coordinated, organized or guided others. Make sure to list 4-H officer position(s), committees or other positions held. If a leadership activity is directly relevant to your project work, place a check mark in the ‘Project ‘column.
Section 5: 4-H Citizenship & Community Service(1 page per year, 3 pages max)In this section, list any time that you served others through 4-H. The level of work is based on the final outreach of the organization that the service or donation is going toward. For example, the Salvation Army is a national organization, so donations should be listed as “N.” The Lion’s Club is an international organization, therefore any donations or services to benefit this organization should be listed as “I.” If an activity is directly relevant to your 4-H project work, place a check mark in the ‘Project’ column.
Section 6: 4-H Awards and Recognition (1 page per year up to 3 years) Recognition could be ribbons, certificates, trips, or being invited to a special event.
Section 7: Non-4-H Experiences and Activities (1 page per year up to 3 years)List any participation in any other clubs and anytime you taught, led or guided others.List any officer position(s) held, committee(s) served on or other position(s) held. Include only non-4-H work. List any activities you have participated in to help others in your community. Describe the importance of the activity by including details, such ashours spent, type of service conducted, number of items donated, etc. Lastly include any non-4-H awards received.
Section 8: My 4-H Emphasize your personal growth and development and highlight your involvement in
the project area(s) in which your are submitting your records. Your story must be typed in Microsoft Word or a similar software program. Your 4-H story should be printed and inserted into your Record Book. All stories should be typed in 12 point font and double
spaced. Use 8.5” x 11” paper with a 1.5” margin at the top and the left and a 1” margin at bottom and right of each page. Use only the front side of the page. Your story is limited to: 4 pages [maximum] for 4th- 6th graders or6 pages [maximum] for 7th-12th graders.
Section 9: 4-H Photos & Supporting Materials The judges focus more on the content in this section, than on any decorative page elements. Make sure to use the front side of the paper, not front and back. Be sure to include candid photos, action shots and captions. Photos should include project-specific activities, in addition to leadership and community service highlights. Either insert photos and type captions directly into a computer file to print and insert into your book, or print photos and glue or tape them onto pages with typed captions.Exception: 4-H Members who are entering Photography project work can include 10 additional pages of their photography samples. When writing captions, include detailed information such as presentation topics, audience numbers/participants, things that you learned.
Attending college can be expensive. There are many opportunities for you to start saving money to attend. One way is through scholarships. There are several scholarships for which you may apply that will be awarded this year. Scholarships available are: Acadia 4-H Foundation, Parish Livestock Show, District Livestock Show and several through the State 4-H Foundation. An email has been sent to all eligible seniors about the scholarship opportunities. Please call the office if you did not receive the email.
This year in an effort to recognize4-H members who are graduating, Louisiana 4-H will offer a "4-H Honor Cord." For 4-H members to receive the 4-H Honor Cord, they must meet the following requirements: 1) must be enrolled in 4-H; 2) must be a graduating senior; 3) have been enrolled in 4-H for 3 high school years; 4) have participated in one state sponsored 4-H program in the last 3 years or show exemplary parish involvement; 5) must fill out an application form and turn it in by parish deadline date of February 7, 2025. All Senior Honor Cord recipients will be invited to the end of the year 4-H Outstanding Member Banquet. The application has been emailed out to all graduating seniors and can also be found at Senior Honor Cords (lsuagcenter.com)
Happy New Year to you all! 4-H Southern Regional match is March 14-23rd in Gonzales and Port Allen. Forms have been mailed out to all participants. Please read the form carefully when choosing which discipline you are competing in. Both forms and registration fees must be turned into the 4-H office by Friday, January 24, 2025. Please make checks payable to Acadia 4-H Foundation. Just a few reminders about Southern Regionals: In order to qualify, each participant must have their hunter safety card (temporary or permanent) as of December 31, 2024, and have a minimum of 8 hours of official 4-H practice time. If you are unsure of how many practice hours you have so far, please reach out to your discipline chair. Each participant is required to furnish their own ammunition and shell bag. Parish equipment must be signed out from the office during business hours. Detailed schedules will be sent out when available. School excuses will be sent to the school. Also, as a reminder proper safety procedure must be followed and required safety equipment must be used when competing in competitions. Remember, all competitors are required to have eye and ear protection as well as closed toe shoes. No Crocs. Those competing with firearms other than archery, are also required to have an empty chamber indicator that is bright and visible to all.
Join us on Monday, January 20th for a teen sewing class! Students will take upcycling to a new level. They will take an ordinary sweatshirt and create a one-of-a-kind trendy piece that will have everyone asking where you got it from!!!! Students will need to bring in their own plain sweatshirt (in their size and crewneck only) they will want to upcycle. Design options are endless but within ease and ability of you! See some inspirational pictures below! No sewing experience required! This class is open to 4-H members in grades 8-12th. This class will take place at the 4-H office from 9am-12pm and will cost $10 to attend. Registration is through 4HOnline and spots are limited! Registration opens December 9th.
