2025 Beef Poster Contest

This activity will encourage participants to learn more about the beef industry while encouraging beef industry, product, and nutrition promotion. Participants will develop a visual form of marketing communication to convey thoughts and ideas. Participants are expected to create original work. The contest is open to 4-H and FFA members between 4th and 12th grades. A 4-H or FFA member is allowed to win each division only once at the state level. Posters submitted to the state competition become the property of the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Beef Industry Council. The state winning posters may be used to promote beef at various events. Posters are due to the 4-H office by March 17, 2025.

Rules for 2024 4-H Beef Poster Contest

1. 2025 LBIC Beef Poster Contest Theme: Beef- Very healthful, very delicious 2. Posters must be on “22 x 28” poster board only. 3. Place your NAME, ADDRESS, AGE, GRADE, SCHOOL & PARISH on back, upper right corner of poser. 4. Digital entries must be designed using one of the following programs: Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Canva. Digital designs should be formatted for “22 x 28” poster size prints. All digital entries must be saved in high-resolution 300 DPI in ALL of the following: original design file, .png file format, and .pdf file format. Digital designs should be saved to a blank jump drive, placed in a 3 ½x 6 blank envelopes labeled with NAME, ADDRESS, AGE, GRADE, SCHOOL & PARISH on the front. 5. Posters and digital designs should generate positive images and promotion of beef (not live cattle production) using the indicated theme. Posters should promote beef without projecting any negative messages towards other agricultural commodities (chicken, pork, etc.). 6. DO NOT use copyrighted materials. You may develop ideas from magazines, parents, friends, nutrition bulletins, Beef Ambassador Fact Sheets and meat publications but the end concept should be original and not copied material. NO TEMPLATES may be used in the digital division. All design work must be original and from scratch, just as a poster would be designed. Pictures, clipart and materials (i.e., cartoon characters, advertisements, logos, etc.) that are copyrighted may not be used on the poster. The poster will be disqualified if copyrighted materials are used. Computer generated clipart may be used on the poster if it is not copyrighted material.

Recognition and Awards in the Following Divisions (parish contests): Division I - 4^th- 6th grades, Division II - 7th -9th grades, Division III POSTER 10th - 12th grades, Digital Division - 4th - 12th grades

(Those participating in the digital division must choose to do either a poster or digital. Cannot do both.)

Awards: first place-state winning poster in each division will receive $200 sponsored by the Louisiana Beef Industry Council, second place winning posters in each division will receive $100 sponsored by the Louisiana Beef Industry, third place winning posters in each division will receive $50 sponsored by the Louisiana Beef Industry.

 

2025 Dairy Poster Contest

Help encourage others to learn more about milk and milk products by drawing a billboard encouraging or promoting the consumption of milk and/or milk products and share knowledge with others. Any 4-H club member is invited to participate. Posters are due to the 4-H office by March 17, 2025.

1.Billboard design must be made on 22”x 28” regular poster board size only. 2. DO NOT ATTACH anything to the poster that is more than ½” thick. 3. Do not use the commercial brand names of products on the poster. Do not use jingles, slogans, signs or pictures that are trademark or copyright protected on the poster. 4. BE SURE to print NAME, ADDRESS, GRADE, SCHOOL & PARISH on the back of the poster in the upper right-hand corner. 5. A 4-H club member is allowed to win first place in each division ONLY ONCE. 6.First place parish winning posters become the property of the Extension Service and will be displayed at statewide events. A $100 check for first place State winners in Division I, II, and III. Second place State winners in each division will receive a $75 check. Third place State winners in each division will receive a $50 check.

 

Achievement Day Service Project

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.

 

February Club Lesson

Last month’s mystery item was cattle. We learned that cattle provide not only food high in iron, but also products such as baseball gloves and even medicine. We also learned about the various ways of identifying cattle and even got to practice tagging. February's mystery item has been referred to as “nature’s perfect food” and is usually sold in liquid form. Can you guess what it is?

 

Horse Clinic

This month’s clinic will be held at the Acadia Parish Rice Arena on February 24^th 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.

 

Let’s go to 4-H Camp!

Wanted: Boys & Girls Grades 4^th-6^th

When: July 21-24

Where: Camp Grant Walker in Pollock

Cost: $200 (Food, Lodging, Transportation & t-shirt). The cost of $200 is only applicable for the first 54 females and the first 44 males. Spots are available on first come, first serve. After this quota is met, youth will be placed on a waiting list, and if spots become available you will be notified. Applications & $100 deposit (non-refundable) due by March 17, 2025. Registration will open on March 1, 2025, and close on March 17, 2025. This year we are offering an online registration option and a paper registration option. We will not accept either registration until March 1st. *If you are turning in a paper registration form, we recommend that you turn it in directly to the 4-H office. Your spot will NOT be held without payment! You MUST pay the deposit and turn in either online or paper registration in order to hold your spot!

We offer a Chancellor’s scholarship that is based on income. You may call our office to apply as your child might qualify to receive a $60.00 discount. Register here https://tinyurl.com/4HSummerCamp25

What parents should know about camp!

Camping is one of the most valuable experiences a child can have. It’s a learning experience that helps boys and girls appreciate the outdoors, live together as a group, gain independence, get along with others, and appreciate people with different interests and backgrounds. One of the most important things children learn from camp is self-sufficiency. That is, they learn they can survive for four days on their own. To help our campers learn self-sufficiency, parents are asked not to call or visit campers unless there is an emergency. Campers may not bring cell phones or electronic devices to camp. The camp week consists of four days, beginning on Monday afternoon when the campers arrive at camp and ending on Thursday morning after breakfast. 4-H Agents, volunteer leaders, and junior counselors from each parish attend camp and stay in the cabins with the campers.

Educational Tracks at camp are:

• General Arts
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
• Food and Fitness
• Outdoor Adventures
• Wetlands-Explore Louisiana Wetlands
• Gardening
• Water Safety

 

Livestock Judging Results

4^th Grade:

1^st Sam Spaetgens, Iota Elementary

2^nd Caroline Dore, St. Michael

3^rd Riley Mire, Lucky Clovers

4^th Camille Bellard, Richard

5^th Levi Sarver, Estherwood

5^th Grade:

1^st Bryant Meche, Rayne Catholic

2^nd Wyatt Murphy, Richard

3^rd Kip Hebert, Iota Elementary

4^th Amelia Zaunbrecher, St. Francis

5^th Kaitlynn Thibodeaux, Estherwood

6^th Grade:

1^st Adalyn Comeaux, Mire

2^nd Ryan Schultz, St. Michael

3^rd Gretta Zaunbrecher, St. Francis

4^th Cole Theriot, Mire

5^th Charlotte Dore, St. Michael

Blue Ribbon:

Remy Shields. Iota Middle

Evelyn Bellard, Richard

Graison Guidry, Mire

Stella Hollier, Rayne Catholic

Eli Mire, Lucky Clovers

4^th-6^th Team Placings:

1^st St. Michael

Ryan Schultz

Charlotte Dore

Caroline Dore

2^nd Richard

Wyatt Murphy

Evelyn Bellard

Camille Bellard

7^th-8^th Grade:

1^st Avery Gary, St. Michael

2^nd Colton Zaunbrecher, Iota Middle

3^rd Camille Dore, St. Michael

3^rd Ian Spaetgens, Iota Middle

4^th John Paul Short, Egan

4^th Dale Simon, Egan

5^th Carson Teopfer, Iota Middle

Blue Ribbon:

Reese Shields, Iota Middle

7^th-8^th Grade Team Placings:

1^st Iota Middle

Colton Zaunbrecher

Ian Spaetgens

Carson Teopfer

Reese Shields

9^th-12^th Grades:

1^st Lucy Mire, Lucky Clovers

2^nd Ethan Fusilier, Lucky Clovers

3^rd Luke Mire, Lucky Clovers

9^th-12^th Team Placings:

1^st Lucky Clovers

Lucy Mire

Ethan Fusilier

Luke Mire

 

Livestock Sale Checks

Thank you, letters are due to the 4-H office, by March 3, 2025. If you exhibited a market animal this year and were in the parish livestock sale, we will begin distributing checks on April 1^st pending payment from the buyer. You must come by the 4-H office to pick up your check, they will NOT be mailed. In order to pick up your check, you must have turned in thank you notes, and the buyers must have paid. Checks will only be issued between April 1^st until June 15^th.

 

Photography Contest

This year, we will host our annual Photography Contest. This is open to all 4-H members. Youth may enter one photo per category. These pictures should be mounted on 8 ½ x 11 piece of black construction paper. The 4-H'er must be the one taking the photo; therefore, they are NOT allowed to be in the photo. The photo cannot be submitted in the contest if it was already submitted in a previous year. The categories are:

• People
• Animals
• Outdoor Shots
• Promoting 4-H
• Action Shots
• Night Shots
• Black and White
• Agriculture.

Be sure to put your name, grade, school and category on the back. All entries are due March 31, 2025, to the 4-H office.

 

Record Book Contest

Record books are due on March 31, 2025, to the 4-H Office. You can find all the rules and tips for completing a record book on our website and you can find the portfolio by visiting this website https://tinyurl.com/4-Hrecords

So why complete a record book? There is opportunity for recognition amongst peers, scholarship preparation, monetary awards for youth in 4^th-8^th grades and educational trip awards for youth in 9^th-12^th grades.The real “why?” is that record keeping permeates almost all aspects of adult life skills. Critical life and career skill development including communication and writing, prioritizing tasks and information, and tracking progress toward personal goals.

What is project work?

4-H projects entails 6 or more hours of work/learning. This can include things such as sewing, gardening, photography, livestock, etc. 4-H projects can be outlined in various ways including 4-H project books, 4-H project activity guides, etc.

General Rules:

• Club leaders are to submit from their school all books for parish competition.
• Club members must fulfill all contest requirements in order to receive a blue ribbon placing.
• The project work described in a 4-H member’s record book should be true and it should be the work of the club member.
• Books submitted for current year without current year’s work will be disqualified.
• 4^th- 8^th Grade members are allowed to type record sheets. All 9^th-12^th Grade books must be typed for competition.
• If applicable, please show three years’ worth of work.

• Youth may only submit one project entry per mission mandate/category.

 

Shooting Sports

4-H Southern Regional match is March 14-23rd in Gonzales and Port Allen. 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.

 

Spring Contest Day

Our Spring contest day will be held on Monday, March 17, 2025, starting at 5PM at the 4-H Office. Contests will include Journey into Jobs, Demonstrations, Meat ID and Poultry ID. Pre-registration is required for all Demonstrations and Journey into Jobs prior to the contest. Registrations are due by March 10, 2025. Please visit the link below to pre-register. https://tinyurl.com/25SpringContestDay

Journey into Jobs: This contest will help you prepare for future job interviews and applications. Contestants must complete an application in advance for this contest. Applications are division-specific (Division I: grades 4-6, Division II: grades 7-8, Division III: grades 9-12). Contestants will be interviewed, and asked questions related to a present or future career or job. All contestants are expected to dress nice and neat to best present themselves to the judges. The applications and interviews will be conducted as if the applicant has all required schooling/experience for the job posting chosen. Example: If you are applying to be a 4-H Agent, you would fill out the Education section as if you graduated from college or you would answer questions as if you went to college and received a certain degree. Applications can be found on our website, or you can pick one up from the 4-H office. Everyone that submits an application will be interviewed on March 17^th.

Demonstrations: Open to all 4-H members. Individual and team (2 members only) will be accepted. Members of a team demonstration can be from different clubs and different grades but will compete in the oldest team member's grade division. All demonstrations must be practiced and prepared prior to the contest. There is a limit of no more than one entry per category. Categories are Civic Engagement/Leadership, Healthy Living, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). A demonstration which was presented for a regional and/or state competition may not be presented by the same person or team on demonstration day. All demonstrations must pre-register using the link above. Any demonstration not pre-registered will be unable to participate. https://tinyurl.com/25SpringContestDay

Meat ID & Poultry ID: open to all members. No need to pre-register. Youth will identify cuts of meat along with meat and poultry judging practices. All the rules, regulations and study guides can be found on our website, https://tinyurl.com/Acadia4HEvents