Food Drive for the St. Bernard / St. Francis Food Pantry or St. Teresa Center

All 4-H clubs are, once again, invited to collect nonperishable food items and/or monetary donations for the St. Bernard / St. Francis Food Pantry or the St. Teresa Center for Works of Mercy. Clubs can organize the collection of items and arrange to have them delivered to the St. Bernard/St. Francis Food Pantry in Breaux Bridge or St. Teresa Center for Works of Mercy in St. Martinville on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

Some examples of needed items include applesauce, canned beans, canned chicken or fish, canned vegetables, cooking oils, crackers, dried herbs and spices, fruit (canned or dried), granola bars, instant mashed potatoes, meals in a box, nuts, pasta, peanut butter, rice, powdered and shelf stable milk, soup, chili, and whole grain cereal.

Breaux Bridge St. Bernard/St. Francis Food Pantry 701 W. Bridge St.
7:00AM-5:30 PM

St. Martinville St. Teresa Center for Works of Mercy 600 S. Martin Luther King Drive
6:30AM-7:30PM

Exploring Healthy Living- Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

Did you know that sweet potatoes are the most popular vegetable in Louisiana? They are high in nutrients like fiber and vitamin A and low in calories. That makes them nutrient dense. Fiber keeps you full longer and vitamin A is important for healthy eyes, skin, heart, and immune system. Sweet potatoes can help you stay alert in class and fight flu season. They can be enjoyed baked, smashed, boiled, or grilled.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Before you begin wash your hands, surfaces, utensils, and vegetables.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease an 11X14 baking sheet with oil.
3. Wash potatoes. Remove ends. Do not peel.
4. Cut each potato lengthwise into wedges of roughly equal size. Place into a large bowl.
5. Toss potato wedges with oil.
6. Arrange wedges on pan in a single layer, without crowding.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until wedges begin to brown.
8. Remove from oven to turn each wedge. Return to oven for 15 minutes to brown.

Nutrition Agent
St. Martin & St. Mary Parishes

Shooting Sports News

Registered shooting sports participants received their project book(s) at the mandatory safety meetings. Reminders: Everyone must sign in and sign out at the designated location for each discipline. You will only get credit for the actual hours that you practice. No Exceptions. You must have the required 8 practice hours in each of your disciplines before the paperwork for the Regional Match is due. If you have not put in the required hours, you will not be allowed to register for the Regional Match. You must also turn in your completed 4-H portfolio in order to participate in the Regional Match.

Special Thanks to the NRA Foundation for supporting our shooting sports program!

Junior Leader Club NEWS:

Looking for a greater 4-H experience? Join the Jr. Leader Club to become more active in 4-H and in your community. The next meeting will take place on Monday, November 24th at the 4-H Office from 5:00 – 6:30 pm. All 4-H’ers in 7th-12th grades are welcome. Dues for this club are $25. Those attending the meeting should bring a can good for the Food Drive.

Service Opportunity- turn in Pull Tabs Today!

For over 15 years, we have collected pull tabs off of the top of can drinks to help the Ronald McDonald house in Memphis, TN. This is a great service opportunity that is easy to complete.

• What do you do? Collect as many pull tabs as you can from now until February 25th. Collect them in a plastic Ziploc bag. Take the bag to school and give it to your school club leader. They will turn it into the 4-H Office. Each club’s tabs will be weighed to see which club turns in the most tabs.
• What do we do with the tabs? We recycle them and receive money!
• What do we do with the money? We send the money to the Ronald McDonald House in Lafayette, LA.

To learn more about the Ronald McDonald House, visit their website at: http://www.rmhc-memphis.org

Livestock News

Livestock Possession Dates:

• October 31, 2025 Deadline to order Parish Broiler Chicks(possession takes place Thursday, December 4, 2025)
• November 10, 2025 Rabbits (for parish show only)
• November 10, 2025 Beef, Dairy, Sheep and Goats
• November 10, 2025 Exhibition Poultry
• November 17, 2025 Miniature Cattle
• December 1, 2025 State Broiler Order Deadline(possession takes place January 8, 2026)
• December 1, 2025 Swine
• 30 days before show Meat Pen Rabbits (for Parish Show Only)
• April 1, 2026 Horses

Anyone not raising their animals on their property (home or farm) MUST contact the 4-H Office to request a possession hardship application. Completed hardship forms must be turned into the 4-H Office by the animal’s possession date.

Livestock Validation Deadlines:

Validation will consist of ear tagging the animal and pulling a hair sample for DNA Testing.

• November 10, 2025: All Commercial Beef Heifers, Commercial Dairy Heifers, Commercial Ewes, Commercial Does, Market Lambs, and Market Goats must be validated by the exhibitor and the properly identified validation envelope including the hair sample must be submitted to the 4-H Office along with the validation fees of $7 per animal.
• December 1, 2025: All Market Hogs and Commercial Gilts must be validated by the exhibitor and the properly identified validation envelope including the hair sample must be submitted to the 4-H Office along with the validation fees of $7 per animal.

Other Important Dates:

November 10, 2025 YQCA Ethics Training at 5 pm 4-H Office

Livestock Show Dates:

• January 16-17, 2026 St. Martin Parish Livestock Show (Parish Livestock Barn on the Breaux Bridge High School campus)
• January 27-31, 2026 Acadiana District Livestock Show (Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette)
• February 14-21, 2026 LSU State Livestock Show (Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales)

4-H Trivia

Each month, we will have a trivia contest in the Bayou Gazette newsletter. If you email the correct answer to us, along with your full name, school you attend, and your grade level, by the deadline, you will receive a prize at your next club meeting. Remember, your answer must be correct!

November 4-H Trivia Question:

What topic was covered in the lesson this month?

Email us the answer with you full name, the school you attend and your grade level by 11/21/25 to: stmartin4h@yahoo.com or 4-H@saintmartinschools.org if using a school email account.

Congratulations September 4-H Trivia Contest Winners

Congratulations to the following prize winners: Head, heart, hands and health was the correct answer.

BBE 4th: Andrian Bonin, Madelyn Reed, Maddison Thomas, Kylie Vernon TE 4th: Anistyn Patin, Amalie Patin, Isaiah Knott, Annabelle Knott, Aubree Bertrand, Derian Alexander, Baya Johnson SBS 4th:Stephen Castillo, Lennox Tumlin, Alayna Bertrand, Maeve Broussard At-Large 4th: Saul Romero BBE 5th:Rylie Noel LCS: Meadow Landry TE 5th:Emmy Vidrine, Danyel Huval, Louis Kidder, Jazzlyn Gordon CJH: Corinthian Perro, Anniston Guidry, Kandice Sinegal, Brylee Broussard, Ahni Livings, Ava Cluse, Alivia Champagne, Adalyn Mistric, Iyan Gaspard, Ted Taylor, Nicholas Taylor, Brinley Broussard, Khloe Mire PMS: Aniyan Alexander, Harper Batiste, Brock Doucet, Aiden Devillier, Harley Narcisse, Marley Huval SBS: Maddox Payton, Kade Gonzales, Andre Olivier, De’Anthony Jackson, Marlee Trahan, Jean Hebert, Caroline Degatur, Greyson Comb, Irie Hbert, Maddox Tumlin, Rylee Fuselier, Ava Gauthier, Cooper Gonzales, Vitoria Buford At-Large: Ezra Burleigh, Sebastian Cantu, Sutton Romero, Emma Blanchard, Breaker Landry, Calais Varnado, Julia Babineaux, Aiden Edgar, Owen Blanchard, London Davitt, Averi Theriot SMJH: Gabrielle Prejean, Amari Cole, Isabella Champagne CHS: Xyailon Harmon, Rylei Pommier, Averi Wiltz, Aiden Figueiredo SMSH: Thomas Latiolais, Rihanna Narcisse, Antonio Robertson

Congratulations October 4-H Trivia Contest Winners

Congratulations to the following prize winners: Cell Phone Etiquette was the correct answer.
BBE: Madelyn Reed, Mason Boudreaux TE 4th: Anistyn Patin, Amalie Patin, Emarie Babineaux SBS: Stephen Castillo, Lennox Tumlin At-Large: Lawless Guillot TE 5th: Emmy Vidrine, Louis Kidder, Jagger Howard, Lacey Frederick BBJH 6th: Dezi Onezine LCS: Meadow Landry STEAM: Rhylee Armstead SBS 5th-6th: Greyson Comb, Luke Degatur, Irie Hebert At-Large 5th-6th: Juliana Girouard, Jessi Granger, Sebastian Cantu, Weston Cormier BBJH: Anika Augustine SMJH 6th: Isabella Champagne and Amari Cole PMS7th/8th: Mia Lopez, Brock Doucet, Avari Vitto CJH 7th/8th: Khloe Mire At-Large 7th/8th: Calais Varnado BBHS: Deisy Chavez-Hernandez CHS: Xyailon Harmon, Baylor LeBlanc SMSH: Kelia Francis, Antonio Robertson, Thomas Latiolais, Rhianna Narcisse At-Large 9th-12th: Aiden Edgar, Hannah Ellender, Averi Theriot

Sincerely,

Mrs. Ashley Mrs. Erica
4-H Agent

Ashley Istre Erica Poirier
4-H Agent

It is the policy of the LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, or disability. Should you need an ADA accommodation for your participation in any aforementioned activity, please contact the St. Martin 4-H office at 337-332-2181 no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. The LSU AgCenter provides equal opportunities and employment. Cooperating agencies: LSU AgCenter, Louisiana parish governing bodies, and the United States Department of Agriculture.