Registration          

4-H Enrollment 2011 DEADLINE !!!!!
All 4-H Registration Forms must be in the office by March 1, 2011 in order to participate in any 4-H project for 2011.  There are no exceptions.  Forms may be picked up at the Extention Office or you may conveniently enroll online this year.
4-H Online Enrollment here

Meetings At The Farm - Important!!!  

• Please wear the appropriate clothes to be outside for the meetings.  Always wear enclosed-toe & heel shoes or boots..... no sandals or open toed/heel shoes.

• No chewing gum on the farm.  Do not deposit chewing gum on the sidewalks or barn floors.  

• All cell phones must be turned off during meetings.  No texting until meeting is over.

• Pick up all wool and trash and put into the trash containers.

• Put all brushes, halters, lead ropes, and tools back in their proper place.

• Do not scrape mud off your shoes on the edge of the sidewalks and porches.  Clean shoes at home.

• Do not drive on our grass - especially in wet and muddy weather!  It's very difficult for us to fill the ruts you create.

• Do not park or even stop in the drive, or even park to the side of the drive with your car wheels on the grass.  Pull all the way up to the house, the studio, or into the gravel barn area so others may enter and leave without driving across our yard and off of the drive.  Stay on the paved areas.  Your patience and cooperation will be greatly appreciated!  

• It is important that you arrive 10-15 minutes early for meetings so your llama can be caught up and haltered. We need to begin our meetings promptly at the designated time and all the remaining llamas will be released to the pasture when our meeting starts.

• Please email if you can not attend a scheduled meeting so we will not keep your llama penned up and waiting for you.

WOOL DAYS

We will be doing  wool projects with llama wool on these days for those that are interested.  This is not a requirement for the Llama Project.  However, these wool items will be entered into the Llama Wool Division of the 4-H Fair.  Champion projects will be eligible for the Indiana State Fair.  If you do want to participate, you will need to come to the farm at another time to card wool on the carder in the studio. The carder combs the wool into a long fluffy piece called a roving.  It combs all the fibers into one direction.  It will take about 8 rovings per person for a project so you should plan on doing at least that amount of wool. Since there are a lot of us needing to use the carder, I suggest that you start working on your rovings as soon as possible.  You will need to arrange to be here with an experienced person.  Any time is OK to come ....... after school or on weekends.  Definitely don't wait until the last minute to start on your rovings.

PROJECT BOOKS,   PROJECT DEADLINES, 
& INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAIR ENTRIES, POSTERS

• June 30 Thurs. 6:00 - 8:30 - All Llama Project Books (and other Project Record Books for those only in Llama Trekker Club) turned Into Marilyn (Record Book, Activity Book, & Llama Project Workbook)

All books need to be turned into Marilyn at this llama meeting. Or before. Incomplete projects  will be reported to the office on July 6.  Everyone needs to complete their Llama Record Book and 4 activities from your Llama Activity Book. 

If Llama Record books and Activity Books are not completed and turned in on time, youth may not place higher at the 4-H Fair than any other youth who has fully completed the project.

• June 30 Thurs. 6:00 - 8:30 - Regular Meeting - Llama Binders will be judged.

• July 7 Thurs. 6:00 - 8:30 - Regular Meeting - Llamas must be groomed for Wash Day.  You may come early for extra grooming time.

• 10 Sun 4:00 - 6:30 Meeting - Posters & Wool Projects Must Be Turned In At Fair - 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

  Posters are required by each member in order to complete the llama project and to participate in the llama show!! We will have a regular Llama Meeting on this date at the regular times. Some of our parents always volunteer to take posters and projects to the 4-H grounds to turn them in during the designated times of 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  Reminder - Posters need to be done on a 22" high by 28" wide poster board in a horizontal format. Posters must have a hard backing such as foam board (which you could re-use from year to year), heavy cardboard, paneling, or plywood.  A 2" x 3" information tag with your Name and Club Name needs to be placed in the lower right hand corner of your poster under the plastic covering.  Then they need to be covered with a clear plastic. The fair has wonderful easy-to-use plastic sleeves available for your posters for only $1.00.  After the poster is covered with clear plastic, an Exhibit Tag must be placed on the outside of the poster up in the top right hand corner. Keep this label in mind as you design your poster so no important information will be covered by the tag.  (this info is in the 4-H Handbook).  We will have Exhibit Tags available at our meetings.

  You will need to attach an Exhibit Tag on your Wool project also.  A Craft Information Card needs to be filled out to turn in with your Llama Wool Project in addition to the Exhibit Tag.  On this card, you should check "Basic Craft" and then write "Llama Wool" over on the right hand side.

• Llama Fair Schedule here.

• 18 Mon. FAIR - Llamas Are Still At Fair.   Royal Showmanship with Llamas at 3:00 p.m.!!!  We will need all members and parents at the llama barn on Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. to clean up and take the llamas home.  Please bring rakes, shovels, & brooms.

Show Dress: Dress for the 4-H Fair is casual and comfortable for the obstacle classes. For the Showmanship Class, you should wear preferably black or dark slacks. A white shirt is always acceptable and may be accented with a colored or decorative vest, bow, or tie.  Or you may wear an appropriate blouse.  Black shoes or boots are preferred - NO sneakers or sandals.  No halters or bare midriffs in any class.  No tank tops.  Sneakers are OK for obstacle classes - no sandals. We have some nice vests, shirts, and some slacks and boots here at the studio for purchase. If you have any to sell, bring them in.

Indy Open Llama Show -
The Indy Open Llama Show is our club's one big annual project.  It will be held at our fairgrounds on May 15-16, 2010.  This is an open llama show that our 4-H club hosts and we also offer 4-H classes.  We normally have around 250 llamas participating from surrounding states.  Profits have been going into a fund to build a llama barn on the Hamilton Co. fairgrounds.  After 9 years, this did become a reality in 2007.  We now have our new building and Phase 2, which included insulation, heating, and air conditioning, was completed in 2008.  Phase 3, now in progress, is to complete the inner walls of the building so damage isn't done to the insulation.  Monies from this annual show also go into our Llama Trekkers Youth Scholarship fund.    

New members may feel comfortable enough with the llamas to participate in the Indy Open show this year in the 4-H Show.  The 4-H Show will be held on Saturday, May 21.  Those not involved with ALSA (Alpaca Llama Show Association) may come on both Sat. & Sun. to be around the llamas, view the show classes, and help other members with the animals.  This will give them a lot of knowledge and experience.  We also need parents to help with the concession stand throughout the weekend and also with various duties of the show.  See show information, classes, and printable application for the Indy Open here.  This is our fund raising project for the Llama Treekers Youth Scholarships.

National All American Youth Jamboree & Shows -
Fantastic Annual all Youth Event!  June 24-26, 2011   Hamilton Co. Fairgrounds
4-H and ALSA Youth Shows, Conferences, Workshops, Cook Outs, Fiber Show, etc.
Plan to attend.  See info here.

This is a fantastic weekend for all 4-H members and ALSA members.  A complete youth & llama weekend with all kinds of competition, learning, and fun.  Get to know other llama kids from all over.  Definitely a "don't miss" event!!

Llama  Message

"Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching?"