June 2018 18 LOCAL 4-H MEMBER WINS NEWS RELEASE CONTEST The Maricopa County 4-H Program held a News Release Contest during the Maricopa County Fair for its 4-H members. Members were invited to wander the fair equipped with a camera and notepad to capture pictures, get quotes from other fair-goers and then put into words their version of what they saw and liked at the fair. Articles were submitted to the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office where they were reviewed by a panel who chose the best article. Lori Tessendorf, 4-H Program Coordinated quoted, “we only received three entries, but they all were great and I’m so proud of them! We are hoping that having the winning article published in the local newspapers will spark interest for others to get involved next year.” The three 4-H members who entered their articles were Abby Fermic (Wild West Community 4-H Club), Emilio Martinez (Dynamo 4-H Club), and Rosellen Weaver (Barn Buddies 4-H Club). Congratulations to Emilio Martinez for submitting his winning article: FUN AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY FAIR Baaaa! Whoosh! Pop! Oink! Crunch! Those are just of some of the sounds we heard at the 2018 Maricopa County Fair. There was so much to do at the fair. Monster truck races, carnival games, a petting zoo and plenty of rides are always fair favorites. You can’t forget to take a walk down the row of scrumptious food stands. It’s always hard to choose whether you want a giant swirled ice cream cone, copious amounts of bacon cheese fries, hot dogs loaded with toppings or exorbitantly packed Indian Fry Bread. When you walk into the project building, you can’t help but think, “Wow, look at all these amazing projects.” There are so many categories for general art and 4-H Projects like sewing, fishing, mosaic and woodworking. Not only do you get to learn about all the projects that the clubs were working on but, it inspires people to do more of their own projects. Jennifer Wolfe, 4-H Project Coordinator, revealed that she liked “seeing the kids show their projects because they are always so proud of their work.” This year when visiting the fair, people could make dog toys for the Humane Society by weaving strips of material together. What a nice thing to do for the dogs so they aren’t so scared at the shelter. You can also enter all kinds of animals at the fair such as pigeons, ducks, guinea pigs, rabbits, sheep, and horses. Michelle Boyer, 4-H Volunteer Judge, noted that she loves “looking at the birds and seeing how hard everyone worked to get their birds ready for the fair.” Damien from Western Spurs 4-H had always wanted a goat so he adopted a Nigerian Dwarf goat and named him Oreo. Oreo is two months old and gets along with pigs and dogs. Once, he even climbed on top of a pig! He is sure to be a good competitor because his mom is a show goat, too. Isn’t it cool how the family traditions carry on at the fair? There were examples of the four H’s of 4-H all over the fair. The judges used their Heads to judge the fair entries. Hearts were happy because of all the people who helped make it a great fair. I hope there are even more projects entered next year! Hands were used by volunteers to set-up and put on a fun fair. The competitors worked hard to keep their animals Healthy. (602) 237-3809 | www.sacate.com 5555 W. Elliot Road, Laveen, AZ 85339 Visit our website for a few of the reasons why pellets are a nutritious feed alternative to baled hay! • We only use all natural ingredients. No artificial fillers or additives • We use only the best, locally-grown sun cured alfalfa hay and bermuda. • We lab test our pellets for protein content, vitamin and mineral percentages and to ensure they meet our strict specifications and guaranteed analyses. Producing Premium Horse & Cattle Feed Since 1985 HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING YOUR SUMMER! By Emilio Martinez, Dynamo 4-H Reporter For more information on how to get involved with 4-H, please contact the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office at 602-827-8275, or visit the website at extension.arizona.edu/4h/maricopa Above: Food Network TV filming for their show “Carnival Eats". Right: Getting Oreo the goat ready for the competition.