Great Food, Fun and Learning - The 4-H Extravaganza!

The Annual 4-H Extravaganza was held May 7th, at the MCPS Ag Education Center.  Dinner was sponsored and served by the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce's Agri-Business Committee.  The Committee has sponsored the dinner for decades - this event may have gone away years ago without their continued support.

Members of the Chamber's Agri-Business Committee serving dinner.  Mmmm...bacon!

4-H families from the Potomac Valley club enjoying the great meal.

In addition to a free dinner, which included bacon cheese burgers, Jody Wills' famous baked beans, potato salad, chips and ice cream bars - all donated by Committee members - the 4-H Ambassadors opened the event with the US and 4-H pledges, and everyone headed off to their workshops.  Eighty 4-H members representing 13 of Missoula County's 15 Clubs, along with nearly 20 FFA members and assorted 4-H parents, had the opportunity to attend four workshops on topics ranging from Market Hog Showmanship and Rabbit Judging to Livestock Evaluation and Dance.  Workshops were taught by adult and youth 4-H Volunteers, and by FFA Students.  Everyone in attendance left well fed and better informed.  Thanks to all of the volunteer instructors!

 

Spring is a busy time of year.  In addition to our attempts to provide workshops that are useful and interesting to the 4-H families, the 4-H Council Board provides some extra incentive to the 4-H Clubs to promote the event to their members by offering two $100 cash prizes.  One is awarded to the 4-H Club with the most members present, the other is awarded to the club with the highest percentage of their members present.  This year's recipients, both new 4-H Clubs, un-seated two long-standing champions. 

• 4-H Club with the Most Members Present: Two Rivers 4-H Club (15 members present)

• 4-H Club with the Highest Percentage of Members Present: Zootown 4-H Club (7 of 9 for 77.8%)

Honorable Mention goes to the Lolo New Kidz 4-H Club (9 of 14 for 64.3%), Mullan Trail Mustangs and Potomac Valley 4-H Clubs (both with 13 members present).

Door prizes were sponsored by the 4-H Office, and a few anonymous donors.  Names were drawn, and $200 in gift cards to Murdoch's, Cenex and AxMen were awarded, along with an assortment of 4-H paraphernalia and Frisbees.  Thanks again to all the instructors, Missoula FFA, the Chamber Agri-Business Committee, and the 4-H families who attended.

 One of the most popular - and definitely the cutest - was the Rabbit Judging workshop.

Wally Congdon's Livestock Evaluation in Layman's Terms was a big hit with the Livestock Project families.

 The Dance workshop taught by the FFA students was a big hit!

More photos are online at our 4-H Facebook page.

If you have ideas for workshops for the 2016 Extravaganza, please email Campbell.