Kalamazoo County 4-H Goats

Welcome
to the Kalamazoo County 4-H Goat Project Blog where you can get goat information about project meetings and activities. Please check this blog regularly so you can learn about goats, be prepared for meetings, activities, and the 2010 Kalamazoo County Fair.

CHARACTER COUNTS while striving TO MAKE THE BEST BETTER.

February-March 2010

OUR MEETING SCHEDULE IS…

SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010, 10 AM-??, HANDS-ON HEALTH CARE, AT 37803 24TH AVE, GOBLES, MI 49055. An all day event so you can learn how about, and really do, immunizations, trim hooves, dehorn, band, learn about feeding, and more! Get credit for attending a county-wide goat project meeting. Contact Chris Boettcher at 806-7988 (possumcreekfarm@yahoo.com) if you need directions.

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2010, 8 AM-4 PM SPRING GOAT DAYS AT MSU ANTHONY HALL. Registration starts at 8 am, classes start at 9 am. Learn about goats from goat experts from all over Michigan including subjects on nutrition, cooking, fiber goats, pygmy goats, showmanship, hay quality, linear appraisal, breed standards, herd selection, mastitis, and DHIA. You can also get your clippers sharpened and your dairy scales certified. Contact Hannah (bubblicioustinga@yahoo.com) or Sandra DeCoster at 998-3906 (amoebasam@live.com) if you want to car pool to this event BY March 4th. If you want to go on your own, get a receipt for your registration fees and bring it to the April meeting to get your registration fee reimbursed. Get an instructor for one or more of the sessions you attend to print and sign their name on the back of the receipt and get credit for attending a county-wide goat project meeting. Learn more about this event at www.mdgs.org/04_shows.html.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2010, 10 AM-??, MAKE YOUR OWN GOAT CHEESE AT 37803 24TH AVE, GOBLES, MI 49055. Another all day event for you to learn about, and actually make, your own ricotta or queso blanco cheese, and even make fudge! Get credit for attending a county-wide goat project meeting. Contact Chris Boettcher at 806-7988 if you need directions.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010, 6:30 PM, REGULAR MEETING AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.

Pick Up the No Goats No Glory shirts that you ordered at the February meeting.
Pick Up your Applebee’s Fund Raiser Flyers.
Decide on the theme for pen decorations at the Fair.
Wear any goat project or other 4-H shirt and get extra candy!

REWARD! Cash prize to the first person who can answer this question: How fast can a goat run? Email your answer to amoebasam@charter.net, call Sandra at (269) 998-3906, or bring it to the February meeting.

REMEMBER…

- Market goats must be born on or after January 1st.
- You need to have your goats in your possession on or before May 1st and submit your Goat Declaration and Lease Forms by May 15th.
- Remember that you need to attend at least 2 county goat meetings in addition to your club goat project meetings in order to be eligible to show goats at the Fair.
- You must participate in at least one project fund raiser.
- You can get most of your goat project forms at http://kalcounty.com/4h/ProjectGuidelines.html.

PLEASE TAKE TIME TO REVIEW THE NEW 2009-2010 GOAT PROJECT GUIDELINES AT http://www.kalcounty.com/4h/ProjectGuidelines.html.

WHO’S YOUR GOAT PROJECT LEADER?

Your project leaders will contact you when they schedule meetings. You can also contact them anytime you have questions about meetings, your goats, or the goat project.

Alamo, Oshtemo, or Portage Community Clubs, your goat project leaders are Connie Walters (phone: 375-6177; email: mcwalt1026@aol.com) and Chris Boettcher (phone: 806-7988; email: possumcreekfarm@yahoo.com.)

Cooper, Richland, County Center, or Hickory Corners Community Clubs, your goat project leader is Sandra DeCoster (phone: 998-3906; email amoebasam@charter.net.)

Galesburg or Hamilton Lake Community Clubs, your goat project leaders are Stacey Meyers (phone: 746-4710; email: smey60@aol.com) and Anne Vos (phone: 665-0708; email: savasnova@yahoo.com or vosanne@aol.com.)

Climax, Pavilion, Fulton, or Schoolcraft Community Clubs, your goat project leader is Pam Beilby-Miller (phone: 649-1836; email: none.)

Scotts Community Club, your goat project leader is Tricia Bartholomew (phone: 626-0300; email: triciabartholomew@att.net.)

Teen Leaders are available to answer questions. Please feel free to contact them if you have ANY questions or if you have any ideas for the county-wide goat project meetings, fund raisers, or activities at the Fair. You can also contact them if you think you would like to be a Teen Leader for the goat project, or even for other projects. Hannah DeCoster, phone 998-3906, email bubblicioustinga@yahoo.com; Keegan Walters, phone 375-6177, email mcwalt1026@aol.com; Austin Walters, phone 375-6177, email mcwalt1026@aol.com.

GOAT PROJECT SUPERINTENDENTS

CHRIS BOETTCHER: Phone: 269-806-7988; Email: possumcreekfarm@yahoo.com
SANDRA DECOSTER: Phone: 269-998-3906; Email: amoebasam@live.com or amoebasam@charter.net

Meeting Minutes

MEETING MINUTES for 18 FEBRUARY 2010

Volunteer Officers for tonight’s meeting:
- President: Hannah Decoster, Teen Leader
- Vice President: Keegan Walters, Teen Leader
- Secretary: Hailey Haist
- Treasurer: Austin Walters, Teen Leader

Pre-meeting activities: Sign-in; Candy was passed out to members wearing red or hearts; members who brought cookies drew a number for each dozen of cookies/goodies brought to tonight’s meeting.

The meeting called to order at 6:34 pm. Pledges were lead by the Vice President. Introductions—everyone stood up and introduced themselves and told to which club they belong.

Secretary’s Report
- Communications: we received a thank you card from Pam Deyo for our $130 donation towards her cancer treatment; the card was passed around the room. Meeting Minutes: a motion was made by Hannah DeCoster to accept the meeting minutes that were posted in the goat project newsletter with support by Austin Walters. Vote: Approved.

Treasurer’s Report (for the period since our last meeting.)
- Beginning balance on November 1, 2009: $509.37in Savings, $790.02 in checking; $1299.39 Total.
- Receipts since our last meeting: $1.71 in Account dividends, $10 in T-shirt sales (from last year.)
- Expenses since our last meeting: $11.83 for Club updates and newsletter mailings to new members and members without email, $85 for 2008 Spring Goat Days registration fees plus insufficient check fee.
- Ending balance on January 31, 2010: $510.33 in Savings, $714.25 in Checking; $1244.58 Total.
- A motion was made by Keegan Walters to accept the Treasurer’s report for November 1, 2009 through 31 January 2010 with support from Samantha Boettcher. Vote: Approved.

Announcements
- Please make sure you sign-in before you leave if you want to get credit for being at this meeting.
- Please also fill out the sheet that has what type(s) of goats you plan to take to the fair so the leaders can plan meetings and activities more effectively.
- Would everyone please make sure your trash is picked up and chairs are returned to their original places before you leave.
- Check the handouts before you leave. If you don’t see one that you want or need, please put your name and the name of the handout you want on the sheet provided.
- If you didn’t get your prize for wearing red or hearts, see one of the superintendents, teen leader’s, or tonight’s officers to get it before you leave.
- If you ordered a t-shirt or sweatshirt at the 2009 fair, please pick it up and/or pay for them before you leave.
- We have some people with outstanding payments for shirts ordered at the fair and for the first printing of the new shirts. Please pay for your shirts before you leave.
- Tricia Bartholomew announced details about the Sweetheart Dinner this Saturday.

Educational report—Teen Leaders presented information on hay, grain, bedding, fencing, and housing with visual aids.

Fund Raisers: everyone must participate in at least one fund raiser activity in order to be eligible to show at the fair. The purpose of our fund raisers this year is to raise money for Cloverbud trophies, Fair expenses, Fit and show expenses, Annual educational trip, Shavings for pens at the fair, new gates for new barn gates (next year?) The money raised will be applied in order of the priority listed.

- Shirt sales (previously approved.) Order and pay for your “no goats no glory” shirts tonight. If you don’t pay, your shirt(s) won’t get ordered. Pick up shirts at the next meeting. We will be selling “you might be a 4-H family… “with a 4-H clover on the front shoulder (like last year’s shirts) at the mandatory livestock meeting and during the fair. We still have outstanding money from last year shirt sales; please take care of it tonight. We also have a few extra shirts available tonight—first come… first served.
- Bake sale presented by Teen Leaders: Keegan Walters made a motion to do a bake sale at TSC on Gull Road with support by Stewart Hill. Vote: Approved. We still need to discuss a date and whether or not to include a petting zoo.
- Yard Goating presented by Teen Leaders. Keegan Walters made a motion to do Yard Goating with a set of goats made from plywood and paint that will cost approximately $25 per set to make with support by Hannah. Discussion entailed parent availability and various other possible problems. Vote: Declined.
- Dining for dollars presented by Teen Leaders. Brandie Bartholomew made a motion to do dining for dollars at the Gull Road Applebee’s restaurant on Wednesday, April 21 (if it’s still available) with support by Garrett Bartholomew. Vote: Approved. Members will pick up flyers to pass out to friends, family, etc., at the April meeting. (Side Note: April 21st was already taken when Austin Walters, Teen Leader, followed up on this, so the date will be April 28th.)

Guideline Changes
- Market goats must weigh at least 40 lbs to be shown and sold at auction. This brings our market program in line with other 4-H market goat programs across the state. In addition, market goats weighing less than this at the Fair are not large enough for buyers and may not be healthy enough for show or sale.
- Except for cloverbuds, all youths must enter a showmanship class a n d a breed or market class. The purpose of this change is to bring our program show standards up to date and comparable to all the other species being shown in 4-H at the Fair.
- (Side note: These changes help provide standardized goals for the educational growth of members and a means to encourage and improve the quality of animal care. It also updates our program to better meet with LSA MSUE, MDA, and goat industry educational standards and will provide for sound justification in the event we need to provide proof of our program’s educational validity.)

Educational Trips—Spring Goat Days, March 13 at MSU: Last year we had 23 people signed up to participate and 5 only people showed up at the bus. If we go as a group, we cannot have that happen again.
- To go as group: The 4-H Bus costs $3 per person; Bus driver fee varies depending on the bus driver; Bus gas costs are usually paid by Leaders Council; must have a minimum of 20 people confirmed to go on the bus by Monday, Feb 22 to have time to get the bus and a driver. Show of hands indicates we won’t have enough people to go as a group.
- Since we didn’t have enough people to go on the bus, you can go on your own. Get a receipt for your registration fee; have the instructor(s) for at least one of the classes you attend print and sign their name on the back of the receipt; bring the receipt to the April meeting for a refund of your registration fee; get credit for attending a county-wide goat meeting.

Upcoming Meetings
- Goat Health Care Meeting: Saturday, March 6, 10 am, at Chris’. An all day, hands-on event. Experience how to give immunizations, dehorn, band, trim hooves, as well as learn about feeding and nutrition. You may bring your market goats to be weighed if you like and if you are doing the rate-of-gain, this is the first official weigh-in for your goat if you have it already. Get credit for a county-wide meeting.
- Cheese Making Meeting: Saturday, March 20, 10 am, at Chris’. Another all day, hands-on, event. Learn how to make your own basic ricotta or queso blanco cheese, and even fudge. Get credit for a county-wide meeting.
- County-Wide Goat Project Meeting: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 6:30 pm, at the Fairgrounds Expo Building in Room B. A motion was made by Hannah DeCoster to invite Dr. Anderson from Beadle Lake Large Animal Clinic back to do fecal exams and a presentation on parasites and diseases; the club would pay for fecal exam materials; members can bring in fecal samples from their own goats if they wish. The motion was supported by Austin Walters. Vote: Approved.

Awards and Rewards--
- Honorable mentions from 2009 Fair for being exceptional workers: Logan Dunham, Sergei Booth
- Feed-A-Goat: Tyler Boettcher, Kathryn Denney & Alisha Cagney
- Game winners from last month’s meeting puzzle contest:
o Cloverbuds (5-8): Bodhi Miller (Score 18; 2 Puzzles)
o Beginners (9-10): No one in this age group participated.
o Juniors (11-12): Chase Walters (Score 33; 3 Puzzles)
o Intermediates (13-14): Austin Walters (Score 51; 4 Puzzles)
o Seniors (15-19): Hannah Decoster (Score 64; 5 Puzzles); Keegan Walters (Score 56; 5 Puzzles)
- Newsletter “reward” winner: No one answered the question; no one won the prize.
- Members who brought goodies made with goat milk also received prizes.

Adjourn To Activities: Cookie exchange--members took turns choosing goodies brought by other members. Order and pay for shirts. Collect hand-outs. Clean-up.

Superintendent Contact Information

CHRIS BOETTCHER
Phone: 269-806-7988
Email: possumcreekfarm@yahoo.com

SANDRA DECOSTER
Phone: 269-685-7937
Email: amoebasam@live.com or amoebasam@charter.net