A local representative from Veterans of Foreign Wars stopped by and asked us to post information about an essay contest entitled "Patriot's Pen Essay Contest."  It is available for 6th through 8th graders.  Up to $91,000 in savings bonds are available as part of the contest. Click here for more info on this year's contest and here for a brochure geared toward teachers.

On occasion, this blog will feature tips on raising 4-H project livestock based on University of California literature.  In this case, I'd like to highlight a peer-reviewed UC Agriculture & Natural Resources booklet on dealing with poultry pests, entitled "Common Lice and Mites of Poultry: Identification and Treatment."

Lice and mites are the most common pests found on California poultry.  There are two primary kinds of lice, chicken louse (Menacanthus stramineus) and shaft louse (Menapon gallinae).  These are ecoparasites that spend their entire life on their animal host.  Chickens should be checked for them at least twice a month.  Chicken mites, northern fowl mites, and scaly leg mites are all also commonly found on chickens, most notably in the autumn.  

In the aforementioned UC Agriculture & Natural Resources publication, the authors refer to northern fowl mite as "arguably the most important external parasite of caged poultry in the state."  Poultry owners should check for infestations routinely.

Methods for controlling pests include pesticide resign strips, liquid pesticide sprays, and Carbaryl dust.  For more information, click here and download the free ANR publication.

Mendocino/Lake summer camp was a huge success, the theme this year was Under the Sea. A whopping 208 4-H members, volunteers and a few special guests enjoyed fun, friends, and new experiences at camp Masonite/Navarro. Campers participated in workshops such as challenge high ropes course, magic, leather craft, wood working, digital photography, and roping, to name just a few.

Thank you to Taco Bell of Ukiah and Clearlake for sponsoring our camp t-shirts. We love them! And thank you to Kimberly Walker for creating our t-shirt logo for Under the Sea.

Thank you to our chaperones Kelly Boesel, Kerry Braider, Eric Crawford, Julie Fetherston (Cloverbud Coordinator), Scott Fetherston, Alicia Guardado, Pat Haas, Betty Hamblin, Jeffry Harris, Pat Hautala, Andrew Hobart, Becky Koenig, Deanna Lawrawon, Robert and Susan Norcross, Marilee Roberts, Bonnie Seevers, Denice Solgat and Linda Thornquist-Stumpf. We could not have done camp without you.

Thank you to our Camp Steering Committee Members: Eric and Shani Smith, Walt Christensen, John Irwin, Paul Johnson, Ron Roysum, Tonya Roysum, Jennifer Andrews, and Marie Behnke. If you are interested in becoming a part of the camp steering committee, contact the Lake County 4-H office.

Joanne Barber, camp nurse, thank you for taking such good care of our campers. And a round of applause for our extraordinary shooting sports team, John Holder (range master and shotgun), Matt Hilton (rifle), Randy Marler (rifle), and Jennifer Andrews (archery). And a special shout-out to Mike Whetzel for helping with shooting sports this year.

Thank you to our four youth directors for all that they do and the additional hours they put into organizing and planning summer camp: Erica Roysum, Tessa Behnke, Lezlie Elmer, and Hannah Foster. We could not do it with out you!

Thanks to our teen counselors:, Ryan Blyleven, Charlie Coburn, Rich Daniels, Kayla Delbar, Sara Fairbairn, Warren Foster, Rikki Hautala, Zachary Hedges, Cheyenne Higgins, Kylie Hill, Chayton Johnson, Kallie Jones, Lindee Jones, Bobby Loucks, Trenton Philips, Kelsey Price, Dylan Ricetti, Dustin Scott-Smith, Macaela Stenback, Kimberly Walker, Clayton Wanzer and Alicia Welling. You helped create a memory of a lifetime for our campers. You all did an awesome job and we look forward to working with you next year!!! Thank you to all 27 of the CITs (counselor in training); you were a huge help and will make great counselors!

Thank you to our kitchen team, for getting up early and staying up late, to cook all those scrumptious meals: Beth Keiffer (head cook), Marie Behnke (cook’s assistant), Jan Kane and Chris Ingram. And thank you to Shanna and Michael Braught of Geigers Long Valley Market for donating all the goodies for our canteen.

Thank you to our special guest workshop presenters, Jake Smith, Kayla Hurt, Neal Elmer, Breanna Weaver, Leslie Weaver, Nadine Boer, Kathy Schuler, Julie Willis, and Dale Garner. Thank you, Alisha Roysum, for heading up the Scuddy Duddy river walk.

We thank the following for sponsoring and donating to summer camp: UPS, Federal Premium Ammunition, Ukiah Gun Club, Rainbow Ag of Ukiah, WalMart of Ukiah and Clearlake, Eel River Fuels, Redwood Valley Vineyards, Kiwanis Club of Ukiah, Danny Wilds Family Scholarship, Lake County 4-H Council, Eric and Shani Smith - Camp Scholarships, Acme Rigging and Supply, Burgess Lumber-of Santa Rosa, Mike and Joanne Barber, Midway – USA, and Scott and Julie Fetherston.

The 2009 camp photos will soon be posted at http://ucanr.org/campphotos.  A huge thanks to Andrew and Paul for all the great photos. Photos of the remaining lost and found are also posted on the Summer Camp website http://ucanr.org/camplostandfound.

If you would like to send a thank note to any of the adult volunteers or youth staff who help make camp so special, please send it to UC Cooperative Extension, 883 Lakeport Blvd, Lakeport CA 95453, and we will gladly forward it to them.

Plans are already in process for summer camp 2010. Watch the 4-H newsletter for information. We will need youth CIT (grades 7-8) counselors and directors (grades 9-12), and chaperones from each club. If you are interested in becoming a workshop presenter, contact the Lake County 4-H office.

Eric Smith, Executive Director
Shani Smith, Workshop Director

The Mendocino County 4-H web page has a new sub-page dedicated to info on our local fairs.  It has not yet been fully fleshed out.  But it does now feature the official pamphlet promoting the Junior Livestock Auction at this year's Redwood Empire Fair.