Building upon a hopeful and exciting view into 2023, we are highlighting many of the trips and experiences beyond the borders of Martin County through Indiana 4-H. Enjoy this highlight summary and then LATCH IN to the opportunities! This is NOT an all-inclusive list. Opportunities through Extension are always evolving and proven. 

Dream big and get involved, now!  Have a friend, family acquaintance or neighbor that you think would find this interesting to do?  Please share! Why not? 

In this list of opportunities, when any particular deadline has passed, put it on your calendar to check into for next year as most experience occur annually. First step, ENROLL IN 4-H at v2.4honline.com.

Mini 4-H is for youth in grades kindergarten, first and second.  4-H is for third through twelfth graders with a $20 enrollment fee. That 2022-2023 enrollment fee may be paid on the youths’ behalf with the exploration of doing a communication or expressive arts project. Enrollment fee scholarships are also available upon request.  

4-H Scholarships- bit.ly/4hscholarship

• Applications due January 25 to County Extension Office
• Senior Year Scholarship: Available to 4-H members in their senior year of high school.
• Club Scholarship: Available to 4-H members entering Purdue University majoring in the College of Agriculture or select majors in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
• Purdue Horticulture & Landscape Architecture Scholarship: Available to a 4-H member majoring in horticulture or landscape architecture at Purdue University and studied plant science in 4-H.
• Accomplishment Scholarship: Available to 4-H members in grades 10-12 of high school and the year immediately following high school graduation. The purpose of the 4-H Accomplishment Scholarship is to recognize youth who have excelled in life skills development through their 4-H activities and involvement.

Categories: Animal Science—Meat and Milk Production; Animal Science—Companion and Small Animal Production; Citizenship; Communications; Engineering and Technological Science; Healthy Living, Food and Nutrition Science; Leadership Development; and Plant and Environmental Science. Three additional categories are reserved for applicants demonstrating life skills development in more than one of the previously listed categories. Those are Premier Achievement, Premier Citizenship, and Premier Leadership. Eligibility: Applicants must be in grade 10, 11, 12, or their first year immediately following 4-H enrollment eligibility at the time applications are due.

While an applicant does not have to be a current 4-H member, they must demonstrate multiple years of involvement in Indiana’s 4-H Youth Development Program. Youth who have previously been awarded a $1,000 accomplishment scholarship are only eligible to compete in the Premier Achievement, Premier Citizenship, and Premier Leadership categories. Youth who have previously been awarded a $2,000 scholarship are no longer eligible to compete in any category.

Awards: A minimum of thirty $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to youth based on their demonstration of life skills development in these eight categories: Animal Science—Meat and Milk Production; Animal Science—Companion and Small Animal Production; Citizenship; Communications; Engineering and Technological Science; Healthy Living, Food, and Nutrition Science; Leadership Development; and Plant and Environmental Science. A minimum of one $2,000 scholarship, and a silver tray, will be awarded in each of these categories: Premier Achievement; Premier Citizenship; and Premier Leadership. Additional scholarships may be awarded depending on sponsorship availability. The number of scholarships awarded in each category may be adjusted to meet special criteria of a particular sponsor.

National 4-H Conference- purdue.ag/national4hconference

• Friday April 14^th- Wednesday April 19^th
• Washington, D.C.
• Grades 9-12 completed
• Applications due December 1^st.
• National 4-H Conference is the annual premier national civic engagement opportunity for 4-H members across the country. Delegates will not only learn while at the conference, but will have the opportunity to practice and apply in a real world setting their newly developed and refined skills. Delegates choose an important societal topic and in round table groups prepare a briefing. During the conference, groups present their briefing to federal officials around the Washington, D.C. area. 4-H members in grade 10 -12 may apply. One to four delegates will represent Indiana at National 4-H Conference.

4-H Academy @ Purdue- bit.ly/in4hacademy

• Wednesday June 7^th – Friday June 9^th
• Purdue University, West Lafayette
• grades 9-12 completed
• 15 career exploration workshops available
• Registration deadline May 15^th : to ride Area III bus, deadline is March 31
• 4-H Academy @ Purdue is a program held at Purdue University specifically designed to offer hands-on, exciting opportunities to learn about a diverse selection of subjects and careers. During this conference previously known as 4-H Science Workshops, participants will meet and learn from professors, graduate students and other experts in their respective fields and participate in interactive activities and experiential learning. Participants stay in a Purdue University Residence Hall for two nights while exploring the Purdue University campus and meeting 4-H members from across Indiana. 4-H Academy @ Purdue is open to all youth grades 9-12.

State 4-H Band & Chorus- bit.ly/inband4h; bit.ly/in4hchorus

• Saturday June 24^h – Monday June 26^th
• Purdue University; perform during 4-H Round-Up
• Grades 9-12 completed
• Registration deadline June 1^st
• The State 4-H Band​ workshop is three days in length. Youth will improve their instrumental skills as they prepare for a concert band performance Monday evening during 4-H Round-Up. Any youth who has completed grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 may apply. 4-H membership is not required. Selection is made by the State 4-H B
• The State 4-H Chorus​ workshop is three days in length. Youth will improve their vocal and choreography skills as they prepare for a show choir performance Tuesday evening during 4-H Round-Up. Any youth who has completed grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 may apply. 4-H membership is not required. Selection is made by the State 4-H Chorus Director and Coordinator.​ and Director and Coordinator. 
•  

 4-H Round-Up – bit.ly/4hroundup

• Monday June 26^th -Wednesday June 28^th
• Purdue University, West Lafayette
• Grades 7-9 completed
• Registration deadline June 1^st: to ride Area III bus, deadline is March 31
• 4-H Round-Up is an exciting opportunity offered to youth who have completed grades 7, 8, and 9. Attendees have an opportunity to explore a variety of careers by attending classes created just for Round-Up attendees at Purdue University. Participants will get a taste of college life and will live in a Purdue Residence Hall for two nights. Youth have an opportunity to meet others from across the state and further develop their leadership skills. Recreation events are planned in the evenings and blocks of free time allow attendees the opportunity to build friendships on their own.

State Fair Exhibit Hall Workers- purdue.ag/in4hehw

• End of July through completion of Indiana State Fair
• Indianapolis, IN
• Workers must be at least 14 years old at the time of work
• College students are welcome to apply
• Application due April 15th
• Youth are afforded an opportunity to work at the Indiana State Fair as an Exhibit Hall Worker​​. Duties include checking-in non-animal 4-H exhibits, preparing exhibits for display to the public, record keeping, interacting with fair attendees, assisting with a variety of state fair events, and releasing exhibits. Workers will develop team work, customer service, record keeping, and other work related skills through this temporary employment opportunity. 
• Exhibit Hall Worker are expected to reside on-site in the reserved dormitory space. This is a minimum wage-earning employment opportunity.​

Indiana 4-H Leadership Summit 2023- purdue.ag/in4hsummit

• Saturday October 21^st
• Youth grades 8^th-12^th and adult volunteers
• Educational breakout sessions & scholarship & volunteer award recognition

National 4-H Youth Congress 2023- purdue.ag/national4hcongress

• Friday November 24^th – Tuesday November 28^th
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Grades 9+
• Application due May 1^st
• National 4-H Congress​ is one of the premier experiences for 4-H members across the country. For more than ninety years, 4-H members have been gathering to celebrate the successes and accomplishments of 4-H at this event. National 4-H Congress provides a life-changing experience for youth to meet other 4-H members from across America, as they participate in educational workshops focusing on diversity, cultural experiences, leadership, team development, and of course having fun! 4-H members in grades 9-12 may apply. Eight to ten selected applicants will comprise Indiana's delegation. 

Day at the Statehouse- purdue.ag/4hstatehouse

• Date: February 7, 2023
• Indianapolis
• Grades 7^th-12^th
• Participants tour the state house, meet representatives, and serve as student pages
• Deadline to register: January 15, 2023

Career Development Events- purdue.ag/4hcde

• Competitive events throughout the year that allow youth to showcase their knowledge in 15 different subject areas. Most Career Development Events offer both individual and team entries.

Subject Areas include:

Consumer Decision Making  

Crops  

Milk Quality and Products ​

Dairy Cattle Judging  

Entomology  

Forestry  

Hippology  

Horse Judging  

Horticulture  

Livestock Judging   

Livestock Skillathon  

Meat Judging  

Poultry Judging  

Soil Judging  

Wildlife Habitat ​​

State 4-H Junior Leader Conference – Facebook; @4HSJLC; purdue.ag/4hsjlc

• Tuesday June 13^th - Friday June 16^th
• DePauw University
• Grades 9^th-12^th completed
• Registration due May 15^th
• The Conference is planned by a 14-member Jr. Leader Council.
• STATE 4-H JUNIOR LEADER CONFERENCE IS FOR

Those who want to learn new leadership skills for themselves and others.

Those willing to share the knowledge they gain with those at home.

Those who want to meet new friends from around Indiana.

Those who want to have fun!

• While at Jr. Leader Conference, youth participate in:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Skill Sessions

State Park Group meetings

General Sessions

Skits/Talent Show

Recreation

Banquet and Dance

Installation Ceremony for Jr. Leader Council

Citizenship Washington Focus- purdue.ag/4hcwf

• Dates: July 1-7, 2023
• Washington D.C.
• Grades 9^th-12^th completed
• Registration deadline March 15^th
• This one-time trip is an exciting experience for 4-H members and other youth to go to the nation's capital and learn more about the meaning of citizenship. Listening, learning, sharing, receiving, caring and touring combine to provide a deeper respect and understanding for our American heritage and the principles, processes and structures of the U.S. government. Young people acquire increased motivation and skills for dealing with contemporary social issues and for taking leadership in community development, government affairs, and related projects when they return home. Each delegate will take part in workshops on contemporary issues and topics such as international affairs, human relations, government, ecology and conservation, family life and dating, community development, drama and creative expression, economics, agricultural policy, leadership, and careers. In addition, advanced training sessions are scheduled to provide in-depth concentration on one topical area such as community development, heritage, economics, politics, environment and ecology, human relations, communications, family life and dating, advanced citizenship-seminar policy, and others of current interest.”

Communications Events at the Indiana State Fair- purdue.ag/4hcommunications

• Demonstration
• Informative 4-H presentation
• Professional persuasive presentation
• Public speaking

National 4-H Dairy Conference - https://extension.purdue.edu/4-H/get-involved/national-programs/national-4-h-dairy-conference.html

• Sunday October 1^st- Thursday October 5^th
• University of Wisconsin- Madison
• Grades 9^th-12^th completed
• Registration deadline July 15

Broadband Availability Verification: Call to Action

Your help is needed to improve internet access across Indiana! A Federal Government program will invest 42.45 billion dollars to improve broadband internet access according to the National Broadband Map. The accuracy of the map will determine how much funding Indiana receives to improve broadband internet access. Before January 13, please help make sure the map is as accurate as possible. Steps to follow can be found at:

https://pcrd.purdue.edu/3-steps-to-bring-better-broadband-to-indiana/

Do you have a friend, family member, or neighbor who struggles with internet access? Pease consider assisting them in reporting their lack of access, or encourage them to connect with the Martin County Purdue Extension office at 812-295-2412.

Martin County Extension Board: Accepting New Member Nominations & Annual Meeting

The Martin County Extension Board is the advisory and advocacy body of the overall Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service in Martin County. The Board provides an organized way for the county to be represented by local people in its relationship with Extension.  It is an unincorporated association serving in advisory capacities by assisting with local program planning, implementation and evaluation; financial support and resource identification; advocacy for Extension; and personnel recommendation and assistance.

New member nominations are being sought for consideration at the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will be Thursday, January 26 at 6:00 pm, Martin County 4-H Fairgrounds, Community Learning Center, 2666 US Hwy 50, Loogootee, IN.  In conjunction with the Annual Meeting, a special highlight of an Extension Program and 4-H Club Charters from the United States Department of Agriculture through Purdue University will be presented to 4-H Club Leaders. All those interested in more information may contact the Martin County Extension Office.  RSVP’s by January 23^rd is appreciated but not required. All are invited. 

February 7, 2023 trip to the Indiana Statehouse

All youth are invited to sign up to learn about their state government through a day full of civic engagement & leadership opportunities. Participants will tour the state house, meet representatives, and have the opportunity to serve as student pages! For more information, contact Dena Held and register for this event via 4HOnline, v2.4honline.com. 

Registration ends January 15.

Price is $15 to attend, with the Martin County 4-H Council paying on your behalf by simply letting Dena know you have registered!

More information can be found at https://extension.purdue.edu/4-H/get-involved/state-programs/day-at-statehouse.html

4-H CAMP COUNSELOR APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN, FOR GRADES 9-12

WHAT:  4-H Camp Counselor Applications for Southern Indiana 4-H Camp

WHEN:  NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY 1, 2023

WEBSITE FOR APPLICATION:  https://bit.ly/4HCampCounselorA2

DEADLINE:  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 

Would you like to interact with other 4-H teens from the area, have three fun-filled days camping and be a positive role model to younger 4-H members?  Now is your opportunity.  Being a Camp Counselor is a fun, rewarding event. Camp is June 2, 3 & 4 2023 at Country Retreat Center, Underwood, Indiana.  Check out the Website listed above for a copy of the application, information of upcoming interviews and details on how to apply.  Application deadline is Wednesday, February 1, 2023 via 4-H Online. Interviews will be done via Zoom starting Tuesday, February 28, 2023 and will continue on Wednesday and Thursday March 1 and 2, 2023.  A Link to sign-up times will be sent once your application submission is complete.  Be sure to visit the bit link for any information you might need to take part in this exciting event.  

Adult Volunteer Enrollment and Certification

All adult volunteers must re-enroll to obtain certification for 2022-2023 programming season. Enrollment opened October 1, 2021. Please log onto http://v2.4honline.com and complete your profile. If you have any questions, please call 812-295-2412 or email heldd@purdue.edu. 

VOLUNTEER opportunities

Have you ever thought about a talent you have or a talent you want to develop alongside youth in the 4-H Program?  Purdue Extension & Martin County 4-H is seeking adults to work to MAKE THE BEST BETTER through 4-H programs. Contact Dena to explore how to work together in this way.  No matter how much time you have, volunteering with 4-H makes a difference by helping youth explore and discover the skills they need to lead for a lifetime. There are lots of ways to get involved! Currently, 4-H Club Leaders are needed for Shooting Sports and STEM/Robotics. Various content specialist and general volunteers are also needed.

Parents, family and adult friends of 4-H members are often a natural fit to help with programming and is one way to spending quality time with the youth in your lives!

4-h ENROLLMENT IS STILL OPEN, DON’T MISS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN

4-H began over 100 years ago, and has since grown into the largest youth development program in the nation. 4-H prepares young people to be leaders in their community and around the world through hands-on experiences alongside their peers and caring adults. Backed by a network of more than 6 million youth, 540,000 adult volunteers, 3,500 professionals, and more than 60 million alumni; 4-H delivers research-based programming around positive youth development. 4-H is delivered through America's 109 land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension Service reaching every corner of our nation.

4-H can be found in all 92 counties in Indiana and is delivered through Purdue Extension. Community clubs, afterschool programs, school enrichment, camps/workshops, and special interest programs are all ways youth across Indiana can be involved with the 4-H program.

Enrollment may be completed by parents/guardians at v2.4honline.com. Mini 4-H includes youth in grades kindergarten, first and second. 4-H is for youth grades 3 through 12. 

4-H’ers Excel

• Nearly 4x more likely to make contributions to their communities
• About 2x more likely to be civically active
• Nearly 2x more likely to participate in science programs during out-of-school time
• Nearly 2x more likely to make healthier choices

2023 MARTIN COUNTY 4-H FAIR – FRIDAY, JULY 7 TO TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2023

2023 INDIANA STATE FAIR – JULY 28 – AUGUST 20, 2023 Closed Monday & Tuesdays.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SELLING IN FARMERS MARKETS

PART 2: Let’s Talk About Prices by Allan Pinto and Ariana Torres

This publication is the second part of a series of publications that aim to help farmers selling at farmers markets and other local markets. Below we offer information on price determination and pricing strategies for farmers markets.

The importance of understanding pricing information Pricing is probably the single most important driver of farm profitability and long-term sustainability; yet it tends be one of the least controlled factors by farmers. The price that you tend to set for their produce represents the monetary value of a product. In economic terms, price reflects how much the consumer values your produce, which depends on internal (produce quality, the farm’s image, production yield, credit terms) and external (competitors, consumers’ preferences, seasonality) factors. A study by Darby et al. (2008) found that consumers prefer locally grown over regional or U.S. grown, and are willing to pay almost twice as much for local products. For example, data from our project shows that consumers paid $3.95 for a pound of slicing tomatoes at the Lafayette farmers market in July; but according to reports from the USDA-AMS a pound of slicing tomatoes was sold for $1.99 in retail markets during the same period (USDA-AMS, 2017); a 98% increase in price. Information about pricing is generally available for growers with enough volume to enter wholesale markets. For example, the USDA-AMS publishes wholesale and retail prices of fruits and vegetables weekly on the Market News website. Growers selling wholesale can access these weekly reports to overcome risk and uncertainties and save time and money when accessing markets. By contrast, Indiana farmers who sell in farmers markets and other local outlets lack this kind of information. Many farmers who sell locally usually define their prices by walking down the market aisles of farmers markets, then setting prices based on other vendors’ prices.

The lack of pricing and sales information not only increases risk, it also limits ability to assess farm profitability, evaluate price and marketing strategies, determine the market window for specific crops, choose market channels, and evaluate market feasibility for new crops.

The Purdue University Horticulture Business extension program has recently begun collecting prices from eight Indiana farmers markets and publishing price points for fruits and vegetables. Benchmarking (the practice of analyzing competitors’ prices and products) helps farmers understand and assess a pricing strategy. Observing price points from competitors can help understand 2 how prices, and potential profitability, may affect success. Some of the benefits of observing farmers markets price points are:

• Analyzing if market prices are enough to cover production and administrative costs while providing enough money to make a living.
• Finding profitable marketing strategies that may work for a specific crop or market location.
• Evaluating if valued-added strategies may help receive price premiums.

How to price produce for market

Information about price setting strategies is one of the most frequent requests among farmers who sell directly to consumers. If you are one of those farmers, you know that determining produce prices is up to you. Does it depend on your production and administrative costs, profitability goals, market prices, or costumers’ preferences? The answer is all of the above. Below we offer some pricing strategies to help farmers set prices for their produce. Keep in mind that the ideal price is the one that intersects your profitability goals with the value customers place in the produce. While it may be easier to charge the same as other vendors, it is important to understand your production costs and have an idea of the value customers place on your produce before setting prices. Quantifying total production costs and selling above those costs is one of the main strategies in effective pricing. Ideally, growers keep records of revenues and expenses and determine their costs of production for each crop. However, new growers may not have price records or pricing information to estimate production costs. If your costs are unknown, several university extension services have published enterprise budget tools to help you estimate the costs and returns to produce a product.

The Horticulture Business website is currently building a HortBusiness Calculator to assist Indiana fruit and vegetable farmers building their enterprise budget. An enterprise budget lists all estimated income and expenses associated with a specific enterprise to provide an estimate of its profitability. For example, if the total cost of producing a pound of tomato is $0.79 and the tomatoes are sold at $2 per pound at the farmers market, farmers will be able to know that $1.21 is the profit margin per pound of tomato, and estimate if this is enough money to achieve their profitability goals. Farmers must also know the value that buyers place on their produce and set fair prices, enough for being both profitable and competitive. Being customer-oriented means that farmers are in tune to the customer’s psychological and economic motivators. For example, customers tend to place higher value for fresher, better looking, pre-washed and pre-cut, new or specialty varieties, or organic produce.

Price-setting strategies for farmers markets Below are a few price-setting strategies to help farmers set produce prices: Pricing for profit means setting prices above the total costs. If farmers know their total costs (that is, the sum of pre-planting, harvest, post-harvest, labor, fuel, administrative, and marketing costs per unit of produce), then farmers can use the pricing for profit strategy. Any price set above the sum of the total costs per unit of produce will contribute to the farmer’s profitability. This strategy is also called cost plus pricing. The main advantage of this method is its simplicity, because if you are able to properly calculate your total costs, then computing the final selling price is relatively easy. An enterprise budget can help you on this task. Odd pricing is typically used by business managers who set prices that end in odd numbers: typically 5, 7, or 9. The idea is that customers may perceive that a produce sold for $2.99 appears to be significantly more attractive than one sold for $3.00.

Figure 1 illustrates an example of odd pricing vegetables for zucchini in a farmers market. Odd pricing used by farmers selling at the Lafayette (Indiana) Farmers Market. Bundling is the strategy of grouping together several products into a package that offers customers extra value at a special price. Bundling helps farmers highlight and sell unique produce that customers cannot find in a supermarket.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of bundling vegetables for stir-fry. Bundling stir-fry vegetables at the West Lafayette (Indiana) Farmers Market. This article illustrates the different pricing strategies for produce sold at this or other local markets.

Farmers can find more information about these strategies and more on the Purdue Extension Horticulture Business website. References available online.