National 4-H Council has been recognized by SFP (Specialty Fertilizer Products) in their Yield Signs 4 Success Program as being a leader in the area of agricultural education and safety and has donated $5,000 to National 4-H Council.

This summer, SFP is providing a chance for 4-H to receive additional funds through their Yield Signs for Success Program which is part of the Fertilizer Efficiency Network (FEN) educational tour. SFP will donate additional funds to one of four organizations receiving the most votes via their website. The four organizations are Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, the National FFA Foundation, 4-H, and the Royal Scholarship Program. The FEN educational display and tour is traveling across the country, from farm communities to agricultural events, to talk about the latest news in fertilizer efficiency and will be stopping in your state at the following date and location:

� July 27, 2011 at Mill of Black Horse in Blackhorse, MD (Harford County)

If you would like to help spread the word in your state about this opportunity for 4-H, please visit the website www.FENtour.com to cast your vote for 4-H and to learn more about SFP and the FEN Tour. Please feel free to share with your 4-H network along with any appropriate agricultural counterparts within your communities.

About SFP: SFP was established in 1998 by Larry Sanders, Ph.D.(Louisiana 4-H Alumni), who developed a unique technology to maximize plant nutrient efficiencies. Led by Dr. Sanders, president and chief executive officer, and John Hardy, executive vice president, SFP has emerged as a leading innovator in the agricultural industry. SFP is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas.

Human Science Theme: You can still sign on - unify our efforts towards a healthy, active lifestyle. Let�s MOVE. Let�s Move Campaign -- www.letsmove.gov

4-H National Headquarters encourages all 4-H Families to take the challenge! So�

You're Invited to Join 4-H in Answering the President's Challenge

As part of 4-H�s involvement with the Let�s Move campaign, 4-H National Headquarters has started a group to take the President's Challenge together - and you and you�re family are invited to be part of it!

The President's Challenge is for one million Americans to complete the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). 4-H is answering this call by setting a goal to have 100,000 4-H members and their families complete their PALA.

The Presidential Active Lifestyle Award recognizes those individuals who log their recommended physical activity for six weeks, five days a week (60 minutes for youth, 30 minutes minimum for adults).

Signing up for the 4-H group is simple. All you have to do is register. It's quick, and there's no cost to participate!

HOW TO JOIN:
1) Go to http://www.presidentschallenge.net/login/register_individual.aspx

2) Fill out the registration form.

3) When you arrive at your personal dashboard page, click on the groups tab and join the 4-H group.
� Your Group ID Number: 96548
� Your Group Name: National 4-H Program

4) After registering, start logging your activities. As you log activities you'll be able to track your progress toward winning a President's Challenge Award or Medal.

Good luck!

The President's Challenge -- www.PresidentsChallenge.org
Let�s Move Campaign -- www.letsmove.gov

Take the Challenge � I�ve logged on � now how about you! I have pedometers for the first 25 from Maryland who log on � and keep track of your points. Maybe we can challenge one another to Eat healthy, Be Active, Be Fit � Let�s MOVE!

2011 Bill Stevens 4-H Leadership Award Winner.
Conrad Arnold is the first ever Bill Stevens 4-H Leadership Award winner. Conrad has assembled and managed 4-H leader training programs across the country. These programs help certify more than 5,000 adult coaches and 200,000 participants nationwide. Conrad is also a National 4-H Shooting Sports Committee Member whose leadership has been a crucial part of the 4-H Shooting Sports program development.

"Conrad has been a huge asset to 4-H these last few years," said Federal Premium Conservation Manager Ryan Bronson. "His involvement, dedication and leadership has helped further 4-H's mission and introduced countless more youth to hunting and shooting with the 4-H Shooting Sports Program. He has led by example and we're proud to honor Bill Stevens' values and legacy by presenting Conrad with this award." Congratulations, Conrad!

On-Line Animal Husbandry and Quality Assurance Program Requirement

• All 4-H members enrolled in alpacas, beef, dairy, goats, horse and pony, poultry, sheep, swine and rabbits MUST complete the On-Line Animal Husbandry and Quality Assurance Program training to be eligible to exhibit their project animals in 2011 Maryland County 4-H and State 4-H Shows.
• All 4-Hers are required to complete the training program in 2011, unless they completed the on-line training course during 2010 as one of the four pilot counties (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Frederic). Even if they completed the training at a face-to-face session in their county in 2010, they MUST complete the new on-line training program this year.
• For future years of the AH&QA program, 4-Hers will complete the on-line training program when they reach each 4-H age division (juniors (8-10), intermediates (11-13), seniors (14-18) � all as of January 1 of the current year). Therefore, each time youth enter a new age division, they will be required to complete the training; PLUS if a 4-H member chooses to show a new species since last completing the program, they must return to program and complete the program for the new species area.
• For 2011, members will have access to the AH&QA program from March 1 through July 31st. Members MUST complete the AH&QA training no later than July 31^st.
• Some counties have established a completion deadline earlier than July 31 to meet the needs of the local program. If this is the case for your county please let me know so I can work with you to get a completion report when needed for your program.
• Another report reflecting completion through June 15^th will be sent at the end of this week and then approximately every two weeks following that through the end of July.
• The link to the program is http://www.maryland4h.org/AHQA/ .
• Please continue to share the requirements of the program with your members. We still have lots of members who need to complete the program and we don�t want the July 31st deadline to sneak up on them.

State Fair On-Line Entries Site Now Open � Deadline � July 31 at 11:59pm

The on-line entry site for the 2011 Maryland State Fair is open for exhibitors. Please remind exhibitors that the site for on-line entries will close on July 31 at 11:59pm. Visit the Maryland State Fair website at: http://www.marylandstatefair.com/ , go to the �Competition� Tab on the home page and then to the �4-H� page for complete information Note: All 4-H/FFA exhibitors must create a new User Name & Password for the 2011 Fair. Registration information from previous years is not valid.

New this year, County offices will have on-line access to member entry data from their respective county. This serves a couple of purposes:

1) Access to review entry information for your members at any time.

2) County office verification of member eligibility to exhibit in their respective projects will be verified on-line. This function which has been part of the State Fair Exhibitor Release Form in the past is now to be done by you On-line. Print copies will not be coming to your offices as they have in the past.

3) The State Fair Exhibitor Release Form will be printed off and signed by the member and mailed directly to the Maryland 4-H Center.

Educator Completed Entry Forms

State Fair Entry Forms that are to be completed by the county/city offices will soon be sent to the 4-H Team by email. The Fair areas included are: Dogs; Promotional Booths�Banners-Posters; Foods Posters-Displays-Menu Judging; Fashion Review; Purchase Power; Horticulture Demonstrations; Engineering Contests-Bicycle-Tractor Operators; and Judging Contests in Livestock, Dairy, Dairy Goats, Poultry and Egg, Rabbit, and Horticulture. Completed Forms are due to the State 4-H Office July 31^st. Contact Linda Garner if you have questions.