January 16, 2018 • Page 10 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com S.D. Farm Family Enjoys 4-H Tradition Together By Lura Roti for SDSU Extension/iGrow.org World Dairy Expo 1985 opened Mike Frey's mind up to the dairy industry beyond South Dakota's borders. A 14-yearold member of the state 4-H Dairy Judging Team, Mike returned to his family's Claremont dairy farm with a clear vision for his future career. "That experience really propelled me. I knew I wanted to return to our dairy farm," explains Mike, who together with his parents, Kenneth and Janet, and his wife, Sara, milks 200-head of cows and raises corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Expanding youth's knowledge of the world around them is just one reason Mike remained actively involved in 4-H. Even before he and Sara became parents, 26 years ago Mike signed up to lead the Friendly Fellows/ Daisies 4-H Club - the club he grew up in. "I just love volunteering. It makes me feel good when I can see kids benefiting from some of the same experiences I took part in as a kid. And, knowing that as a leader I have a small part in helping them - not just my own kids, but other peoples' kids too," Mike says. "Young people are our future. I feel it's important to do my part to lead them in the right direction." His wife, Sara agrees. "4-H is really something that helps kids become more well-rounded adults," she says. Sara is also a 4-H alumnus. In fact, the couple met showing 4-H dairy cattle together at the State Fair. They reconnected in college. "I joke that my pick up line was, 'don't I know you from showing cattle at the State Fair,'" Mike shares. Today, in addition to showing and judging dairy cattle like their parents, Mike and Sara's high school-age sons, Dylan and Colin also compete in 4-H public speaking, static exhibits and have served as club officers. "I've gained a lot of responsibility," explains Dylan, a senior in high school. "Getting an animal ready for the fair takes a lot of time and work. It's fun when I take exhibits or animals to the fair and get ribbons - to see my hard work pay off. And, keeping records has taught me to be organized." The 18-year-old adds that he values the friendships he has made through 4-H. "I've built friendships with people from all over the state and country," explains Dylan, who was among a group of South Dakota 4-H teens selected to travel to D.C. to attend the National 4-H Citizen Wash- ington Focus trip. "It was interesting to see firsthand how our government is run and learn how bills are written. I realized our lawmakers are doing a lot more than I thought they did." As a 4-H member, his dad, attended the same conference. "It was fun to compare notes," explains Mike, who attributes the leadership and service experience he gained through 4-H with motivating him to advocate for the dairy industry. "Through 4-H I did a lot of public speaking, gained leadership skills when I served as state 4-H council president. Those experiences made me feel comfortable speaking in public," Mike says. Today, Mike leads annual farm tours for area schools and participates in the Midwest Dairy SpeakOut Program sharing his family's farm story and providing information on the dairy industry with community groups. He is also a graduate of South Dakota Ag & Rural Leadership. "Not many people live on dairy farms anymore. Even if they grew up on one, a lot of things have changed in the last 30 to 40 years, which is why I like to let people know about today's dairy operations," Mike explains. In 2016, Mike had the opportunity to return to the World Dairy Expo, this time as a chaperone and coach, when his son, Dylan earned a place on the state 4-H dairy judging team. "It was interesting to return 30 years later and it made me feel good to see our son benefiting from the same experiences I had as a 4-H member," Mike said. In October 2018, Mike will return to the World Dairy Expo for a third time with his youngest son, Colin, who earned a position on the state 4-H Dairy Judging Team. To learn how you can become involved in 4-H as a member or volunteer, contact your local SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Program Advisor. A complete listing can be found online at iGrow under the Field Staff listing. More about South Dakota 4-H SDSU Extension's 4-H Youth Development Program is a partnership of federal (USDA), state (Land Grant University), and county resources through youth outreach activities of SDSU Extension. Youth learn and experience Leadership, Health and Wellness, Science and Ag-Vocacy through a network of professional staff and volunteers reaching more than 9,000 enrolled members with yearly programming efforts to an additional 35,000 youth participants. SDSU Extension Is Looking Another Way To Manage The Cold For Volunteers To Complete Housing Survey By Gov. Dennis Daugaard BROOKINGS, S.D. - SDSU Extension together with NDSU Extension are looking for 200 citizens from the Dakotas to provide insight into their housing wants and needs. "This research project provides a unique opportunity to help our respective Extension groups learn more about housing in rural states," said Leacey E. Brown, SDSU Extension Gerontology Field Specialist. Brown is working collaboratively with Jane Strommen, NDSU Extension, on a housing research study. The information gathered from this anonymous study will be used when developing Extension programming. As an incentive to participate, anyone 18 or older who completes a survey will be entered in a drawing to receive a $50 pre-paid credit card. All citizens of North and South Dakota who are 18 and older are welcome to participate in the study. To fill out this short survey, visit this link. Paper copies of the survey are also available. To receive a paper copy, contact Bethany Stoutamire, SDSU Extension Aging in Place Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA Member by email or 605.782.3290. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Dry Skin? Scratchy Throats? Static Electricity? Chase that winter dry air away with a whole-home humidifier! It will also improve your overall indoor comfort because it will add moisture to your home’s air making it healthier and more comfortable. Call today so you can chase those indoor winter blues away! With the extremely cold weather we have recently experienced, I am reminded how important it is to plan for it. This doesn’t just mean stocking long underwear and packing emergency kits in cars. It can also mean incorporating energy efficient designs into our homes and businesses. This can help keep heat bills under control and keep us comfortable everywhere, not just next to a heating vent. My interest in energy efficiency goes back to the 1980s when Linda and I built our home on the family farm. I began reading about wall assemblies and window sills in my free time. Back then, the energy efficient lingo of the day was “super-insulated.” I made sure that the R-values in the walls and ceiling would keep my energy costs low. I put no windows on the west side and only one small window on the north side. To reduce electric demand, and help cool the house in summer, I installed a heat-pump water heater. I am very proud of the house, and Linda and I are very eager to return there once we finish our stay in Pierre. It remains comfortable and solid yet today. The energy cost savings I have realized have paid for the extra costs at construction many times over. Since then, some features in my house have become more mainstream and energy efficiency has become a more common aspiration. Building science has seen additional advances since the 1980s and I’ve recognized a few mistakes that I made in building my house. Today, the leading standard for energy efficient building is the Passive House standard. The standard defines needed elements with rigor, but still allows customization. It can be tricky to build a home that meets all passive house standards, but even if a building cannot meet the full standard, many of the concepts can be applied to provide significant savings. The standards are outlined at phius. org. We have applied some of these standards to the Governor’s House program. The program builds houses for income-qualified individuals and families using inmate labor. A few years ago, we upgraded insulation, tightened the envelope in the homes and added an air exchanger. More recently, we added a high efficiency heat pump system. The homes are comfortable and affordable to heat and cool. If you are considering remodeling your current home or building a new one, I encourage you to look towards energy efficiency. A modest investment in the short-term can reap long-term rewards by making your house more economical and more comfortable. 2018 Beautiful Baby Contest We will be featuring our annual “Beautiful Baby Contest” in print and online on Wednesday, February 28th If you or someone you know has a child or pet we would love to include them in our feature! To enter, simply submit your photo and entry form with a $10 submission fee by Friday, February 16th 1) 2) 3) 4) “Fur o! To Babies” First place winners in the following categories will receive a framed winners print and prize. newborn-6 months 5) Multiple Births 7-12 Months 6) “Fur Babies” 13-24 Months (Pets of any species/age) 25 Months-4 years : Entr y To Submit ss & Dakotan e Daily Pr Yankton 9 Walnut St. 31 078 , SD 57 Yankton dline: ntr y Dea y, E Frida th 16 Februar y Category#___________ Beautiful Baby Contest Age:____________ Date of Birth_________________ Contestant’s Name___________________________________________________ Submitted by____________________________________________ 2018 Broadway • Yankton • 605-665-4348 710 Cottage • Vermillion • 605-624-5618 1715 4th St. • Sioux City, IA • 712-252-2000 Relation to Contestant___________________ Phone #_______________________ Winners will be selected by the staff of Yankton Media Inc. Employees and family members of Yankton Media Inc. are ineligible to win. *Submission of this form authorizes the publication of photo in this contest in print and online at www.yankton.net. Submission fee ($10) must accompany entry form to be valid. Only contestant’s name and name(s) of person submitting will be printed in paper. (Example: Jon Doe, submitted by parents Bob & Beth Doe)