The email address for the Woolly Ones Sheep Club is woollyones4h@gmail.com; all email is directed to Mary McLaughlin, the co-club leader; Wil Staats is the other co-leader. Club members lease and work with sheep at Dutch Hollow Farm.
The Somerset County 4-H web site is http://somerset.njaes.rutgers.edu/4h
The Woolly Ones Sheep Club meets monthly, on the second Tuesday, at the 4-H Center located at 310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater NJ. Meetings start at 7:15 PM and run until approximately 8:45 PM.
The 4-H program year in New Jersey starts on September 1. At the beginning of the program year, club youth members set goals for the coming year that the member would like to accomplish, with many of the goals centering on the member’s club project. Caring for a sheep/lamb is considered a project; club members work on their project in the form of a record book throughout the year. From September through March, most project work involves learning more about sheep/lambs, to develop new or improve existing skills in the care of sheep/lambs. In the spring, with the arrival of warmer weather, club members begin working with their sheep/lambs to prepare them for the Fair, including halter training, squaring, feeding, washing, fitting, hoof trimming, learning/identifying sheep anatomy, and assessing/maintaining overall health. Club youth also are required to prepare and complete an oral presentation to the club (or at the Somerset County 4-H level, if desired.) The club participates in many other events during the year:
The Annual Livestock Dinner is held each November, usually on the first Saturday, at the 4-H Center. It is the annual awards dinner of all of the clubs in the livestock division of Somerset County 4-H, representing sheep, goats, alpacas, beef and dairy. It is a potluck dinner, and all club members are formally recognized for their completed projects for the previous year and for their years in the 4-H program.
The annual wreath sale is key fundraiser at the county level. Clubs offer balsam wreaths for purchase via take-order forms, and receives a portion of the proceeds from each wreath sold. All club members are expected to participate with either a minimum of 1 wreath sale.
Ad sales for the 4-H Fair program book are the major fundraiser for Somerset County 4-H Association, and goes directly to costs in running the *free* 3 day annual 4-H Fair each August at North Branch Park, Bridgewater. As stated previously, club members must participate in the wreath sale, or sell at least 1 ad for the program book, although participation in both fundraisers is strongly encouraged!
Of course, club members participate in the annual 4-H Fair, spending three days (10:00 AM through 10:00 PM, Wednesday through Friday) in August at North Branch Park for the sheep judging competition, and market lamb judging and auction. Club members are on hand to set up the sheep tent on the weekend before the Fair; sheep are brought to the fairgrounds on the Tuesday evening before Fair opens, and club members help with getting sheep pens and display tables setup. Club members help with taking down the pens/displays on Friday night after Fair ends at 10:00 PM.
Other events include:
- 4-H Spring Carnival
- NJ 4-H Junior Breeders Livestock Symposium at Rutgers University Cook Campus
- Tops Camp
- 4-H Camp
- Mercer County 4-H Invitational Sheep Show (last Sunday in July)
- Hunterdon County 4-H Invitational Sheep Show (last Friday in August)
- 4-H Big Rummage Sale
- 4-H Open House
- Various others
Also, the club tries to participate in at least one community service project each year; project ideas are always welcome!
