Farm City Week Starts with a Tractor....

Parade, that is!  The Saturday before Thanksgiving is the traditional start of Farm City Week here in Richmond County.  The parade was held in Ellerbe under rain-free skies this year.

John & Velma McInnis served as the Grand Marshals for this year's parade.  John & Velma have a long history of farming in Richmond County.  They are even helping get the next generation of farmers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, nurses & maybe even Extension Agents ready to lead by playing a huge role in the Richmond County 4-H Livestock Program.  They are a constant source of support and encouragement to our 17 youth who showed goats this year.  John also serves on a statewide 4-H Livestock Advisory Committee to help lead state programs in the right direction.  It was a privilege to be able to honor them at the Farmer-City Parade this year!

At least in my mind, no parade is fun or complete without yummy food & sweet treats being available.  This one was no different with venders selling everything from BBQ to hot dogs to baked goods and even fried Twinkies!  Everyone seemed to have a great time visiting the craft vendors too, and maybe got a bit of Christmas shopping started while enjoying the day!

This year was the 2nd year that a FREE craft station was offered by Richmond County 4-H.  We were able to again give youth the chance to make one of two crafts at no cost due to a generous donation from Richmond County Farm Bureau.  The kids who visited the 4-H station could make Little Gobbler Turkeys or Sweet Potato Bead Necklaces!  Everyone had a great time getting creative & we hope you enjoy your crafts & learning more about 4-H!

We want to thank everyone who came out for the Farm-City Week Parade!  Whether you drove a float, smiled & waved from the passagener's seat, sold food or crafts, helped 4-H'ers get creative or simply wanted to enjoy the sights, thanks for spending part of your day with us!  To see all the pictures from the day, please click here!

We hope you take some time this year to be thankful for all the gifts we are given.  Be sure to add one of the safest and easily available food supplies in the world to that list this year!  We look forward to seeing you at the Farm City Banquet on November 24th at the Cole Auditorium when Dr. Jim Clark will share how 4-H history goes hand in hand with America's Farmers!  Tickets are available at the door or the FSA office at 123 Caroline Street. 

Camp for Christmas!

It’s that time again!! No, not for snowflakes and Santa, but for thinking about canoes, crafts and Richmond County 4-H Camp! What better present under the tree than a week of fun and excitement this summer? Forget about enduring the the day after Thanksgiving crowds & visit the Agriculture Service Center to do your Christmas shopping this year. If you pay the deposit before Dec. 19th, we will make your child a certificate to open on Christmas (maybe wrapped inside a new sleeping bag, etc?!?)

We will be camping at Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Camp in Reidsville, NC. We will depart on Sunday, July 25th and return on Friday, July 30st, 2009.

The camp is accredited by the American Camping Association and is staffed by trained and dedicated young men and women from across the country and around the world.
Youth aged 9-14 participate in horseback riding, canoeing, archery, climbing, swimming, arts & crafts, cookouts, campfires, nature exploration, teambuilding, high ropes, and much more. Adventure programs offer older youth (13 and 14 year olds) opportunities to gain compass, GPS and other outdoor living skills, plus participate in rock climbing, swift water canoeing and more. All these activities help youth improve their leadership and communication skills while making new friends from across the state.

If you are interested in more information about 4-H Camp, and to pay a $50 deposit or the whole camp fee of $325, call 997-8255 or email michelle_stumbo@ncsu.edu for a copy of the camp form! You can also check out what happened at camp this year by scrolling down to July. There will be an opportunity to receive $50 -$200 Camp Scholarships this year, and the application will be mailed to those having paid their deposits before March 1st!!! Merry Christmas & Happy Camping!!

Richmond County 4-H at the State Fair

The theme at this year’s NC State Fair was “A Whole Lotta Happy!” and Richmond County 4-H’ers should be very happy after their strong showing at all events entered during 4-H’s Centennial Year!  Youth exhibited in the Entomology Displays, Junior Meat Goat Show, Junior Doe Goat Show, and the Heritage Festival during the recent NC State Fair. 

Madeleine Hudson, a Cloverbud 4-H member, made an insect collection with specimens found around Richmond County which was displayed during the State Fair.   She received a green ribbon for her hard work and will be old enough to compete in the category next year.  This family was using Madeleine's work to show younger generations what insects look like & do. 

The 4-H Livestock Club was busy for several days at the fair. During the Junior Meat Goat Show, 13 Richmond County youth displayed their finished products.  They have been working with their animals since early July and sold their goats during the Livestock Sale.  Youth competing in the Junior Meat Goat Show included Jordan Carroll, Madelyn Chappell, Savannah Chappell, Michael Ezzell, Nathan Ezzell, Abigail Hamilton, Brianna Hamilton, Ryan McInnis, Trey McInnis, Alana McQueen, Grayson McQueen, Will Meacham, and Kristi Reep.  These young people did very well, bringing home three 1^st place ribbons, two 2^nd place ribbons, three 3^rd place ribbons, two 4^th place ribbons, and two 5^th place ribbons. Will Meacham, Jordan Carroll and Brianna Hamilton all had one goat in the Grand Champion class. 

The Richmond County 4-H Livestock Club was again working hard during the Junior Commercial Doe Goat Shows.  Jordan Carroll, Madelyn Chappell, Nathan Ezzell, Eli Maske, Sarah Maske, Ryan McInnis, Trey McInnis, and DeLani Reep all competed in the Junior Commercial Doe Show. Ryan McInnis showed the Reserve Grand Champion Junior Commercial Doe, which could include any doe (female goat) that did not have breed pedigree papers.  Richmond County brought home two 1^st place ribbons, one 2^nd place, and two 3^rd place ribbons during the Junior Commercial Doe Show.

Finally, Alana McQueen displayed her clogging talent at the Heritage Festival during the fair.  She was selected to be a part of this showcase through her 4-H activities and represented Richmond County well, as usual. 

Congratulations to all of these young people and special thanks to all of the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and community members who traveled to the fair to support these youth as they strive “To Make The Best Better” in Richmond County!  To see all the pictures from this year's State Fair, click here! 

Farm City Week is Coming!

It hardly seems that summer has passed, but already we have a report ready to be published about Richmond County4'H's outstanding showing at the State Fair! That means that it is time to start thinking about Thanksgiving, which means eating lots of yummy food & catching up with family & watching football at my house.

Somewhere in those festivities though, it is important to stop and take a moment to reflect and be thankful for all the blessings that we enjoy. While they are MANY, I think that one of the most important things to be thankful for is the fact that we have all the Thanksgiving goodies readily available! For that, we need to thank a farmer!

Farm City Week allows us to do just that, while strengthening the ties between urban residents and rural America. It shocks me that in the rural county I live in, there are still some children who have never seen a tractor up close, or who do not know where their food comes from. Farm City Week allows us to take a step back from our busy lives and think about the simple gifts that we are given.

Richmond County Farm City Week kicks off on November 21st with the Farmer's Parade in Ellerbe, NC. We will also have a Farmer's Luncheon on November 23rd and a Banquet featuring NC 4-H Historian Dr. Jim Clark on November 24th. Take a look at the Richmond County Cooperative Extension Homepage for all the details & come out to join us at one, or all, of these great events!

Hope to see you there!