DAD - The 4-H Kind!

4-H District Activity Day (DAD) is an event that you have to see to believe. Around 200 4-H members (75 first timers), along with about 300 agents, judges, parents, friends & family gathered at Anson Middle School in Anson County to participate in presentation, public speaking and talent contests against 4-H’ers from across the South Central Extension District.

 
Three Richmond County 4-H’ers were on hand for the event. Two competed in presentations and two were part of the talent show. Nathan Ezzell took home the Gold for his presentation on How Bees Affect Farmers in the Bugs and Bees category while Santiago Acuña Robinson also won Gold in the Horse category for his presentation about Care of the Race Horse. Sarah Tyler and Santiago Acuña Robinson both participated in Talent. Sarah mimed to “He Knows My Name” while Santiago sang the song “Let Me Hold You”.

Nathan will be competing at the State Presentation Finals held during 4-H Congress in Raleigh in a few weeks. Santiago will be competing at the State Presentation Finals held during the 4-H State Horse Show in Raleigh, also in a few weeks.

Special thanks to all of the parents and family who support these 4-H’ers as they complete their projects! Good luck to everyone competing on the State level!  Special thanks for Tiffanee Conrad-Acuna for attending DAD with the Richmond County delegation & for writting this. 

Chili Cookoff Rules....

Hey All,

Come out & support Richmond County 4-H, take a tour of the recent improvements made at Millstone 4-H Camp & see the Leadership Richmond Cow Pie Bingo Contest!

Chili Winners will be announced 12:00 noon with tasting for $5.00 until 2:00 pm (or until it’s all gone:)

To enter a chili, send $20 deposit to Richmond County 4-H (we will return deposits upon your arrival at Camp.) For complete rules, see below or stop by the office at 123 Caroline Street in Rockingham.

1st prize Chili receives $100! Taster's Choice receives $50! Doorprizes given throughout the day!

(Contact Michelle NOW to ensure you get your chance to win $1,000 & other prizes in Cow Pie Bingo to benefit the BackPack Pals Program - last day to buy tickets for Bingo is May 19th!!)

Contact Michelle Stumbo at the Cooperative Extension Office at 997-8255 or michelle_stumbo@ncsu.edu with any questions.

Top of Form

The Rules and Regulations for Cooks at Richmond County 4-H Chili Cookoff:

1.     Traditional Red Chili is defined by the International Chili Society as any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients.

Chili Verde is defined by the International Chili Society as any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with green chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients.  You may cook either of these varieties or your favorite spin-off! 

2.     Individuals or teams (up to three people) may entry the Cookoff.  Teams must designate a Head Chef during registration.  Youth under age 18 may be part of a team, but not be named the team’s Head Chef. 

3.     The entry fee will be $20.00 per chili entered.  Contestants may enter more than 1 batch of chili and will receive their entry fee back upon registration at the Event. There will be a 1st, 2nd, and Taster’s Choice cash prize.

4.     All ingredients must be pre-cooked & treated prior to the event – chili is to be brought “ready-to-eat” after the set-up period.  Registration will be from 10:30-11:00.  Judging will begin at 11:30 am. 

5.     Contestants are responsible for supplying all of their own utensils & products relating to their chili submission and maintenance of its proper temperature for serving.  Electricity will be available, however, plan to bring your own power cords.  Spoons and cups for use in serving chili to the general public will be provided. Condiments will also be provided.

6.     Each contestant must cook a minimum of four (4) quarts of competition chili.  Any additional chili (Other than that which is submitted for judging) will be for public consumption.

7.     Each contestant will be assigned a “contestants number” by the Chief Scorekeeper and be given a container in which their chili will be collected at the time of the official judging. Each contestant should verify that the number on the bottom of their container is the same as their contestants’ number assigned to them by the Chief Scorekeeper.

8.     The decision of the judges is final. Judging will be based on score cards which are numbered.  The Taster’s Choice Award will be based on donations collected during tasting.  One vote = $.25.  All tasters can vote as many times as they would like. 

9.     Each contestant is responsible for policing and cleaning up the area at the end of the day and removing all items from the area. No items shall be allowed to remain after the close of the Cook-off.

10.  In this competition the chili will be blind judged (no one knows the identity of the cook) and scorecards will be based on the following six characteristics:

A.     Texture: The texture of the meat shall not be tough or mushy

B.     Flavor: The chili should have good flavoring and chili pepper taste (not too hot or not too mild)

C.    Consistency: Chili should be a smooth combination of meat and gravy not too thin or too thick

D.    Spice and taste: Blending of the spices and how well they have permeated the meat

E.     Aroma: This will be a personal preference of the judge

F.     Color: The submitted chili should look appetizing

·       Chili may be distributed to the public only after judging has commenced.

·       The decisions of the Chief Judge are final.

·       The Peoples Choice Award is determined by the public.  The public will purchase chili.  It is up to you to entice them to try your chili and cast their vote for you.  The more chili you have the more votes you can get.

·       All cooking is to be done in a sanitary manner.  Conditions are subject to inspection by the Chief Judge.  In addition, failure to comply is subject to disqualification for that team.

·       Each team will provide all ingredients, utensils, and accessories necessary to cook chili.   This includes cook stoves, warmers and fuel.

·       At no time should you leave cooking chili unattended (for safety and integrity reasons).

·       Chili must be made from scratch: cooking beginning with raw meats, vegetables and spices; complete commercial chili mixes are not permitted.

·       Beans, pasta, rice, etc. are approved ingredients for this chili competition.

Extension Needs Your Help!

As I believe we are all aware by now, our State is facing a budget crisis.   Up until this week Extension was looking at a possible 10-15% budget cut state wide which would effect programs, positions, and ultimately the future of Extension as we know it. Yesterday, Dr. Joe Zublena, Associate Dean and Director of North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (CES), has said that the cuts being discussed are between 25-30%.  That means the loss of almost 400 positions across the state and programming cuts across the board.

If Cooperative Extension programs, including 4-H, have affected your life in a positive way, we are asking you to make contact, either through phone calls or emails, to elected officials. Below are the names and numbers of the people we elected to serve us and who are ultimately the people who are making decisions about our budget. The Cooperative Extension budget is in the Higher Education Line item, specifically the agriculture section of Higher Education.  Cooperative Extension is budget code 16032.  Please take a moment to share that Cooperative Extension is important to our farmers, our youth, our families and our communities.  In 2010, Richmond County Extension made contact with more than 11,000 people (nearly 25% of our county population) and Extension volunteers donated more than $75,000 worth of volunteer service to our community.  Let lawmakers know that Extension includes helping traditional agriculture such as farmers, livestock producers, and poultry producers but also let them know we help families and youth. Extension is the only organization that can adapt to the needs of a county and offer solutions with research-based materials that improve the health/well being of our citizens, protects our food chain, and increases the profitability of our agricultural economy.

If you are a resident of Richmond County, you are represented by:

Representative Ken Goodman (Dem):  910-997-2712, 919-733-5823, Ken.Goodman@ncleg.net

Senator William R. Purcell (Dem):  910-276-7328, 919-733-5953, William.Purcell@ncleg.net

If you live outside of Richmond County, please visit the website listed to find out who represents you.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/GIS/RandR07/Representation.html

Dr. Zublena sent some key points about the work that Cooperative Extension does in North Carolina for you to think about & hopefully share with those representing you. 

“Below are some additional key points that may be useful. Keep in mind every program we provide is at risk. When interacting with your legislators speak from the heart and about the programs you believe in and support within their and your districts.
• The CES budget is only 0.23% of the General Fund. The Research Budget is 0.30% of the General Fund. Combining these two with NCDA CS (0.31%) and NCA&T SU, the primary research, extension, marketing and development organizations supporting agriculture are only 1% of the General Fund. Agriculture is the #1 industry at $74.3B and more than 688,000 jobs in the state. This data clearly shows a very frugal, effective and efficient system of support for such a significant and important industry in our state.
• A recent (March 2011) Council on Agriculture Science and Technology report showed North Carolina is among the states that has seen the greatest growth from 1960 through 2004 in agricultural output. In addition the report showed nationally that agricultural productivity is largely responsible for the fact that the percentage of U.S. household income spent on food has decreased from 22.3 to 9.5 percent at the same time that total food consumption increased. The report also points to studies that conclude that each dollar spent on public agricultural research returns $32 to society. Information from this report validates that agricultural research and extension is a significant value to society and our efforts in NC have been one of the best in the county. This was not by accident, we’ve had a state that understood the importance of agriculture and invested in its future through CES and ARS.
• Research today provides adaptability, economic development, competitiveness and sustainability for our state’s future. Most research takes 4-10 years to provide reliable outcomes. Adoption of that research by producers and adaptation of the research for local conditions occur though Extension.
• 4-H is one of the Nation’s premier youth development programs. Compared to their peers, youth engaged in 4-H: stay in school longer, have higher graduation rates, have higher college attendance and graduation, smoke less, have significantly lower rates of criminal conduct and arrests, and are more involved in their communities. In 2010 NC 219,000 youth and 22,000 volunteers participated in 4-H. Youth in 4-H make significant contributions throughout the state and will be our future leaders just as many of our 1,000,000 4-H alums are leaders in their communities today.
• Since the early 1900’s NC communities have had strong leadership though the efforts of rural women participating in home demonstration clubs and now Extension and Community Associations. We will be celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and their accomplishment are many including the development of rural libraries and book mobile programs, establishing hot lunch programs in NC rural schools, selling more than $2M in war bonds for the WWII hospital ship, Larkspur whose total cost was $4M and helping bring electricity to rural NC. Today’s Family and Consumer Sciences Extension programs train women in leadership development and empower them to publicly address family and community issues, provide education for their families on financial management, energy conservation and nutritious and safe food preparation.
We appreciate your continued support for Extension and Research within your College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Your efforts today will shape the future!”

On a slightly more personal note, I wanted to end by sharing part of a letter that I recently wrote in support of my “home” Cooperative Extension program in Jackson County, Ohio.  The words hold true for programs across the state of North Carolina as well.  

“4-H is the largest youth development organization in the United States and began in Ohio more than 100 years ago.  Since then, the idea of Extension Staff and trained volunteers working together to impact the lives of youth has expanded into every state of the Union and more than 60 countries worldwide.  No two 4-H programs look like one another, because 4-H meets the citizens where they are and helps them to reach their own goals. 

On a personal note, I am a product of 4-H.  I was a member at age 9, showed livestock at the Fair, went to 4-H Camp as a camper and a volunteer counselor, became a 4-H Volunteer when I aged out of the program, interned with 4-H in Tennessee and currently work as a 4-H Agent in North Carolina.  In a recent conversation with my mother, she actually told me that I was so shy as a child that I was, “painful to watch.”  Even into junior high and high school, I would seldom speak to people unless I was talking about 4-H.  4-H provided me with my first public speaking experiences and even though I was shaking as I spoke to groups of 3^rd graders and announced shows at the County Fair, I did it.  And I learned to enjoy speaking and sharing what 4-H had done in my life. 

Through my time in 4-H & grace alone, I have gone on to obtain both a BS and MS in Agricultural & Extension Education.  I have traveled around the world and spoken to thousands about my experiences.  I have seen 4-H do the same thing for others that it did for me – my time in 4-H gave me a voice.  It gave me a voice and the ability to use it to help others.

My hope in writing this is not to brag – far from it!  My purpose in writing is to implore you – keep 4-H & Cooperative Extension in Jackson County.  Without it, I hate to think of where I would be today.”  You can insert any county name there - because I truly believe that Cooperative Extension makes a difference in the lives of our citizens!   

As always, please contact us with any questions or concerns.  Have a wonderful day!

Change is Coming... But That's OK!

Please find below some directions for switching over Photoworks Accounts to ShutterFly Accounts that was originally published by Shea Ann DeJarnette, the wonderful 4-H Agent from Robeson County.  She gave me permission to copy this to our Blog.  THANKS SHEA ANN!!!

Well we have a little announcement to make for all of you who follow the Robeson County 4-H blog. As you know when you click on the links to our photos you find them at photoworks.com. Our organization has had a decade long partnership with this company even before it was photoworks and was known as Seattle Film Works. In the last day or so photoworks has announced it will be closing as of April 4, 2011. They are transferring our photos to a similar service at shutterfly.com.

This will effect you in two ways. For those of you who look at photos or download photos for project records etc., you will now be taken to our Shutterfly account where you will have to create your own free account as you did on photoworks. You will be able to save entire albums to your account or specific photos. You can download them to your computer and print or order prints from shutterfly just as your did photoworks. If you have photos stored at photoworks you can log into your account (up until April 4) and ask them to transfer your photos to your shutterfly account which you can do for free.

The second way this will effect you is through the blog. All posts prior to this one are linked to photoworks. After April 4, we will replace the links in reverse chronological order so the photo links will be through shutterfly. This is not an overnight task, and may take some time but we will work diligently to update all of our posts with new links to the new photo sight.

If you would like to order any of the photo books we have made in the past now is the time. The last post of each year has a link to the books that were made. After April 4, these books will no longer be available. We are working with Shutterfly to build our own share page that you will be able to access all our photos separately without a specific link from the blog and will keep you updated on that process as it happens.

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we go through this process. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at michelle_stumbo@ncsu.edu.

Happy Hatching!!

Hello!

Almost ready for the brooder box.

Miss Michelle helping West Rockingham students be better hand washers.

The week has finally arrived! When I got to the office on Monday, I heard the faint sound of chirping coming from the incubator. Several hours later, our first chick hatched! Overnight, many followed suit and we now have more than 20 here at the 4-H office! I have gotten reports from many classrooms of chicks hatching there as well.

As fun as being there for the chick's birthday is, the 4-H Embryology project is about more than just hatching chicks! Through this project, 11 Richmond County 1st and 2nd grade classrooms have cared for eggs for the past 21 days. After the teachers attend a training with Miss Michelle, they are ready to receive equipment and eggs. During the course of the project, students learn about life cycles, agriculture, biosecurity, record keeping and more! Students have written stories, made books and completed timelines to help them learn more about the chicks and why we treat them like we do.

Farm Bureau partners with us to help ensure success of 4-H Embryology! Special thanks to Farm Bureau for assisting with this program.

Time for Teens

3 Richmond County 4-H teens started their 4-H year off by attending Winter Enrichment recently.  The event was held on the campus of Sandhills Community College in Moore County.  It brought together 4-H'ers from the South Central Extension District which includes 15 counties.  Nearly 70 youth from across the district gathered to conduct business meetings, attend workshops, meet new friends and have a good time.  

Katie working on her Electric Project Kit. 

Nathan Ezzell, Courtney Miller & Katie Miller represented Richmond County well at the event.  Courtney taught a workshop on Health Rocks, a healthy lifestyles basics curriculum.   Other workshops offered included Scrap booking, Electric and Personality Testing.

This, and other 4-H events are supported by contributions to the United Way of Richmond County and fund raising events  

We are very proud of our teens and look forward to a great 4-H year to come.  To take a look at all the pictures from Teen Retreat, click here!

I Hear Noises....

I have had a new sound in my office for a past week.  The gentle hum of an incubator has been in my office and 11 Richmond County 1^st and 2^nd grade classrooms.  The students are participating in the 4-H Embryology project by hatching out a group of chicks in their classrooms. 

 

Day 3/4 of Development

Students at Monroe Avenue, West Rockingham and East Rockingham Elementary Schools are participating in the project now, with Fairview Heights, Washington Street and L.J. Bell, Mineral Springs and Cordova Schools participating in March.   

 

During the 21 days that it takes for the chicks to develop and hatch, students help to ensure healthy growth by turning the eggs, monitoring temperature and keeping water in the incubator.  Students learn about many different areas during this project, including life cycles, growth, agriculture, and bio-security. To see more pictures from my incubator, click here. 

 

Lilo waiting for her classroom visits. 

1^st grade classrooms were offered a visit from 4-H Agent Michelle Stumbo to learn how important it is to wash hands by looking at where germs like to hide under the black light.  2^nd graders could get a visit from one of the 4-H Program Rabbits to help discuss agriculture and how important that is for us. 

 

Richmond County 4-H receives support to offer programs like these to Richmond County School Students at no cost through the generosity of Richmond County.  Farm Bureau has donated money in order to purchase new incubators.  You can also support Richmond County 4-H by contributing to the United Way of Richmond County. 

Volunteers Get A Day!

I often write about trips and conferences that our 4-H members participate in, but recently our wonderful Volunteers got their chance to have fun learning when they travelled to Volunteer Leader’s Conference in Raleigh. 

 

Volunteers from across the state gather each year to learn new information, share what they are doing in their counties, celebrate the work that has been done over the past year and meet other volunteers who can understand the challenges and successes that they experience.   

 

Richmond County 4-H Volunteer Mamie LeGrand and 4-H Program Assistant Cynthia Little took the trip with me last weekend and went to the conference to learn how to better serve the youth of Richmond County. 

If anyone is interested in becoming a 4-H Volunteer, please contact Michelle Stumbo at 997-8255 or michelle_stumbo@ncsu.edu.  Volunteering is a great way to affect youth in a positive way by allowing them to form learning relationships with caring, screened, trained adults.  You can also support Richmond County 4-H by contributing to the United Way of Richmond County. 

Support Stitch!

Stitch, and his girlfriend Lilo, are 4-H's newest program rabbits.  Stitch has been doing such a great job getting ready to meet Richmond County's youth that we decided to enter him into a photo contest.  Check him out...

You can find the entry here:
http://rcdailyjournal.upickem.net/engine/Details.aspx?contestid=25143&pagetype=APPROVED&SubmissionID=6721248

JCPENNEY CUSTOMERS “ROUND-UP” $1717.41 FOR RICHMOND COUNTY 4-H

Thanks to funds raised through a recent “Round-Up” campaign at the JCPenney at Richmond Plaza, more Richmond County children in need will benefit from the educational opportunities offered by quality programming. From Dec. 1-14, JCPenney customers were invited to round-up their JCPenney purchases to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to JCPenney Afterschool. Donations raised at JCPenney’s final “Round-Up” event of the year generated $582.08 for Richmond County 4-H. The program has set $1717.41 to 4-H in the county this year.  One hundred percent of the proceeds collected directly benefit 4-H in an effort to build and sustain afterschool educational programs in Richmond County. 

Thanks to JCPenney & Richmond County Citizens for making this partnership work!!

Now Introducing......

Lilo & Stitch! 

Lilo & Stitch are Richmond County 4-H's newest Program Rabbits.  They are American Fuzzy Lops, which is a small breed rabbit who are proving to be very funny!  For more information on the breed, visit their website at http://users.connections.net/fuzzylop/.  The first time Lilo & Stitch will get to see the kids of Richmond County will be during 4-H Embryology starting in a few weeks. 

For those who have been visited by the 4-H bunny before - no worries - Carolina Bunny is just fine!  She is our current program rabbit and had contact with more than 1200 youth in Richmond County in 2010 and it was time to get her some help so she can get a day off occasionally.

Farm City Week Starts the Giving Season in Richmond County

Abby Hamilton helps Mr. McInnis's goat feel at home.

 Each November, we as a country are asked to return our thanks for the many blessings that we each have. As President Abraham Lincoln stated, "To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God."

I simply can't state it any better than that!  And in Richmond County, one of our biggest gifts is the relationship between our agriculture community and our business interests.  Each year during the week of Thanksgiving, Richmond County takes time to celebrate Farm-City Week.  We have both a wonderful farming heritage and a motivated business sector that must work together to understand one another and work towards the county's best interests on all fronts. 

To start the week off with some fun, the annual Farmers Parade is held in Ellerbe.  This year the parade route allowed tractors, floats, horses, people and even a goat or two to travel down Main Street.  The 4-H Livestock Club members could be seen waving and taking care of a couple future producers (goat kids) on a float being driven by their constant supporter, John McInnis (and Mrs Velma is always supporting them too.)  The parade saw more than 130 entries of all types and crowd estimates are that over 1,000 people came out to enjoy the show & shop at the many venders who set up shop for the day.

Chris Yaklin, Farm Bureau President

Monday saw the annual Farmer's Luncheon held at the Agriculture Services Center.  Several wonderful cooks volunteer their time to provide wonderful food for the event which saw well over 100 people coming together to celebrate our county's farmers.  They included:  Earl Graves, Gerald Littlejohn, Bob Hill, Gene Shaw, David McCoy, Myers Waddell, Helen Goodman and Betty Wilson.  Several businesses also assist with the event geared towards helping recognize the hard work and dedication it takes to provide food and fiber products to citizens of North Carolina including PeeDee Electric Membership Cooperative, Perdue and FirstHealth.  In addition to updates from the agencies housed at the Agricultural Services Center, Luncheon Attendees also got to hear from Chris Yaklin, President of Richmond County Farm Bureau.  Chris shared that he knew he wanted to farm from a young age and that it has helped make him who he is today and the important role Farm Bureau plays in the community; it's not just an insurance company.

The final event of Farm-City Week 2010 was the Farm-City Banquet.  The Banquet was held at the Cole Auditorium on the campus of Richmond Community College in Hamlet.  The banquet featured great fellowship and reconnecting with friends of both the farming and urban communities in Richmond County.  We started the night with our own Carol Capel singing with Miss Sarah Yaklin.  They sang "Mary Did You Know?" and did a fantastic job!  Commissioner Thad Ussery read the Farm-City Week proclamation from the Richmond County Board of Commissioners.  A.J. Outlaw, who works in the agricultural sector, provided entertainment for the event.  AJ is also an Elvis impersonator and provided us with his best impressions of The King, including my two favorite Elvis tunes:  Blue Christmas and An American Trilogy.  We ended the evening listening to Miss Molly Stutts of Ellerbe.  Molly is the NC Peach Queen and she shared some of her experiences during the course of her year.  She has had many chances to reach out to the community and enjoys each chance to help expand the understanding people have about agriculture.  She also made sure that everyone had some yummy peach recipes to take home to try for the Holidays.

We had a wonderful Farm-City Week in Richmond County!  Here at the Extension Office we are grateful for many things, including all of the wonderful people who make these events possible.  Special thanks & congrats to the staff of Farm Services Agency in Richmond County for all of the hard work they put into planning this year!  To see more pictures from this year's Farm-City events, click here. 

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 day after Thanksgiving crowds & visit the Agriculture Service Center to do your Christmas shopping this year. If you pay the deposit before Dec. 17th, 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 24th and return on Friday, July 29th, 2011.

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!!! Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas & Happy Camping!!

4-H Farm Credit Circuit Ends With a...Banquet!

Another year has come & gone for the 4-H Farm Credit Show Circuit.  We could not be more proud of the more that 80 showmen, 20 from Richmond County, we dedicated themselves to caring for and showing an animal this show season.  It takes time, compassion and commitment to participate in a fall of livestock shows across the region.

Richmond County was wonderfully represented at the Banquet in Sampson County!  Many families made the trip to help celebrate the accomplishments of our young people.  To see more pictures from the Banquet, click here.

The Goat Junior 9-10 year old category saw the following placings:

Brianna Hamilton	Richmond
Katie Edwards	Anson
Savannah Chappell	Richmond
Kristen DeBerry	Union
Maria Fehlman	Union
Faith Thompson	Richmond

The Goat Intermediate 11-13 year old showmen is always a competitive category.  It came down to the wire again this year too. 

Jordan Carroll	Richmond
Sarah Maske	Richmond
Bethany Thompson	Montgomery
Madelyn Chappell	Richmond
Michaela McInnis	Moore
Alana McQueen	Richmond
Peggyann Kennedy	Richmond
Jeremy Fehlman	Union
Kristi Reep	Richmond
Matthew Acorn	Hoke
Nathan Lemonds	Montgomery
Benjamin Herndon	Cumberland

Dixie Acorn of Hoke County receiving her Award.

The Senior 14-19 year old Goat division saw something that has never occurred to our knowledge in the past.   One person, Dixie Acorn of Hoke County, won both the Goat and Heifer categories.  We are very proud of Dixie & all of our Seniors for always being willing to help out younger showmen and lend a hand at shows.  The Senior Goat division ended up with the following placings: 

Dixie Acorn	Hoke
Nathan Ezzell	Richmond
Morgan Rockwell	Hoke
Grayson McQueen	Richmond
Santiago Acuña	Richmond
Darren Lefler	Moore
Catherine DeBerry	Union
Theresa Fehlman	Union

Our youngest showmen, the Cloverbuds, are 5 to 8 years old and do not show competitively yet.  They are using this time to get the basic skills they need to show in the future!  They have shown lambs, goats or heifers during the show season & they are: 

Shane Kendall	Sampson
Hunter Mercer	Sampson
Tate Naylor	Sampson
Hanna Naylor	Sampson
April Baldwin	Sampson

Marcie Harward	Stanly
Mattie Harward	Stanly
Luke White	Chatham

Brenon Bullard	Richmond
Taylor Chappell	Richmond
Eddie DeBerry	Union
Grace Fehlman	Union
Bryce Goodwin	Richmond
Abigail Hamilton	Richmond
Matthew Lemonds	Montgomery
Eli Maske	Richmond
Madison McInnis	Moore
Will Meacham	Richmond
DeLani Reep	Richmond
Garrett Thompson	Richmond

4-H Science Adventures

 

Recently Richmond County 4-H partnered with local professionals in various fields to offer 4-H Science Adventures for all the 5^th grade students in the county.  4-H Science Adventures is geared towards giving teachers and students a day of learning about natural resources and the environment in the natural beauty of Millstone 4-H Camp. 

650 students participated in the program with 100% of reporting teachers stating that both student’s scientific knowledge and skills were enhanced.  100% of reporting teachers noted improvements in class participation, goal setting, problem solving and critical thinking skills throughout the day.  Youth also participated in the National 4-H Science Day Experiment 4-H2O.  The Experiment helped youth to realize that actions we take can affect the world around us. 

Numerous volunteers make 4-H Science Adventures possible by donating nearly 250 hours of service to the students of Richmond County, valued at over $5,000. Volunteers include:  Brad Allen and Matt Gordon with the NC Forest Service, David Auman, Jeff Smart and William Trivette from the Beekeepers Association, Victoria Hudson with Environmental Health, Krista Long with Morrow Mountain State Park, Jackie McAuley with Soil & Water, Jeremy Martin and Mark Thompson with Sandhills Research Station, the staff of Weymouth Woods State Park, Cathy Brown, Tiffanee Conrad-Acuña, Shea Ann DeJarnette and Lauren Irby with NC Cooperation Extension.  Special thanks also goes to one of our own Goat Showmen, Sarah Maske, for letting us borrow your goat for the event.  Special thanks to these amazing people and to the United Way of Richmond county for providing monetary support for 4-H programs.

Celebrating What Is GREAT In Richmond County!!!

Written By:  Michelle Stumbo, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development and Tiffanee Conrad-Acuña, Extension Agent, Livestock. 

The theme at this year’s NC State Fair was “Celebrate What’s Great!” and Richmond County 4-H’ers should have great reason to celebrate after their strong showing at events this year!  Youth exhibited in the Junior Meat Goat Show, Junior Meat Goat Showmanship, Junior Doe Goat Show, and Junior Doe Showmanship during the NC State Fair. 

The 4-H Livestock Club was busy for several days at the fair. During the Junior Meat Goat Show, 20 Richmond County youth displayed their finished products.  They have been working with their animals since early July and sold their goats during the Fair.  Youth competing in the Junior Meat Goat Show included Santiago Acuña Robinson, Brennon Bullard, Jordan Carroll, Madelyn Chappell, Savannah Chappell, Taylor Chappell, Bryce Goodwin, Vance Goodwin, Nathan Ezzell, Abigail Hamilton, Brianna Hamilton, Peggyann Kennedy, Alana McQueen, Grayson McQueen, Eli Maske, Sarah Maske, Will Meacham, DeLani Reep, Kristi Reep and Faith Thompson.  These young people did very well, bringing home one 1^st place ribbon, two 2^nd place ribbons, one 3^rd and 4^th place ribbons and three 5^th place ribbons during the Junior Meat Goat Show. Nathan Ezzell had one goat in the Grand Champion drive while Jordan Carroll and Will Meacham both had goats in the Reserve Champion drive.    

The Richmond County 4-H Livestock Club was again working hard during the Junior Commercial Doe Goat Show and Showmanship.  Jordan Carroll, Madelyn Chappell, Bryce Goodwin, and Nathan Ezzell all competed in the Junior Commercial Doe Show.  Richmond County brought home two 4^th place ribbons and one 5^th place ribbon during the Junior Commercial Doe Show.

Several youth received Showmanship Pins for their outstanding ability to show their animals to the best of its ability.  These youth included:  Jordan Carroll, Madelyn Chappell, Taylor Chappell, Bryce Goodwin, Abigail Hamilton, Brianna Hamilton, Eli Maske and Sarah Maske. 

Richmond County 4-H volunteers even got into the action of the State Fair! John & Velma McInnis, Richmond County goat producers who continually support the 4-H Livestock Program, had animals on display in the State Fair Ark.  John had a doe, an adult female, and two kids, baby goats, which were exhibited in the Expo Center at the State Fair.  We are very proud of the McInnis Family for being awarded this honor!

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 pictures from the State Fair, click here!

Great Things Happening in Richmond County!

 Written by:  Michelle Stumbo, Extension Agent, 4-H & Youth Development and Gene Shutt, Millstone 4-H Camp Director

Phone:  997-8255/652-5905

Upon first arriving at Millstone 4-H Camp and seeing over 250 youth walking around carrying guns and bows, I thought how some might be scared of the scene.  Many people fear any and all weapons because of the highlights on the news each night.  These young people, however, are not to be feared, they are to be applauded for their efforts in the recent North Carolina 4-H Shooting Sports Tournament held in Ellerbe, NC. 

The purpose of the NC 4-H Shooting Sports program is to develop caring, capable youth by enabling young people to become responsible self-directed members of society, offering young people of our state a positive experience in the shooting sports program, and promoting the safe sport of hunting and shooting. 

4-H’ers from across the state participated in both team and individual contests in the following categories:  shotgun, small-bore sporting rifle, small-bore match rifle, air rifle, air pistol, black powder, recurve archery, compound archery, and hunting and orienteering skills.  More than 25 counties were represented at the event this year.   

During their stay at the historic site in Ellerbe, youth used over 7,000 rounds of .22 ammunition, almost 5,000 shotgun shells, and around 200 round balls for muzzle-loading, ammo for air rifle and air pistol and numerous ends of arrows for archery.  Participants also got to experience the numerous renovations that have been done at the Camp over the past 3 years, including heated/air conditioned cabins, state of the art septic system, new roof & windows in the Dining Hall and a brand new kitchen.  More changes are quickly on the way at Camp as well!  Ground has been broken for a Courtyard which will eventually be part of the NC 4-H Museum at be housed right here in Richmond County. 

To see pictures from the day, Click Here , for results from the contest, check out the Shooting Sports section of www.millstone4hcamp.org.  If you are interested in developing safety, ethics, personal responsibility, and lifetime recreational skills in youth that you know, contact Michelle Stumbo, 4-H & Youth Development Agent with NC Cooperative Extension at 997-8255 or michelle_stumbo@ncsu.edu.  For more information on Millstone 4-H Camp and the Museum Project, contact Gene Shutt, Millstone 4-H Camp Director with at 652-5905. 

YouthVoice 2010

August 27-28 marked the inaugural North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Youth Summit –YouthVoice 2010, which was held in Greenville, North Carolina.   Held in conjunction with the annual county commissioners meeting and sponsored by the NCACC, over 80 youth and adults from 74 counties attended the event.  During YouthVoice 2010, attendees had a chance to interact with County Commissioners, attend the annual Horn of Plenty event sponsored by NC Cooperative Extension, participate in workshop sessions and attend NC SPIN. 

In addition, the youth attendees debated and decided on the top ten issues facing youth.  These issues stemmed from ones that 4-H’ers and youth in every county identified and compiled.  Youth then met in groups to prioritize the top ten issues in their Extension district.  One youth from every county was invited to attend YouthVoice 2010.  The Richmond County delegate was Nathan Ezzell, son of Randy & Tracy Ezzell of Rockingham.

One youth per county was invited to attend YouthVoice 2010 and bring their district issues. From over 60 issues, the delegation attending YouthVoice 2010 determined the top 10 issues facing youth in North Carolina.  The State 4-H Council officer team shared the top ten issues with the County Commissioners.

YouthVoice 2010 was developed because of NCACC’s 2010 President Mary Accor’s commitment to youth and to developing youth leaders.  The event was sponsored by the NCACC. North Carolina 4-H Youth Development and North Carolina Cooperative Extension were the lead partners and led the efforts to plan the conference and organize YouthVoice 2010. 

North Carolina 4-H has over 240,926 youth enrolled in the program as well as 21,200 youth and adult volunteers. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.

- Written by Sarah Kotzian, State 4-H Office, NCSU -

Running with the Pack

It's football time again & recently 2 Richmond County 4-H'ers got to see just what that entails during a NC State University football game.  4-H’ers from across the state took part in this year’s Run with the Pack in Raleigh.  DeLani Reep of Hamlet and Makayla Wilson of Rockingham represented Richmond County 4-H at the event.  
 

On Saturday, September 4, 12 excited 4-H’ers from across the state took the field at Carter Finley Stadium with the N.C. State football team to kick off their first game of the season - a matchup against Western Carolina University. North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives sponsored the game and this once in a lifetime opportunity for the  4-H’ers. The electric cooperatives have a long-standing relationship with the 4-H program, and these students were chosen based on an application.

In addition to running on the field with the N.C. State football team, each 4-H’er also received tickets to the game for themselves and their family. This was a wonderful experience for the youth who were chosen to participate as well as for their families.  Richmond County 4-H sent two representatives to Run with the Pack this year.  They were DeLani Reep of Hamlet and Makayla Wilson of Rockingham.  Congratulations ladies!

North Carolina 4-H has over 240,926 youth enrolled in the program as well as 21,200 youth and adult volunteers. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.