Robeson County 4-H

As we count down to the new year it is hard to believe that we are at the end of our old year. So many great things have happened in our 4-H year and we would like for you to be able to see the highlights. To that end, we have created a 4-H 2008 year in review with highlights from county programs, camp, clubs, and so much more. Just click on this link to view the photobook . You can download the book to view on your computer or if you would like to order one you can do that from this site as well. We hope that each of you has a great and safe New Year celebration and we are looking forward to our 2009 celebration! Stay tuned for more information.

We just want to take a moment to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to our 4-H family. Thank you for an incredible 2008. You might want to rest up over the holidays because we are going to celebrate in 2009. Stay tuned for more details. Merry Christmas, The Robeson County 4-H Staff (Aggie, Penny & Shea Ann)

In the spirit of Christmas and 4-H we had the opportunity to carry on a tradition this year of giving back to our community. As part of the County 4-H Youth Achievement night each youth brought a new toy to be donated to a child in the foster care program. The toys ranged from baby dolls to video games and our tree looked like it was going to be a great Christmas for everyone. Above members from our two clubs of the year, "Dirty Rascals" Junior Master Gardeners, and the Horsin' Around Horse club, helped collect all the toys that were donated and carried them over to the Foster Care Program . Vanessa Moore accepted the donation on behalf of the foster care program, and she said this year even more than ever donations were needed to try to serve all the families in the foster care program. this is just one of the many ways our 4-H members give back to our community. If you would like more information on the 4-H community service projects just give Aggie Rogers, 4-H P...

This is it! All the hard work, learning, fun, it boils down to one night to celebrate, and celebrate we did. Youth Achievement night is probably the favorite night of the year for the 4-H volunteers and staff. We celebrate the achievements of each youth and they receive a certificate listing all of their accomplishments during the year. Almost 250 youth completed projects and activities that would allow them to receive certificates this year. Some have completed so many they received two certificates for all their accomplishments. They also received a 4-H sling pack to take with them wherever they go to show off what a great 4-H member they are. That is just the tip of the iceberg. We also celebrate our teen leaders, in the form of two awards. The members of the Junior Fairboard were presented with certificates by Peggy Hardin, member of the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair. Sadara Baker, Cierra Buckman, Kelsy Bullard, Sebastian Bullard, Triton Bullard, James Hurst, Rondell McMillan,...

It's a tradition. You can not ring in the holidays in Lumberton without Robeson County 4-H. Thanks to the organizational and decorating skills of 4-H volunteers Libby Burney and Marilyn Merritt 4-H had the shiniest, most glamorous youth float in the annual Lumberton Holiday Parade. More than 40 youth and volunteers clamored aboard the flat bed truck that was decorated with traditional holiday decorations and 4-H clovers. A half dozen clubs were represented including; Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardeners, Horsin' Around, Lightening Electric Club, Spiritual Generations, Voices in Praise, and Young Leaders. Everyone aboard the float helped to decorate and enjoyed their ride down the parade route waving and smiling to all those along the way. It might have been cold this year, but our group stayed warm spreading all their 4-H holiday spirit, and huddling under blankets. According to Libby Burney she has a whole hosts of ideas to make it even better for next year so go ahead and se...

What a week it has been! After leaving our incredible volunteers Friday night Yazmin Washington, Cierra Buckman and I headed to Raleigh early Saturday morning for 4-H State Council Conference. The two day event offers workshops in leadership areas and is also a chance for youth from around the state to get together to make decisions concerning the 4-H program state wide. There is also a battle for the state spirit stick which involves, skits, chants, and a whole lot of mystery points. Before we could even look at our schedules Yazmin, Cierra and DeAngelo Byrd from Scotland County, video taped a shout out for our Military troops stationed abroad and wrote messages on a banner that will be sent to them. Cierra jumped into the swing of things first. She signed up for the Ambassador track of this conference. What that means is that she was learning about the 4-H Ambassador program and taking workshops to obtain her bronze level. 4-H Ambassadors are highly trained 4-H leaders. They ...

We say it too infrequently and they deserve so much more than just a mere thank you. I am talking about our incredible Robeson County 4-H volunteers. Nearly 75 of these special people joined us for our annual 4-H Volunteer Appreciation Banquet . The room was decorated in black and silver to help kick off the upcoming State 4-H Centennial Celebration. Our volunteers were dressed to kill as they came to enjoy dinner, fellowship with other volunteers, and receive small tokens of our appreciation. Cierra Buckman and Yazmin Washington, both County Council officers, served as hostesses greeting our volunteers and pinning them with centennial pins while making sure they were armed with a ticket for some incredible door prizes. Everett Davis, the Robeson County Extension Director, welcomed everyone and served as our moderator for the evening. Bobby Rogers, a long time 4-H volunteer, gave the benediction and we all enjoyed an incredible dinner from Village Station. After dinner, the fun really ...

Traditionally the South Central District Winter Enrichment takes place in late January or Early February. This year it came a few months early thanks to a very special celebration. In 2009 North Carolina 4-H will be celebrating its centennial. To get ready the District officers decided it would be best to start preparing before the beginning of the year to celebrate. So this year they moved winter enrichment up and turned it into 4-H Centennial Enrichment . Two Robeson County 4-H members, Cierra Buckman and James Hurst attended this teen event. They took part in workshops that included learning about solar energy, finding their beat during a music workshop, and learning about centennial activities and planning 100 ways to celebrate in 2009. The day also included a business meeting where county reports were given, an update from the 4-H state council planning meeting, and getting prepared for next weekends 4-H State Council Conference. The two delegates from Robeson County were among 7...

Twas the night before voting and all through the county there were creatures stirring, practicing their voting. Well, in all honesty they weren't really practicing, they were actually officially voting. Not the the country's highest office but for our county 4-H program's highest honors, the officers of the county council and leaders association. Five clubs were on hand to cast their ballots and make sure they were signed by the proper youth and adults for each club. When the votes were tallied the county council officers elected are: Cierra Buckman, President; Aljaquwan Nixon, President-Elect; Yazmin Washington, Secretary; Kristen Sealey, Treasurer; Jaboya Mouzon, Reporter; Laquawnda Banks, Sergeant-at-Arms. The Leaders' Association officers include: Renee Blue, President; Hazel Sumner, President-Elect; Sandra Cox, Secretary; Melissa Hoggard, treasurer; Kenneth Bethea, Reporter; Past President/Advisor is Jane Hurst. Marilyn Merritt, the South Central District ...

They drove to Robeson County in car loads and vans full to enjoy, learn, and work. What is it all about? The South Central District 4-H Annual Volunteer Fall Day. More than 50 people from 10 counties arrived Saturday morning to see old friends, attend workshops, and conduct business. After a brief welcome from district president Jim Hancock, the group broke down to attend two of four workshops for the day. Bobby Rogers, a Robeson County 4-H volunteer created a woodworking project for the group. The shelves, which could be used as a spice rack or whatever the imagination can muster, were put together by each individual to take home. As part of the lesson they learned about different types of hammers, different sized nails, and how woodworking can be a great stress reliever. Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent in Robeson County offered some great ways to recycle and create money saving projects that will be especially handy during the holidays. Taking old m...

They are making history and planning their futures all at the same time. These 4-H members are part of our first Robeson County 4-H intensive college prep program that began on October 31st. 12 youth were selected through a nomination process from club leaders, volunteers, parents and 4-H staff. To be part of the program they had to be in the ninth through eleventh grades, be an active 4-H member, and have the commitment they will need to be a part of the program. Letters and contracts were sent to each possibly participant and when all was said and done nine dedicated members decided to take part in the program that will help them be prepared and competitive for college. Our first workshops took place on a teachers workday. the youth arrived at the 4-H office and worked on exercises to help them follow directions filled out surveys, and we had a conversation to help shape future programs. April Mowery, with CFNC (the College Foundation of North Carolina), stopped by and walked them th...

If you read the Robesonian or Red Springs Citizen you might have noticed a few more mentions of 4-H lately. Everett Davis, the Robeson County Extension Director has a weekly column that has featured our 4-H program three out of the last four weeks. One of the columns is below (4-H a Good Investment) and I had the fortune of being the guest columnist that week and able to share those 4-H thoughts with everyone. Since then, Everett has shared his thoughts on the 4-H Animal Science program and our recent Vermiculture experiments . If you have the opportunity please click the link for each of these stories and take the time to read them. They are informative and interesting and I hope will give you a broader view of 4-H in Robeson County.

The drizzle and grey did not keep the lambs or heifers away from the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair's annual 4-H livestock show Saturday. The morning began early with weigh in for the 4-H lamb show . More than 30 lambs made their way into the show ring to help show why their youth should be seen as the top showmen and then they re-entered to determine the best lambs based on weights. In the non-compeitive Cloverbud division (ages 5-8) showmanship category, Tate Naylor, Hunter Muse, Mason Hunt, McKenzie Love, and Mary Elizabeth Vorder Bruegge stole the ring and the audience's attention as they worked their lambs around the ring. Each received a special cloverbud trophy for their efforts. In the 9-10 year old Junior age division Benjamin Herndon placed sixth, Isabelle Love went home in fifth place, Robert Seals took home forth and Ashley Wilson went home with the white third place ribbon. Eugenie Reba Vorder Bruegge and Drayton Hancock took the top showman spots. In the Juni...

There was hay flying, turkeys rolling, and children laughing through the livestock building at the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair Friday night. More than 30 youth came in to see the animals and stayed to play old fashioned barn games . There were traditional games like sack races and horse shoes, some old games with new twists like pin the tail on the cow, frozen turkey bowling and roping a bulls head, and then the game that topped all games....jumping in the hay stack. A large pile of hay was in the middle of the ring and the kids had a chance to jump in and look for prizes. Everyone had a chance to leave with armloads of prizes which included cups, stickers and educational games. You could say they had an utterly wonderful time!

Can you tell the difference between a laying hen and broiler? If you had attended the Robeson Regional Fair 4-H Poultry show Thursday night you could have had a lesson in everything from how to carry a chicken to what makes an award winning broiler. Judge Summer Russel took time in the ring with each participant talking to them about their experiences, lifting wings, and checking meat areas to determine winners. In our laying hen cloverbud division, or five to eight year olds, Raven Daughtery, Eli Daughtery and Jospeh Hardee entered the ring with their hens. Our five to eight year old division is non-competitive, it allows the youth to have a chance to learn how to show an animal and have this count as a great learning experience. Each participant left the ring with a trophy for their hard work. In the junior laying hen division Benjamin Herndon took first place and Ian Daugherty took home the read ribbon in a competition that Judge Russell said was very close. Jeremy Beavers took...

More than 80 youth from area high schools and counties took part in the annual 4-H poultry judging competition at the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair on Wednesday. The youth had six different areas of competition including, judging past production laying hens, giving oral reasons, grading chicken carcases, determining chicken parts, grading breakout eggs, and candling eggs. It took about an hour and twenty minutes for the youth to move through the tough competition this this year and when the scores were totaled the top three junior (9-13 years old) and senior (14-19 years old) individual winners and teams were award trophies. In the Junior Individual Division Lumberton High School swept the category with two junior competitors. Kelli Alexander walked away with the first place trophy and in second place was Daniel Nance. In the Senior Individual Division Purnell Swett's Stan Locklear took first place (thanks to getting perfect scores in two areas of competition)....

They were squealing with excitement as the pigs trotted into the show ring at the Robeson Regional Fair Tuesday night. More than 25 pigs strutted their stuff while trying to win Grand Champion pig and the more than 15 youth did their best to steer the pigs in the right direction. In the 4-H Youth show cloverbud Keshawn Cooper walked away with a trophy for his showmanship effort and a blue ribbon in the lightweight division with his pig. In the Senior division Joshua Bessone took the ring by storm and walked away with two blue ribbons one for showmanship and one for middle weight division as well as a second place ribbon for one of his middle weight pigs. Triton Bullard received a red ribbon for showmanship and a blue ribbon for his heavy weight hog. Triton's brother Sebastian followed in his brother's footsteps with a third place in showmanship and a second place in the heavy weight division. Following the 4-H show was our youth market hog show. Our 4-H members had the opportu...

Twitching noses, thumping paws, and nervous children can only mean one thing...no it's not Easter in October, it's the annual 4-H Rabbit Show at the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair. More than a dozen youth had the opportunity to show their furry friends and let judge Glen Privette question, look, and handle rabbits in mid-air and chose the best of the best. During the pre -show conference, judge Privette gave our senior showman the opportunity to show their leadership skills by assisting our Cloverbuds , those 5-8 year old's develop their show skills in the ring. Joseph Hardee , Logan Spivey , and Ashley Rogers entered the ring with their adorable bunnies and each got a few minutes with the judge to learn the tips they will need to be top competitors when they turn nine. After speaking with the judge they each walked out of the ring with their bunnies and a trophy for their hard work and initiative. Anthony Bullard and his rabbit Rex hopped home with the blue ribbon ...

It was the unmistakable sounds of sheering, goats dragging their feet, and the smell of Billy's that lets you know that the goat show was here. More than 100 goats butted heads to get to this event and as always we had a humdinger of a good time . The afternoon started with the 4-H Showmanship category. In this category the youth are broken into four age categories and compete against each other for best showperson. As always the Cloverbuds, our 5-8 year old's stole people's hearts and the show when they entered the ring. Delani Reep, Bailey Coffer, and Lucy Harvell walked into the ring with their goats in one hand and walked out with a trophy and ten dollars in the other hand when it was all over. In the new Junior 9-10 year old age Division the competition was tight, but Judge Randal White did an excellent job determining the best of the best. Michaela McInnis walked out of the ring with the blue first place ribbon, Jordan Carroll came in second, and Andi-Ann Davis...

I just filled my gas tank up and nearly cried. Each time I turn on the news, I am bombarded with debates on recession and depression, bailouts and failures. Every time I turn my head to one side or another, there is something in the headlines about a youth who made a wrong decision or a series of wrong decisions and is now behind bars and will probably be there for life. After all of that, I turn completely around and look at the youth in this county who are involved in 4-H, and I smile. I smile because here they are having fun; they are in a safe and nurturing environment and learning. Each time they figure out a concept, like how electricity runs through a circuit; each time they finish a community service project; each time they figure out that they can make a difference, they smile. That smile is contagious, and it makes me smile. If a child, who is grinning from ear to ear because they just figured out something on their own, can't make you smile, stop reading now, beca...

If you drive by the fairgrounds this week you can't help but notice the ferris wheels, crowded parking lot, and colorful lights. Yes, the fair is officially opened and it is ten days loaded down with fun, activities, and shows. The great thing about this county fair, and what separates it from other fairs, is that this is an old time agriculture fair. We have exhibits, booths, cake competitions, homemade wine competitions, the national chicken bog cook off, and live farm animals. If you look closely you can even see that popular four leaf clover with the 4-H's in almost every building. My favorite place to see the 4-H clover is in the Al Parnell Home Exhibits Building. In that building you will find four of our clubs that worked hard to create educational booths. They are some of the most creative offerings I have seen in a long time and offer fair goers an idea of some of the things that go on in 4-H. Young Leaders 4-H Club created a booth titled "4-H is Always in...

It could have been the mooing or the head butting from the goats, or even the state vet on his knees that gave us a clue that fair season, but more importantly, Livestock Show season is in full swing. More than 20 folks came out to the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fairgrounds to take advantage of our free health certificates for 4-H members showing in this years livestock events. Bruce Akers, got down on the ground and talked with the animals , listened with his stethoscope and put his hands in places the animals weren't too happy about (mainly their mouths and eyes) to make sure they were healthy and eligible for their health certificates. Michelle Shooter, Extension Livestock Agent, sat and helped fill in the blanks on the paperwork with the help of the animal families. Even Mercedes, a very gentle heifer belonging to Stephanie Carter, seemed to have an utterly mooving experience now that she is ready for show season. We want to thank Bruce, all the parents, and 4-H member...

Before everyone gets up early Monday morning to head back to school, Robeson County 4-H wanted to give our members one last blast as a proper send off. We packed more fun into four hours then anyone has ever experienced before. From making stepping stones and sculptures to signature crayons and snack cookbooks everyone walked away with something new and fun to share with their families at home. We also had incredible snacks and the best game of bingo ever. When everyone left they had a back back filled with schools supplies and games to help them make friends on their first day. Not to mention a t-shirt to let everyone know they are a proud 4-H member. We hope our 4-H members have a great first day of school and incredible school year. Click here to check out all of our Back to School Fun and please contact our 4-H staff at (910) 671-3276 or our web site to check out all the opportunities we offer during the school year.

They cooked, they cleaned, and they had a blast during our 4-H Cloverbud Day Camp. It was five days of fun, learning, and bathroom breaks as our five to eight year olds took over the O. P. Owens Agriculture Center and turned it into their camping and educational center. Each morning they worked on project books, played games that gave them a little exercise, and worked on a variety of 4-H projects, such as insects, vermicomposting, and learning the 4-H pledge. After a snack break everyone had a chance to attend Tooth School with Christy Strickland, our Family and Consumer Science Agent. They learned why it is important to take care of their teeth and the best foods to eat for their teeth and overall health. The youth also had a chance to get cooking in the kitchen making healthy, fun snacks that they ate each afternoon. After lunch a variety of people came by for stories and fun. Stacie Kinlaw from Exploration Station stopped by to tell stories, sing, and color fun projects. Tanya Unde...

The mood all over the camp was somber Friday morning as campers got up and finished packing before going to breakfast. Everyone was tired, sad to leave their friends, but so happy to have had this experience. Before we left the counselors gave each camper an award, some were for archery, or swimming, others for being inquisitive. We even had a few campers of the week. Then a great slide show, recapping our week's fun, was played for everyone to enjoy. Then it was time to say thank you and goodbye before boarding the buses and heading home. Thank you to the friends and family members who have been checking the photos. It came to my attention that it was taking a lot of time to load photos from the link so I have gone ahead and separated the photos from Sunday to Tuesday and then Wednesday thru Friday . Since these are two different links it should be faster to upload and view. We hope you enjoy the photos and please share them with your campers. Now that I have had a little time to ...

Unfortunately all our fun had to start winding down at some point and after another action packed day, tonight's festivities were the perfect way to start saying good-bye. After another full day of traditional camp activities like swimming, archery and canoeing as well as some non-traditional activities like GPS challenge, repelling, and corn husking, our campers were ready for the big evening finale. After dinner we held our traditional Thursday night dance. While some enjoyed the toe tapping music, others took advantage of the night to play a few games with their newfound friends. Everyone had the chance to enjoy snow cones made by the L.I.T.'s (Leaders In Training) and cool off from the heat generated by all the fast paced songs. After the dance we had our final campfire complete with a fireworks display. What a better way to end a terrific week. The campers headed back to their cabins to pack and exchange addresses and phone numbers. While the volunteers and staff took a fe...

What a gorgeous morning to take a hike and learn more about nature, architecture, and the history of the 4-H camp we are all enjoying. Some of our campers had a chance to take a real hay ride to Chinqua Penn Plantation and tour the grounds and main house today. The house which was built by Jeff and Betsy Penn in 1925 as a place for them to experiment with different techniques of raising animals, an opportunity for them to showcase their tastes derived from many different cultures they experienced in their travels, and most importantly their home where they loved to entertain. Betsy and Jeff Penn did not have any children together but loved youth so much they gave the land for the camp we are learning at and enjoying this week. Not everyone got a chance to experience the tour however. Our younger youth learned about the pioneer days, and learned how to make cornbread over an open fire, how to dip candles, and how to churn butter. All without electricity of course. Our older youth, in Tr...

The first day of camp was just an appetizer for our youth as they continued toward the best of activities. The Trekkers (our oldest youth) got hung up on all the fun as they learned the proper way to hug trees. Actually, they had the opportunity to work on the ropes course, climbing a 25 foot pole and jumping to catch a swing, walking on logs suspended in mid-air, and yes, zipping to the bottom of the hill on a zip line. The course tested their resolve, broke down barriers, and forced them to work together to accomplish tasks (plus it was a great adventure, even if they were screaming as they let go of their fears and grabbed hold of the fun). The Adventurers learned how to make shelters and build a camp fire for their sleep out at the outpost tonight. Some of the youth had a chance to check out the water games and slide down a slippery tarp, get dizzy during the water noodle race, and play a neat game of pool tag. By the time the sun set our campers just wanted to shower and lay their...

It has been a long day of fun, excitement and adventure as our campers got a chance to try a variety of activities. After breakfast and flag raising the groups did everything from hike to the Beaver pond to walk on a rope 25 feet in the air. Each youth is getting a chance to show their artistic side by creating a tye-dyed pillow case (what a restful way to remember camp) while others are practicing their aim by taking a shot at the bow and arrow (a.k.a. archery). While some of the campers had a chance to cool off in the pool, others climbed up on a horse and took a little ride. Each of the activities are repeated during the week so that the youth have the opportunity to practice and increase their skills (after all who reaches the top of the rock climbing wall on the first try????) With each attempt a new level of self confidence is reached and a whole new level of fun is achieved. The Earth and Sun groups played chef tonight as they roasted marshmallows over an open fire and made thei...

Well we made it! 54 youth from Robeson County signed up to attend a week long overnight camp at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center in Reidsville, NC. We left around 9:30 Sunday morning and arrived at camp just after 2:00 p.m. Everyone was anxious from our long trip and it did not take the campers long to get registered and find out where they would be living for the next week and who their cabin mates would be. After unpacking and a few icebreakers everyone headed to the craft shelter for a huge cookout. After filling up on hot dogs, chips, and watermelon campers had a chance to meet all the staff and volunteers and learn one interesting thing about them. They learned everything from the international staff members strange eating habits (ketchup on pizza) to who has a dog that likes to unpack suitcases. After that it was time for line dancing, square dancing and just general fun. To cap the evening off everyone enjoyed the opening night campfire which included skits and songs befor...

Eight hundred seventy worms made their way into the Robeson County library and into the hearts and hands of almost 50 youth who attended the weekly youth program at the Lumberton Branch of the Public Library as they learned about the process of vermicomposting. The youth had the chance to learn the importance of earth worms and composting worms in our environment. As Ms. Shelly read them a story on a worm and butterfly, 4-H volunteers and staff from the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service prepared a very special bedding for the worms. They soaked a brick of coconut fiber in a bucket of water to start the vermicomposting exhibit that will be available to travel to area schools, educational programs, and youth programs in the future. The exhibit known as "A Can-O-Worms" currently has close to one pound of worms in it thanks to the help of the youth at the library . All of them lined up and used spoons or their hands (how brave ...