Robeson County 4-H

We admit day 4 of 4-H Animal Science Day Camp was a little less than traditional, but it was tasty and a bit of fun. We started the day at Double C A Farms in Saddletree. The owner, Ronnie Hammonds showed our youth how animals can be big business. We started by visiting his poultry houses. We saw how they work and learned about how many chickens they can hold. Then we moved across the road to the field to walk with the buffalo. No this is not a Kevin Costner movie, we actually walked in a field with buffalo and dodged any surprises they might leave behind. We not only learned about respecting such large animals, but how they live and their nutritional value. With a brief acronym we learned that red meat has Zinc, Iron and Protein (ZIP) which is good for our bodies. From there we headed straight to the barn where we indulged in fresh watermelon from the field and traced back how our food ends up in the grocery store. In an effort to be green we recycled our watermelon rinds by...

It was a rip roaring day for the campers who took part in the 4-H Animal Science Day Camp. Day three was filled with lots of information and sweet surprises. We started the day with a trip to a little known but wonderful place in Chatham County. Carolina Tiger Rescue (CTR), formally known as Carnivore Preservation Trust, is a rescue center for various wild animals that have been raised in domestic captivity. They also house animals that no longer have a home in zoos due to funding. Here the animals have room to roam, are kept from danger, and taken care of with feedings designed for their personal health needs. On our tour we learned about each animal, their story of where they came from and how they got here, and even though they are cute it is not a good idea to get close. Some of the animals were allowed to have treats as we visited such as a chicken leg, piece of banana or in one case a jar of baby food. Each treat was given to the animal by specially trained volunteers who...

Yeehaw we had fun today!!!! Our Second Day of 4-H Animal Science Day Camp started with a meeting with a real life cowboy. More on that later. Actually we loaded up in our trusty vehicles and headed back to Raleigh. There we met with the wonderful folks at N. C. State University's Equine Unit . It is a place where research is done, horses are taken care of and new things to help horses and humans is learned day to day. Our tour was lead by the manager of the unit and students. Our youth learned about some of the activities that go on at the Equine unit and what students learn and do there. We got the opportunity to meet vet med students as they examined a pregnant horse and then they got to meet a mare and her Phillie up close. As they learned about approaching horses, and where to and not to stand they couldn't help but be excited about petting the horses. The students answered all of their questions and were wonderful about holding on the horses as the day campers fe...

If you love animals and want to know more about them and careers that involved them than this week of Robeson County 4-H Summer Fun is just what you are looking for. Animal Science Day Camp started today with a trip to Raleigh. Our 17 youth along with a teen volunteer and Michelle Shooter, Extension Livestock Agent and Miss Shea Ann our 4-H Agent loaded up and headed north. We began the day at the North Carolina Natural Science Museum. There we saw animals from the beginning of time to present day. We also got to see frogs being fed, baby turtles and lots of stuff that lit up, made noise and in general was just sort of cool. The special exhibit on the oceans involved an art form that was studied in Arts and Crafts day camp, Batik. It was really neat. After a brief lunch in the courtyard of the museum we headed to North Carolina State University for a little education on what it takes to become a veterinarian. We had a tour of the Vet Med School and saw some really cool thing...

District Activity Day is a tradition for 4-H and Robeson County and this year was no different . For those of you who are not familiar with District Activity Day let me give you a little history. In April our 4-H members competed in County Activity Day which is a public speaking and demonstration speaking competition. For the youth who placed first or second in their age division and category they have the option of moving forward to District Activity Day (DAD). Each year DAD is held in each of the six districts. This year the South Central District (which is made up of 15 counties) was held in Wadesboro which is in Anson County. Those who win here may have the opportunity to move up to state competition. It was an early morning as our five public speakers, seven presenters, and two entertains participants as well as parents, siblings, friends and clubs leaders climbed aboard the 4-H bus and 15 passenger van. We left the parking lot at the office and about two hours later arrive...

One of the staples of 4-H Summer Fun for the last two years has been our Babysitting Day Camp. Two years ago we offered the first certification opportunity then last year we offered a recertification for these youth of their CPR. The Red Cross partners with us to offer the course for our youth and this year was no different . Five of our six youth returned to get recertified in CPR. All of them worked hard all morning and part of the afternoon working on their adult, child and infant lessons as well as the hemlich maneauver. After the all passed their recertification tests it was time for lunch and then a little fun . We headed over to Lumberton Bowling Alley to celebrate and boy did they celebrate. Three games of bowling turned into quite the compeittiion. The first two games it was the babysitters against the trainers. The last game we split up into even teams of babysitters and trainers and had a close game. With sheer exhaustion setting in we headed back to the office j...

Did you know that because we as a nation do not eat the right foods that our children will have shorter life spans then we do? All it takes is a little effort to find food that is good for you, and is grown locally. On Saturday we celebrated the opening of the Downtown Farmer's Market in Lumberton. As part of the celebration the entire Robeson County Extension Staff pulled out all the stops and had a dozy of a local foods celebration. Prep work started long before the event with veggies being donated by local farmers. Our resident healthy cooking guru, Janice Fields, Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agent created some really great concoctions that would be thrown on the grill the next day. Variety was the name of the game and the offerings ranged from traditions grilled veggies to pizza and waters. On the morning of the big event everyone arrived around 7 am. Our resident griller, Larry Russ took his cooker to the event and grilled a variety of things from gre...

It is hard to believe that the last day of our first full week of 4-H Summer Fun is behind us. What fun we have had and Day five of 4-H Arts and Crafts Day Camp was no different. It was known as fabric day. In other words everything we did involved some type of fabric. We started with the ancient art of Batik. It involves taking a fabric and coating with with wax to make a design then dying it. After it dries you protect that color with more wax and then dye it in a darker color. The wax will crack as it dries and allow for unique characteristics in the dye patterns. We used pillow cases and a combination of bees wax and paraffin wax. The bees wax has properties that allow the wax to better adhere to the material. As the youth finished their designs we used dyes to color their pillow cases. We let that dry over the course of the morning and then painted the pillow cases after lunch and dyed them again. Two days later the wax was ironed out of the pillow cases and will be sen...

It was an early morning as we hit the road at 8:00 am for a new Arts and Crafts adventure . Our goal was to be in Wilmington before it got too hot because for this trip every degree counts. Our first stop was at the Burchetta Glass Blowing Studio for a demonstration on glass blowing. Our youth had the opportunity to see John Burchetta and his staff hand make glass sea shells for the local chamber of commerce. It is a process that we learned can take several days. It started the day we arrived with glass that was as hot as lava which is why it glowed bright white, red and orange. We learned how they color the glass with pure color that they have shipped in from places such as Germany. We watched as they shaped the glass and quickly moved it from oven to oven to keep it the right temperature to work with it. It is very hot in the studio with several ovens and a machine that holds gallons of molten glass. The artists actually look like they are sunburned from being so close to th...

It was a hard pounding day that involved muscles, brains, and an electric current. Day 3 of 4-H Summer Fun Arts and Crafts Day Camp involved noise, natural materials and a whole lot of fun and creativity. We started the day with long time 4-H volunteer and woodworking extraordinaire Bobby Rogers. He came with a woodworking project that literally lit up a room. Each youth worked with Rogers to design and nail together a wood lamp that they can decorate for their rooms. As part of the project they learned about wood design, carpentry skills and of course used a hammer and nails. They also learned about some basic wiring skills as well as gained some knowledge about electricity. After the lamps were constructed and lunch was over it was time to get even more creative with our construction projects. Our youth used wood letters, numbers and shapes to personalize the lamps. Then they each received their own lamp shade and had the opportunity to use paint pens, bows, glitter, and ot...

Did you hear the buzz? If not read on while we tell you about the honey of a day we had. Yes, the puns are bad but our day was really sweet. Day 2 of 4-H Arts and Crafts Day Camp was one spent on the road with some great stops. We started at Robeson Community College with Ed Hunt from the BioAg Network. He gave our day campers an up close look at bees. Hunt keeps hives at the college and was able to load a frame of bees from his hive into a box for our youth to see up close and personally. They learned about the life span of bees and the need for different types of bees. One of the items the youth used to craft with on Monday was bees wax which they saw the bees making in the frame. They will also use bees wax later in the week. Hunt also taught the youth about the medicinal purpose of the bees and then gave them a tour of the campus. They saw different learning areas such as a science lab, greenhouse, and kitchen for cooking and catering lessons. The youth said they learne...

One thing you can say about our 4-H members is that they are colorful. That has never been as true as it is today for the members who are taking part in our first ever Arts and Crafts Day Camp which is part of our 4-H Summer Fun Program . The five day camp is targeting crafts that will stay with our youth for the rest of their lives. Our first day, in case you have not figured it out, centered on color. Our first activity involved making our own name tags with a twist. We used Shrinky Dinks. For those of you not familiar with Shrinky Dinks, they are thin pieces of plastic that you can draw on with color pencils or permanent markers. Then the sheets are placed in the oven and you can watch them shrink down and get thicker and very hard. Our youth did a great job expressing themselves in plastic (and watching it shrink and shrivel). After that it was time to paint. Jane Hurst came in to give some neat watercolor tips. Our youth practiced with water color pencils first learni...

At our last club meeting Lucas, the one member to show up, learned the importance of breath control, sight alignment and sight picture. After a little practice he posted a very impressive 10 out of 10. What was so impressive about it? The target was only 2" x 2 3/4" in size. Looks like Lucas has set the standard the rest of you have to achieve. Just goes to show what you can accomplish with just a little practice. Our next club meeting will be held Saturday, July 9th at the range. See you there. Submitted by Dirty Dozen 4-H Club Leader Larry Russ

This morning it felt a little like Christmas. You know that feeling when you see the look on a person's face as they open a gift that they really enjoy, especially one made with love. That is what Friday morning felt like as we visited Southeastern Regional Medical Center to drop off the rest of the knit-in items from the United Way Day of Caring. A large group made up of knit-in participants, Day of Caring organizers, and others met in the lobby of the hospital. Beth Ivey, the Director of Volunteer Services, met us and carried us up to our location on the Maternity ward. There we presented caps, blankets, and pillows . She told us the items are particularly needed at this time, as they have had a large number of births (14 one day and 11 the next) lately. Those at the drop off included; Margaret Crites, Shea Ann DeJarnette, Jessica Drake, Jane and Megan Hurst, Rod Jenkins, Sandra Oliver and Tanya Underwood. Beth Ivey said the items will last for quite awhile and will be...

When people say the word etiquette images of tea parties, fine china and pinkies raised in the air come to mind. However in 2011 when 4-H teaches etiquette we aren't talking about your great grandma's etiquette. We are working on things that will help our youth now and in the future. Day 2 of 4-H Summer Fun Etiquette Day Camp is no different. We worked with youth in a variety of areas and even gave them the chance to practice their new found skills. The evening started with an ice breaker on the top 10 rudest dining behaviors. Things like chewing with your mouth open, flatulence, and cell phones at the table made that list. After having a little fun with that we broke into groups again and hit the rotating workshops. Tonight the 15 minute workshops involved everything that has to do with eating. Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Science Agent worked with the youth on place settings. Knowing where cups, forks, plates, and other miscellaneous tale setting go can b...