Welcome To our Second 4-H Alum

Greetings Everyone,

I am Taleek Harlee, and North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, has welcomed me as the new 4-H intern.  I am a Robeson County native who attended Purnell Swett High School, where I found my love for agriculture through our Future Farmers of America (FFA) Organization.  

It was my guidance counselor who put me in my first agricultural class, which lead me to finding my true passion.   I knew from that first semester of my agriscience class that this was my true passion and that I could make a career out of this field.  Later that year, I became a prominent member of the Purnell Swett FFA Chapter, where I served on many committees and took on different leadership roles.  

By my senior year of high school, I was elected president of our chapter.  Under my leadership, I wanted the students at Purnell Swett to know that FFA was not just about agriculture, which lead to the campaign “Not Just Agriculture.”  Our efforts were to educate others who were not part of FFA that we were about more than just agriculture and its teachings.

I’m pretty sure by now you can tell that I really love agriculture.  As the 4-H intern, I will assist in many various programs and events with 4-H as well as other Extension programs.  It is a wonderful feeling when you have the opportunity to work with and serve the organization which you love so much and were once a part of.  I am very excited to work alongside all of the wonderful staff members at Cooperative Extension – it will make the experience worthwhile.

During the course of my internship, I will be helping with the planning of summer camps and the implementation of other programs throughout the summer.  My goals as intern are to provide 4-H youth with the needed life skills to be able to succeed and to also help our county youth reach their full potential.

This internship will give me firsthand experience in Extension’s programs.  I’m currently at North Carolina State University, majoring in agriculture, and with my degree, I plan to come back to Robeson and work alongside the great employees at Extension to serve the public of Robeson County.  Go Wolfpack!!

Action Instead of Words-You Be the Difference

The following article was written by Wendy Maynor, 4-H Program Associate and was published in the Robesonian and Robeson Journal.  The article can also be located on the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center website.
How many times have you heard someone say, “I want to make a difference” or “I want to see change”? It takes more than words and good intentions. It requires everyone making a concerted effort, accepting each other, and working together as a cohesive unit for the betterment of our youth and our community. Equally important is changing negative attitudes, being thankful for what we have, and focusing on the positive in people and our community. 
There are no two people the same. We are all inherently different, and that is what makes each of us unique. It’s important for us to accept that we all have opinions – sometimes the same and sometimes different. Each of us have our own way of doing things, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the only way or the right way. There are many different ways to do something and accomplish the same end result, which is the ultimate goal. Acknowledging and accepting that we all have different personalities, strengths, and weaknesses gives us a better understanding of each other – ultimately, helping us build better relationships with each other. 
An important way of building relationships in 4-H is by volunteering and mentoring. It is an awesome way of teaching both youth and adults the importance of diversity, cultural differences, and acceptance of people. When you volunteer, you are not only making a difference, you are the “change,” not only words. What better way to give back to the community you live in than volunteering? Become a 4-H volunteer and be a positive role model for our youth, teaching life skills such as setting and accomplishing goals, leadership, public speaking, delivering presentations, the importance of community service, and sharing your talents. 
You can be the one to provide support and encouragement and have a significant influence on the lives of the youth in Robeson County. We will embrace your talents and give you the opportunity to share them with local youth. Volunteers are required to complete an application, background check, interview, and attend trainings to begin making a positive difference in the lives of our youth. There are trainings, workshops, and conferences that are provided for all 4-H volunteers. Robeson County 4-H holds an annual “Volunteer Appreciation Night” to recognize all the volunteers and the work they do. Some of our volunteers have 20-30 years of service with the 4-H Programs in Robeson County! 
So do you really want to make a difference or just talk about it? I challenge you to become a volunteer, sign a child up for the 4-H program, and make a difference in our community. 
For more information, please contact Wendy Maynor, 4-H Youth Development Program Associate with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/. NC State University and N.C. A&T State University are collectively committed to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. NC State, N.C. A&T, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

The Benefits of a Family Dinner

The following article was written by Joanna Rogers, 4-H EFNEP Program Assistant and was published in the Robesonian and Robeson Journal.  It can also be located on the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center web site.

Today, many American families have strayed away from eating family dinners together. Family dinners can be defined as coming together to eat and enjoy each other’s company. We have grown accustomed to eating on the go, having the TV on to entertain, and having other electronic devices to distract us from one another.

Did you know that having family dinners can improve your family dynamic? Children gain significant benefits from family dinners. A study done at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital found that those teens who ate with adult family members an average of at least five times a week were less likely to use drugs or fall victim to depression, compared to teens who ate with their parents only three times a week. Children feel a sense of love and belonging when they are surrounded by people they love and are able to communicate more freely. Academics have also been shown to improve by having this short amount of time with their family.

Use family meal time to talk about important life skills and the importance of good nutrition. Some ideas that you can incorporate in your dinner night include writing questions on little pieces of paper and pull from a cup or ask simple conversation starter questions. Examples might be: name one high point in your day and one low point, name three healthy foods you have eaten this week, or suggest some new dinner ideas we should try next week.

Another benefit of family meals may include planning dinner ahead to save money. Yes, some families have saved a significant amount of money dining in instead of dining out. Planning ahead also helps relieve the stress of deciding what’s for dinner every night and gives you more control over what your family eats. Here is a quick, healthy recipe you can try with your family:

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 6 servings        Serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups of frozen mix vegetables, thawed
• 1 cup canned chicken
• 1 (10 ¾-ounce) can condensed, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup reduced-fat premixed baking mix (for making biscuits)
• ½ cup skim milk
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Mix vegetables, chicken, and soup together and place in ungreased 9-inch pie plate
3. In a medium bowl, stir baking mix, skim milk, and egg together until blended to make batter.
4. Pour batter on top of chicken mixture.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

For more information, please contact Joanna Rogers, Youth EFNEP Assistant with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at Joanna_Rogers@ncsu.edu, or visit the Robeson County Center website.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University are collectively committed to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. NC State, N.C. A&T, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

Cooking Up Health for Mother's Day

You never know what might happen at a Dirty Rascals 4-H Junior Master Gardener Club meeting and this month's meeting was no different.  Our youth who made it on time got a chance to get down and dirty by ridding our raised bed gardens of kale that had sprung up since our last meeting.  We are starting to think it might be invasive at this rate.  After getting our frustrations out in the garden we added our scraps to our cold compost pile and went back inside to heat things up a little.
Since Mother's Day is right around the corner we thought we might need to be a little creative and come up with a way to bring the garden to mom.  So our youth learned how to make an omelet in a jar.  Not only can you add ingredients from the garden to make it local and healthy, no stove is needed for this breakfast treat.  Everything is made in the jar, cooked in the jar (and in the microwave), and eaten from the jar.  Therefore there are not a bunch of dishes or mess to clean up after.  Perfect plan right?  We also decided that this was a nutritious snack to make when our youth got home or would be a great breakfast on the go in the mornings. 
Our youth took to the project and were eggcited to try it out!  They had their choice of bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, cheese, and bacon bits to add to their creations and they all thought they were fantastic when they came out of the microwave.  We have included the recipe below.

Mom’s Microwave Omelet

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray

2 large eggs

1/3 c. shredded Cheddar

1/4 Onion, finely chopped

1/4 c. ham, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tbsp. freshly chopped chives (optional)

Directions

1.     Grease a 16-ounce mason jars with nonstick cooking spray.

2.    Crack two eggs into the jar. Add cheese, onion, ham, and bell pepper (or other ingredients that you enjoy such as spinach, bacon, mushroom) in the jar and season with salt and pepper.

3.    Place lid on jar and shake until eggs are scrambled and ingredients are combined.

4.    Remove lid and place in the microwave. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds. Garnish with chives and serve.

For more on this club please contact Wendy Maynor, 4-H Program Associate, at (910) 671-3276 or Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu. 

Family News

The links for the June and July Growing Together issues are now active. If you have difficulty opening the links, please try a browser with a built in PDF reader such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
June 2018   https://growingchild.com/growingtogether/index.php?i=5296nm
July 2018   https://growingchild.com/growingtogether/index.php?i=1169uz

Horse Program Update

Below please see the link to the latest information from the NC State Horse Husbandry folks concerning 4-H Equine events.
https://equinehusbandry.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/NC-4-H-Horse-Program-Newsletter-May-2018.pdf?fwd=no

Getting Ready for the Fair

  Does it seem a little early?  That’s because the fair is about six months away, but getting ready for it starts now.  Our 4-H members came out to the fair with high expectations and ready to learn all about the animals that they will be raising to show at fair.
  After learning about project records and record keeping it was time to delve into the specifics.  Our Poultry folks got their laying hens and/or turkeys today.  The speckled Sussex are a relaxed chicken that should follow our participants around the yard.  Our turkeys are giant white turkeys and should offer our participants a challenge that only turkeys can provide in raising them.
  The rabbits are Silver a Foxes and as cute as cute can be.  At four weeks old these cute brown and grey rabbits can get up to six pounds, but probably not by fair time.  Each rabbit was happy to be held and cuddled and was looking forward to going home with their new care taker.
  We still have one animal to give out which is our goat. We will have more on that in the next week. In the meantime we would like to wish all our 4-H members luck, love, and fun with these 4-H projects.  You can see more about them at the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair.  Fair dates are September 27 thru October 6. Our first show will be Saturday, September 29.

We have a New Tool!

  Very excited to announce that we were able to purchase a new tool to enhance the technology side of our educational programs.  This week a new SMART Board was installed at the Extension office and we are excited to learn about utilizing it and integrating this new technology into our programs.  Already we are seeing some great uses for this new technology and you can expect some changes to the same old same old programs and we implement this technology into our educational activities.