Robeson County 4-H

   We can't believe it is Friday already!  That means everything we started we must finish.  Everything we haven't gotten to we need to get to.  So hold on because today just might be a wild ride.   We started the day doing our learns and likes from Thursday.  We sure did have a lot of fun.  Thank you to the businesses that made it happen.   Next we broke into two groups.  The first went into the kitchen to prep our dinner for lunch menu with Wendy Maynor, Family Consumer Science Agent and Joanna Rogers, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Assistant.  While the other group stayed in the auditorium to work with power tools?  What kind of chefs are these?   Our group in the kitchen made their own pizzas , garlic knots, and worked on other sides for our dinner/lunch.  They had a ball using a variety of ingredients to make their dream pizzas.  The garlic knots were incredible and all the sides were ...

    It was a day to hit the road and learn more about food.  Today we took a little different approach and headed south to the Grand Strand to visit a couple of places that we just needed to experience.   Our first stop was Vitoria International Meat Market .  This is a shop that serves, according to the owner, 90% Latino customers and maybe 10% other nationalities.  The little market had a huge section of meats, some of which our Jr. Chefs recognized, some that they did not.  They also learned how folks prepare, preserve, and cook foods in other cultures is very different from America.  Also the cuts of meats we like versus what folks from other countries are looking for is different.  Not good or bad, just different.  We also had a chance to check out the store that had familiar labels or names but things looked a tad different.  Ms. Joanna took a moment to do a little shopping for her girls and our campers so they could taste tes...

   Each day in the office our 4-H Jr. Chef Day Campers are learning to prepare a different meal.  Today was lunch.  Joanna Rogers, our Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Assistant (EFNEP) led today's cooking challenge and boy did they have some edible fun.   We started our day however reviewing the past two days of what we learned and what we liked.  Two very different and important aspects of what we do in 4-H.  Our youth said they learned how to use a knife, cut and chop items, read a recipe, and learned about the different things that go into the foods they love to eat.  They were also brave and tried new things because they had fixed them and thought they might like them (and they were right).   Our youth also learned about the hard work it takes to follow a dream and open your own business.  However they said they weren't scared of hard work if it meant they could follow their passion.  We split into our teams t...

 Jr. Chef Day Camp definitely had an excitement around it today as we travelled to Raleigh for some exciting edible experiences.      Our first stop was at a Slice of Pie Company .  Our youth met the Pie Lady, Kristen Mullins and heard her story of starting this delightfully tasteful company.  Going from a family recipe and winning blue ribbons at the NC State Fair for her apple pie, she has combined that into a successful pie business that ships pies nationwide.  It has also given her the opportunity to meet and bake for celebrities and hone her own skills.  She says looking back ten years to what she used to bake to the custom pies she can create now, her skill set has grown.  Just proving we are never too old to learn.  Our youth later said they learned that hard work is worth it, because you could create a job for your passion.  They said they also learned that you don't fail unless you give up.  They were inspired by ...

   Welcome to the first week of 4-H Summer Fun!  This is our 4-H Summer camping program that includes neat opportunities for youth of all ages.  This week we are working with out 9-13 year olds as part of Jr. Chef Day Camp.  Our 12 campers met for the first time today and had an absolute blast. We started the day by figuring out our rules and what we could all live by.  So far so good, everyone has agreed to be cautious in the kitchen and respectful of each other and those around us all the time.  We split into two groups and one went into the kitchen to learn how to make some breakfast items while the other group worked on a signature project.     Our group in the kitchen worked on chopping up items for our egg muffins (they had bacon, sausage, onions, green peppers, and spinach to choose from) and pancakes.  YUM!  The group learned knife skills, kitchen safety, and proper measuring.  After a little more than an hour work...

 4-H members made it happen!  District Activity Day (DAD) is an early morning and a time filled with nerves...that is until everyone is done presenting and then it feels like fun!   This year we sent our People in Charge (PIC's) Mack Johnson and Taylor Chavis off a half hour before we hit the road.  The PIC's are in charge of getting judges for specific categories.  This year Taylor handled Arts & Communication while Mack took care of Fisheries and Wildlife.  Several of our staff and Master Gardeners were gracious enough to serve as judges in these categories.  We want to take a moment and say thank you to this group, who without their help DAD would not happen,     Our delegation hit the road at 7:30 am and arrived at Lenoir Community College Just after 9:30 am.  We got our packet and did our best to et everyone to their respective rooms for competition.  A special thank you to all the adults who came with our yo...

  CEFS Farm to School Initiative and the Farm to School Coalition of NC are very EXCITED to introduce to you all the Teens Talk Wellness Podcast! In June 2021, 24 students from  across North Carolina gathered together to discuss their interest in farm to school, racial justice, environmental justice, food policy, gardens, and cooking. Due to pandemic challenges, six students volunteered to pivot and reimagine the student wellness committee project and designed a podcast to increase student engagement and excitement. During the series, you will follow the journey of our three student anchors as they explore student wellness through the lens of farm to school, equity, outdoor education, School Nutrition, and so much more! Our first two episodes are available now on  Spotify ,  Apple Podcasts , and  Soundcloud . Be sure to follow the Farm to School Coalition of NC on Instagram and Facebook to receive updates when a new episode is released! Soundcloud: https://...

  I am sharing the link for your families to request the summer fun tinker box. These boxes allow families to explore at their own pace with fun STEM activities in their own home.  This is great to keep summer doldrums away.   To register to receive  one of these A&T Tinker Boxes please complete a separate request for each qualifying child (grades 3 - 8) in your household. https://ncat.az1.qualtrics. com/jfe/form/SV_ 79fZynjykGkNKtg