Just Plain Hot

When you wake up and the temperature is 90 degrees and you are headed to the firing range it is hard to focus on anything but staying cool.  However the members of our Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting Sports Club were able to get in the zone and stay on target as they kept it hot on the firing line.
The June meeting for the club started with some reminders of safety (as they always do) and they added a little fun.  Focusing on a diamond shape target everyone was able to get on and stay on the paper.  As they continued to shoot they honed in on the diamond and work to make sure more holes ended up there than anywhere else.
To keep it interesting their club leader had them count shots and work from a standing, kneeling, and prone positions.  This added a little challenge to their workout and made them think less about how hot is was and focus on getting the job accomplished.
Due to the heat they did end their club meeting a little early.  For more information about this, or any of our clubs please contact Wendy Maynor at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu.

Livestock Update

Check out the latest news from the world of Livestock by clicking on this link.  This will take you to the NC State Fair News letter.

Welcome to our 4th Summer Intern

Greetings Everyone,

    I am Kobe Purdie, an agriculture intern for the Robeson County North Carolina Cooperative Extension Center. I am a Robeson county resident, where I was born and raised. I attended South Robeson High School where I found the passion for agriculture after joining the FFA chapter and taking on numerous leadership roles. I give credit to my agriculture teacher who got me involved in agriculture when taking his class. I knew that from the first semester of taking his agriculture class that I wanted to take it a step further and pursue a degree in agriculture. I learned that by continuing my education in agriculture, I would be able to solve global issues dealing with agriculture or related.

    By my senior year of high school, I had worked my way up to the position of vice president of our FFA chapter. As you can tell so far, I am very passionate about agriculture. Working with the agriculture agent, I will be performing various tasks. I will be making various farm visits along with the agents as well helping with the 4-H camps being held. I am very excited to have the chance to work with the cooperative extension staff here in Robeson county where I will be learning many things about the extension service. I am currently a student of North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, a rising sophomore, majoring in environmental studies. I plan to use my degree to work with the extension service or with the USDA to help serve this county in its agriculture practices.

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.