Summer Opportunity

 I am very lucky that my position allows me to hustle my love for soils! Please have your conservation-minded teens apply for our pre-college program, the Resource Conservation Workshop. I do this in partnership with all of your local soil and water conservation districts. This year, we are doing a centralized application and then I send these back to your SWCD and they make the decision. I would encourage your youth to reach out to your district and ask about this program. Happy to talk more!

Get Your Hands Dirty & Your Mind Blown at the Resource Conservation Workshop!
Ready to swap screen time for stream time? The Resource Conservation Workshop is a weeklong deep dive into the world of conservation, where you’ll explore natural resources, tackle real-world environmental challenges, and get hands-on with soil, water, forestry, and wildlife. This isn’t just sitting in a classroom—think field studies, outdoor adventures, and behind-the-scenes tours of conservation hotspots. Plus, evening sessions help you navigate college and career choices (because, let’s be real, adulting is coming). Oh, and did we mention scholarships and awards are up for grabs?

You'll be living the college life at NC State, staying in dorms, meeting awesome people, and learning at places like Williams Hall, Lake Wheeler Soils Field Lab, Falls Lake State Recreation Area, and Clemmons State Educational Forest. It’s the perfect mix of hands-on science, outdoor exploration, and future-planning.

Bonus: It’s free to attend (thanks to our sponsors, including NC State’s Crop and Soil Sciences Department, the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, and other conservation champions). If you’re curious about how to protect the planet—and want to level up your skills for the future—this is the workshop for you. Apply now and get ready for a week of adventure, learning, and maybe even a scholarship! 

The 2025 Resource Conservation Workshop is June 15 -20th. Apply through NC State’s Reporter System by having your parent/guardian create a “Brickyard" account and then applying here by April 1st, 2025. Program participants are selected through their local Soil and Water Conservation District. To find your SWCD visit here.

Our New 4-H Mascot's Thoughts on NC 4-H VLA Conference

   Well hello everyone!  In case you missed the news in the previous post my name is Trifolium (Latin for Clover) and I am apparently your 4-H County Mascot.  Now I am figuring out what that entails (no pun intended)...and I am sure that the 4-H Volunteers and Members will help me figure it out along the way.  In the meantime I wanted to share with you what the last day of the North Carolina 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association Conference was like and hope that some of our volunteers might be willing to check it out with me next year because I have been told if you go I can go, and I sure like that idea.  

I headed down to breakfast this morning and met Bert.  Bert is goat and the mascot for the 4-H State Officer Team.  They are a fantastically hard working group of young people that represent 4-H and were at this conference in their official capacity.  They were gracious and gave all of us time to hang out.  Clover and his twin Bud joined us and we just had a great time meeting new volunteers, asking questions, and sharing Clovers post from yesterday.  He is really a good story teller in case you missed that post.

After breakfast we had fun time workshops.  There were topics involving crafting, games, grants, etc.  It was really informative.  Clover and I had the chance to sit with Ms. Marilyn, a fantastic Robeson County Volunteer in one workshop.  Ms Jenice, a Wayne County Volunteer, was very kind in another workshop.  They didn't give us funny looks at all.  Then we checked out more workshops and learned about leather crafting, felting, string art, and more.  It's hard to slow us down and we wanted to make the rounds.  There is so much to learn and do in 4-H I really don't think one conference can prepare us.   However that doesn't mean we won't try to learn it all.  At this point I think everyone was used to us and they were being so helpful showing us what to do and treated us like family.  I think that is what 4-H is like for many of them, another family.  A place where everyone is welcomed, and respected. 

In between workshops we met Ms Betty from Anson County.  She was so nice to me and we had a great conversation about 4-H and leadership.  Did you know that the adults have officers and they practice what they preach for the youth.  They call it modeling the way and it looks amazing important and fun.  They have to use something called parlimentary procedure when they run meetings and everyone has a job during their meetings.  She said it was just like club meetings that they youth have in her county.  They work hard so they can have fun and learn while they are having fun.  Such wise things to learn about at my very first conference.

After the workshops they went back into their business meeting and announced the winners of the election for state 4-H officers.  My new friend Dr. Daniel thanked the outgoing officers, and installed the incoming officers on the state and district levels.  I actually got to talk with Ms. Carrie who is the outgoing VP and she let me see what the view looks like from the officer table.  It is pretty awesome and I would like to encourage the volunteers to step up and run.  Not only is it rewarding, gives you a shot of self confidence, and lets you be a  real life role model for the youth!  Those are pretty neat things to recieve for a year long commitment.  Honestly I don't know why more folks don't do it?  I am going to talk with folks in my county and see if we have anyone willing and able to start that journey.

So after Ms Shea Ann and Ms Marilyn packed up the van it was time to head back.  They said one day I would be able to navigate them to 4-H Events but until then it was up to Siri to get us home.  Not sure who Siri is but I can't wait to meet her and everyone else when we get to my new home in Robeson County.   Thank you to the Robeson County Volunteers who embraced me and made me part of my first adventure.  You can check out all the photos by clicking this link.  This has been epic and we can't wait to share everything with you.  

  

A New Perspective

 

Our last couple of posts have been about the North Carolina 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association (NC4-HVLA) Annual Conference.  As the writer of this post I can say I have been attending for more than 20 years and it is a great training that all of our adult volunteers should want to attend.  However, that doesn't give you the inside or new perspective to this. 

One of the 4-H Volunteers from Burke County, Lisa Hanlon,  brought some really cool stuff for the country store (a fundraiser for the NC4-H VLA where folks donate items to be sold).  She also came up with this really neat idea surrounding some 3-D printed items she has made.  Bear with me as I explain this.  She made little farm animals and put them in plastic balls.  She then filled a gum ball machine with these balls.  Folks paid 50 cents (with proceeds going to the organization) to turn the knob and see what they might get.  The surprise in this is that if they got one of three 3D-printed Baby Lucky Dragons (as they are known in the 3D world) they would win a larger one that she had made.  The first one went to April Houston from Lenoir County.  She named her dragon Clover, and an idea was born.   Since this was Clover's first NC4-HVLA Conference we thought we should document it and share this experience with you.

  "As a first time attendee and first time Baby Lucky Dragon attending this conference I was not sure what to do or where to go.  Everyone was so nice, and different volunteers from different counties took me under their wing (or sometimes over their shoulders) and showed me around.  My adventure started at the registration desk where I met Mom.  For those of you who don't know Mom, she is a Cumberland County Volunteer that has been doing this for more than 60 years.   She has 4-H stories to tell from when she was a member all the way up to today.  She told me about the conference and got me through the check in process with little muss or fuss.  Ms. Pam from Lee County was there to help her.  She told me about staff and volunteers and how important adult volunteers are to every county 4-H Program.  She also told me she was glad I was there and came to see them.  I told you they were all super nice.    

At the registration desk I got my badge, a really cool goody bag, and they let me get goodies.  Maybe they had never been with a Baby Lucky Dragon before but I was excited when they said I could have treats.  So being enthusiastic I might have jumped in head first to get some sweet treats.  That's when I met the 4-H Agent from Robeson County, Ms. Shea Ann.  She told me that sometimes we need to think about others and jumping in head first might not be necessary, that I should get a few and if I eat them all I can come back to get more but I need to share to make sure all the nice people could get some.  She made a lot of sense and I am going to practice what she called social skills and really good manners.  See I'm already learning things and I am still at the check in area.  Can't wait to see what is in store for me today.

In my bag was a program book and it had all sorts of workshops in it.  I was very excited to attend a lot of them.  I can tell you about my two favorite ones; the electric workshop, and the International Exchange Program workshop.  Everyone told me to be careful in the electric workshop and I sat next to a very nice volunteer who didn't let me get sauter on me and let me be the observer and learn from a little bit of a distance.  During this workshop Grant Ellington gave an overview of the Electric Program and talked about Electric Congress which are really cool programs for the youth.  Then everyone did the electric project for this year and got trained so they can do it in their counties when they go home.  

The International Exchange Program workshop was really neat.  I can't say that I know my geography very well, or fun facts about other countries, or states, or even counties but I can tell you I learned a lot about this program and it is a great way for youth to learn about other customs, countries, and get a sense of the world around them.   I also checked out other workshops on pollinators, mental health, poultry programs (those are programs with chickens and turkeys in them), and so much more.  The very best part was meeting people from all over the state and learning about their favorite parts of 4-H.  There is so much to learn and do.  I'm not sure one conference is enough to learn it all so I am hoping I can come back next year.

After attending some workshops I found my new mom and settled in for active listening and nap time.   This is a lot of work and I am still young so I thought nap time would be a great thing.  It also allowed all the fundraising to continue.  I also slept right thru the working lunch (I'm telling you these folks are busy).  The state met to vote on changes to the Constitution and ByLaws as well as elect state officers for this coming year.  Then the districts met and discussed business and introduced officers who were elected at Fall Day.  A lot was done over a box lunch that everyone seemed to feel accomplished on the business side of things.

When I woke up it was time to help with a little fundraising.  I did my best to highlight some of the silent auction items and get people to bid on them.  There were really cool things like a golf set, pottery,  bird house, hand made cutting board, vintage ornaments, a quilt and sooooo much more.  My sales approach was to highlight various items and encourage people to bid.  Sometimes I would have to let folks know that I was not part of the bid.  I am sure they were disappointed but they still bid anyway and felt like the funds were going to a worthy cause, their association.   

All of this learning and marketing got me hungry so I found the most excellent hospitality room and decided to enjoy some healthy snacks.  There was a lot there and I was asking how all of this happens.  As it turns out each district has a different responsibility each year at the conference.  One group is in charge of the silent auction and basket raffle.  Another district handles the Country Store.  One district helps out with registration and a district is in charge of hospitality and making sure the volunteers have what they need.  Another group is in charge of decorating and I must say it was impressive how everyone pulled together to make this most excellent conference happen.

After enjoying my snack I had a little time to do what the volunteers call networking.  That is where you meet someone new, or even someone you know, and have time to talk and learn their story, new things going on with them or their programs, and how you can improve yours with ideas you gather from them.  Here I was getting to know the current President of the NC 4-H VLA,  Alfreda Williams and our opening speaker Tae Moore.  This was an absolutely wonderful conversation that I just felt honored to be with these two wonderful folks.  It inspired me to do more.

I also had the privilege of going behind the scenes (thanks to some of the new friends I have made) and meeting Daniel Collins.  He is with the State 4-H Staff and works closely with the volunteers to make all of this magic happen.  He makes sure the volunteers have everything coordinated from presenter gifts to meals, to meetings, and even technology.  He has his hands on the pulse of it all to support the volunteers in making it all happen.  Back out at the registration desk I ran into Jessica Drake the 4-H Agent from Cumberland County and Ms Shea Ann again (that lady is everywhere with her camera).  We had a nice chat and I got a couple of more sweet treats.  So believe me when I say this conference is SWEEEEEETTTTTT!

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms Diane from Halifax County.  This was the first time I was able to be helpful to someone I had met at this conference and it was so exciting.  She had bought tickets for the basket raffle and needed a little assistance in filling them out with her name.  I don't know if you have noticed, but I don't have fingers so writing isn't my thing but I am good at supervising and cheering people on.  So I cheered her on as she wrote her name a whole bunch of times, and spelled it right.  It feels so good to be needed and helpful. 

By the time I got back to my new family it turns out I gained a twin who has been named Bud.  Get it?  Clover and Bud-Cloverbud!  (I heard you giggle).  Well that's just the beginning of this story and if you are a Robeson County 4-H person, in any capacity you might want to read the rest of this for BIG news.  Carrie Hughey a volunteer from Henderson County won the third Baby Lucky Dragon.  She gave it to the Robeson County 4-H Agent, that Ms Shea Ann I keep telling you about.  Apparently there is a story about no drama with a llama from last year's conference (y'all I wish I had been there because the stories these folks can tell are publishing worthy) and it made this very nice lady who won an awesome prize actually give it to someone else. 

I am thinking Ms. Carrie might have known what would happen because for those who witnessed this a very reserved lady's (Ms. Shea Ann) eyes went wide, she squealed with glee, giggled, and even did a little chair tap dance when she was given the news that the last Baby Lucky Dragon was being gifted to her.  Folks I did not know what pure joy looked like before and I am positive that must be what it looks like.  The new addition to Robeson County 4-H needed to be named and ideas were tossed in and out, phones were activated and the all knowing Google was asked.  In the end it was the inspiration of two Robeson County 4-H Volunteers (who weren't even at the conference) where my new best friends name came from.  Meet Trifolium.  Trifolium is actually the Latin name for Clover.  Fancy, right?

Plans were made and my new best friend and I swung an invitation to the pinnacle event for the conference-the awards banquet.  We were on our best behavior (not speaking for the troll on my head) as folks ate, came by and introduced themselves to us, and allowed us to make the rounds at their tables to meet them.  We also got a chance to learn about the great work the award winners do in their counties or supporting the 4-H programs back home.   It was a fantastically elegant night.  The volunteers also announced the basket raffle winners and silent auction winners.  Tomorrow we will find out about the success of the fundraisers which I got to help with and I am so proud.

 

My friend Trifolium got a chance to meet the Robeson County delegation and they even let him join in the official county photos.  Don't they all look good together?  I think this will be the first of many photos for my best friend and know in between visits I will get to see him on Instagram, Facebook, and more social media sites.   For me it has been a long day and I am headed for a good night's rest (as soon as I am finished with this post).  Although in the future you may hear more from my friend I plan on finishing out my experience at this incredible conference tomorrow and sharing it with you.  I have also aready asked about coming back next year and I think that is a distinct possibility.  Don't you want to meet us there?

  Until tomorrow...sleep well and know that the fun is still going on at the NC 4-H VLA Annual Conference where we keep climbing to greatness!"    

NC 4-H VLA Basket Raffle

   One of the fun things at the NC 4-H VLA conference is the basket raffle.  This is when counties donate a theme basket and folks buy tickets and place them in bags next to the baskets.  At the end of the night a ticket is drawn from each bag to reveal the lucky winner of each basket.  The money raised supports the state VLA.

  This year it was the Southeast District's turn to do the basket raffle.  Each county was asked to bring a basket or two for the auction.  This year Robeson County 4-H Volunteers brought two offerings.  An Instant Pot Basket and the Ultimate 4-H Basket.  See the photos below to the see what is in each basket.  

The QR Code on the second list takes folks to this post to learn more about the baskets.  It is also our way to ask folks to support the NC4-H VLA and buy tickets for these and the other fabulous basket offerings at the conference.

  Stay tuned to more posts about this great volunteer training and what happens at the conference.  Stay tuned you won't want to miss it (but we're afraid if you're not here....you will miss out on some fabulous basket offerings this year-Sorry!).

NC 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference

   

I had the chance to have a conversation with one of our 4-H volunteers who has helped shape me as a 4-H Extension Agent, as we drove to Greensboro today.  We were headed to the NC 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference which is being held at the Airport Marriot in Greensboro this year.  It was my first out of town event with our adult volunteers right after I started this job (many years ago) and has always been one of my favorite things to do with them.  I think I have made it to all but one of these over the years and even attended and enjoyed our COVID years when our volunteers got creative and went virtual.   There are two things about this conference that makes me encourage every 4-H staff person and adult volunteer to attend.  The first is meeting volunteers from around the state.  They are kind, willing to share and listen, always on the lookout for something new, and very quickly become a family.   The second reason is that this is one of the BEST trainings you could ever attend and it just makes you feel good to be in 4-H where we have so many programming options that are fun and allow youth (and us as adults) to accidentally learn along the way.

   Don't get me wrong this conference is about training but it is also about the NC 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association.  The members elect officers, conduct business, and raise money to support their association and the members in it from around the state.  They also recognize the work our volunteers do with awards.  What is really cool is the membership.  All you need to do is be a registered 4-H Volunteer and you are automatically a member.  Every county volunteer group can meet, and there is district level leadership as well as state.  So many things for our adults to do and experience, just like our youth.  

  So I may have digressed a little, because I wanted to give you a little background.  Back to the road trip conversation.  As times change people's interests and needs change.  So the conference is adjusting and changing in hopes of bringing in the younger generations and hoping that they value that in person connection and learning opportunity.  We recognize how it used to be and welcome how it can be and look forward to seeing those generations coming up join the association and make it their own like the generations that came before them. 

  So if you are a 4-H Volunteer and have never ventured or aspired to check out this conference I, and all of our volunteers attending this conference, encourage you to take a chance next year try it out and see what our volunteers around the state have to offer you and think about what you have to offer them.  zit really is a great group to be a part of. 

Something A Little Different

 

Folks we are going to try something a little different.  It might take a moment to get used to it but we think you will like it.  Due to the fact that we had so many programs last year, and that we allowed for our 4-H clubs to register for meetings at one link for the entire year, we had a great challenge.  We had too many programs on our app (under programs) and had to make frequent adjustments, which meant some programs and or club meetings were only up for a matter of days for registration.  So we are going to shake things up and change that.

Starting this year (as a matter of fact today) as club schedules are turned in by our club leaders we will post club meeting registration on the app under clubs.  Then all you need to do is find the club you are looking for and click the registration link to see the schedule and register for the meetings you plan on attending.  Sounds simple, Right?  We will leave the link there until the last meeting is over so you can sign up as you go if you like.  Please note to register and attend the meetings you must be actively registered in 4-H Online.

Deadline to register for the meetings is one week prior to the meeting date.  Please note registration is important so that our 4-H Volunteer Club leaders can have enough supplies and possibly snacks for their club meeting participants.

So we hope you like this update.  Let us know your thoughts by shooting us a quick email at jade_mcneill@ncsu.edu or shea_ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.

It's That Time.....

 

Good morning everyone!

We are excited to say that 4-H Online is open for re-enrollment for 2025. All you need to do is take a few moments to click this link and sign into your account and reactivate for this year. Don't worry if you have forgotten your password you can reset it very easily.

If you have any questions or issues registering please feel free to contact Jade McNeill, 4-H Program Assistant, at (910) 671-3276 or Jade McNeill@ncsu.edu. You can also reach me at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.

Thank you for time and attention in handling this,

Shea Ann