Author: Lisa Jones
Major Program: Agriculture
Whitley County 4-H Cloverbud's met in February and learned about the importance of vegetables and how to plant them. We gathered all program areas and offered our services and information to the county along with hands-on activities for Earth Day. This year it was held at the Green Space in downtown Williamsburg for the Earth Day Celebration 2022. The Cloverbud's successfully planted all the vegetables that we gave away during the Earth Day Celebration. The Cloverbud's planted all th
Whitley County 4-H has added another club to its agenda. The Cloverbud's met for the first time in February and they learned about the importance of vegetables and how to plant them. This club meets monthly and learns about different topics each month. Each year we gather as an extension office and offer our services and information to the county along with hands-on activities for Earth Day. This year we will be at the Green Space in downtown Williamsburg celebrating Earth Day. They earned t
Author: Julie Brown
Julie Brown, Warren Co. Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, and Catherine Webster, Simpson Co. Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, served as the co-contact agents for the 2022 South Central KY 4-H Horse Camp. There were four planning meetings with the committee which included twelve adult and teen volunteers from Mammoth Cave Extension counties, three of which served as tri-chairs for the camp. Sixty-two youth and 120 adults attended the three-day, two-night camp that i
Author: Erica Spurgeon
Thanks to the 2022 Kentucky 4-H Foundation Agriculture Mini-Grant Program Pulaski County 4-H was able to “hatch” a new program for our school enrichment clubs. Agent Erica Spurgeon was awarded a mini grant to start an Embryology in the Classroom program. The grant allowed us to purchase incubators, brooder supplies, and curriculum for our local schools to use. Fertilized chicken eggs were donated by Mike Ford of the University of Kentucky’s poultry research facility.On Ma
Author: Kimberly Thomas
The new Taylor County 4-H Goat Club is less then a year old but is making a big impact. Youth and their families are working hard to learn about the care, management, and showing of their animals, all while creating a community of knowledge. One event that has helped to get the word out about the new Taylor County 4-H Goat Club was by participating in the community’s annual 4th of July Parade. The club decided to create and present a float in this year’s parade. The youth was ab
Author: Carol Hinton
We have had a successful year with the youth livestock program. We were able to work with the 4-H and FFA students a few activities to bring them together for some team building activities. We watched SILO together and fixed tacos and brought items in for the tornado victims. The students were also together to tour the University of Kentucky Meats Lab, Bluegrass Stockyards, and the UK Sheep unit. These activities brought the kids together to learn more about their project
Author: Catherine Webster
Julie Brown, Warren Co. Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, and Catherine Webster, Simpson Co. Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, served as the co-contact agents for the 2022 South Central KY 4-H Horse Camp. There were four planning meetings with the committee which included twelve adult and teen volunteers from Mammoth Cave Extension counties, three of which served as tri-chairs for the camp. Sixty-two youth and 120 adults attended the three-day, two-night camp that included seve
Author: Dawna Peters
Chick Incubation is a 21-day process and requires fertilized chicken eggs, an egg incubator to help control temperature, humidity and egg turning. The incubator replicates the mother hen’s environment with a warm moist environment for the rest of the gestation period for the chick. Chick Incubation is a excellent way to teach youth about nature, responsibility, science, caring from animals and life cyclesDue to COVID-19 we were unable to do a classroom setting Chick Incubation for the 2020
Author: Larissa Tucker
The number of youth that actively live on a dairy farm grows smaller each year as the number of dairy farms decreases. To address this issue many years ago the 4-H Dairy Non-ownership project was developed to allow the youth who do not live on a dairy farm to lease a dairy calf. Instead of the youth having to make a large financial investment in an animal they have the opportunity to lease the animal from a local dairy farm. This year 12 different youth have leased animals that
Author: Katie Mills
The 2021 Hopkins County Madisonville Fair was able to have its fair rides, livestock shows and projects again for the community to enjoy even though Covid-19 was still in full force. Hopkins County Extension partners with the fair for the Home and Garden Show and the Livestock exhibits to give helping hands. The year was a success with the Hopkins County community crowding the ground to enjoy all aspects. Hopkins County 4-H was no different for people participating.The youth brought around 200 i
Author: Lorilee Kunze
There are only 486 farms in Bullitt County according to the 2017 USDA Ag Census, a number that shrinks each year. As such, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for children in the county to gain perspective on the source of their food. To address the farm-to-food disconnect in April 2022, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in Bullitt County welcomed 125 students from Mount Washington Elementary for a day of hands-on learning at the 2022 Youth Farm Field Day. Students vi
Author: Samantha Anderson
“The process of gardening gives empowering experiences. Students engaged in designing and maintaining gardens show an increase in self-efficacy (Lekies, et al., 2006; Poston, Shoemaker, & Dzewaltowsk., 2005), proenvironmental attitudes (Mayer-Smith, Bartosh, & Peterat, 2007; Skelly & Zajicek, 1998; Skelly & Bradley, 2007) and environmental stewardship (Alexander, North, & Hendren, 1995; MayerSmith, Bartosh, & Peterat, 2007; Pothukuchi, 2004; Waliczek, Bradley, &
Author: Lois Carter
Livestock and Animal Science projects continue to be the largest, most viable projects offered in Bourbon County 4-H. Even though it may be one of the oldest, most traditional aspects of 4-H, one cannot discount its importance, due to the fact that livestock and livestock products statistically amount to about half of the farm income in Kentucky. Due to that fact, it remains extremely important that youth understand the role of agriculture in their lives along with the importance of livestock, l
Author: Ola Donahue
Promoting local farmers has many benefits. The money that is spent with local farmers and growers stays close to home and is reinvested with businesses and services in our community. Promoting Local food also benefits the environment. By purchasing locally grown foods we help maintain farmland and green and/or open space in your community. (MSU Extension) In Kenton County we believe that 4-H can have a part in helping our local farmers as well as raising money for our 4-H Programs. &
Author: Ella Fourqurean
In special education, animal-assisted intervention (AAI) is used to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorder in their learning development bringing improvement in social interaction and affection to other people. This was a goal when the program, "Challenge Me 4-H", was in its first planning stages. Challenge Me 4-H was originally thought of and planned out by a 4-H member in Trigg County. This program included special education students from Trigg County High School, Agricultu
Homeschooling is growing in popularity with students and families in Kentucky and in Taylor County. According to the 2018 report Homeschooling In Kentucky, from the Office of Education Accountability, 4.5 percent of Taylor County’s youth are in a home school program. This percent exceeds the state percentage of 3.6%, as well as the national percentage of 3.3%. And due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Pandemic, homeschool numbers are continuing to rise. Taylor County homeschool stude
Author: Jeremiah Johnson
“My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, and a preacher but every day, three times a day, you need a farmer.” -Brenda Schoepp. Since starting in 1985, Farm Day is long-standing program in Christian County 4-H that is provided to all first-grade students in the Christian County Public School System, Private Schools, and Homeschool. Due to COVID-19, we were unable to have Farm Day for 2 years. Luckily this year we were able
Author: Bethany Wilson
Wendell Berry (1990), Kentucky novelist, poet, environmentalist, and farmer, stated that “…eating is an agricultural act” (p.1). Unfortunately, for many, there is a disconnect between the food we eat and where that food comes from. Today’s society lacks understanding regarding agricultural production and processing (Spielmaker and Leising, 2013). The Kentucky 4-H Youth Development Program strives to increase agricultural literacy among youth in Kentucky. The Agricul
