The 4-H Middle School Academy in Harrison County was a program that developed as an outreach for increased 6^th-8^th grade involvement in 4-H, coupled with a focus on Appalachian cuisine and local food markets. This idea evolved during a collaboration meeting when Ashford Acres’ (local event venue) executive chef, requested to do a partnership with 4-H. In working to identify youth well suited for this program, the principal of Harrison County Middle School announced school-wide, that anyone who submitted to him a written explanation on why they wanted to participate in the academy would be eligible to do so. This buy-in from the school administration was an excellent testament to the value of 4-H in our local education system.  The recruitment for the academy took place just a week after the principal saw the 4-H Teen Council officers conduct a 4-H promotion presentation for the entire middle school student body in response to one of the teacher’s requesting partnership with 4-H on offerings that support the school’s “leader in me” initiative. After school staff selected the group to who would participate in the academy, the letters submitted by students to the principal were share with the 4-H Agent. Some responses exerted from the student letters as to why they wanted to participate include: 

“This would be my first step towards my dream of being a chef.”

“I’m home alone a lot and can make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for me and my littler sisters once I learn.”

“I love helping my mom make food for the holidays.”

“I love to cook but when my house burned down I had to put my hobby on hold. Now with where I am living I have no space to do it but if I joined this class I would be able to continue doing something I love.”

“I would like to learn more about how certain foods are made or what they are made out of and because it will help me for the future when I go to college or when I move to my own house and have to know how to cook.”

14 Middle School students (6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders) comprised the group invited to participate in the four session 4-H middle school academy. This group combined equal male and female representation, two racial minorities, and 9 of the 14 were not enrolled 4-Hers.

During the first session, Ashford Acres and their Executive Chef, Audrey Middleton hosted an outstanding session on Appalachian cuisine and history of Ashford Acres (local event venue and hotel). Audrey’s passion for local foods and resources were deliciously demonstrated with sunflower seeds, apples, and buttermilk biscuits. Wrapping up the day, participants got to participate in a local tourism initiative and adopt skeletons for the Family and Consumer Sciences' Skeleton Hikes.

For the second session the middle school academy traveled to Hatmaker Homestead, where Holli Hatmaker and Savannah Faye Robin with Robin Ridge Farms, shared an incredible amount of insight into food market operations. The producers described their farming operations and how they work together to provide locally grown food to consumers. Both farm families are regular suppliers to Audrey’s menu at Ashford Acres. The Sweet Boutique (local restaurant and sister business to Ashford Acres) then hosted our group with a delicious lunch and cookie decorating contest. Three wins for that day included:

1. The power of Agriculture education to the consumer is so important. Upon leaving Hatmaker Homestead, one 4-Her said, "I am convinced, heirloom tomatoes are the best!" 

2. Town pride and supporting local businesses is essential to our community’s success.

Five of fourteen members of the middle school group had never eaten at The Sweet Boutique and all five said they were going to bring their families back in the future. 

3. Business investment in the consumer helps the business succeed. The "Bracken" drink was named and added to The Sweet Boutique menu after the group’s 4-Her, named Bracken, ordered a custom coffee option that became so popular among the group that the TSB owner decided to make it a menu item!!! 

During the 3^rd session of the leadership academy, Chef Audrey met with the group at the extension office to cook a complete Appalachian Thanksgiving meal. The focus of this session was to spend time learning more in depth culinary skills from a professional. There was also a considerable amount of time during this session where the youth participated in team-building exercises.

In the fourth session of the academy, 4-Hers began their day by making a complete southern meal of fried chicken, fried apples, mashed potatoes and lard biscuits to continue learning from Chef Audrey. Then the group traveled to Hollow Oak Farm to learn about maple syrup making. Aside from maple syrup collection, Hollow Oak Farms produces a variety of food that is supplied to Ashford Acres for food preparation. At the farm, students got to each tap their own tree (several of which flowed sap!) and then taste tested syrup. It was eye opening for everyone to experience the difference in real syrup taste versus store bought syrup that does not come from trees.

Following the final session, each of the 14 participants completed the evaluation.

Below are the culminating answers to the question, “what did you enjoy most about the Middle School Academy”:

1. 11 responses included cooking as their favorite part (including techniques, trying new things, and learning from locals in our town)
2. 3 of the responses included learning about local foods as part of their favorite
3. 3 of the respondents included making/being with friends added to their experience 

On a 5-point scale for whether the students would recommend this program to a friend (with 5 being absolutely yes and 1 being absolutely not), the average response was a 4.7 (with 4 being the lowest score of the responses).

At the final session, Audrey shared a staggering statistic with the group that was a great wrap up to the educational purpose of academy: during 2023, she wrote over $18,000 in checks to local producers (including those producers that our group visited) for food, produce, and ingredients that were used in her menu at Ashford Acres. This number alone demonstrates the incredible amount of support that is given to local food markets and the importance they play in the food industry.

The middle school academy was a successful 4-H outreach program as over 50% of the participants were not 4-H members prior to being a member of the academy. The over-arching reason why participants chose to apply for the academy (cooking experience) was heavily incorporated into the program sessions which utilized the skills and passion of Ashford Acres’ Executive Chef. This teamwork event was split down the middle between Extension and Ashford Acres. Extension provided planning, recruitment (with the help of school administration), transportation, and communication to members). Ashford Acres provided the time and skills of their Chef Executive and connections to every local farm visit. Plans for follow up include a 3-year cycle, where the culinary cuisine and local food markets would occur every 3^rd year. Topics in discussion for the other two years in rotation include: local and state government and workforce preparation.