Letcher County 4-H competed in national horticulture convention in St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louise, Missouri- October 5-10, 2018. Letcher County 4-H Horticulture Team traveled to National Junior Horticulture Association Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. The event took place at the Hilton St. Louis Airport hotel on October 5-8, 208 and consisted on 15 Teams and 450 registered attendees. Letcher County 4-H Horticulture Team took part in a variety of workshops and tours to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the Gateway Arch. They competed in the horticulture judging and identification competition. 

Letcher County overall team did not place but had an individual to place 4th in the national in judging and identification in horticulture. Cody Adams has been on the 4-H Horticulture team for five years and won two year in a row at the Kentucky State Fair for highest over-all score in identification and judging. The Letcher County 4-H Team won the Kentucky State Competition in 2017 and wan honored to attend the National Competition in October. 

National Junior Horticulture Association holds it convention during the first weekend in October at a different host city each year. A diverse group of projects and activities covering all area of horticulture are offered at the annual meeting. Convention events include contests in the horticultural demonstrations, public and extemporaneous speaking, and horticulture judging and identification; photography exhibition; and evaluation of projects in environmental awareness, experimental horticulture, and marketing. Additionally, workshops and tours of local horticulture industries and local points of interest are scheduled. 

Youth who attend a National Junior Horticulture Association annual convention must be at least 15 but not over 22 by December 31st of the year being held and youth ages 5-14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

The National Junior Horticulture Association was founded in 1934 and was the first organization in the world dedicated solely to youth and horticulture. National Junior Horticulture Association programs are designed to help young people obtain a basic understanding of and developing skills in the ever expanding art and science of horticulture. The programs help the horticulture industry by training and recruiting youth in the many specialized fields of horticulture. National Junior Horticulture Association also develops citizen appreciation for the understanding of the industry by placing emphasis on positive programs for building producer- consumer understanding.