Any 4-Hers out there?

[SKR8PN]

I did some carpentry projects in 4-H for one year. Got to display them at the fair. I didn't get to join until I was almost to old.

 

[Javamama]

I started out my first year with cooking and sewing. It was fun, but I was a terrible seamstress - still am - and the fashion show thing petrified me. I switched to rabbits.
We might put our kids in it this year with ducks.

 

[Iceblink]

I did dog, sewing and leadership 4-H for about 5 years. Now all the training methods have been disproven, but my dogs and I did really well and had fun.

I have seriously thought about getting involved as a 4-H leader, but I'm not sure I have the patience with a whole bunch of unsupervised children.

 

[tamlynn]

Oh, and my family did 4-H Guide Dogs for the Blind for many, many years.

 

[Farmfresh]

My 16yr old rides with a friend now and then in another town. The woman who owns the horses is involved with 4H (goats mostly).

I woudl love to learn more about getting my 7 yr old involved. I don't really know anything about it.

Can someone explain what a 'project' is exactly...I assume it is raising an animal to the point of sale and learning how to care for the critter during the time they have them. Yes?

A "project" is a branch of study that your child signs up for one year. Sometimes it IS raising an animal to market size, such as is the case for a bottle calf project or a club lamb project, but it can be LOTS of other things as well.

For example photography, computer, rocketry, dog obedience, cat care or even pocket pets (like hamsters etc). Just to name a few non-farm projects. The inside projects are things like arts and crafts, sewing, cooking, and preservation. Livestock can include Horseless Horsemanship (which is for horse crazy kids with no horse of their own), Horsemanship and all of the different livestock that are raised including llamas!

Kids can sign up for one project or several at a time, with older kids being able to choose more that the younger kids. Each year you learn new things about your area of interest and advance more in your skills. That way some one can start with a poultry project and maybe raise their own chicken one year and after many years in the poultry project will be doing showmanship, poultry knowledge bowl competition, public speaking, demonstration speeches and even learning to judge poultry! At the same time they can try new projects. They may be year 6 in the chicken project, year 3 in cows and a first year photography project!

More About 4-H 4-H Project List

 

[sekinkead]

I am a former 4-Her and my kids are starting their 3rd year in 4-H. I did so many things. I finally settled on cooking and woodworking for the last 5 years or so I was in it. I went to state 6 times with my woodworking projects (I still have almost all of them in my home) and went to state for cooking twice. 4-H really helped me to be the person I am today. So many people I know that are my age don't have a clue how to cook, sew, can, garden or anything remotely SS. I bake my own bread and that is because I took Breads I and II. I took sewing and HATED it. But then I turned 25 and decided to get my own sewing machine and started over and now I love it!

My kids wanted to do animals and I was all for it because my parents wouldn't let me do animal projects. The first year was breeding rabbits (because of course they couldn't sell them and now they are pampered pets). Then last year they did breeding rabbits and meat chickens. The meat chickens were a pain as they each showed 2 pens of 3 and 2 singles. But when they went to sell they each got close to $100 for their pen of 3!!!! Then the buyers gave them back! So we got 24 chickens in the freezer from that project! That prompted us to get chickens for eggs because the kids missed thier chickens. So this year they are doing breeding rabbits and meat rabbits, laying poultry (as opposed to market the ones you sell), fancy poultry and my son is doing electronics 2 and my daughter is doing electronics 1.

Sorry for the long post, I loved (still do) 4-H and just wanted to pass that on. Next year I think the kids are going to do market lambs and I am trying to convince hubby we have room for a couple of goats on our 2 acres.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

We may be losing our county 4H clubs. The county we're with for 4H says there is just not enough funding right now to keep the 4H groups going.

So, they've got a levy on the county ballot.

On Monday when the kids were selling their candy bars to help cover their 4H fees almost every farmer who bought a candy bar told us that they are going to vote for the levy! I couldn't believe it!

I realize that doesn't mean the levy will pass, but there is a strong loyalty to the local 4H in the county - people who normally grumble about their taxes being raised to support the schools, etc. are adamant that they want to pass this one, so the kids can keep their 4H.

I mean, wow!