Youth display projects during 4-H Kick-Off
February 14, 2019
Young members of the community proudly displayed their 4-H projects for other children and parents to see during the 4-H Kick-Off event Wednesday evening.
Midway through 4-H Week, a large group gathered to talk about 4-H projects, clubs, sing some camp songs and enjoy cookies at the 4-H Kick-Off event.
4-H Educator Jamie McConnell said, although she didn’t have a final count of people in attendance Wednesday, it appeared to be the largest group to attend the annual kick off.
Spencer Shook, a sixth-grader at Philo Junior High, is entering into his fourth year in 4-H and said he has learned many valuable skills from the organization.
“It’s just a good learning experience. It builds character,” Shook said.
Typically, Shook does both a still project and an animal project each year, but this year he’s going to focus solely on showing his goat.
A few tables down, 9 year-old Addison Derry was also fielding questions about her goat.
Derry, the 2018 Junior Goat Ambassador, has been involved with 4-H for two years. In addition to showing her goat last year, Derry also did a still art project.
In store for the 2019 fair, she said she’s continuing to show goats but is looking to tackle an insect project for her still project.
“(4-H) teaches you a lot of things like responsibility since you have to take care of the goat by yourself, and I feel like every kid should learn that,” Derry, a fourth-grader at Larry Miller Intermediate School, said.
Many 4-H members are involved in showing livestock, and 13 year-old Eliza Jane Morrow is no exception.
Morrow lives on a large pig farm where she raises many pigs each year. But her talents don’t end with pigs.
Sewing and cake decorating are also among Morrow’s skill set, which she utilizes on the still project side of 4-H.
The seventh-grade East Muskingum student said 4-H takes a lot of hard work and determination, but doing what she loves is worth the work.
“You just have to be patient with it,” Morrow said.
Among the benefits of 4-H, Morrow said as kids grow up in the organization there are many possibilities for leadership experience, which she enjoys.
Anyone interested in learning more about 4-H or joining a club is encouraged to contact the Muskingum County branch of 4-H at 740.454.0144.
