4-H and today's youth
by JULIEN H
November 25, 2009
4-H (head, heart, hands, and health) is a non-profit organization created as an educational agricultural program aimed towards youth, that was started in the early 20th century. During the 1900s, the USDA observed that adults were not as open to ideas and new agricultural discoveries as children, who would "experiment" and share their results.The first program with these goals was developed by a man named A.B Graham in Ohio in 1902. This was considered to be the birth of 4-H.
Many youth these days are part of 4-H club and it can be a very important part of their lives. Avalon G, a 7th grader at Mill Creek Middle School is currently part of 4-H. "This is my sixth year doing 4-H. I love being involved with 4-H and I guess you can call it my hobby," she gushes.
Avalon has 14 animals, but she and her brother only show her three rabbits - Cookie Dough, Fabio, and Baby - and his four chickens at the 4-H fairs. Cookie Dough is a mixed breed, Fabio is a Holland lop, and Baby is a Mini Rex. The fairs which she attends with her rabbits are held two to three times a year. There is no entry fee and the only cost is 1$ per a cage. Avalon earns about fifty dollars at each of these fairs, and most of the profit is from her animals which are judged. She is awarded prize money based on where her animals rank in each class.
Shannon H, a 7th grader at Mill Creek Middle School who is also involved in 4-H, smiles, "I get around eighty dollars a fair." What do the girls use this prize money for? Avalon and Shannon use the money they receive at each fair to pay for their animals' food. Avalon also creates crafts to be judged at the fairs. You are also awarded prize money for the crafts in the same way you are awarded money for your animals.
An average week at the fair as a rabbit owner would start on Sunday. You would go to the fairgrounds and set up your cages. The cages are judged on their appearance, so you are expected to decorate them.
The next day of the fair is on Monday. You arrive at the fair around seven a.m, and if you are showing crafts you would set them up at your craft booth. One by one you would show your crafts to the judges and receive a ribbon based on how creative and neat your craft is. Part of your profit from the fair would be from these crafts. The higher place ribbon you get, the more money you will take home. That night you will leave the fairground at around five p.m. You go home to pick up your animals and then go back to the fair to put them in their cages and give them food. Finally, you get to go home for the night, only to return the next day on Tuesday.
On Tuesday you will feed and water your animals first thing. For the rest of the day you can just hang out and play games, because you can't leave the fair for the rest of the day. This is precautionary, just in case your animals eat their food. If you had left and your animals had eaten all their food, you would get in HUGE trouble.
The last day of the fair for someone who has rabbits is Wednesday, which is show day. The first category you show your rabbits in would be showmanship and then in breed class. "This sounds like a lot of work, but it's definitely worth it," Avalon encourages.
Many youth find 4-H very valuable and it is a pity that it might be leaving our state for good. That's right, governor Jennifer Granholm may be shutting down the 4-H program through-out Michigan because it takes too much money. Avalon argues, "4-H is strictly volunteers. We barely use any money." Whatever the case may be, 4-H might be leaving this state for good and I ask you to take part in it while you still can.
by JULIEN H
November 25, 2009
4-H (head, heart, hands, and health) is a non-profit organization created as an educational agricultural program aimed towards youth, that was started in the early 20th century. During the 1900s, the USDA observed that adults were not as open to ideas and new agricultural discoveries as children, who would "experiment" and share their results.The first program with these goals was developed by a man named A.B Graham in Ohio in 1902. This was considered to be the birth of 4-H.
Many youth these days are part of 4-H club and it can be a very important part of their lives. Avalon G, a 7th grader at Mill Creek Middle School is currently part of 4-H. "This is my sixth year doing 4-H. I love being involved with 4-H and I guess you can call it my hobby," she gushes.
Avalon has 14 animals, but she and her brother only show her three rabbits - Cookie Dough, Fabio, and Baby - and his four chickens at the 4-H fairs. Cookie Dough is a mixed breed, Fabio is a Holland lop, and Baby is a Mini Rex. The fairs which she attends with her rabbits are held two to three times a year. There is no entry fee and the only cost is 1$ per a cage. Avalon earns about fifty dollars at each of these fairs, and most of the profit is from her animals which are judged. She is awarded prize money based on where her animals rank in each class.
Shannon H, a 7th grader at Mill Creek Middle School who is also involved in 4-H, smiles, "I get around eighty dollars a fair." What do the girls use this prize money for? Avalon and Shannon use the money they receive at each fair to pay for their animals' food. Avalon also creates crafts to be judged at the fairs. You are also awarded prize money for the crafts in the same way you are awarded money for your animals.
An average week at the fair as a rabbit owner would start on Sunday. You would go to the fairgrounds and set up your cages. The cages are judged on their appearance, so you are expected to decorate them.
The next day of the fair is on Monday. You arrive at the fair around seven a.m, and if you are showing crafts you would set them up at your craft booth. One by one you would show your crafts to the judges and receive a ribbon based on how creative and neat your craft is. Part of your profit from the fair would be from these crafts. The higher place ribbon you get, the more money you will take home. That night you will leave the fairground at around five p.m. You go home to pick up your animals and then go back to the fair to put them in their cages and give them food. Finally, you get to go home for the night, only to return the next day on Tuesday.
On Tuesday you will feed and water your animals first thing. For the rest of the day you can just hang out and play games, because you can't leave the fair for the rest of the day. This is precautionary, just in case your animals eat their food. If you had left and your animals had eaten all their food, you would get in HUGE trouble.
The last day of the fair for someone who has rabbits is Wednesday, which is show day. The first category you show your rabbits in would be showmanship and then in breed class. "This sounds like a lot of work, but it's definitely worth it," Avalon encourages.
Many youth find 4-H very valuable and it is a pity that it might be leaving our state for good. That's right, governor Jennifer Granholm may be shutting down the 4-H program through-out Michigan because it takes too much money. Avalon argues, "4-H is strictly volunteers. We barely use any money." Whatever the case may be, 4-H might be leaving this state for good and I ask you to take part in it while you still can.
