March 2023 4-H Newsletter

March 21, 2023

Happy National Agriculture Day!

If you ate today, you can thank a farmer. Everyone is affected by the agriculture industry, including you! Did you know that there are 273 identified farms in Fluvanna County as of the last Agricultural census? Out of over 27,000 residents, just over 470 people (less than 2%) are identified as agriculture producers on the farms here in Fluvanna. Some of our agriculture products such as beef or fresh vegetables may have made their way to your plate recently thanks to the hard work of our producers.

As we welcome spring with some of the coolest temperatures we've seen in over a month, I want to highlight what some of our youth have been up so far. If you have any questions about the programs below or are interested in joining Fluvanna 4-H, we'd love to hear from you. Read to the end to learn about upcoming opportunities for youth and families.

Yours in 4-H,

Kim

p.s. We are in the process of transitioning to our new unit websites.You may notice a few changes as we make the transition. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Virginia Agriculture Literacy Week: Volunteers from the Fluvanna Master Gardeners and the Fluvanna Farm Bureau Women's Committee joined forces with Fluvanna 4-H on March 15-16 to read Shannon Anderson's book I Love Strawberries to 26 classrooms at Central Elementary. Student scientists used their five senses to make observations about strawberries and ended the session with a taste test of a fresh strawberry.

National 4-H News: Lidija Westfall attended the Ignite by 4-H National Summit March 9-12 in Washington, D.C. representing Virginia 4-H as a Healthy Living Ambassador. She, along with 30 other Virginia delegates had the opportunity to study areas of Agriscience, Healthy Living, Career Readiness and Emotional Well-being. Lidija holds office in two Fluvanna 4-H clubs.

The Homeschool 4-H Club used their March 17 meeting to plan out their plot layout in the Fluvanna Community Garden. They used the paper towel method to account for correct seed spacing, and then arranged where each plant will live in the plot. Members placed spinach, radishes, kale and other cool-season crops that can be started before the last frost. As part of their service projects, members will be helping maintain a plot in the Community Garden where produce will be donated to the senior centers in the county. The next Homeschool 4-H Club meeting will be held at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, April 4, at the Fluvanna County Library.

4-H Livestock Club- Do you know where a chuck steak comes from? The 4-H Livestock Club recently learned about wholesale cuts of meat that project animals provide. This knowledge will help them share with consumers where some of our more popular retail cuts come from. Our cloverbud members designed their very own chickens and rabbit ears as they learned about the parts of their small animal projects. The next Livestock club meeting will be held at 6:00 pm on April 17 at the Fluvanna Community Center in Fork Union.

States 4-H International Exchange- July 24- August 19 Host a Japanese student this summer and see your family blossom. No previous 4-H experience is required. Japanese delegates will be aged 12-18, and have a range of English language abilities.

To host a delegate, a family must have a child who is 9+ years old. Families will be screened and interviewed before being matched with a delegate of the same gender who is within 3 years of the host youth’s age. Families without youth can host adult chaperones. Delegates are here to experience every day American life. No special activities need to be planned. Host family receives no stipend to host a delegate, but families will receive support before, during and after the exchange.  Apply to become a host family here: https://www.states4hexchange.org/host-family/application   

Upcoming Events:

4-H Cloverbud Camp- June 16-18. Holiday Lake 4-H Center. Youth ages 5-8. Registration is now open. Sign up at https://bit.ly/4HCloverbudCamp2023.  

4-H Junior Camp- July 10-14. Holiday Lake 4-H Center. We are currently on a waiting list for camp, and anticipate being able to accept a few additional campers after April 1.

Other Opportunities that May be of Interest to 4-H Families

Camp Woods and Wildlife- June 19-23. Holiday Lake 4-H Center. Appomattox, VA. Youth ages 13-16. Application deadline: April 15. The Virginia Department of Forestry, in cooperation with other natural resource conservation agencies and organizations, has proudly administered Camp Woods and Wildlife (formerly called Holiday Lake Forestry Camp) for more than 70 years. Camp Woods and Wildlife is an academic, structured, residential camp that focuses on field experiences in forestry and other natural resources. This unique camping experience introduces 13-16-year-olds to the challenges, special skills, and knowledge needed for managing the forest resources we use and enjoy every day.  Link to application: https://dof.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/f13.05.pdf

Youth Conservation Camp- July 9-July 15. Virginia Tech. Blacksburg, VA.  Youth currently in grades 9-12.  Application deadline: May 5  Link to Application: https://www.tjswcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Camper-Application_VASWCD.docx  Please send completed applications (Application form and one Letter of Recommendation) to education@tjswcd.org by May 5, 2023.

AgDiscovery Summer Program- June 20-30. Virginia State University. Petersburg, VA. Youth currently in grades 10-11. A free summer outreach program to help teenagers explore careers in agricultural sciences.  There is no fee for this program. Applications due by March 31. (Requires letters of recommendation)

AParticipants in the Virginia State University AgDiscovery Program will explore animal science, food science and safety, and plant science through experiential learning. You will gain hands-on experience at Randolph Farm (VSU’s 416-acre research and demonstration farm) and laboratories. Activities will include feld trips to the Virginia aquarium, farms, and a local zoo; and hands-on lab experiences in animal dissection, diagnostic testing, food safety, and plant pathology.

Hunter Skills Weekend- September 15-17, 2023. Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center. Ages 11-adult. Cost $150 (Children under 18 must attend with parent) Want to learn new hunting skills or hone the ones you have? Looking for expert  instruction? Then this is the workshop for you! Try something different, explore new life skills, and learn from some of the best instructors in the state. (Hunter Education class a plus but not required) https://www.holidaylake4h.com/virginia-hunter-skills-weekend.htm

Scholarships Available

The Fluvanna Master Gardeners, Fluvanna Farm Bureau Women's Committee and Fluvanna Farm Bureau Directors all have scholarships available for Fluvanna youth graduating soon with interests in agriculture. Please contact Kim Mayo kmayo@vt.edu if you have questions about these scholarship opportunities.