Horticulture Contest

The 2008 Horticulture Judging and Identification Contest will be held:
Monday, July 21, Time TBA

...Did you know that begonias are a tart and tasty snack?
...Or that a form of aspirin first came from willow trees?
...Have you ever seen basil seeds germinate before your eyes?

The Horticulture Judging and Identification Contest is a great way to introduce the very cool stories that plants are hoping to tell. This contest is a training program concerned with teaching youth to recognize and identify some of the most important horticultural crops, to learn criteria influencing quality and to be able to answer questions and solve problems relating to the art and science of horticulture. There are three portions of the test, including knowledge, judging and identification.

Youth ages 9-19 are welcome to participate in the horticulture contest at state congress. Youth ages 9-19 can compete individually, but it is required that youth 15-19 form a team of 3-4 indidividuals to be eligible to continue on and compete at the National Finals at the National Junior Horticultural Association annual convention as a 4-H team. Individual state winners, ages 15-19, are welcome to compete at NJHA, but currently there is no funding to support their national efforts. Team members must be 15 years old by December 31 of the current year to compete in the national contest. The highest total county score is declared the state winner. The winning team members each receive a $150 scholarship towards expenses to the NJHA Convention. The three highest scoring individuals become the official team.

Any youth interested in just trying out the Horticulture Contest are welcome to attend and either take it as a practice or simply to observe.

For more information about this Horticulture Opportunity, call us here at the Extension Office at 318-6000.

Human Race - March 15

The Human Race will soon be a reality for all of us! The Human Race is a fundrasier to support local Randolph County non-profit agencies like 4-H!

4-H members need to turn their collected money into Jody Terry, 4-H Program Assistant by Wednesday, March 12. Jody will make a deposit with the Volunteer Center and then all we have to do is show up on Saturday, March 15 and walk the 3 miles along with hundreds of other Randolph County residents. The walk / run will be held at Memorial Park located on Church Street in Asheboro. 4-H members are asked to meet with us at the park at 9:30 AM on March 15. The walk will begin promptly at 10:00 AM.

The best part of the Human Race is that Randolph County 4-H will receive a check for 75% of whatever monies 4-H raises. That is the best return on a fundraiser that I have found!

If you have any questions about our Human Race participation, contact us at 336-318-6000.

Winterfest - Art Exploration this weekend!

Randolph County youth who registered for the 2008 Winterfest activity that got cancelled because of bad weather will be heading out for a make up ART activity this weekend.

Jody Terry, 4-H Program Assistant has arranged a fantastic trip to Siler City for a day exploring the ARTS.

During our activity, we will be introduced to the Mural designed and painted by Jessie Talbott, Randolph County 4-H member and a 4-H Ambassador. The mural was the culmination of Jessies Ambassador Project.

Watch this space for a review of all the fun!

We Love Our New Office Space

Well we survived! Yes, we packed, moved and now have unpacked and moved into our new office space at 112 West Walker Avenue in Asheboro. We are located in the same building as the Sandhills Mental Health Center. Our offices are located on the lower level and Mental Health is located on the top floors.

Stop by and check it out! We still have some boxes to go through, but we feel the extra space we have will suit us nicely.

Finnish Exchange Opportunity

FINNISH Exchange through Finland 4-H!

This is a program designed for youth 15 to 19 years of age. It offers young people the opportunty to live with an American family for four weeks beginning in mid-June through mid-July. Host families must have a child of the same gender and within 2 years of the same age as the Finnishe exchange student. Families without children who would like to host may host a chaperone. Host families provide all meals, supervision, transportation to/from the pick-up point, a bed (students do not need to have their own room), and love and support. Families must fill out an application, undergo an in-home interview and if selected attend required orientation trainings.

Would your family host a Finnish 4-H'er? If so, please contact us at 336-318-6000.

Host Families Needed

JAPANESE Exchange through LABO!

This is a Japanese youth program. The program is designed for youth between the ages of 12 and 17. It offers young people and their adult advisors the opportunities to live with host families and to learn the American way of life. The program is approximately four weeks long and begins in late July, coinciding with the summer break of the Japanese school year. Host families must have a child of the same gender and within 2 years of the same age as the Japanese exchange student. Families without children who would like to host may host a chaperone. Host families provide all meals, supervision, transportation to/from the pick-up point, a bed (students do not need to have their own room), and love and support. Families must fill out an application, undergo a in-home interview and if selected attended required orientation trainings.

Call our office at 336-318-6000 to participate in this excellent educational opportunity.

Cumulative Records Submitted

Congratulations to the following Randolph County 4-H members for turning in a cumulative Record:

Heather Allred, Happy Heifer 4-H Dairy Club
Terri Lane Frazier, Happy Heifer 4-H Dairy Club
Adam Frazier, Happy Heifer 4-H Dairy Club

Special thanks to Gail Allred, 4-H Volunteer Leader for submitting an Electric and Community Service Group Award for the Happy Heifer 4-H Dairy Club.