Solano 4-H'ers Explain Everything From Fishing To Beekeeping

By Kathy Keatley Garvey:

SOLANO COUNTY, CA – Solano County 4-H’ers covered everything from fishing--“the proper way to cast” to swine—“how to show a pig” to beekeeping—“the many different parts of a hive”--at the annual Solano County 4-H Project Skills Day, held recently at the Pena Adobe Middle School, Vacaville.

The occasion is an opportunity for 4-H’ers to show what they’ve learned in their projects and demonstrate their showmanship skills, according to Solano County 4-H Program representative Valerie Williams.

Evaluators, all 4-H volunteers, scored the youths on their display, presentation, knowledge and interaction.

“The 4-H program is unique in its emphasis on teaching youth communication skills, as well as providing opportunities for youth to showcase their skills and abilities at 4-H events like Project Skills Day,” Williams said. “When youth share the information and ideas they have collected in their 4-H work, it reinforces an important component of the experiential learning process.”

Eleven youths, six from Suisun Valley, two from Vacaville, two from Dixon and one from Vallejo, won showmanship awards, in the non-foods category.

In the junior division, ages 9 to 11, the winners were:

• James George of Suisun Valley 4-H Club, “How to Show a Pig”
• Morgan Meabon of Suisun Valley, “The Lure for the Big One”; and
• Beau Westad, Suisun Valley, “Where and How to Catch Small Mouth Bass”

In the intermediate division, ages 11 to 13, the winners are:

• Irma Brown, Suisun Valley, “Guide to Smart Device Photography”
• Celeste Harrison, Sherwood Forest 4-H Club, Vallejo, “Curls Just Wanna Have Fun”
• Madisyn McCrary, Tremont 4-H Club, Dixon, “The Border Collie”
• Zoe Sloan, Elmira 4-H Club, Vacaville, “Leaf Troubles? No Worries?”
• Samantha Sullenger, Suisun Valley, “Veterans: How to Give Thanks”
• Brody Westad, Suisun Valley, “Proper Way to Cast” and
• Sara Yates, Tremont, “Sugar, Yes, Please Sugar Scrubs

In the senior division, Ian Weber, Vaca Valley 4-H Club, won showmanship award for “The Many Different Parts of a Hive.”

The Dixon Ridge 4-H Club’s chili team of siblings Maritzia Partida Cisneros, Miguel Partida Cisneros, Moncerrat Torres Cisneros and Rudolfo Radillo Cisneros, won the Chili Cook-Cook-Off, competing against four other teams. (see separate story)

Receiving participation awards were:

Foods:

• Junior Division, Ages 9-10: Natalie Ellis, Roving Clovers 4-H Club, Dixon for her “Lemon Meringue Pie”; and Aubrey Ricard, Westwind 4-H Club, Fairfield, Suisun, for her “Neapolitan Cake”
• Intermediate, ages 11-13: Kamryn Fullmore, Tremont, “Chocolate Mint Layer Cake”

Non-Foods:

• Primary Division, ages 5-8 (primary group not evaluated)
• Daniel Taliaferro, Suisun Valley, “How to Make Mexican Hot Chocolate”; Nevaeh Tiernan-Lang, Elmira, “Getting Ready for Chicks”; Addelyn Widmer, Suisun Valley, “Poinsettias”; and Alia Wynholds, Sherwood Forest, “5 Colors of Cavies!”
• Junior Division, ages 9-10: Alaina Austin, Tremont, “Foods DIY Chocolate Syrup”; Miriam Laffitte, Vaca Valley, “Wacky Wax Moths”; Elaina Taliaferro, Suisiun Valley “The Inside Scoop on Frozen Desserts”; and Markus Taliaferro, Suisun Valley, “Iphone Photography: Tips and Tricks”
• Intermediate Division, ages 11-13: Madison Barfield, Sherwood Forest, “Recordbook Rescue”; Jarred Burkett, Sherwood Forest, “It’s Raining Feathers”; Jordan Burkettt, Sherwood Forest, “Breaking the Brood”; Zoey Glover, Vaca Valley, “Cavy Scurvy”; Meadow Johnson, Elmira, “How to Make a Wheelbarrow Garden”; Trinity Roach, Tremont, “Bombs Away!”; Darren Stephens, Sherwood Forest, “Basics of a Drone”; Hanna Stephens, Sherwood Forest, “Five Freedoms”; Corinne Weber, Vaca Valley, “How to Maintain a Healthy Rabbit”; and Julietta Wynholds, Sherwood Forest, “On The Leash: Dog Training!”
• Senior Division, ages 14-19:
• Allison Hass, Pleasants Valley, “Rabbit Breeding 101”; and Isabel Martinez, Tremont, “What’s Hopping?”

In the Chili Cookoff, participation certificates went to:

• Hillbilly Chili Team, Tremont: Alaina Austin, Isabel Martinez, Trinity Road and Sara Yates
• Lil’ Peppers Team, Pleasants Valley: Jessie Means, Maya Farris, Naomi Lipary and Maliyah Desmarais
• Ruby Rodstone Chili Team, Sherwood Forest: Darren Stephens, Celeste Harrison, Julietta Wnholds and Hanna Stephens
• Team Delta, Rio Vista: Olivia Stone, Anuheua Rivas, Maddie Baughman and Sofia Gutierrez

John Vasquez Jr. member of the Solano County Board of Supervisors, judged the chili contest with Vacaville Police officers Jeremy Johnson, Shawn Windham and Steve Moore. Windham is also the president of the Vacaville Unified School District Board.

The three Vacaville area clubs—Vaca Valley, Pleasants Valley and Elmira—hosted the event. As a community service project, attendees brought unopened boxed valentines for foster children.

The county has 12 clubs: Dixon Ridge 4-H, Maine Prairie 4-H, Roving Clovers 4-H and Tremont, 4-H, all of Dixon; Elmira 4-H, Pleasants Valley 4-H and Vaca Valley 4-H, all of the Vacaville area; Westwind 4-H and Suisun Valley 4-H, both of Fairfield-Suisun; Travis Air Force Base 4-H Club from Travis; Rio Vista 4-H of Rio Vista; and Sherwood Forest 4-H, Vallejo.

The Solano County 4-H Youth Development Program, part of the UC Cooperative Extension Program, follows the motto, “Making the Best Better.” 4-H, which stands for head, heart, health and hands, is open to youths ages 5 to 19. In age-appropriate projects, they learn skills through hands-on learning in projects ranging from arts and crafts, computers and leadership to dog care, poultry, rabbits and woodworking. They develop skills they would otherwise not attain at home or in public or private schools.

For more information, contact Valerie Williams at vawilliams@ucanr.edu or access http://solano4h.ucanr.edu/Get_Involved/

PHOTOS:

• James George of the Suisun Valley 4-H Club explains "how to show a pig" to evaluator BridgetStephens, project leader with the Sherwood Forest 4-H Club, Vallejo. He won a showmanship award for his work.

• Sara Yates of the Tremont 4-H Club, Dixon, won a showmanship award for her display, "Sugar--Yes, Please, Sugar Scrubs." Here she talks with evaluator Molly Meabon of the Suisun Valley 4-H Club.

• Zoe Sloan of the Elmira 4-H Club, Vacaville, explains her project on "Leaf Troubles? No Worries" at the Solano County Project Skills Day to evaluator Elizabeth Williams of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club, Dixon. Williams is also a Solano County 4-H All-Star Ambassador, the highest county award in the 4-H program. Sloan won a showmanship award.

• Ian Weber, member of the Vaca Valley 4-H Club, talks to evaluator JoAnn Brown, Suisun Valley 4-H Club project leader and community club leader, about his beekeeping project, "The Many Different Parts of a Bee Hive," at the Solano County 4-H Project Skills Day. Weber won a showmanship award.
  

(Photos by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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