4-H members honored at fair

Members of Sussex County 4-H clubs play an important role in the annual New Jersey State Fair-Sussex County Farm & Horse Show.

Outstanding members were recognized during the Lois Chammings 4-H Best of the Best Awards on Aug. 7 in the agricultural area at the fairgrounds.

The awards are named for a dedicated 4-H leader who spent her life raising funds, directing their distribution and helping young people realize their potential.

“Lois brought out the best in kids,” said Dave Foord, senior program coordinator of the county’s 4-H program for 19 years.

Tanya Patrie, agriculture & natural resources community assistant with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County, said, “The Lois Chammings Awards are a bittersweet opportunity to remember all the wonderful things she did.”

The ceremony began by recognizing four 4-H members for their outstanding project record books, which highlight a significant event or experiences in 4-H as well as members’ goals, progress and the financial costs of their projects.

The winners:

• Amelia Murphy, Sussex County Capricians 4-H Club (goats).

• Paige VanderGroef, Kids in the Kitchen 4-H Club (cooking).

• Emma Strabone, Regal Rabbits 4-H Club (rabbits).

• Cormac Gibbons, Love on a Leash 4-H Club (raises guide dogs as puppies for the Seeing Eye in Morris Township).

Next, five 4-H members were honored as the Best of 4-H:

• Crafts and Hobbies: Noelle Hrynoweski, Whiskers and Squeals 4-H Club (rabbits and small animals), submitted a painted planter pot for succulents.

• Art and Photography: Sophie Daidone, Awesome Alpaca Adventurers 4-H Club, submitted a color photograph of a boy in profile at sunset.

• Sewing Construction: Amelia Cronin, Allons-y 4-H Club (geocaching), submitted a crocheted cow.

• Foods and Nutrition: Emma VanHaste, Yeastie Beasties 4-H Club (cooking), submitted a German chocolate cake.

• Plants and Horticulture: Sophie Stefankiewicz, Summer Blossoms 4-H Club (horticulture), submitted hydrangea.

Free to join

“The 4-H program is free to join, welcomes children from all backgrounds and (is) unique in New Jersey since (it) features a wide range of diverse environments,” Foord said.

Students may participate in 4-H from kindergarten through their first year of college.

Older members take on mentoring roles, gaining experience by teaching younger members. Many return to the program as leaders.

Two or more adult volunteers, along with at least five youths, may form a club to explore a shared interest.

Maria Dudas and Krissy Ellis are leaders of the Sussex County Kicken’ Chicken 4-H Poultry Club, which has 25 members ranging from kindergarten to grade 13.

The adults run meetings, organize fundraisers and coordinate the 4-H poultry show at the fair.

4-H meetings are both fun and educational, covering topics such as bird care, disease prevention and how to show a bird.

“We take what we learn as kids and pass down the knowledge to the next generation,” said Ellis, author of a book called “Raising Ducks for Beginners and Beyond: The Guide to Breeds, Ponds, Nutrition, and All Things Duck.”

Dudas explained that public speaking and leadership skills acquired in 4-H carry over into adulthood. “4-H really prepares young children to be adults,” she said.

Projects that were once gender-specific no longer are divided that way.

“Times have changed,” Foord said. “Now there are more girls than boys participating, and they’re working on the same projects.”