The South Country’s 4H club wrapped up another stellar year of leadership, livestock and personal development with their South Country Crafts and Critters Corona Classic.
4H stands for head, heart, health and hands. The club is an agriculture based youth group where children learn about the morals, values, and ethics of raising livestock, along with a variety of other life skills such as cooking, sewing, public speaking, and crafting.
According to the 4H Club beef and foods leader, Sarann Press, the ultimate goal of 4H is to empower children, instilling in them a sense of confidence and responsibility through their various programs. Striving to encourage kids to learn to do by doing, the South Country’s 4H club currently has 35 members aged six to 21, with children aged nine and up participating in agricultural competitions.
“I love that this program defines what youth can become,” said Press. “I am always so proud of 4H kids, they always stand out in a crowd. The 4H Club really shines at building leaders for the future, and it also promotes agriculture, which is so important right now, especially with the pandemic highlighting where our food comes from and where it’s raised.”
According to Press, though COVID-19 made this year look different, club members and their families rallied together to ensure the program continued to run, albeit in socially distant ways. Though the club could not participate in their regular end of year shows, Press managed to organize an event dubbed the South Country Crafts and Critters Corona Classic, held on May 29 and June 2.
The steer show took place on May 29, where Ellie Oestreich received first place, Sawyer Hutchinson, second, and Payton Hutchinson, third. On the second day, the heifer program competed, where Emily Harris came in first, Emily Filimek, second, and Ashley Galandy, third.
“I really like that when you raise an animal, it is really supportive, and they give you a really big responsibility because you have to take care of an animal,” said 4H club member, Brooklyn Clarke. “It’s not like your parents going out every day to feed that thing and giving it water and scooping its pen, its you going out to check it.”
Though being a part of the club is a big time commitment, Press said that the program is a fantastic opportunity for children to learn valuable life skills in a safe, creative, and educational environment. For more information, visit the local 4H website at Cranbrookanddistrict4h.com.
