CALS Update CALS in the News
The Virginia 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Contest (WHEP) will be held October 19, 2013 at the New Kent Forestry Center, Providence Forge, Va.
WHEP is an outstanding program that teaches youth skills related to wildlife and habitat management.
More information can be found on the 4-H WHEP website.
Please share this with any members or volunteers who may be interested in starting a WHEP program in your county or who are currently participating in the program.
Robyn Raines
The Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center in Abingdon is very pleased to announce the appointment of Robyn Raines as its new center director. Raines is a native of Southwest Virginia who moved back to the region about five years ago to serve as director of the Appalachian Arts Center, a part of Southwest Virginia Community College. Most recently she worked as an advancement officer and capital campaign manager at Barter Theatre in Abingdon.
“My first experience at the 4-H Center was as a nine-year-old camper from Russell County. From that first week of camp, the Southwest 4-H Center has held a special place in my heart,” Raines said. “I feel honored to now have the opportunity to bring my knowledge and skills back to work for the 4-H Center. I look forward to working with 4-H, which is a wonderful youth development organization, and to bring more attention to the important work and opportunity provided to the region through the 4-H Center.” Continue reading
The SE District would like to welcome Maurice D. Smith, Jr. as the new 4-H Agent in Sussex County.
Maurice earned his masters in agriculture and extension education from Virginia Tech and his bachelors in agriculture business economics from Virginia State University.
He has worked as a program research technician to the associate assistant secretary for cultural transformation, USDA in Washington, D.C. (Civil Rights); a graduate research assistant in AEE; and a school leader at the Governor’s School for Agriculture in Blacksburg. He has also been a program evaluation technician with VSU, an international marketing intern with VDACS/SUSTA in Richmond, and a farm loan program trainee with the USDA Farm Service Agency.
He is a longtime member of the VT MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences) and was the chapter president. He is a member of the Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture. He takes great pride in having implemented and led many volunteers from many different backgrounds in service-oriented projects. Maurice grew up in the Sussex County area and participated in 4-H programs as a youth. He has also served as a 4-H camp volunteer during the past few summers.
Maurice’s email is msmith09@vt.edu.
Please join VCE-Central District as we welcome a new employee.
Sarah Crews joins the Lunenburg Cooperative Extension staff on February 25 as the 4-H youth development agent. Sarah received her bachelors degree from Virginia Tech in human development with a concentration in child and adolescent development. She grew up in the Halifax 4-H program, eventually becoming president of her local 4-H Teen Honor Club. She continued with 4-H throughout college and was a volunteer counselor at Skelton Lake 4-H Center for six years. She has also been a Cloverbuds leader. Sarah was recently employed as a youth development professional with the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Virginia. Sarah has dreamed of returning to 4-H to give back to the program, and her prior 4-H experiences will be beneficial as she works with 4-H program in Lunenburg County. Sarah can be reached at the Lunenburg office at 434-696-5526 or at sarahc89@vt.edu.
The State 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference will be held in Virginia Beach on March 9 and 10. Registration forms must be postmarked by March 1 to avoid a $15 late fee. Monsanto scholarships are available for agents bringing two volunteers, first time attendees, and veteran volunteers. The scholarship application is on the last page of the attached document and due with payment by Feb. 22. Those awarded a scholarship will be reimbursed following the conference.
Please join the Southeast District in welcoming Jeri Kostal as the new family and consumer sciences agent in the City of Chesapeake; effective Jan. 10, 2013.
Jeri is a native of Amherst County. She has an M.S. and a B.S. in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech. She was on the Dean’s list for seven semesters and obtained more than four scholarships from prestigious organizations while at Virginia Tech. Her work experience includes having served as a research graduate assistant and as a graduate teaching assistant at VT. She has also worked as an intern at Hagelin Flavor Technologies in Branchburg, NJ, and worked for more than five years at Virginia Tech Recreational Sports.
Jeri’s email address is jkost07@vt.edu. She can be reached in the Chesapeake Extension office.
Please welcome Karen DeBord, Extension specialist, family and human development. DeBord is no stranger to VCE. She began her Extension career in Wythe County as a 4-H Agent, then served as an FCS Agent, prior to becoming an Extension specialist in child development. Following VCE, she worked at the University of Missouri, then North Carolina State University.
Karen’s contact information is kdebord@vt.edu and 540-238-3327.
Please welcome two new agents to Northern District, who started on Jan. 10.
Kari Sponaugle joined as the Bath/Highland 4-H agent. Kari is a 2010 graduate of Ferrum College with a B.S. in agriculture, with a minor in accounting. She is a Highland local and is married to Michael Sponaugle, a local turkey and cattle farmer in Doe Hill. She and her husband also own Church Hill Produce, which they opened in 2011 to supply fresh produce to their community at a roadside stand and the Monterey Farmers Market. She has worked as a customer service representative for First and Citizens Bank in Monterey for the last three years. Kari was very involved in 4-H while a student at Highland High School. She was inducted as a 4-H All-Star in 2004 and participated in many 4-H projects such as Market Lambs, Fashion Review, Share-the-Fun, presentations, and public speaking. Kari is very excited about her new position as 4-H Education Agent and hopes to make a difference in the Bath and Highland communities.
Terry Misch joined as the 4-H agent for King George. Terry has been with VCE since 2003 as a 4-H technician in King George County. Terry has a B.S. in computer science and math from University of Southern Mississippi. For the past four years, Terry has been the sole 4-H staff for King George and has grown the program significantly. Terry is an Honorary 4-H All-Star and has volunteered as a 4-H club leader in the past. She has also worked with local garden clubs and Master Gardeners. Terry says her own three children benefitted greatly from 4-H, and she looks forward to “impacting the lives of local youth” as she becomes the 4-H agent.
Please join the Central District in welcoming two new extension agents to our district effective Jan. 10.
Thomas Woodson is the 4-H agent for Amelia County. Thomas has been employed as the 4-H technician in Amelia County since spring 2012. He is currently working on his master’s degree, and he has a B.S. from Radford University in exercise, sport, and health education. He has been associated with 4-H since he was a child and was a staff member at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center for eight years. He is a resident of Buckingham County and has been involved in local community outreach programs for the elderly, young adults, and youth. Thomas can be reached at the Amelia County Extension Office at 804-561-2481 and thwoods@vt.edu.
Adam Ford joins the Pittsylvania County staff today as the 4-H agent. He has a B.S. in agricultural sciences from Virginia Tech. During the summer of 2010, he served as an intern with VCE in the Rockingham County office where he was in charge of the summer day camps, among other duties. While in high school, he was the State FFA Northern Area Vice President, and he has also worked with the Rockingham County Boys and Girls Club and served as assistant director for Relay for Life at VT. Adam can be reached as the Pittsylvania County Extension Office at 434-432-7770 and awford@vt.edu.
From left: Virginia 4-H members Jacquelyn Henley, Delaney O’Donnell, Hannah Ho, and Hunter Liles at Arabian Nationals in Tulsa, Ok.
In October, members of the State 4-H Horse Judging Team competed at Arabian Nationals in Tulsa, Ok. Team members included Hannah Ho and Jacquelyn Henley of Albemarle County and Hunter Liles of Pittsylvania County.
Virginia 4-H member Hunter Liles shows off her new western saddle at Arabian Nationals in Tulsa, Ok.
In the 4-H Individual Halter Division, Liles placed fourth, Ho placed seventh, and Henley placed 11th. Overall, Virginia was second in the 4-H Team Halter Division. In the 4-H Individual Performance Division, Liles placed second, with Henley and Ho placing just out of the ribbons.
Virginia was fourthin the 4-H Team Performance Division. For the 4-H Individual Reasons Division, Liles placed sixth, with Ho placing 11th, Henley placing 14th, and the Virginia team placing fourthin the 4-H Team Reasons Division.
Overall, Liles was the High Individual Champion in the 4-H Division, and Ho and Henley placed 14th and 15threspectively. Virginia’s team placed fourthoverall in the 4-H Competition — very impressive for a three-person team!
Delaney O’Donnell competed at Arabian Nationals in Tulsa as an individual in the Arabian Horse Association Division on behalf of the Virginia Arabian Horse Association. Delaney placed seventhin the Individual Halter Division, 2nd in the Individual Performance Division, and second in the Individual Reasons Division. Delaney was also the third-highest individual overall in the AHA Division!
Travel funding for the 4-H Horse Judging Team is made possible through private donations, parental support, funding from the 4-H Horse Program endowment and the Fred and Jane Campbell Endowment.
For more information, please visit the Virginia 4-H Horse Programs’ website.
Virginia 4-H Members: (back row, from left) Monet Wilson, Olivia Wells, Shelley Brown, Lilly Johnston, Rachel Dominguez, Virginia Reasor, Jacquelyn Henley, and Delaney O’Donnell; (Front row, from left) Megan Wilson-Bost, Emily Johnston, Abby Worth-Jones, and Michaela Yowaiski.
In early November, a group of Virginia 4-H members traveled to Louisville, Ky., to compete in the equine divisions of the 2012 Eastern National Roundup. Representing Virginia in the Individual Presentation Division was Emily Johnston, with Monet Wilson and Olivia Wells competing in the Team Presentation Division. Abby Worth-Jones participated in the Public Speaking contest.
(From left) Virginia 4-H members Rachel Dominguez, Virginia Reasor, Michaela Yowaiski, Jacquelyn Henley, and Delaney O’Donnell with Coach Yvonne Miller, bottom.
Virginia was also represented by teams competing in Hippology, Horse Judging, and the Horse Bowl Competition this year. Representing Virginia in the Horse Bowl Competition were Kimberly Buonomo, Jake Buonomo, Jordan Ruffner, and Michaela Yoqaiski.
Hippology team members included Shelley Brown, Lily Johnston, Megan Wilson-Bost, and Julia Wenger. For the Individual Written portion of the Hippology contest, Virginia was secondoverall, with Shelley Brown placing secondand Julia Wenger placing fourth. In stations, Julia Wenger and Shelley Brown placed sixthand ninthrespectively, leading Virginia to 3rd for that portion of the contest. Shelley Brown was the third-highest individual, with Julia Wenger placing fourth.
Overall, the Virginia team placed sixth in Horse Judging, firstin Team Problems, and was the second-highest overall team in the Hippology Contest.
4-H members representing Virginia in the Horse Judging Competition for 2012 included Delaney O’Donnell, Virginia Reasor, Jacquelyn Henley, and Rachel Dominguez. In the Individual Halter Division, Delaney O’Donnell placed first, with Jacquelyn Henley in thirdand Rachel Dominguez in 11th! In the Individual Reasons Division, Rachel Dominguez and Delaney O’Donnell placed fourth and fifth, respectively. Delaney O’Donnell also placed as the ninth-highest individual in the contest. Overall, Virginia was 11th in Performance, third in Reasons, firstin Halter, and third overall.
For more information, please visit the Virginia 4-H Horse Programs’ website.
Thanks goes out to all the faculty and staff members and volunteers who provided their time and talents to help make the 2012 Virginia Junior Livestock Expo a huge success. Almost 300 4-H and FFA members from 42 counties along with their families and more than 900 livestock projects converged at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds for Virginia’s largest youth livestock show on October 12-14.
The expo featured market and breeding shows for beef cattle, swine, sheep, and meat goats, as well as a stockmen’s contest. A recognition dinner and barn dance were also held. During the recognition program, the Virginia 4-H Foundation announced the goal to grow the Virginia 4-H Livestock Program Endowment, which was established to help support programs such as the Junior Livestock Expo.
Expo highlights can be seen on the VCE Facebook page.
The 51st Virginia State 4-H Championship Horse & Pony Show was held in Lexington, Va., at the Virginia Horse Center on September 13-16. This statewide event draws in more than 700 youth participants from across the commonwealth. These youth participated in a wide variety of contests, from educational events to the horse show itself. More than 2,000 people showed up to cheer on the competitors.
Youth interested in educational events could compete in the District Challenge – an annual knowledge contest comprised of Horse Bowl, Hippology, and Horse Judging. Congratulations to the Southeast 4-H District on winning the 2012 District Challenge! Other contests at the horse show included a state-wide photography contest, and an art contest, both of which were open to all interested 4-H members.
The horse show brought out nearly 500 participants who represented 64 counties across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Competitors had the opportunity to compete in events ranging from Gymkhana and Pleasure to Dressage and Hunter Over Fences. Numerous champion, reserve champion, and high point awards were recognized at the show.
The State 4-H Horse Show is self-funded through entry fees, donations by friends of the State 4-H Horse Program, and corporate sponsors such as the Virginia Horse Industry Board, The Virginia Horse Council, Blue Ridge Trailers, Virginia Farm Bureau, Southern States, Gearmax USA ,and Weller & Associates, LLC. The Horse Show Hero Program also helps to fund this event by allowing participants to raise money in lieu of paying entry fees.
For more information and detailed listings of results, please visit the Virginia 4-H Horse Program website.
Congratulations to the Ag-Ext VT 4-H team on winning an award for “Most creative use of the mystery box items!”
The roundup of winners can be found on the HokieWellness site.