Virginia Cooperative Extension Albemarle/Charlottesville 4-H

We are proud to share that the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has unanimously proclaimed October 6th-12th as National 4-H Week in Albemarle County in recognition of the remarkable contributions of 4-H members, volunteers, and leaders in empowering youth through hands-on learning experiences. 4-H Professionals Sam Leech and Sarah Brown, along with our dedicated 4-H members and volunteers, had the privilege of thanking the Board for their continued support of our programs. The Board's encouraging words about the importance of community connection, leadership, and addressing critical issues like environmental protection highlight the transformative impact of 4-H. Special thanks to: Supervisor McKeel, who praised the involvement of our youth and emphasized 4-H’s role in preparing the next generation for future challenges. Supervisor Pruitt, who spoke on how 4-H fosters the strong community connections that make Albemarle County a place where people want to live and give back. Supervisor Gallaway, who commended the commitment of 4-H members in an age of technology, stressing the importance of hands-on skills. Supervisor LaPisto-Kirtley, who admired the leadership and citizenship skills fostered by 4-H, with over 1,800 local youth participating. Supervisor Mallek, who shared a heartfelt story about her daughter’s 4-H experience, highlighting the lifelong value of hands-on learning. Supervisor Andrews, who fondly recalled the impact of 4-H in his own community and encouraged current members to embrace the journey. We are deeply grateful to the Board of Supervisors for recognizing the value of 4-H in shaping engaged, resilient youth. Thank you to all of our members, parents, volunteers, and leaders for your dedication and continued contributions to the Albemarle community. Read the proclamation: https://lnkd.in/ensYuVPv View the meeting: https://lnkd.in/eUB5-yrR

Enrollment is OPEN! All Albemarle and Charlottesville youth age 5-19 are invited to join a 4-H Club today! Visit our website to learn more about our Clubs: https://lnkd.in/eh2AbcGy Then enroll in 4-H Online https://lnkd.in/ejrcEe4b

We're thrilled to launch the Albemarle/Charlottesville 4-H Youth Livestock Leadership Association - a brand new county-wide project group dedicated to all things production livestock (beef cattle, hogs, market lambs, meat goats)! Led by 4-H Extension Agent Sam Leech, this group offers a fantastic opportunity for 4-H members ages 9-19 to dive into the world of livestock production, nutrition, and exhibition. And guess what? You don’t need to own an animal to join! What’s in Store? -Hands-on learning about livestock production, evaluation, nutrition, and exhibition -Exciting field trips and farm visits -Participation in 4-H contests like Livestock Judging, Skillathon, and Cattle Working -Leadership roles, including learning about the Virginia 4-H Livestock Ambassador Program -Special events like Youth Beef Field Day and Youth Swine Day -Quality Assurance Trainings (YQCA, Beef Quality Assurance) If your 4-Her is ready to jump into this amazing learning experience, sign up now!   We’ll be hosting an interest meeting in the coming months to finalize meeting times and plan out the year. Sign Up Here: https://lnkd.in/epPPsfgZ

The Home Arts and Agriculture Building is OPEN at the Albemarle County Fair located at historic James Monroe's Highland! Visit the Fair today until 9pm to see all of the 600+ entries in the Home Arts & Ag Barn (including the Titan Sunflower Competitions), talk to the Albemarle-Charlottesville Piedmont Master Gardeners, learn more about 4-H, visit with the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, and the Central Virginia Fiberarts Guild! There are also Sunflower related kids activities in the Home Arts & Ag Barn presented by the Albemarle-Charlottesville Piedmont Master Gardeners! And don't forget to visit the Livestock Show, 4-H Livestock Kids who have worked hard on their animal projects to prepare for the Fair, Central Virginia Beekeeping, Albemarle County Fire Rescue and more! So much creativity and hard work on display in Albemarle County. Find the Livestock Show and Entertainment Schedules at https://lnkd.in/eivZ32MM Cost is $5 daily, free for children under 6.

Thank you to the Virginia Tech Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management in the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences for highlighting our 4-H Sewing Camp! Come to the Albemarle County Fair this week at James Monroe's Highland to see some of our 4-H Youth's talented work and creativity in person!

In partnership with the Albemarle-Charlottesville Piedmont Master Gardeners, we welcome everyone to enter Home Arts and Horticulture Entries into the 2024 Albemarle County Fair. The time is now to register your entries online by visiting: https://lnkd.in/da-DRvSa Once your entries are registered online, drop them off at James Monroe's Highland on Wednesday, July 30th from 12-8pm. Visit the Albemarle County Fair website for the full Entry Catalog. https://lnkd.in/eZzRPHdz

Last week, we held our inaugural 4-H Sewing Day Camp, in partnership with James Monroe's Highland! The camp was a hub of creativity and hands-on learning, led by 4-H Program Assistant Sarah Brown and 4-H Volunteer Mariah Clark, who are both Virginia Tech alums with multiple degrees in Apparel Design and work experience in the fashion industry. The camp was also facilitated by wonderful volunteers and staff including Master Gardener Linda Blum, 4-H Extension Agent Sam Leech, 4-H Volunteers Kim Lohan and Hannah Orsagh, and VCE Albemarle Intern Sabrina Whearty. Throughout the week, 12 youth aged 9-16 practiced essential sewing skills, from basic stitches to more complex tasks like installing zippers and crafting pockets, drafting their own patterns, using a serger and programming our new embroidery machine. The first day introduced campers to sewing on paper and selecting fabrics that reflected their personality. By the second day, they tackled zippers and pockets, demonstrating growing sewing confidence and competence. By the third day, several campers completed their bags and began personal projects like sewing garments and exploring the new embroidery machine. Creativity truly flourished on the fourth day with projects including mason jar pin cushions, circle skirts drafted on pattern paper from scratch, a denim block quilt, and a fun mushroom print bucket hat. The final day was a celebration of their hard work, with all tote bag projects completed and additional pillowcases sewn for donation to the Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE Shelter) in Charlottesville. We are so very proud of all the hard work and new skills our 4-H youth learned! Campers can choose to enter their projects in the upcoming Albemarle County Fair that will take place next week at James Monroe's Highland, which is open to all. To enter your own Home Arts or Horticultural entries, please enter them online in FairEntry by Tuesday, July 30th: https://lnkd.in/da-DRvSa A huge thank you to James Monroe's Highland for use of their facility, along with SVP Worldwide for donating 3 Singer Sewing Machines to our 4-H Program, SewingMachinesPlus.com for donating a Janome Sewing Machine, Peggy Quesenberry, Ph.D for donating loads of fabric and notions, Mariah Clark for designing our tote bag project and skirt patterns, Dr. Sherry Schofield for inspiring us to create a sewing workbook reference, Hannah Orsagh for helping us with our pillowcase and pin cushion projects, Linda Blum, Kim Lohan, and Sabrina Whearty for being helping hands, Sam Leech for providing support, and Sarah Brown for organizing and coordinating all the things! If your child is interested in our upcoming Sewing Workshops, please fill out our Interest Form here: https://lnkd.in/df-eAbp6 #VirginiaCooperativeExtension #Virginia4H

A huge thank you to the Crozet Gazette for their wonderful article on the continued growth of our 4-H Youth Development Program! https://lnkd.in/eF5WBjvB

Help us grow strong leaders! Now thru May 5, stop by the Tractor Supply on River Rd in Charlottesville to make your donation to help local youth thrive. Funds raised support 4-H Camp and 4-H State Congress Scholarships! 🍀💚🚜

It’s 4-H Embryology Pick Up Day! We have over 200 eggs being distributed to Albemarle and Charlottesville classrooms serving over 900 students! Thank you to the following sponsors/supporters of this program: Lawrence H. Liesfeld Meg Franco Tractor Supply Company- Charlottesville Store H2O Cattle Co- The Tom Gilbert Family Old Orchard Farm- The Catlett Family The Manley Family Southern Fluff Butts- The Gibson Family Just Another Day Farm Stay tuned for updates on hatching success!