Farm to Fork Day Camp

Farm Bureau sponsored Farm to Fork Day Camp
July 28-30

Come out and join 4-H as we explore how our food gets from the farm to our forks with a youth summer day camp focusing on agriculture and farming practices in Haywood County. Our annual 3-day 4-H Agriculture Day Camp sponsored by Farm Bureau of Haywood County will be held July 28-30 at the Mountain Research Station (Test Farm) located off of Raccoon Road. The cost of this 3-day camp is $20.00 and it includes all travel, materials, insurance and a Camp T-shirt. Each day will begin at 8:30am and end at 5:00pm.

This camp is open to all youth ages 6-12 in Haywood County. You do not have to be a member of 4-H to participate in this day camp, and we encourage you to come see what opportunities 4-H offers in your community.

During the day camp we will have a bunch of fun activities and programs, as well as numerous tours lined up to visit local working farms and work with local farmers. Some of the things youth can expect to participate in are tours of the Mountain Research Station and an opportunity to see some of the many different projects that the staff there are always busy with, we will get to see a bee hive, learn about bees and how the make honey as well as the benefits of bees, we will travel to a number of local farms here in Haywood County to visit with farmers and see what they do and maybe get to help them harvest some fruits and vegetables. We will also have an opportunity to see a local tomato packing house in action to learn about that part of the process of “from the farm to fork”. In addition, there will be a visit to a local trout farm with a chance to do some fishing, and a visit to the local farmers markets to see what is growing in your neighborhoods; Plus many more exciting activities and projects.

This educational, hands-on program is made possible through the support of Farm Bureau of Haywood County. Year after year Farm Bureau continues to support the education of youth, focusing on agriculture, and they help 4-H continue to try to close the gap between how our food gets from the farm to our table.

Space is limited. For more information or to sign up for this camp, please call 828-456-3575.

HAYWOOD COUNTY 4-H FUNDRAISER/FLEA MARKET

COME OUT AND JOIN 4-H AS WE HOST AN INDOOR FLEA MARKET AT THE HAYWOOD COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS ON JUNE 20 FROM 7AM-2PM!

On June 20th 4-H will have the buildings at the Fairgrounds open to anyone interested in renting a booth to sell their items and/or coming out to rummage through and find flea market treasures. In addition to the booths, 4-H will be serving breakfast and lunch along with other snacks. All booth rental and concession proceeds will go directly to supporting Haywood County 4-H Youth Programs.

That day our 4-H Pickin' Club will be there performing on and off throughout the morning. They have recently performed at Jude's Coffee and Creamery, Nursing Homes , they have been invited to perform at our Haywood County Fair in September, as well as at other upcoming events held on Main Street in downtown Waynesville this summer and fall. They are a great group of 4-H youth and volunteers that enjoy what they do and look forward to performing.

To sign-up and rent a booth please call 828-456-3575. The cost to rent a booth is $20.00. There will be 2 8x10 tables there for each rented booth.

Remember if you are not selling anything you can still come out and show your support for 4-H!

For more information please call 828-456-3575.

Gearing up for District Activity Day

District Activity Day is going to be Tuesday, June 23rd, at A.C. Reynolds High School in South Asheville. We will be leaving the office in the 4-H van at 8:30AM and returning around 5:00PM (this time is variable so please be available to pick up your kids between 4 and 5). You'll also get a free lunch from Subway too. Parents are encouraged to come with us to support the kids. Please let us know if you can drive people there.


County Activity Day was a great success. There were some fantastic presentations, more than we've ever had in the past, that are going to great at the District Level. If you weren't able to participate you still have a chance to do a presentation BY MONDAY, JUNE 8th! There is a link to the right that has all of the presentation information that you will need. Pick a topic that interests you and please let us know if we can help you.

We at the 4-H office think that presentations are a vital part of preparing our youth for an employable future. The ability to speak in front of a group of people about a topic will help our our kids go far in the work world. Please convince your child or student to do one.

Last year, Gregg Popular one first place in State for his presentation in the Public Speaking category and the Lucky-Smiths played in the 4-H entertains talent show. This year we have a new group playing in the district talent show and they're going to do great so come on out and support them.

Swannanoa Summer Camp Here We Come...

Summer Camp
is almost here
and we have
a few spaces left!!!!

Don't wait until the last minute to register for Summer Camp at the Swannanoa 4-H Center. We have only 4 boy and 4 girl spots left and are registering on a first-come, first-serve basis. This special is for the TRADITIONAL CAMP ONLY (8-10 years old).

Registration and $100.00 Deposit are due by May 29th.

June 21-26
Traditional Camp Ages: 8-10 Fee: $300.00
Activities include swimming, archery, craft, environmental exploration, teambuilding, games and other exciting opportunities. Also evening opportunities may consist of Talent Shows, All Camp Games, Campfires, Award Ceremonies Dances and much more! Included in this special 4-H price will be a Transportation, Camp T-shirt and spending money at the Camp Store.

*Other Summer Camp Opportunities at Swannanoa*:
Trekker (ages 13-15)
Adventure (ages 11-12)
Explorer (ages 9-12)
Creative Me (ages 9-12)
Cloverbud Camp (ages 5-8)
Leader-in-Training (LIT) (ages 15-16)

More information and pictures can be found at Swannanoa 4-H Center.

*Contact Nick or Dan today to reserve your space and
receive your camp packet*
456-3575

Spring Break Field Trips!!!!

4-H Spring Break Opportunities for Middle School Students

Come join us as we set out to see some of the great natural wonders of the world. 4-H is offering three field trips for middle school grade students during the week of Haywood County Schools Spring Break (April 13^th – April 17^th), designed to educate youth about various plants and animals from around the area and across the world.

The first field trip will be on Tuesday, April 14^th and they will travel to Asheville to the NC Arboretum where they will participate in a fun program on different species of trees as well as get a chance to visit the entire facility to see all the plants they have there. In the afternoon, 4-H will travel across town to the WNC Nature Center where there will be have a guided tour, and then youth will participate in a program about turtles and snakes! It is sure to be a fun-filled day.

On Wednesday, April 15^th 4-H participants will load up the vans for a trip to Gatlinburg, TN and a full day at the Ripley’s Aquarium. They will explore the sights and sounds of the underwater world while walking through the exhibits. Lunch will be provided by the Aquarium. In the afternoon, youth will get a chance to visit with an educator from the Aquarium who will talk about different underwater habitats and the animals that call them home. This trip will be one you won’t want to miss.

Thursday, April 16th will be the last 4-H field trip opportunity and it is sure to rival the others in fun and excitement. The 4-H van will be off to Knoxville, TN where participants will visit all the awesome animals and exhibits at the Knoxville Zoological Gardens (the zoo). There will be a complete tour with scavenger hunt all through the zoo grounds. After a “zoo lunch”, youth will have a chance to talk with one of the zoo keepers and get to participate in a one-hour program on the zoo and different animals that live there.

These opportunities are designed for 6^th-8^th grade students and the educational programs presented each day will be specific to these grades. 4-H would love to also invite parent’s chaperones to travel with them.

The cost to participate in these 4-H trips is $25.00 per day and that covers travel, admission, gift bags and a lunch on Wednesday and Thursday. (Tuesday lunch is not provided). Each field trip will leave the Haywood County Cooperative Extension office (589 Raccoon Rd. Waynesville, NC 28786) at 8:30am and our day will conclude at 5:00pm at the same location.

You do not have to be a current 4-H member to participate in these trips. To sign-up for one or more of these trips, please call the Cooperative Extension office at (828)456-3575.

West District Teen Retreat

The West District 4-H Teen Retreat is scheduled for April 3rd-4th, 2009 at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain. The registration deadline is Wednesday, March 18th. Participants should submit a completed registration form (acknowledging compliance with the NC 4-H Code of Conduct), a notarized copy of the 4-H Medical Release form and a 4-H Media Release Form to the Haywood County 4-H Office by March 20th. All sign-up information needs to be received by Dan no later than March 18th at 3:30pm. We need your name, birth date and t-shirt size, and we can take this over the phone.

The cost is $55.00 per person with a $30.00 cost for County Council members, District Officers (current or running) or if you bring a new teen to this 4-H event.

Click here to see the schedule for Teen Retreat and to get the registration forms.

We apologize for the delay in registration this year and we'll work with any family to get forms completed. Please make sure you call us to sign-up over the phone by March 18th.

Fashion Revue and Talent Show Photos!!!!!

Check Out the NEW Slide Shows to the Right.

The 2009 Fashion Revue and Talent Show was a success. All the youth that participated did a great job! Congratulations to them all!!!!!!

Thanks to Sew Cool Club Leaders, Mrs. Cris Ammons and Ms. Diane Floyd for all their hard work helping the Winter Sewing Class participants make their garments as well as decorating and always being there to help!

Also, thanks to Sally Dixon for being the MC for the Fashion Revue, as well as Rebecca Warren for being the Talent Show MC.

We would also like to thank the Dawn and Russell Turner and the Pickin' Club for performing at intermissions during the night and letting the youth use their keyboard.

View photos of the events on the sidebar on the right!

Shooting Sports Expo

Come join the Bullseye 4-H Shooting Sports Club for their big opening event for 2009! This event is designed as an introduction to shooting sports and firearm safety designed for youth and their families.

The Expo will be held at the Haywood County Extension office on Saturday, February 21st at 6:00PM.

The Bullseye Club will have their interactive laser shooting computer program that is designed to allow youth to test their skills safely and indoors, without using real firearms. Besides the laser shoot there will be numerous other informative stations to rotate through as you learn about the fun, exciting and safe sport of shooting.

Please call the Extension Office if you would like to sign-up to participate in this event. (828)-456-3575.

Birding Class Rescheduled

4-H will be hosting a Western NC Birding Class on Wednesday, February 18th from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm for 5th through 12th grade students. This class will be taught by expert birder and Naturalist Blair Ogburn, from the Balsam Preserve Nature Center.

Blair will be teaching 4-Hers how to identify birds in our area, using sight and sound. She will also bring some of her live bird friends for us to meet.

Weather permitting, we may go on a short birding hike after the class; so please dress appropriately for cooler weather and have on sturdy shoes.

The Class is free and will be held on Wednesday, February 18th, which is an early release day for Haywood County Schools. Students are welcome to take the bus to the extension office.

In March, we will take a follow-up birding hike so we can practice what we have learned. That date will be determined prior to the February 18th class.

Please call the Extension Office at 456-3575 to register by Friday, February 13th. Space is limited so call early.