- Author: Stephanie L Barrett
For any of our 4-H members who are also in FFA!
Grant applications for high school students wishing to pursue an organic Supervised Agricultural Experience project through FFA opened on September 5, 2017. Previous students have started Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, raised organic cattle, and conducted water-quality testing on water runoff from organic farms.
Blair used the grant to build a portable pen for the poultry and purchase a chest freezer to store his product between slaughter and market.
These grants are part of the Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund, which seeks to expose students of all ages to organic agriculture. By connecting these students to resources that help fund their organic projects, CCOF is helping the next generation choose organic agriculture as a career path.
Application instructions are available on the CCOF website and applications are due November 15, 2017.
More Information
To learn more about the Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund, contact the CCOF Foundation at ccoffoundation@ccof.org or (831) 423-2263.
The Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund is made possible through contributions from organic business and community leaders including CCOF, the UNFI Foundation, the CCOF Processor/Handler Chapter, the Clif Bar Family Foundation, Dr. Bronner's, Driscoll's, Duncan Family Farms, Frey Vineyards, Frontier Co-op, Heath & Lejeune, Gary and Meg Hirshberg, Lost Republic Distilling, Organic Valley, SunRidge Farms, and True Organic Products. Thank you to these organizations for helping us inspire the next generation of organic farmers!
- Author: Stephanie L Barrett
Here is a great opportunity to learn how to protect your livestock from Mountain Lions! The Cooperative Extension South Coast Research and Extension Center, the Nature Conservancy, and the Mountain Lion Foundation have specifically requested that 4-H youth get involved in this event. They have worked effectively with 4-H across the west, and have found us to be a wealth of information about how to best protect livestock from lions. Go 4-Her's!
- Author: Stephanie L Barrett
4-H Shooting Sports Workshop
Pistol Discipline
San Luis Obispo, CA
WHEN:
Saturday, April 1st, 2017 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Sunday, April 2nd , 2017 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
WHERE: San Luis Obispo Sportsmen Association's Houge Range. 3272 Gilardi Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
Only 14 spots are available for the training.
INFO:
Participants must attend both days of training to receive certification. Upon successful completion of the course, the participant will be certified as a pistol trainer and can lead a pistol project at the club level or serve as county trainer to certify other leaders. Teen leaders are invited but must attend with an adult.
To qualify for this training, you must have completed the following items:
- Enroll in https://www.4honline.com/ in your resident county as an Adult Volunteer
- Complete the DOJ Live-Scan process in your resident county, and
- Complete the Volunteer Orientation post-test
If you are already enrolled as a 4-H Adult Volunteer, you do not need to complete the above steps.
No cost to participate! Lunch will also be provided both days.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own eye and ear protection if desired, but it is not necessary. Please bring your completed medical release form with you on the first morning of class.
Registration Link: https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=17502
For questions about the course, contact Jack Crane at (805) 458-4223 or Jack@accuair.com
- Author: Stephanie L Barrett
Author: Marianne Bird
Originally Published on: November 22, 2016 (Republished with permission)
It was dinnertime and Claudia, my colleague and friend, was seated at a table talking with the kids at 4-H On the Wild Side camp. Sitting next to Claudia, an African American girl in the fifth grade chatted away between bites of spaghetti.
“You're from Mexico, aren't you?” the girl asked Claudia.
“Well, yes I am,” Claudia responded.
The girl returned to her plate of pasta and conversation with her friends. A minute later, she again looked to Claudia, both surprised and a bit confused.
“You're from Mexico, but you speak English. How come you speak English if you're from Mexico?”
“I learned English in school when I was growing up,” Claudia replied.
“There's a girl in my class from Mexico, but she doesn't understand English at all,” the child reported. “She has a hard time in school.” And with that, the girl again directed her attention to her dinner and friends.
I share this story only because it was a poignant reminder for me of my child development classes and the theories of Jean Piaget.[i] Piaget spoke of schema, or the understanding that children create as they experience the world, both physically and socially. Children build a framework—a perception of reality—upon which they hang information. When a new experience happens, it either fits into their understanding of how the world works, or they have to modify their mindset to accommodate the information.
For the young girl at camp, there was a disconnect between her understanding—based on her past experience—of what someone from Mexico was like (non-English speaking) and her conversation with her dinner companion. The child now had new information to reframe her thinking. Her understanding of the world is deepened.
Of course our role as 4-H leaders involves helping kids to learn: about horses, or what constitutes a healthy meal, or how to lead a meeting. Young people learn social skills, decision-making skills, indeed a variety of life skills to help them navigate their future. Yet I would argue that perhaps our greatest opportunity is not teaching kids how to do things, but providing opportunities for them to expand their understanding of this very complex world in which we live.
Our organization offers windows to new experiences. New experiences challenge and excite us. Sometimes they elicit trepidation or fear as we pilot unfamiliar territory. We may worry of being seen as incompetent as we take the risk to explore ideas and expand our thinking. The same emotions hold true for the children we work with. A skilled leader is aware of this, and they acknowledge feelings and are gentle and patient in their guidance as youth build a more complete picture of their world.
What a wonderful opportunity we've been granted. In big ways and small, we help children construct understanding in their lives: understanding of people, of their world, of themselves. Thank you for all you do to nurture this growth in our kids.
[i] Piaget, J. (1953). The origin of intelligence in the child. New Fetter Lane, New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
- Author: Stephanie L Barrett
The Ocean Institute campout dates are July 31, 2017 or August 28, 2017. The campout is from 3pm until the next morning at 10am. The June 12, 2017 campout has already been reserved for the Mountain Lions 4-H Club. If additional spots are available for June 12th, we will offer them on a first come, first serve basis.
To register, complete this survey: https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=19988
Please download the following information, read it, fill out the medical forms and waiver, and attach at the end of the survey.
Download the PARENT INFORMATION PACKET
Download the CHAPERONE INFORMATION PACKET
Download the 4-H YOUTH TREATMENT AUTHORIZATION AND HEALTH HISTORY
Ocean Institute's Campout at the Ranch in Laguna Beach
31106 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
The “campers” will be spending the night in tents at a historic campsite on The Ranch property. Team building challenges, scientific explorations, crafts and beach time will be woven into this unforgettable experience.
CAMPING AT THE RANCH –SCHEDULE
3:00 - 3:30 CHECK IN AT THE RANCH
3:30 - 4:00 ORIENTATION
4:00 – 6:00 Games and Crafts
6:00 – 7:00 DINNER
7:00 – 9:00 Night hike and stargazing
9:30 LIGHTS OUT
6:30 – 7:30 BREAKFAST
7:30 – 10:00 Beach and tide pools (subject to weather conditions)
10:00 – 10:30 PACK UP AND HEAD HOME