Club News and Information

Rain Drop Round up Fox Hunting 

RainDrop Round up 4-H Club (Olivia, Riley, & Mariah) went to Vermont to hunt with the green mountain hounds for five days and had a great time.  The protocol is very specific as to what we wore and what tack could be used on the horses.  They toured Vermont Teddy Bear, trail rode in the mountains, and watched the sunset from the top of Mt Philo. They also attended Addison County Fair where a farrier competed with his six pony hitch and visited the 4-H exhibit there. They also shopped on Church St and visited some other attractions around Burlington.

Submitted by Judy Boyer

New York State 4-H Horse Bowl Competition

Several local youth braved the icy weather on April fourteenth to travel to Morrisville State College to participate in the New York State 4-H Horse Bowl Competition.

Horse Bowl is a quiz-bowl-style competition where contestants compete to answer questions about horse knowledge. The point of the competition is to gain knowledge at about horses and have fun at the same time using the game show format.

Four girls from St. Lawrence County participated in the event. Amalia Kanitz and Elizabeth Morse were part of the Junior team, and Olivia Brown and Meaghan Pierce competed as members of the Senior team. Amalia and Elizabeth were competing for the first time ever.

The college set up tours of its equine facilities for the competitors, who got to visit the horse barns and the riding arenas, meet several adorable foals in the foaling barn, and explore the many machines in the rehabilitation center.

The competition was very challenging, with many competitors, and difficult questions, but the St. Lawrence girls were well represented in the awards. Meaghan Pierce placed third individual and the Senior team won third place team.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed their visit, and can’t wait to go back and compete again next year.

If you would like to try Horse Bowl, contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension at 315-379-9192 for more information. 

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Hello 4-H Teens and 4-H Clubs. We are having a joint 4-H Teen/Club Day at TSC.

Join us at the Gouverneur, Potsdam, or Massena Tractor Supply from

10am – 1pm, April 21^st!

We encourage teens, clubs, and volunteers to participate at their local Tractor Supply Co. store during Paper Clover. Not only will this help donations and improve our relationship with local stores, you will also have an opportunity to enter the Paper Clover Participation Sweepstakes, where 75 clubs will win a $100 TSC gift card. http://tsccontest.com/4hsweeps/

Participation can be anything from setting up a display table and project boards inside the store, project animals outside the store, to having clubs encourage customers to donate. Please contact Nick Hamilton-Honey for more information, or to let us know if your club is interested in participating on April 21^st. Call 315-379-9192 Ext. 230 or e-mail nh327@cornell.edu.                              

4-H Camp Overlook Scholarship 

Available for a 4-H Member

There is a scholarship available for an enrolled 4-H member to attend a week at 4-H Camp Overlook in Malone. Interested candidates must write a brief essay about why they want to go to 4-H Camp Overlook, and the impact 4-H has made in their life. Please send essays to Casey Caswell at cgc58@cornell.edu or mail to the office at 2043B State Highway 68 Canton NY 13617

Regional Horse Bowl Competition

On March 10, several 4-H members of St. Lawrence County traveled to Mexico, NY for the Regional Horse Bowl competition. Horse Bowl is a 4-H program designed to help kids learn about horses, while having fun and competing against other 4-Her’s. Competitors participate in a quiz-bowl contest with horse-themed questions. To make the competition fair, the participants are divided into three categories: Novice, Junior, and Senior.

This year, eight 4-Her’s traveled to Mexico to compete.

The Novice team was represented by Danielle Morse of Massena.

Her older sisters, Jessika and Elizabeth Morse, joined with Amalia Kanitz of DeKalb and Michael Pierce of Heuvelton to form the Junior team. The team placed second in the contest, and Amalia Kanitz won 2nd-place individual.

The Senior team was made up of Meaghan Pierce and Olivia Brown of Heuvelton, and Reilly Kenney from Massena. They placed first as a team, and all placed individually: Meaghan Pierce in 1st place, Olivia Brown in 2^nd place, and Reilly Kenney in 5^th place.

If you are interested in joining Horse Bowl, more information can be obtained from the 4-H Office at 315-379-9192

Article submitted by:

-Meaghan Pierce

             

 4-H Clover Days at Jo-Ann Fabric 

  On the morning of February 19, 2018, the Jolly Ranchers 4-H club was seen at Jo-Ann Fabrics craft store in Ogdensburg. The club was there to celebrate “4-H Clover Days”. Seven members of the club were able to attend this occasion, including Maureen, Meaghan and Michael Pierce, Josh Severson, and Ivan, Joey, and Walter Kring. The members set up a display in the front of the store. The table was decked out as follows: beneath it all was a tablecloth, specially made by the 4-Hers, that had photographs of 4-H pinned on it. On top of that was a scrapbook, displaying more 4-H photographs. Also on display was the fall project from the club: namely, bowl cozies, which are fabric “cushions” to insulate your bowls of soup or chili from the microwave, so they are not too hot for you to handle. Michael and Meaghan Pierce also demonstrated their knitting needles and loom, making socks and a hat. This was to give an example of what members can do in 4-H. Members also took turns handing out free 4-H stickers. Also, the 4-Hers promoted the special deal going on at the check-out counter; if you donated 4 dollars to 4-H you would be rewarded generously with a 4-dollar coupon for JoAnn’s. Several of the customers were former 4-H members themselves, and enjoyed looking at the scrapbook and remembering their own club days. We’d like to thank JoAnn Fabrics for supporting 4-H!

Article submitted by:

-Michael Pierce

4-H Teen Council Leadership Retreat at Camp Overlook, December 8-10, 2017

17 teens from St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Lewis Counties participated in a weekend leadership retreat at Camp Overlook from December 8 th to the 10th. The teens arrived at Camp Friday evening and after introductions and ice breakers were off to the proverbal races. Saturday was packed full. The teens started the day with a hike to explore Camp Overlook. Lewis County talked about how their teen council functions and what has and has not worked for them and their Extension Educator. The Lewis County teens also presented a recycling project that they implemented at their county fair. They were very successful in their county and would like to expand this success to other counties and State Fair. The St. Lawrence County teens lead a nutrition activity called “Re-think Your Drink” from Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness curriculum, after which they made healthy smoothies as a snack. New York State 4-H recently released, with the help of teens at the state level, a Safe Space Logo. One of the activities was learning and talking about diversity versus inclusion and what it meant to have a safe space logo. There were leadership development and team building activities throughout the day. Much as the day started, we ended with a night hike where the teens got to sing some camp songs and try to create an echo off of Owl’s Head. Sunday was flurry of activity as Lewis and Jefferson County youth needed to head out early. St. Lawrence County teens when on another hike and played games while waiting on rides. Below are three teens summaries of the retreat.

"My Camp Overlook weekend was great. I met new people and saw some pretty amazing sites. Conner and I stayed in our own house with Andrew. I loved his dog Jackson he was great.
This weekend we got to hang out with Jefferson, Lewis , and St. Lawrence people. I met new people like Madeline, Micheala, Abby, and Shania. With Micheala, Abby, Shania, and Roach we listened to music and talked like the entire time. We all played games like human tic-tac-toe and farkle and barkle.”
-- Xander Dowling

“Camp Overlook was amazing! We played some games and hung out with other counties. But some parts were really boring to be honest. The lessons that we had to listen to were pretty boring. But then they tied games into the lessons also. I’m really glad that I came because I would have regretted not coming. I met new friends also which was pretty cool. When we were on a walk we saw a few coyote tracks and a bald eagle. It’s good not to be stuck in one place and even though it was a little icy, we went on some hikes. The night hike was pretty cool cause I honestly didn’t know where I was going but when we got to the beach there were so many starts and I could find so many constellations. Also, the food was really good, vegetarian food and vegan food was included. Every morning or when ever you could make yourself hot chocolate, or tea which was really good. It was pretty fun doing chores with your friends because it went so much faster. The view is also amazing, but I wish we could stay longer. When we went out in the woods there were “fairy houses” and people tried to go in them, which was pretty funny. We also listened to a lot of music. Packing all my stuff was the worst part because I brought a lot and it means we have to leave. Thank you for reading!”
-- Emily Pedersen

“We went to Camp Overlook with Jefferson and Lewis County. We played a bunch of games like TIC TAC TOE. It was like a human version. Andrew brought his dog Jackson and they stayed in a different cabin with Xander and Conner. I met a bunch of new friends from Jefferson County. I also got to hang out with the people I already knew coming here. We stayed in the Great Lodge. I slept in the Alcoa Room while others stayed in the Sweetgrass Room. Overall the trip was pretty fun. My favorite thing was getting to meet new people and getting to know literally everyone better.”
-- Rochelle Stamper

4-Her’s Help with Lights On The River 2017, December 15, 2017

The 8th Annual Lights On The River at Lisbon Beach was nightly from December 15 th to December 23rd. “The event was set against the backdrop of the St. Lawrence River and contained holiday themed light displays designed by the community.” There was no fee for admission, but a food or monetary donation for North Country food pantries. More information can be found at http://lightsontheriver.org/.

4-H teens Emily Pedersen and Shannen Gallegher help to create some of the displays. 4-H youth helped to collect donations on the opening day of the event. Thank you to the Gallegher’s, the St. Pier’s, Maddy Gushlaw, Emily Pedersen, Avery Hawn, the Doan’s, the Beaver’s, and Emma McDougall for your assistance with greeting guests to Lights On The River and collecting donations.

Agri-Business Career Conference, October 19th-20th, 2017

The New York State 4-H Agri-Business Career (ABC) Conference is held at SUNY Cobleskill and local agri-businesses. This career exploration conference is open to all youth ages 14 and over who wish to become more aware of opportunities with agriculture and academic requirements for professional positions available in various agri-businesses. It featured mini tours of farms and other businesses in the Cobleskill area, as well as seminars, guest speakers, and guided tours of the SUNY Cobleskill agricultural facilities.

We had six youth represent St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Lewis Counties. Monica Reed (Lewis), Michaela Stephens (Jefferson), Lauren Truesdell (St. Lawrence – SLC), Naomi Moon (SLC), Nick Hamilton-Honey (SLC), Conner St. Pier (SLC), and Shannen Galligher (SLC). The Conference was a brisk-paced two-day event with agri-business mini tour "tracts" and SUNY Cobleskill College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Program workshops. 

The first day our SLC teens went on two separate tracts with two mini tours in each tract. Lauren and Naomi visited Schoharie Valley Farms and the Cobleskill Vet Clinic. Lauren said the following about these tours, “I was intrigued to learn that the farm used to grow strictly carrots but has since expanded its marketability to include other vegetables, mums, poinsettias, etc. The farm also has an on-site farm to table project with the café in their store. They use the vegetables grown on their farm that may not sell to local restaurants. The Cobleskill Vet Clinic has 6 veterinarians; we spoke with Dr. Emily Bristol a mixed practice veterinarian. She showed us their x-ray machines, the surgery room, and the kennels. We discussed the different tools required in surgery, the proper way to take an x-ray, and how they anesthetize their animals. She also showed us their vet truck, which they take with them to the local dairy farms. The truck had multiple compartments and held a variety of tools and medications. Towards the end of our discussion she showed us some worms, bladder stones, and ticks that they had removed from their patients.”

Shannen and Conner visited Beekman Farm, Beekman 1802 Mercantile, and Thistle Hill Weavers. Beekman Farm and Beekman 1802 Mercantile are based around the herd of goats kept by John Hall or Farmer John. The owners of the farm, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, became famous with their show The Fabulous Beekman Boys and added merchandising products, such as soap and cheese, to this success.

Thistle Hill Weavers has been producing “luxurious custom fabrics, carpet and trim for designers, home owners, museums and the film industry” for more than 30 years. Rabbit Goody, owner and master weaver (and before you ask, yes that is her name), has created a mill that “specialize(s) in creating accurate historic reproductions, working from surviving examples, documented patterns and period weavers’ drafts. Our work covers a wide range of periods. We’ve recreated early medieval textiles for the film Beowulf and woven custom fabric for modern high-end handbags.” More information about Thistle Hill can be found at, http://thistlehillweavers.com/

The teens returned from these mini tours, and as a tract, worked on preparing presentations on their tours. Each tract split their group into two and presented on one of the mini tours. The time they were given to prepare these presentations was called the “Agriculture Career Investigation Lab.” They were given instruction on creating and delivering their presentations by faculty at SUNY Cobleskill and 4-H educators. Presentations were given at the conclusion of dinner.

“The next day we were given a chance to see the agricultural side of Cobleskill’s campus. I was very excited to see the livestock, canine program, the dairy and calves, and the equine buildings. It made me seriously consider Cobleskill as a viable option as a future college. I loved the campus and the (positive) attitude of the professors,” said Naomi. After the campus tour, the teens got to experience programs within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. These included: Agricultural Business Management & Food Systems; Floriculture, Nursery Management and Landscape Development and Soils/Crops/Turf/Recreation & Sports Area Management; Fisheries & Wildlife Technology; Agricultural Engineering Technology; Dairy Production; Livestock Studies; Equine Studies & Thoroughbred Management; and Canine Behavior.

As a wildlife biologist I was interested in the Fisheries & Wildlife Technology Program, and along with Conner, Shannen, and Naomi we attended this workshop. Naomi said this about the experience, “I did one of the most intriguing things in my life. I spawned fish! We were given the opportunity to squeeze the eggs and sperm out of fish and mix them together with water and iodine to create fertilized eggs! Being interested in aquaculture, this was an important experience when we had found we had collected over 6,000 eggs!” This 5-minute video shows some of that experience.

Last updated June 11, 2021