By Matthew McClellan

Rowan County 4-H

So what is 4-H? I hear that question a lot and it always surprises me.

The 4-H clover is one of the most recognized trademarks in the world and is on constant display at county fairs and farm supply stores nationwide.

Well, maybe most people believe that 4-H is simply for farm kids, or kids who like animals, or whatever, but that isn’t the case at all. It’s true that when 4-H began in the early 1900s, it was a way to disseminate agricultural knowledge from land grant universities to rural youth, and in turn to their parents who tended to be less likely to implement the practices than the youth.

The first 4-H clubs were tomato and corn clubs for boys and home economics clubs for girls. Today, though, 4-H is so much more than a sneaky way of teaching adults more effective agricultural practices. Today, youth can explore any subject they have interest in from those original agricultural projects to aerospace and robotics.

We are still here to provide education and teach, but we do that through a variety of mediums. Youth in Rowan County can learn about shooting sports, equine sciences, leadership, world cultures, gardening and so much more.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved in 4-H today in Rowan County. The easiest and fastest way to get involved is to come into the Rowan County Cooperative Extension Office and talk to me. We can talk about what your child’s interests are and where in the program they would fit.

Another way to get involved is to take part in the 4-H Summer Fun! Series that will be offered during the summer. The Summer Fun! Series are programs ranging from a day program to a full week and there are a multitude of subject areas covered. Last summer we had programs on cooking, camping, crafting, insects and robotics.

I will be finalizing program offerings for the summer in the next couple of months and will publish the full program here and on our digital outlets when it is complete. If you’d like to see what all is happening in Rowan County 4-H, please find us on Facebook, you can search out Rowan County 4-H Program to find us. You can also find our county website at rowan.ces.ncsu.edu. These digital outlets provide up to date information on all the happenings in 4-H as well as other programming offered through the Rowan County Cooperative Extension Service.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to call me at the Rowan County Extension Office at 704-216-8970.