By Laura Allen
Rowan County Extension

Our 4-H world is getting busy, especially after nearly a year of little to no in-person activities. Below, I have highlighted some of our upcoming events. I encourage you to find a way to support 4-H or get your children or grandchildren involved in our programs. 

4-H port-a-pit fundraiser

Rowan County 4-H PALS will be hosting a 4-H port-a-pit fundraiser at the Extension office on April 30. This drive-thru event will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. All funds raised from this event will benefit 4-H youth development programs and scholarships. We are requesting that you pre-order so that we have enough plates available. Please pre-order ASAP at go.ncsu.edu/rowan4hportapit2021. You can also call in your order at 704-216-8970. 

4-H Summer Fun programs

Rowan County 4-H has 12 in-person programs and three kits available as great learning experiences for your children or grandchildren this summer. Our classes and kits are affordable (ranging from $5-$15 per class/kit), educational and fun. Registration opened on April 5 and closes on May 7. Some of our classes are already full or are getting close to being full, so the sooner you register, the better. To register, you will have to submit a completed registration form with payment. You will also have to enroll your child in 4-H at v2.4honline.com and your child will need to watch a training video and complete a form at go.ncsu.edu/rowantrainingcomplete (this goes over our COVID protocols). All information about Summer Fun can be found at our website at https://rowan.ces.ncsu.edu/rowan-county-4-h-summer-fun/. 

4-H clubs

All six of our 4-H clubs are now meeting in-person after nearly a year of only being able to meet virtually. These clubs focus on various topics and are led by volunteers at locations throughout the county. Now is a great time to get involved in a 4-H club. You can learn more about our 4-H clubs by visiting https://rowan.ces.ncsu.edu/rowan-county-4-h-clubs/.

Paper Clover Week at Tractor Supply

April 28-May 9 is Paper Clover Week at Tractor Supply. During this time, anyone who shops at Tractor Supply can buy a paper 4-H clover and donate at least $1 to 4-H. Ninety percent of the money donated to 4-H at the Salisbury store comes directly back to Rowan County 4-H, with the remaining 10% going to the North Carolina and National 4-H programs; thus 100% of these donations help 4-H. If you are at Tractor Supply during those dates, please consider donating to 4-H.

If you have any questions about these upcoming events or about 4-H, contact Laura Allen at laura_allen@ncsu.edu or 704-216-8970.

4-H is the youth development component of Cooperative Extension. Our office is located at 2727 Old Concord Road Suite A in Salisbury. For more information, go to rowan.ces.ncsu.edu.

Laura Allen is the Rowan County 4-H agent.