Hard at work on our own 4-H projects
- Laurie Sidle, OSU Extension Wayne Co.
- February 23, 2023
- 467
The last time I took a 4-H project, Ronald Reagan was president, my family shared a phone hooked to the wall and the internet didn’t exist.
Yes, that was decades ago, but thanks to an office assignment, I’m feeling like a 4-Her again and working on a project to help me explore my interest in quilting.
Others on staff at the Wayne County office of the Ohio State University Extension have chosen projects on grilling, cake decorating, composting, knot tying, photography, entomology, costume design, room redecorating and exploring the great outdoors.
Doug Foxx, the extension youth development educator, suggested the idea as a way to reconnect with what it’s like to be a 4-Her or 4-H volunteer and work through these types of projects.
4-H members are required to enroll in at least one project by April 1. Offerings cover a vast array of interests including robotics, rockets, archery, science, personal fitness, art, livestock, sewing and being a culinary boss. A self-determined option is available for the experienced 4-Her who would like to take a project at a more advanced level or explore a subject not available in the 4-H Family Guide.
Just like 4-Hers are required to do in order to exhibit their projects at the fair, our staff will be evaluated on our efforts. Our creations will be on display during the fair in Building 10, which houses all nonlivestock projects.
We are working on our projects on our own time but have scheduled lunch meetings so we can hear how everyone is progressing. At our first update, we learned some are still in the research stage and others have begun to complete activities.
Extension agriculture and natural resource educator Frank Becker got an early start on his entomology project when he organized a field trip for our office staff to the United Titanium Bug Zoo at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in December.
As the former integrated pest management coordinator for OSU Extension, Becker knows a thing or two about bugs, but the guided tour of the Bug Zoo, he said, allowed him to experience entomology from a different perspective.
In his role of scouting crop fields for farmers, he decides which bugs to kill and which ones to protect. Learning about insects such as the hissing cockroach and glittering fireflies at the Bug Zoo made him think about how to utilize entomology to interact with the public and educate people about how insects function and the many careers in this field.
He will need a pinned insect collection as part of his project.
“I’m waiting for warmer weather so I can bump into a lot of cool insects,” he said. “I think this project will help me take a closer look at my environment.”
Office assistant Noah Klenovich is an experienced photographer who has exhibited and sold his work, but his advanced photography project is teaching him a different skill set that involves composing subjects and manipulating light for a photograph.
“I’ve taken a picture of a dragonfly perched on a flower, but I didn’t compose it,” he explained. “The dragonfly just sat there, and I got the photo using the natural light outside.”
4-H program assistant Diane Johnson is planning a field trip for her knot tying project, but she won’t have far to travel. She plans to visit her husband’s workshop and learn about his expertise with knots and the different cordages (ropes) he uses.
Office associate Leah Fedorchak wants to expand her cake-decorating skills by trying different tips to create floral designs. Staff assured her we are willing to taste her creations any time.
A new Mrs. Claus outfit is in the design stages for Darcy Becker, program coordinator for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education. She plans to wear the costume when she accompanies her husband during his appearances as a professional Santa.
For my project I’ve chosen OSU-themed fabrics to sew a quilted wall hanging. When it’s all done, I’m hoping the title of the project rings true: You Can Quilt!
Laurie Sidle is a family and consumer sciences program assistant with OSU Extension Wayne County. She can be reached at 330-264-8722 or Sidle.31@osu.edu.