Ohio 4-H Highlights: February 2022
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4-H leads to royal recognition
For Maya Kidd, the road to fair royalty began with 4-H in Butler County.
Kidd was crowned the 2022 Ohio Fairs’ Queen in January at a competition that involved 78 girls representing county and independent fairs throughout Ohio. The event capped years of 4-H experience that began when a family friend, who owned a dairy farm, told her mother to get Maya and her sister into 4-H.
“We lived in the suburbs, so my mom didn’t know what we were getting into,” said Kidd. That first 4-H experience led Maya to begin as a Cloverbud, the 4-H program for young children. She moved on to showing animals, but it wasn’t easy given where the family lived.
“My 4-H advisor and the farmers who introduced us to 4-H let us borrow their animals to show at fair. We showed goats and a dairy heifer.” She and her sister expanded their skills by breeding mini lop rabbits, and a move to a home with acreage saw Kidd showing sheep and turkeys.
Her grandmother made sure she included sewing and cooking projects in her 4-H repertoire. “I’m not a natural seamstress, but my grandma was gifted when it came to sewing,” said Maya. “I’ve taken a clothing project every year. My grandma gave me a gift I can carry throughout my life.”
As an older member, 4-H is more than project work to Kidd. Service to others is important. “A big part of who I am is community service,” said Maya. Her mother, Amy Kidd, added, “Our family views service as a way of life. We’ve tried to teach our kids from a young age, to put others first.”
That way of life is one reason Maya wanted to compete for the title of Butler County fair queen. “Ever since I was a little girl I looked up to the fair queen.” Her other motivation for seeking the crown was her role model—her sister Madeline. “I’ve always looked up to her, and she was crowned our county fair queen in 2020. When I became queen in 2021, she got to crown me,” said Kidd.
As Ohio Fairs’ Queen, Kidd will have the opportunity to travel to fairs throughout Ohio. “I want to reach as many fairs as I can and be that role model of others. I want to be an ambassador for fairs and let them know there is something for everyone. It’s a time where I can encourage others and share the importance of 4-H.”
Maya also plans to carry her sense of service into a career. She has been taking American Sign Language classes since sixth grade and wants to study speech pathology and audiology. “I want to work in the deaf community and help people reach their full potential.”
And Maya will be reaching 4-H’ers and fairgoers this year, for what she calls, “the most rewarding week of the summer.”
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4-H partners with JOANN
JOANN and 4-H are once again teaming up to collect donations at checkout for 4-H, along with special discounts for JOANN/4-H Rewards Card members. Every dollar makes a difference in helping a young person find their SPARK. From Feb. 1 to April 30, visit your local JOANN store and you can invest in a young person.
These donations will be gifted to local county programs through a 4-H Foundation mini-grant session. Need a 4-H Rewards Card? Enroll at https://www.joann.com/4-h/.
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Foundation grants bring more 4-H opportunities
Each year the Ohio 4-H Foundation awards more than $100,000 to local county programs to support educational and experiential learning programs. Here are some highlights from 2021:
Washington County continued programming that began in 2019 with the Ohio 4-H Hi-Flying Drone Challenge. During summer multi-day camps at Camp Hervida, 97 youth experienced a 45-minute session on drone technology and learned how to fly drones. Fifty-five campers experienced the drone class at our single-day camp held at the county fairgrounds. The drones will continue to be used at school enrichment and after-school programs in Washington County when visitors are allowed back into schools.
The Adams County 4-H Photography SPIN Club met six times in 2021 with five youth members and two adult leaders. Each meeting included instruction and interaction with a professional photographer. A highlight of the program was a virtual meeting with a professional photojournalist who worked in marketing at a university in Canada. SPIN Club members learned to navigate a DSLR camera, frame a photo, consider light and composition in photos, discuss available careers, and enhance their photography skills.
If you want to support more opportunities for youth, you can donate online to the Ohio 4-H Foundation.
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4-H Cloverbuds become Princess for a Day
Although it’s cold outside now, it will soon be time for county fairs. Every summer, fairs around Ohio crown young men and women as fair royalty. A new event in Licking County gives young children the opportunity to get the royal treatment.
Last summer, the Hartford Independent Fair launched Princess for a Day for 4-H Cloverbuds. It was the brainchild of Licking County 4-H alumna Morgan McCutcheon, based on her experience as the 2017 Hartford Fair Queen and subsequent selection as the 2018 Ohio Fairs’ Queen.
“When I was queen, I had lots of little girls come up to me and tell me they wanted to be like me someday,”
McCutcheon said. “The wheels started turning, and I thought, ‘How can we get them more involved?’ ” Her idea led to Princess for a Day, designed to provide more opportunities for young 4-H’ers at the fair. Twelve girls were selected who received their own crown, presented ribbons at livestock shows, and spent their day with the fair’s royalty.
Princess for a Day received positive feedback from the Hartford Independent Fair and other fair boards throughout Ohio. McCutcheon is planning to continue the program in 2022 and include princes to serve alongside the princesses.
If you are interested in learning more about the Princess for a Day program, contact McCutcheon at mccutcheon.88@osu.edu.
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Faces of Ohio
Each month we highlight an Ohio 4-H alumnus with amazing stories to share—from their personal experience in 4-H to how they have given back to the program. This month we feature Joy Bauman, a Coshocton County alumna working as a cooperative development specialist for the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at The Ohio State University South Centers.
Joy was a 10-year 4-H member, and she also participated in the Coshocton County Junior Leadership Club, Fashion Board, and Advisory Committee in addition to her home club. She looks back on her experience as a camp counselor, and her sheep, sewing, food and nutrition, and other projects fondly, remembering the skills she gained. She attributes her skill in project planning, budgeting, public speaking, decision-making, and multitasking to her years in 4-H. They have enhanced her career, and she shares these life skills with the youth in the Adams County 4-H clubs she advises.
She fondly shares her favorite memory, a demonstration making homemade butter that didn’t go as planned. “My friend and demonstration partner, Brian, was running the blender while I was sharing nutrition facts about butter and dairy products. Brian decided to check on the progress, took the lid off the blender, and stirred with a wooden spoon before the blender stopped running! Cream and butter flew out of the blender and went everywhere!” Leaning on what 4-H had taught her, Joy was able to salvage the moment. “Instead of hanging my head and walking out, I picked up the dish towel we had brought, wiped off our faces, and pulled out the container of butter we made the day before. We demonstrated how to strain and wash the butter, sliced my homemade bread, and spread the butter to finish the demonstration.” The team went on to win the county contest, and to win a clock trophy at the Ohio State Fair.
4-H opened doors to her future career. “Some of my first visits to OSU were tours with the Coshocton County Junior Leaders Club, and it sparked my interest in studying there. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from OSU, and have now worked at the OSU South Centers for nearly 16 years.”
Joy gives back to the program in many ways, from hosting a SPIN club to helping start the Junior Leadership program in Adams County. “Because of the influence 4-H had on my life, I knew I wanted to volunteer as a 4-H advisor. I volunteered for a few years in Coshocton County and led the Buckeye Barn Busters 4-H Club in Adams County for 18 years.”
She also serves on the Adams County 4-H Advisory Committee, sponsors local and state awards, and contributes to Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp. “These are all ways I give back and pay forward to the program that has meant so much to my family. I encourage other 4-H alumni who have been positively impacted by their 4-H experience to do the same.”
When asked what advice she would share with young 4-H members, Joy said, “Seek out and take advantage of the many opportunities 4-H has to offer! While I love fairs, there is so much more to 4-H than participating in the county fair. There are so many learning opportunities, and some of the best are when you get a chance to meet others and build a network of friends that lasts a lifetime.”
Congratulations, Joy, for winning the 2022 Ohio 4-H Alumni Award! She will be recognized at the Ohio 4-H Conference on March 12, 2022.
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Calendar of events
Feb. 1–April 30, #JOANNhearts4H (JOANN stores)—Visit a local JOANN store and invest in a young person by donating to 4-H.
Feb. 27, Wyandot County 4-H Advisory Council Pancake & Sausage Drive-Thru Meal (Upper Sandusky)—Drive-thru for a pancake and sausage meal at the Wyandot County Fairgrounds. All donations benefit the Wyandot County 4-H Program.
March 25, East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference (Carrollton)—Register now for the East Ohio Women in Agriculture Conference. This year’s conference features 16 break-out sessions within four themes: Natural Resources, Plants and Animals, Home and Family, and Special Interests. Conference is $55 for adults and $30 for students. The registration deadline is March 11. Register online at go.osu.edu/eowia2022. For more information call 330-264-8722.
March 3, House Plant How-To (Urbana)—5:30 p.m. Learn about the general care of house plants and the hottest trends and newest plants. $15 registration includes a houseplant to add to your collection. Register by March 1 at go.osu.edu/houseplant.
March 4, Coffee with the Miami County Master Gardener Volunteers: Floral Photography (Troy)—10 a.m. Join Master Gardener Volunteer Robert Young as he shares how to best include birds, flowers, trees, and other elements in your backyard landscape like a professional. Register at go.osu.edu/coffeeseries. $10 registration fee.
March 26, 4-H Camp Piedmont Benefit (New Philadelphia)—4 p.m. Mark your calendars for an exciting event to help Camp Piedmont! Camp Piedmont was hit hard due to not hosting camps in 2020 and having only limited camp programs in 2021. The camp is also in desperate need of multiple repairs. We know how much Camp Piedmont means to you, and we need your help to keep the traditions going. It's time to give back to the place that gave you so many wonderful 4-H memories and experiences. Make plans now to attend the March benefit, and visit the online auction.
April 2, Washington County 4-H Endowment Dinner & Auction (Marietta)—Save the date for the 2022 Washington County 4-H Endowment Dinner and Auction. Tickets will be available soon with updates on their Facebook page.
April 9, 41st Annual 4-H Chicken BBQ & Benefit Auction (Sandusky)—Support Erie County programs at their annual events, including silent and live auctions.
June 12, Defiance County Craft & Vendor Show (Hicksville)—Annual craft and vendor show held at the Defiance County Fairgrounds. Proceeds benefit Junior and Senior Fair Boards and the Defiance County 4-H Youth Development Program.