Ohio 4-H Highlights: July 2021
Breadcrumb Menu
-
Rocketing upward
A team of Ohio 4-H members recently soared to new heights.
To more than 800 feet above Earth, in fact. While carrying an egg and a parachute.
The team, which is based in Butler County’s West Chester Township and devotes itself to model rocketry, competed this year as a national finalist in The American Rocketry Challenge (TARC)—the first time the team had reached that level.
“We were very surprised and excited at the same time,” team member Ryan Cheng said about reaching the national competition, which took place June 12–13 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton.
The Ohio 4-H team was one of 100 teams from across the United States, and one of seven teams from Ohio, to compete at the event, which followed a round of regional competitions.
And while the 4-H’ers’ first launch in the finals went well, Cheng said, landing within 5 feet
of the target, their second launch “went completely wrong.” The team’s nearly yard-long black-and-pink rocket, called Black Jack, split in two during flight, and the egg that the rocket was carrying—required to be kept safe and unbroken—got shattered.
For that, the team unfortunately was disqualified. But Cheng said they plan to gain from the experience.
“We learned about the flaws in our design,” he said, and also mentioned possibly adding “a longer shock cord for precise recovery.”
“We hope to do better next year,” he said.
The team’s advisor, Shirley Lee of West Chester, said she’s enjoyed seeing the members overcoming challenges.
Once, she said, during a practice launch, they lost their rocket somewhere in a cornfield. They searched through the field for four hours with no luck. The next week, they got the broken pieces back from the farmer who worked the field.
It’s been “fun to see their teamwork and perseverance,” Lee said of the team, which she has advised since its start in 2018.
Cheng, who has been with the team since 2018 too, said he enjoys the hands-on experience—of designing and building rockets, of learning things such as operating the launch pad.
“I’m always open to ideas for aerodynamic designs, different rocketry materials and motors, Rock Sim analysis [a computer program for designing rockets and simulating their flight], and problem solving,” he said.
He’s been helped since joining the team by mentors from the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). His achievements include earning certification in the group’s Junior HPR (high power rocketry) Level 1 program, which an NAR web page says “is intended to provide a measure of the modeler's competence to avoid gross violations of good modeling practice and safe model operation.”
Cheng built Black Jack together with teammate Srikar Koduru, and they prepared for the TARC competition through more than 30 test launches.
“We redesigned five times, and we kept adjusting the weight to get to the target altitude. We used BT70 body tubes, elliptical design fins, a balsa cone, a 16-inch parachute, and some of our own 3D design rocket parts,” Cheng explained.
“We needed a FireFly altimeter, anemometer, F44-8W engines, epoxy, egg protection and wrappers, and Rock Sim software for simulations,” he continued. “We also built a second replica rocket for the national finals.”
On its regional qualifying flight in May, Black Jack went up 805 feet—higher than the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge—in 43.66 seconds.
“At first, we weren’t expecting much from the regional competition,” Cheng said. “We submitted our scores for all three flights and waited for the announcement.”
The announcement eventually came by email—they had made it to the top 100 teams and had qualified for the nationals.
The American Rocketry Challenge, according to its website, is the world’s largest rocket contest, with nearly 5,000 students from across the United States competing each year. One of its goals is to bring STEM opportunities—science, technology, engineering, and math—to more youth.
In fall, Cheng will be a high school senior at Butler Tech. He’s studying mechatronics there, which Wikipedia calls “an interdisciplinary branch of mechanical engineering that focuses on the integration of mechanical, electronic, and electrical engineering systems.”
Come spring, Cheng said, he’s looking forward to receiving both his Lakota District high school diploma and an associate of tech studies degree in electro-mechanical engineering. Then, he plans to pursue a degree in robotics and electro-mechanical engineering at Miami University.
4-H has helped him on that path, he said, by teaching him STEM skills and so much more.
“Being part of 4-H showed me how to work effectively as a team, to innovate, and to improve my communication skills,” Cheng said, noting that he now shares his rocketry experience at West Chester Boys
and Girls Club summer STEM camps.
He also said he has grown his leadership skills by working with Cozetta Vessel, a member of the Ohio 4-H Foundation Board from Butler County, and that he recently completed the 4-H Take the Leap: A Year of Career Readiness workshop.
“The best thing about being part of 4-H is that we are always helping each other learn by working together, and to explore without conflict,” Cheng said.
“It’s a critical skill that can help anyone to achieve greater success.”
-
Join us for a night on Leeds Farm
Since 1998, the annual 4-H Celebration of Youth has raised funds to support Ohio 4-H Youth Development programming. This year, Leeds Farm is hosting the event on Oct. 2, and you’ll want to join us for a night on the farm in Ostrander!
It is slated to be a casual evening, where you will enjoy hayrides, the zip line, pumpkin jump, basketball shoot, and the pumpkin shop, all to benefit 4-H programs throughout the state.
This is a 21 and over event. The kids are away so the adults can play! For ticket and sponsorship information, visit go.osu.edu/COY.
-
Play ball!
Come support Ohio 4-H at the Great American Ball Park. The Cincinnati Reds take on the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, Aug. 30, at 6:40 p.m. A portion of each ticket sold will be donated to Ohio 4-H. Visit fevo.me/4hnight2021 to purchase tickets.
-
Faces of Ohio
Each month we highlight an Ohio 4-H alumnus. Our alumni have amazing stories to share, from their personal experience in 4-H to how they have given back to the program. This month we feature Quinton Keeran, an alumnus from Fairfield County, self-employed independent marketing consultant and solutions professional, and director of marketing for Meristem Crop Performance.
Just like many youth, Keeran got his start in 4-H at a young age. “I came from a family where both of my parents worked in town, but we had no real connection to agriculture. We lived in a rented farmhouse on a few acres with a barn. Many of my school friends were actively involved in 4-H and showing animals at the fair. I developed an interest and found a path forward.”
Once he got his start in 4-H, he didn’t slow down. “I was able to secure a youth loan, purchase a few cows, and build a program. I raised and exhibited beef cattle (both breeding and market), dairy feeder steers, and market hogs and was recognized several times at a state level for my projects.”
His 4-H experience left a lasting impression. “My favorite memories from 4-H center on the successful livestock projects I raised from the herd I built over my junior career. Whether I was exhibiting an animal I had raised from birth, or a fellow junior exhibitor had chosen a project animal from my program, it was always incredibly exciting to experience the rewards of a year-round commitment to improvement.”
Keeran’s interest in ag hasn’t waned. “Today, my wife and I raise around 50 cows with my in-laws, where we have a club calf sale each fall, placing steers and heifers into junior homes where they exhibit across the nation, and sell freezer beef.”
4-H helped lead Keeran to his career in agriculture. “4-H instilled in me a passion for agriculture and livestock, which led to a degree from The Ohio State University in animal sciences. That degree, and a demonstrated skillset in communications, landed me in my initial post-college position with a nonprofit checkoff organization. During that time, I focused on digital and social strategy and implementation, serving organizations and brands across the U.S.”
Keeran eventually found roots in London, Ohio, and became an independent marketing consultant and solutions professional serving clients in all aspects of agriculture, from livestock to seed to crop inputs. He said, “Had I never gone to my first 4-H meeting in eighth grade, none of that would have happened.”
His community involvement continued, serving for 10 years on the Madison County Senior Fair Board and with other local organizations. “I am president of the Madison County Cattlemen’s Association, where we raise funds and support projects and programs aimed directly at junior exhibitors.
Throughout the year, my wife and I spend countless time and resources supporting youth and families that purchase cattle from our program. Additionally, I am actively involved in judging cattle shows in Ohio and surrounding areas.”
We know 4-H teaches skills for a lifetime, and Keeran’s experience validates this ideal. “Through my participation in 4-H, I experienced many things and succeeded in areas where I had no initial foundation. My 4-H experience taught me to chase dreams and make them reality, regardless of the traditional confines that might exist.”
He shares this advice to 4-H members, “Take every opportunity you have to experience everything you can, and don’t let the limits you think exist define what you are capable of doing.”
-
Calendar of events
July 28, Conservation Chat: Oh, Crap! (Jeromesville)—6 p.m. Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is joining with the Holmes, Wayne, and Richland soil and water conservation districts to host Conservation Chats: Oh, Crap! on July 28. This is a fun, hands-on event focused on helping small and hobby farmers—from 4-H and FFA members to our local Amish producers—to start thinking about manure management. As a bonus, Ashland SWCD will be providing fun, free T-shirts from the event to all participating 4-H and FFA members. The Conservation Chat: Oh, Crap! event is free, and includes dinner, but preregistration is required. Attendees can register by calling the Ashland SWCD office at 419-281-7645 or by visiting eventbrite.com/e/conservation-chats-oh-crap-tickets-155853226195. The event will take place at Valley Vista Farm at 1567 County Road 175, Jeromesville, and will begin promptly at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Ashland SWCD at 419-281-7645 or visit http://www.ashlandswcd.com.
Aug. 1, Application deadline to apply for young alumni positions on Ohio 4-H Foundation Board.
Aug. 3, Preserving the Harvest: Canning Basics (Ravenna)—6 p.m. Join Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Educator Kate Shumaker and learn how to preserve your summer harvest safely. The cost for registration is $10 and can be made payable as check or cash at the Portage County OSU Extension Office. For questions, contact Angie Arnold at arnold.1143@osu.edu.
Aug. 5, Hydroponics and Aquaponics: Impacts and Opportunities (Piketon)—5:30 p.m. This aquaponics workshop will discuss the benefits and sustainability of an aquaponics system while conserving resources. Topics will be beneficial to beginners and experienced aquaponics farmers. The deadline to register is Aug. 1. Contact Bradford Sherman at sherman.1473@osu.edu with any questions.
Aug. 7, Coffee with the Master Gardeners (Columbus)—8 a.m. Join Franklin County Master Gardeners for a hands-on gardening workshop about “Lovely Lilacs.” Most sessions feature a hands-on activity or a session in the garden. Cost to register is $15. Contact Mike Hogan hogan.1@osu.edu with questions.
Aug. 19, Whiz Bang Science Show (Wooster)—7 p.m. Dr. Dave Lohnes, OARDC's popular Whiz Bang Scientist, teaches children about science and the natural world in an enriching outdoor environment. The 2021 season features Amazing Air Pressure and Tales of Tails. Shows are fun for the entire family! Parking and admission are free. The show is canceled in the event of severe weather. Held at the John Streeter Garden Amphitheater in the Secrest Arboretum.Contact Gwen Zimmerly at zimmerly.30@osu.edu with questions.
Aug. 28, Women’s Tractor Operation and Safety Program (Edgerton)—9 a.m. Join OSU Extension Williams County and Kenn-Feld Group and learn how to safely operate agricultural equipment in a fun, relaxed environment. Space is limited and registration is required by Aug. 23 at 419-636-5608 or go.osu.edu/WmsCoTractorSafety. Cost is $10 either cash or check payable to OSU Extension Williams County. Contact Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Education Steph Karhoff at karhoff.41@osu.edu or 419-636-5608 with questions.
Aug. 30, 4-H Night at the Reds (Cincinnati)—6:40 p.m. Come join us for 4-H Night at the Great American Ball Park as the Cincinnati Reds take on the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, Aug. 30, at 6:40 p.m.! A portion of each ticket sold will be donated back to 4-H. For questions, please reach out to Tiffany Huffman at thuffman@reds.com.
Sep. 4-6, Labor Day Weekend Family Camp at 4-H Camp Ohio—Family Camp at 4-H Camp Ohio is a laid-back weekend to enjoy with your family and meet new people. There will be activities the whole family can enjoy doing together. If you feel like relaxing for the weekend, that’s fine too! If you have questions, please contact Haley Lake at haleylake37@gmail.com. Deadline to register is Aug. 20.
Oct. 2, 4-H Celebration of Youth: 4-H Leading the Way (Ostrander)—6:30 p.m. This event is open to all friends of 4-H age 21 and older. The 24th annual Ohio 4-H fundraiser will be held at Leeds Farm in Ostrander, Ohio, on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 6:30 p.m. Please plan to join us for an evening of fall fun on the farm. This year’s event includes casual dress and farm activities. Individual tickets are $100. Tickets for young adults ages 21–30 are buy one, get one free. Tickets will include a meal and drink ticket as well as the opportunity to participate in activities available at Leeds Farm such as zip lining, jumping pillows, adult trikes, hayrides, and so much more! For ticket and sponsorship information, visit go.osu.edu/COY.