Florida 4-H News Room: 4-H News from Around the State

Emeritus Professor Dr. Bobby Damron, a poultry science faculty member in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida from 1968-2003, and a 2015 Florida 4-H Hall of Fame Inductee, died Tuesday, March 2nd, 2016.   As a teen, Dr. Damron participated in the State 4-H Poultry Judging Contests, attended National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago, and completed projects in dairy, gardening, tractors, poultry, leadership, agriculture, swine, and field crops. The unique 4-H experiences did not end for Dr. Damron when he graduated from high school. Participating in UF Collegiate 4-H Weekends at 4-H Camp Cherry Lake and working at 4-H Camp Cloverleaf helped Dr. Damron stay involved with 4-H. He also met his wife, Vera, while working at 4-H Camp.   After college, Dr. Damron volunteered to help 4-H and FFA teams learn poultry science and prepare for judging contests. On March 6 th , there will be a viewing at Kanapaha Presbyterian Church in...

PLANT CITY — The new Florida Strawberry Festival queen isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Haley Riley has been raising and showing livestock since she joined 4-H as a 5-year-old. And she’s not going to let the crown keep her from showing her steer, Wyatt Earp, at the festival’s livestock shows. “This will be my last year to compete so yes, I’ll be there,” she said. The 16-year-old Durant High School junior gets her love for agriculture naturally; several family members are farmers. Read full article:  http://www.tbo.com/plant-city/new-florida-strawberry-festival-queen-says-crowning-a-dream-come-true-20160123/

GAINESVILLE, FL - After an extensive national search, Florida 4-H is pleased to announce that Sarah Hensley has accepted the position of Youth Curriculum and Evaluation State Specialized Extension Agent. Sarah previously served as the regional specialized 4-H agent to the central extension district.   Previous statewide duties included healthy living projects, Cloverbud programming for 5-7 year olds, and serving as the program chair for Florida 4-H University. As program chair for Florida 4-H University Sarah helped lead the program into it’s current workforce preparation focus. As the new Youth Curriculum and Evaluation State Specialized Extension Agent, Sarah will provide statewide leadership for the design, adaptation, implementation, and evaluation of 4-H educational programs and curricula that support Extension faculty, staff, and volunteers in carrying out the mission of the UF/IFAS Extension 4-H Youth Development Program. ...

Florida 4-H welcomes new State 4-H Citizenship and Leadership Coordinator. Grace Carter grew up in the Florida 4-H Program in Duval and Nassau Counties. She participated in a medley of 4-H events such as county fairs, public speaking, county and district councils, the Florida 4-H Executive Board, and state events. After graduating high school, Ms. Carter worked at 4-H Camp Cherry Lake for four summers. Currently, she is working on a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Arts in International Affairs at the University of North Florida.  Grace’s first day as State 4-H Citizenship and Leadership Coordinator is October 5th, 2015.

Five outstanding individuals who exemplify the spirit of 4-H take their rightful place in the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame. Mr. Terry Stout, Ms. Frances Dianne Spann, Ms. Shirley Risser, Mr. Barry Hoffman, and Dr. Bobby Damron are honored as members of the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame for their contribution to the 4-H program.

As Kalan Taylor talked about agri-business in Sumter County last week, she hoped it would inspire some of the young people in her audience to pursue a career in agriculture. Taylor, the 4-H agent with the UF/IFAS Sumter County Extension Offices, spends much of her time sharing the history, present and future of agriculture with Sumter County youth. During the first “Fresh from Sumter County” Ag Awareness Camp, more than a dozen children and teens traveled the county for a firsthand look at local agriculture. Taylor and Martha Maddox, the family and consumer science agent for UF/IFAS Sumter County Extension, led the tours. Taylor’s goal was to show the children the diversity of agriculture and let them know there are thousands of careers available in the agriculture field. “It’s not necessary to be a farmer or raise livestock to work in the field,” Taylor said. “In fact, there are more than 25,000 careers listed in the agriculture field.” Acco...

Florida 4-H welcomes Chris DeCubellis as our new Associate Program Leader for 4-H Youth Development! Chris joins State 4-H Headquarters from Gilchrist County where he has maintained a strong track record as a County Agent and an admirable passion for 4-H and for all youth.  Chris brings ideas for helping strengthen Florida 4-H programs and reach in both rural and urban areas.  He will officially begin in this new role on July 1, 2015.