Georgia 4-H alums compete in shooting sports at the Tokyo Olympics

After being postponed last year due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are set to move forward at full speed starting Friday, July 23, when people from all over the world will tune in to watch the best of the best compete for gold in Japan.

Among the high-profile athletes competing in popular sports such as swimming and gymnastics, three former Georgia 4-H’ers will make the flight across the Pacific to represent the U.S. in shooting sports.

James Hall of Carroll County, Vincent Hancock of Putnam County, and Katelyn Abeln of Douglas County all got their start in the Georgia 4-H Project SAFE shooting sports program. This program, which uses shooting sports to teach life skills and firearm safety to students, helps 4-H’ers find community, learn about teamwork and fine-tune their concentration.

“The skills these students acquire are irreplaceable. Of course they learn about safety, but they develop soft skills such as communication and goal setting. Having this development at a young age lays a foundation for future success for Project SAFE participants,” explained Faye Belflower, the volunteer air-pistol coach for Georgia 4-H.

James Hall is set to compete on the U.S. National Team in air pistol. While Hall’s mother was anti-gun growing up, she wanted her children to learn about firearm safety, so she signed them up for the Georgia 4-H Project SAFE.

“She ended up being a 4-H coach and sent three of her four boys off to college on athletic/academic scholarships for shooting,” said James Hall, now the director of development for the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF).

Vincent Hancock will return to the range for the men’s skeet shotgun competition. Hancock, now a resident of Fort Worth, Texas, has previously won two Olympic gold medals, as well as a silver medal in men’s skeet and a gold in the skeet mixed team last month at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Italy.

“And as a small-town Georgia boy, who never thought he would ever really leave the Southeast, traveling all over and talking to different people and experiencing different cultures, I am very thankful that I had what I had to be able to do what I am doing now,” Hancock said.

Katelyn Abeln, a second-year student at The Ohio State University, is an alternate for the UGA women’s sport and air pistol team on the National Junior Team. She won the women’s division of the National Junior Olympic Air Pistol Championship (NJOSC) last month.

Georgia 4-H Project SAFE gave these Olympic competitors a start in a sport that has changed their lives. It provided opportunities to travel, find community and pursue higher education, and while they will be representing the red, white and blue during the 2020 Games, it’s safe to say there is a little green and white in their hearts.

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the largest youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches more than 190,000 people annually through University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices and 4-H facilities. For more information, visit georgia4h.org.

Bartow County 4-H Forestry Team earns top honors in National 4-H Forestry Invitational

Georgia’s First Flock gets new home designed by 4-H, FFA students

Six teams of Georgia 4-H and FFA members from around the state submitted plans

PUBLISHED ON JULY 18, 2021

ATHENS, Ga. — Thanks to a prize-winning chicken coop design by 4-H and FFA students from Warren County, Georgia’s newly established First Flock now has a stately home on the 18-acre grounds of Governor’s Mansion in Atlanta.

Born of a conversation between Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp and Bo Ryles, senior director at National 4-H, the Georgia FFA and 4-H Ag Awareness Poultry Project challenged teams of Georgia 4-H and FFA members to submit plans that would help Kemp’s dream of a First Flock become a reality.

Working under a set of guidelines provided to teams by the project partners — including Georgia 4-H, FFA, the Georgia Poultry Federation and the University of Georgia Department of Poultry Science — student teams submitted proposals that included a site plan, concept and, in the case of the winning team, landscaping for the project.

Six teams of Georgia 4-H and FFA members from around the state submitted plans, and all of the teams were invited to visit the Governor’s Mansion on July 9 for the dedication of the project.

“We’ve gotten more than 15 dozen eggs and they’ve only been here for about a month, so they’re very happy,” said Kemp at a ceremony honoring the top teams. “Every night that I’m here, I’ll go out and collect eggs. We all enjoy taking care of the First Flock. They have a special place here and 4-H and FFA are such special organizations. We will continue to support agriculture, 4-H and FFA as long as we are here and beyond.”

Warren County was announced as the winning team before the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, but shutdowns delayed the completion of the project until this spring.

Thomas Wilkerson, a 4-H’er and member of the Warren County team, said the team of seven studied the site for the coop and came up with a plan that included the hen house, coop and landscaping for the project that incorporated seating for visitors.

“We wanted to create a coop that would fit the needs of the project and raise awareness of agriculture since poultry is such a large part of the agriculture industry in the state,” Wilkerson said.

Other team members included Randy Olive, Faith McNair, Caleb Griffith, Ayden Hill, Nathan Coffman and Tayvion Robertson, guided by UGA Cooperative Extension 4-H Program Assistant Amanda Wilkerson and FFA Advisor Peggy Armstrong.

“We studied the site where the coop would be placed and came up with all the measurements,” said Olive of the coop, which includes nesting boxes and roosting spaces, as well as a fenced enclosure with plenty of space for the chickens to scratch, watering and feeding stations and a dust bath area. Robertson, an artist, designed and painted a stained-glass window salvaged from an old church that will be installed on the site.

The top four teams each received a cash award from the Georgia Poultry Federation, including the second-place team from Lowndes County, the third-place team from Bulloch County and a team from Toombs County, which received honorable mention.

The Georgia Building Authority worked with 4-H and FFA to develop the site for the coop, while Carroll Daniel Construction of Gainesville took the winning design and created working construction plans to meet all building code requirements. Morton Vardeman and Carlson designed the First Flock logo and Signs by Tomorrow of Gainesville created the First Flock sign that will be installed at the coop.

Once plans were complete, preconstruction work on the coop was done by staff at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center before the coop was delivered to the Governor’s Mansion for installation, said State 4-H Leader Arch Smith.

“We are grateful that Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp was willing to involve youth interested in agriculture in the development of the First Flock,” Smith said. “This experience provided an opportunity of 4-H and FFA members to work together on a project that would showcase the knowledge they have gained by participating in their local programs.”

The First Flock includes breeds chosen for hardiness and egg color and includes a total of 12 laying hens including two Black Australorps, two Buff Orpingtons, two Barred Plymouth Rocks, two  Rhode Island Reds — all of which lay brown eggs — and four Easter Eggers, which lay blue-green eggs, said Professor and UGA Cooperative Extension poultry specialist Casey Ritz, who consulted on the project along with Todd Applegate, head of the Department of Poultry Science at UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“We have prepared a set of placard cards that describe the breeds and that will be added to the coop. We tried to purchase a flock of hens that produce a variety of egg colors at the First Lady’s request and breeds that were also recommended from the 4-H/FFA project proposals,” Ritz said.

Applegate encouraged the students to consider the breadth of careers available in poultry science when planning for their futures.

“I challenge the young folks here — and I know it is really difficult to think about why you want to go into a particular career path — to think about how we grow our food and how you can have an impact on that. Think about what you’ve done already through these wonderful organizations and the programs you have been a part of and realize that you are blessed with being in the state of Georgia,” Applegate said.

“There is a wealth of opportunities to make an impact and to choose a career path in poultry, from accounting, sales and marketing to food safety to quality control. The leadership and team-building skills that you are developing right now are certainly skills we need in this industry.”

Ryles said the students involved have become a part of Georgia agricultural history through their work on the project and their involvement in 4-H.

“Through the years, generations of students will come here and see what you have established here, and they will learn a little bit about the history of the First Flock and they will understand the role you played in making that happen,” Ryles said. “I have said this before, and I can’t take credit for it, but it is said that if you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. But if you want to touch the future, touch the life of a child and that is what 4-H and FFA and all of our leaders and volunteers do through projects like this.”

For more information on youth agricultural and environmental programming visit Georgia FFA at georgiaffa.org and Georgia 4-H at georgia4h.org.

–Maria M. Lameiras, University of Georgia

The Georgia 4-H Dean’s Awards competition provided 26 Georgia 4-H youth the opportunity to showcase their talent, hard work and commitment to their communities. The Dean’s Award is one of the highest honors Georgia 4-H members can earn. Competitors submit a cumulative portfolio that reflects their entire 4-H career, and high-scoring submissions are invited to participate in a separately judged interview session.

A Dean’s Award is presented each year in the following six project areas:

–Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

–Civic Engagement

–Family and Consumer Sciences

–The William “Bill” Edwards 4-H Dean’s Award for Communications and the Arts

–STEM

–The James Harris 4-H Dean’s Award for Leadership

The top three finishers in each area receive a medal for their achievement. First-place winners receive Master 4-H’er status, a $500 scholarship and recognition at 4-H Day at the Capitol.

The 2021 Georgia 4-H Dean’s Awards recipients are:

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Bryson Smith, Gordon County (first); Sara Pawlik, Forsyth County (second); and Mary Anna Bentley, Chattooga County (third)

Civic Engagement: Ben Tellano, Hart County (first); Grace McBride, Emanuel County (second); and Evelyn Day, Houston County (third)

Family and Consumer Sciences: Malachi Young, Gwinnett County (first); Tianna Ramey, Habersham County (second); and Angel Jarvis, Candler County (third)

Communication and the Arts: Corbin Austin, Decatur County (first); Kalani Washington, Oconee County (second); and Parker Varnadoe, Madison County (third)

STEM: Nicholas McKinley, Paulding County (first); Salih El-Gayyar, Fayette County (second); and CJ Harris, Newton County (third)

Leadership: Gracie Grimes, Candler County (first); Adam Walters, Hart County (second); and Jhaycee Barnes, Spalding County (third)

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the largest youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches more than 190,000 people annually through University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices and 4-H facilities. For more information, visit georgia4h.org or contact your local Extension office.

By: UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Posted: July 8, 2021

GEORGIA 4-H SENDS FIVE SHOOTING SPORTS TEAMS TO NATIONALS

State 4-H champion teams in Sporter Air Rifle, 22 Rifle, Compound Archery, Recurve Archery and Shotgun represented Georgia 4-H at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships in Grand Island, NE on June 21-25.  Nineteen 4-H’ers and their coaches joined 570 youth competitors from 32 states in the national contest.

The National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships was the first national 4-H event held following closures due to COVID-19. “Everyone was thrilled to gather after missing the opportunity last year due to COVID-19 cancellations. Repeatedly, youth, parents and coaches kept saying what a joy it was to be back together with their peers from across the nation. They expressed deep appreciation to the National 4-H Shooting Sports Committee for making the decision to hold the contest,” commented State 4-H SAFE Coordinator Craven Hudson.

The Morgan County 4-H Recurve Archery Team became national champions by placing first in all three disciplines: FITA, 3-D and Field. Tim Smith was the high individual overall, and his brother, Thomas, placed fifth individually.  Complete results for all Georgia 4-H teams and individuals may be found at
https://4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports/national-results-images .

Other teams placing in the top ten include Lowndes County Compound Archery (3^rd), Pierce County Air Rifle (5^th) and Coweta County 22 Rifle (9^th).

The Georgia 4-H delegation included the following teams and coaches:

Coweta County 22 Rifle Team with Head Coach Chris Brinton and team members Aaron Boyd, Andrew Boyd, Carson Smith and  Jennifer Brinton.

Pierce County Sporter Air Rifle Team with Head Coach David Turner and team members Emily Turner, Gracen Hall, Luke Wester and  Skylar Morrison.

Lowndes County Compound Archery Team with Head Coach Jim Barker and team members Joel Ford, Kamron Ford, Camden Humphrey and Irelynn Bono.

Morgan County Recurve Archery Team with Head Coach Danny Pincus and team members Tim Smith, Daniel Lott, Dawson Martin and Thomas Smith.

Columbia County Shotgun Team with Head Coach Tripp Ellis and team members Aidan Caldwell, Joshua Ellis and Nate Williford.

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the largest youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches more than 190,000 people annually through the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices and 4-H facilities. For more information, visit georgia4h.org.

Each year, since 2002, Georgia Junior 4-H’ers have collected Pop Tabs for the Ronald McDonald Houses of Georgia. Participating counties compete and are honored at the Junior Conference. This year, Georgia 4-H collected a total of 4,506 pounds of pop tabs, totaling a donation of $1,286.09.  This year’s pop tab donation will benefit the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Winning counties:

The Georgia 4-H Watermelon Growing Contest offers the opportunity to exhibit knowledge and ability to cultivate and grow one or more watermelons over a regulated period of time. Growing the heaviest watermelon incorporates basic aptitude of measurement concepts. Preparation skills, research abilities, and patience in this field of agriculture and environmental science enhance the ability to excel in this competition. In addition to learning the basic fundamentals of growing and caring for watermelons, mathematical knowledge of space, depth, and irrigation will prepare participants for a successful harvest. Common problem solving, such as insect patrol, are essential elements gained throughout this experience.

Participants develop leadership, initiative, self-reliance, a sense of fair play, and other desirable character traits while experiencing the responsibility of planting, caring for, cultivating, and harvesting a watermelon. They also increase their knowledge of all aspects of agricultural and environmental science and management of a watermelon as well as develop skills in farm management and an understanding of the business and career opportunities.

This year, more than 40 youth participated in the contest. We are pleased to announce the 2020 Watermelon Contest Winners are:

1st place – Preston Peck, Floyd County
108 pounds

2nd place – Tucker Tillman, Appling County
107 pounds

3rd place – Mahle Kauger, Appling County
64 pounds

Prize money is graciously sponsored by the Georgia Watermelon Association and the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.  We ask that 4-H’ers please send them a thank you card showing their appreciation for their support of this contest. Their addresses are:

Congratulations to our Georgia 4-H Food Product Development teams!

This year, the process began as normal and later shifted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participating teams are to be commended for adjusting to delayed timelines, moving their practices online,  dealing with a postponed event, and then finally a change to a virtual presentation. On Wednesday, July 8^th, the first-ever Virtual Georgia 4-H Food Product Development Presentations were held. Teams presented their business proposals for a new food product and discussed their proposal with expert judges.  Following the team presentations, we heard from CAES Program Coordinator Kathleen Freeman about opportunities with UGA CAES, learned about career opportunities from a food product development expert, Trey Sanders (Bulletproof Research and Development Manager), and were inspired by a message from Dr. Jose Reyes, Food Science Department.

Habersham County placed 1^st with their “Owl Go Granola Bars” and receives Master 4-H status. 

• The Habersham County Food Product Development team includes Rachel Dailey, Camden Hughes, Tabitha Ramey, and Tianna Ramey. Their coach is Renee Smagur.

Haralson County placed 2^nd with their “YAP: Yogurt Active Power.”

• The Haralson County Food Product Development team includes Ayshanna Frazier, Rachel Ibbetson, Rebekah Ibbetson, and Rylie Ibbetson. Their coaches are Jenelle Hanyon and Jozie Mize.

This year only, two superlative awards were conferred by the Judges for outstanding work:

• Creativity and Innovation Award: Haralson County Food Product Development Team
• Outstanding Presentation: Habersham County Food Product Development Team

Thank you to Jeffrey Burke and Michaela Fontaine for providing support for our virtual presentations, to Dr. Anand Mohan, Dr. Jose Reyes, Karen Simmons, and Jade Long from UGA Food Science Extension, Kathleen Freeman, UGA CAES Griffin, and Trey Sanders from Bulletproof.

Georgia 4-H, the state’s largest youth leadership development organization, provides opportunities for students to gain mastery of skills and knowledge and to demonstrate generosity through civic engagement. The 4-H Dean’s Awards provide Georgia 4-H’ers the chance to showcase their talent, hard work, and commitment to their community. The Dean’s Awards are very competitive and one of the highest honors Georgia 4-H members can earn.

A Dean’s Award is presented every year in each of the following five main project areas: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (including STEM); Civic Engagement and Citizenship; Family and Consumer Sciences; William “Bill” Edwards Award for Communications and the Arts; and James Harris Award for Leadership. First place winners receive Master 4-H’er status, a $500 scholarship, and recognition at the Georgia 4-H Day at the Capitol.

Competitors submit a cumulative portfolio, much like a resume, highlighting their accomplishments from throughout their 4-H career. The portfolios are judged by project area experts, and high-scoring submissions are invited to participate in a separately-judged interview session. This year, the finalist interview sessions were conducted in a virtual setting due to pandemic restrictions, giving youth the chance to gain interview skills and experience with online conferencing.

Congratulations to all who submitted portfolios, to the finalists who interviewed virtually and to our five newest 2020 Dean’s Awards Recipients!

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (and STEM)
1^st Place – Lydia Connell, Tift County
2^nd Place – Kennedy Deveaux, Cobb County
3^rd Place – Neely McCommons, Oconee County

William “Bill” Edwards 4-H Dean’s Award for Communications and the Arts
1^st Place – Allen Brooks, Houston County
2^nd Place – Parker Varnadoe, Madison County
3^rd Place – Arham Shah, Emanuel County

Civic Engagement & Citizenship 
1^st Place – Juliette McKinley, Paulding County
2^nd Place – Ben Tellano, Hart County
3^rd Place – Drew Cribbs, Morgan County

Family and Consumer Sciences
1^st Place – Shazia Alam, Sumter County
2^nd Place – Madison Brown, Elbert County
3^rd Place – Lizzy Thompson, Grady County

James Harris 4-H Dean’s Award for Leadership
1^st Place – Aromal Saji, Gwinnett County
2^nd Place – Gracie Grimes, Candler County
3^rd Place – Logan Bush, Laurens County

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the largest youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches more than 242,000 people annually through the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices and 4-H facilities.