Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts Senior Project Guide

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Overview

Georgia 4-H Project Achievement empowers young people with skills for a lifetime. Through a competitive process, students explore their interests, unleash their creativity, share their work, and celebrate their achievements! This guide provides 9th—12th graders with examples for getting started with their project exploration.

Overview of Project Achievement Process

1) Choose project
2) Develop skills in leadership and service
3) Prepare portfolio for work completed from January 1 – December 31
4) Prepare presentation
5) Practice
6) Compete
7) Reflect

Description of Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts Project

4-H’ers may explore areas of selection, production, care, and growth of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Through this project, 4-H’ers may:
• Identify processes that impact the growth and production of fruits, vegetables, and nuts
• Select, plant, grow, and maintain fruits, nut trees, or vegetable gardens
• Acquire an understanding of hand and power tools, equipment, and safety procedures in home gardens and large production operations
• Understand safe and effective methods of insect control/management
•  Develop an understanding of the basic principles of science relating to plant growth and development
• Acquire knowledge and develop skills needed to care for and manage a well-planned vegetable, fruit, and nut crop
• Determine the appropriate plantings for environmental needs (i.e., sun/ shade, drought tolerant, etc.)
• Explore all aspects of food gardening and the therapeutic values of engaging in horticulture
• Explore career opportunities related to fruits, vegetables, and nuts

Examples of Project Development Experiences

• Tour vegetable gardens to see the production of vegetables and their different growth stages
• Manage a vegetable, fruit, and/or nut crop and develop an understanding of safe insect control
• Attend farmers markets, conduct surveys, and participate in local gardening events
• Learn and participate in various produce competitions, such as the Georgia 4-H Pumpkin Growing Contest and Georgia 4-H Watermelon Growing Contest
• Interview a producer, Extension Agent, or Master Gardener Extension
• Volunteer to discover opportunities in this field

Project Sharing and Helping Examples

• Volunteer to assist with a community farmer’s market
• Lead a club to plant and grow a culinary herb garden, including how to grow transplants
• Assist an elderly person or neighbor with his or her garden
• Share a gardening season in an organic garden by keeping a record in a weekly blog
• Organize a project club for younger 4-H’ers. Coordinate speakers to discuss topics such as seed germination, pecan collection, fruit and vegetable growth and development, mulching, pollination, compositing, and soil sampling
• Work with your school administration and cafeteria to establish a garden to grow produce that can be served during school lunch
• Collaborate with Master Gardener Extension Volunteers on their community involvement and to learn more about their program
• Mentor a younger 4-H’er in the Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts project
• Enter a Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts-related mini-booth at a fair
• Organize a trip for your 4-H club to tour a produce packaging facility, demonstration garden, or local greenhouse
• Donate food from your garden to senior citizens in your neighborhood

Special Considerations

• Please use best safety practices when handling tools and equipment.
• Be sure to gain land owner permission prior to entering someone else’s property.
• Remember to give plenty of notice for any mentoring requests.
• Food should not be prepared as part of the Project Achievement competition presentation.
• Live animals and weapons are not permitted in any project.
• Contact your local county Extension staff to discuss how you can collaborate with and assist with current programming.

Recommended Resources

Project Achievement – Georgia 4-H
Extension | UGA Cooperative Extension
Commodity Teams – Extension & Outreach | College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program 
Farm To School
Georgia Grown | A Division of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
Home | USDA-FNS Farm to School Census
List of Alternative Crops and Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification | National Agricultural Library

At Competition

Fruits, Vegetables and Nuts 4-H projects may use posters, artifacts, biofacts and/or technology to support their presentation. The time limit for these presentations is 12 minutes. Computers, projectors, screens and other technological devices may be used.

Prepared by: Natalie Bock and Keri Hobbs
Reviewed by Jason Estep and Jordan DeRosa