Marion County 4-H teams earn top honors

The Marion County 4-H intermediate and senior team members, along with youth coaches and their Cloverbud, are, front row, Wiley Boop, Gracelynn Wicker, Brooke Sakuta, Aleigh Jo Hicks and Kylie Goodson, and back row, Hunter Varnadoe, Jack Goodson, Jeremiah Caswell, Forest DeRoy and Hudson Varnadoe. [Submitted photo]

Marion County intermediate and senior 4-H teams recently took top honors in the Florida 4-H State Horticulture Identification and Judging Contest.

The contest provided an opportunity for the youth to demonstrate their skill and knowledge in identifying and judging a wide variety of fruits and nuts, vegetables, flowers/foliage and ornamental plants, according to Crystal McCazzio, the UF/IFAS Extension Marion County Extension Director.

“Forty-two youth from 10 counties across the state competed in the event, which challenged their plant science knowledge with more than 140 plant specimens to identify and judge. The intermediate team was comprised of Forest DeRoy, Hudson Varnadoe and Jack Goodson. The senior team consisted of Gracelynn Wicker, Aleigh Jo Hicks, Brooke Sakuta and Hunter Varnadoe, and they will represent Florida at the National Junior Horticultural Association annual convention in October in Baltimore, Maryland,” McCazzio noted in an email message.

The NJHA provides opportunities for teens to promote horticulture, youth, careers, education and leadership. The youth leadership team is comprised of multiple Marion County 4-H members, including Lane Taylor as president and Jeremiah Caswell and Kylie Goodson as directors, she added.

McCazzio said the Florida 4-H Horticulture Contest is supported by the UF/IFAS Plant Science Department, the Florida 4-H Foundation and the 4-H Plant Science Action Team. Wendy Wilber, statewide Master Gardener volunteer coordinator, and the plant specialist and extension team of Jeff Williamson, Tom Wichman, Marc Frank, Lisa Strange, Jeremy Rhoden and Cynthia Nazario-Leary, organized the state event.

“4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. As one of our nation’s oldest, yet most current organizations, 4-H is reaching millions of young people with positive youth development opportunities,” McCazzio noted.

To learn more, go to sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/marion/marion-county-4-h

Shown with their ribbons are intermediate and senior 4-H team members Gracelynn Wicker, Brooke Sakuta, Aleigh Jo Hicks, Hunter Varnadoe, Hudson Varnadoe, Jack Goodson and Forest DeRoy. [Submitted photo]