Honoring youth leadership and achievement

Javon Dowdy, Lane Taylor, and Hannah Varnado speak about the importance of 4-H during a Marion County Board of County Commissioners meeting. [Photo courtesy Marion County]

Marion County joined communities across the nation in celebrating Oct. 7-12 as National 4-H Week with the recent reading of the national proclamation in front of a large group of local participants gathered in the Marion County Board of County Commissioners chambers.

As America’s largest youth development organization, 4-H has supported nearly 6 million young people across the United States, helping them develop the skills, confidence and compassion needed to thrive as leaders in their communities. Here in Marion County, approximately 1,800 youth participate in 4-H each year, engaging in hands-on learning experiences that foster independence, resilience, and a sense of purpose, noted the press release.

This year, Marion County 4-H participants brought home top honors in forestry, horticulture, poultry, meats and shotgun at state competitions and advanced to national contests. Marion County’s livestock judging team qualified for the National Western Stock Show Livestock Judging Contest, while eight 4-Hers competed at the Southern Region Horse Show.

Local 4-H members serve as the District VII President, Florida 4-H Executive Board members and have been selected as state delegates to the National 4-H Congress, further demonstrating their commitment to leadership and civic engagement.

Crystal McCazzio, an extension agent III with UF/IFAS Extension 4-H Youth Development Program, shared these milestones:

Judging teams and competitions:

Horse Judging – Third hippology and horse judging for the state, both senior and intermediate teams; one senior division youth qualified for the state of Florida “All-Star” horse judging team and will participate in November in Louisville, KY

Forestry Team – Senior team first place state of Florida, placed fourth at the national contest in West Virginia this summer. Marion County team placed first at nationals the previous year.

Horticulture – Senior team A first place for state and will represent us in Lincoln, Nebraska, this fall; senior team B and intermediate team placed second

Poultry – Senior team first place for state and will represent us in Kentucky this fall

Meat – Senior team first place for state and will represent us in Kansas/Missouri this fall

Livestock – Second place senior team, will represent us in Denver, CO in January 2025

Shotgun – Three youth qualified from Marion County to represent Florida in Nebraska this summer at the Shooting Sports National Championship

Horse Show – Thirteen youth qualified at the Area West horse show in April and represented Marion County at the state horse show in June at the Tampa Fairgrounds, from there eight youth qualified for the Southern Regional Horse Show in Perry, GA, in July

Leadership events:

4-H Legislature Week June 10th-14th – Eight youth (seniors ages 14-18) had the opportunity to attend 4-H Legislature Week in Tallahassee, where they had the chance to experience state government through a “mock” style experience.

I-LEAD- June 23rd- 25^th – Eight intermediate-aged youth participated in learning leadership skills and building relationships with other youth across the state of Florida at the University of Florida.

4-H U at the University of Florida July 29th- August 1st – 12-15 youth attended this event; activities included award recognition for state champions (first place individuals and teams), state event participation where one of our very own took first place in Share the Fun with his rope tricks act and three youth took first place with their demonstrations at the state level in their respective categories, as well as various workshops.

“These are all things happening above the 4-H club level, which is the grassroots of our organization. 4-H clubs are organized and supported to provide community-based, positive, structured learning opportunities for youth to empower them with skills they need to lead for a lifetime. Marion County has one of the largest 4-H programs in the state, with a vast variety of project areas ranging from robotics to traditional agricultural projects,” McCazzio stated.

4-H empowers youth through a wide range of projects and activities, from health and science to agriculture and citizenship. These experiences are made possible through a partnership with the Cooperative Extension, a network of more than 100 public universities dedicated to providing young people with practical, real-world learning opportunities. Across the country, 600,000 volunteers and 3,500 professionals support 4-Hers, guiding them as they grow into leaders, entrepreneurs and visionaries.

“Whether through volunteering, mentorship or simply supporting local 4-H activities, there are countless ways to be a part of this life-changing program,” noted the release.

For more information about Marion County 4-H and how to get involved, visit sfyl.ifas.UFL.edu/Marion/Marion-County-4-H

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners are joined by several local 4-H members and leadership representatives during the reading of the National 4-H Week proclamation. [Photo courtesy Marion County]