By Kate Pittack/Extension 4-H Agent
Have you ever seen a Kung Fu routine up close and personal? Do you know the basics of Beekeeping? What about the responsibilities of being a citizen in our nation? How do pollinators effect our food supply? Have you ever wondered what you would need to take care of a rabbit? What do you know about theatrical sword fighting? Have you ever wondered how to embellish a Mason jar? While there doesn’t seem to be a common tie between all of these things I’ve just listed, they are all topics that you could watch and learn about at our recent 4-H Roundup competition.
One of our Henderson County 4-H’ers is currently an ambassador for the East Texas Beekeepers Association and has been traveling throughout East Texas to speak about the importance of honey bees. According to the USDA from a study done by Cornell University, the value of honey bee pollination to U.S. agriculture is more than $14 billion annually. If you’ve ever seen a truck with what looks to be hauling bees you aren’t seeing things – farmers contract with migratory beekeepers who move millions of bee hives to fields each year!
Shifting gears a little bit – did you know that the 4-H Rabbit Project is a fairly easy one to get started in? You don’t need a lot of space so even if you live in town a small hutch doesn’t take up much space in a backyard. It also doesn’t take a huge amount of money to get started. Now, of course it is all relative. A person can spend as much money as they want on a rabbit. When I was young, I bought a breeding rabbit for $20.00. He was a little Netherland dwarf, which meant “Cuddles” never got much bigger than 4 lbs.
A lot of people (even those of us who are very familiar with all 4-H has to offer) might not realize that there is a 4-H Curriculum on Theatre Arts and Performing. One of the coolest things, in my opinion, about 4-H is the wide array of topics that have research based curriculums to help youth discover their talents and passions.
Our 4-H contests and events here in Henderson County are always open to the public. So, even if you’re not a member you can always come and check out what we having going on. You never know what you might get to see and learn about!