University of Missouri Extension-Daviess County 4-H clubs recently held their Achievement Day and Contest Day. Tanner Johnson was awarded a dark blue ribbon and selected for state and interstate for his working demonstration of robotics with his robot arm. "Learning by Doing" is the basis of 4-H work, and each year thousands of young Missourians between the ages of eight and 19 do just that. The 4-H members make the items displayed in the Missouri State Fair 4-H Building. The Missouri State Fair provides a showcase for the skills and knowledge that members have gained through their 4-H experiences. The state fair quality items are selected by judges in each county of the state, during Achievement Day events.
Besides developing practical skills and knowledge, 4-H’ers are developing "life skills." Under the leadership of more than 9,000 adult volunteers, 4-H members learn to make sound decisions, work cooperatively in groups and develop a sense of self-worth and accomplishment. 4-H also fosters leadership, as older youth share their talents with younger 4-H’ers.
During Achievement Day in Daviess County, Megan Beck received blue ribbons for her arts and crafts projects of soap making, decoupage star and a metal American flag; the flag and soap were selected for the Missouri State Fair while the star and flag were selected for Interstate Show to be held in St. Joseph in October. She also received a blue ribbon and state fair selection for her picture of a calf; and red ribbons for her photographs of a kitten and of a puppy. Kaitlyn Bird received all blue ribbons for her three photographs and also for her scrapbook page; her photo of a squirrel was selected for the state fair and her scrapbook page and photos of sleeping pigs and a dog with a pumpkin were all selected for interstate. Kelsey Bird received three blue ribbons and one red ribbon; her scrapbooking page depicting cattle shows she has participated in was selected for the state fair and for interstate. Kourtney Bird also received three blue ribbons and one red ribbon; with her scrapbooking page of family and friends being selected for state, while her photo of two lambs was selected for interstate. Sami Boyd received all blue ribbons and had two items, homemade soap and a scrapbooking page, selected for the state fair. Boyd also had two items, a photograph of her cat in a tree and a University of Missouri birdhouse selected for Interstate.
Breanne Brammer received eight blue ribbons and four red ribbons with her projects; her antique wheelbarrow with wild flowers and a clay vase were selected for the state fair. Brammer also had three items selected to move on to interstate, a floral wreath, the wheelbarrow, and homemade soap. Dane Brammer received three blue ribbons and one red ribbon; his hot rolls will be sent to the state fair. Addison Burns and Aubrey Burns both had their blue ribbon winning birdhouses selected for the state fair. Kaley and Megan Cox received all blue ribbons; Kaley received three for her photographs and Megan received three for her photographs and one for her birdhouse. Kaley will be sending her purple flower photograph to state fair and her barn photo to interstate show, while Megan will be sending her photograph of an old house and her birdhouse to the state fair; Megan’s birdhouse and photograph of a horse were selected for interstate.
Kase Critten had his blue ribbon winning birdhouse selected for interstate. Kristin Critten had her blue ribbon winning scrapbook page selected for the Missouri State Fair. Shaunessy Eaton received three blue ribbons for her arts and crafts projects and her jewelry box was selected for the state fair. Colton Ellis received a blue ribbon for his birdhouse that will be going to the state fair. Megan Ellis received three blue ribbons for her photographs of her trip to Australia; her Australian sunrise photo was selected for interstate. Addison Fitzwater received five blue ribbons for her projects and will be sending both her flowered sun dress and project poster to both interstate and the state fair. Fitzwater’s photograph of a hymn book was selected for interstate.
Amy Gingerich received two blue ribbons and will be sending a hammock and distressed shelf to the state fair; while her hammock will also be going to interstate. Jerilyn Hoover received four blue ribbons wand will be sending her butterfly cake to the state fair and her three scrapbooking pages to interstate show. Tanner Johnson received 17 blue ribbons for his projects; selected to be sent to the state fair and interstate were his shell tray, vase, reindeer Christmas ornament, cinnamon rolls, entrepreneurship poster, country cured ham, robot arm, robotics poster, swine show supplies, welded corn stalk, and wooden pirate ship. Johnson also had items selected for interstate that included a photograph of the St. Louis skyline and a tin punched pig. Bailee Jones received two blue ribbons and two red ribbons for her projects and will be sending her birdhouse to state and interstate. Ami Lane received two blue ribbons and will be sending her basket weave cake to the state fair and interstate; while her purple bookshelf will be sent to the state fair. Tyler Lane received a blue ribbon for his child-size picnic table that will be going to interstate and the state fair.
Cally Mastin received two blue ribbons for her photographs and will be sending the photograph of Calf #49 to the state fair. Hayley Michael will be sending her blue ribbon winning softball cake to interstate. Annie Nelson received four blue ribbons and two red ribbons for her projects. Annie will be sending her painted cup and cat display to the state fair and interstate. Aubrey Nelson received four blue ribbons and one red ribbon for her project work. Aubrey had her lanyards selected for interstate; while her photograph of flowers in bloom and safety skills display were selected for the state fair. Danielle Ness received eight blue ribbons for her project work. Ness had her Foo Foo Boxes, herb soap, jalapeno peppers and photograph of a water hydrant and hose selected for the state fair, while her herb soap, bean mosaic, and jalapeno peppers were selected for interstate.
Graydee Rains received two blue ribbons for his project work that included a swine poster that was selected for state fair and interstate and a birdhouse that was selected for interstate. Jared Rains received a blue ribbon for his birdhouse that will be sent to the Missouri State Fair. Declan Schweizer will be sending his blue ribbon winning birdhouse to the state fair. Owen Schweizer will be sending his blue ribbon winning birdhouse to interstate.
Each of the youth that had items selected for the state fair must decided which two items they would like to send. A member is limited to two items in the 4-H Building and one demonstration in the 4-H division of the Missouri State Fair. Tanner Johnson will be allowed to send his country cured ham in a separate division of the state fair in addition to the two items he selects to be displayed in the 4-H building.
Becky Simpson is the University of Missouri-Extension, 4-H Youth Development Specialist for Daviess County.
