Chattooga County 4-H and other agriculture agencies across the state celebrated Georgia Ag Awareness Week on March 22 – March 26. The 4-H Club plays a role in the agriculture industry in our community by exposing youth to agriculture in the classroom and through our various programs offered throughout the year.
Each year, youth participate in programs focused on environmental education, greenhouse gardening, livestock care, being an informed consumer, and much more. In the spring, 4-H’ers have some opportunities to get involved in agriculture projects.
One of these projects is the Poultry Project, where 4-Hers receive eight pullets, or chicks, and raise them. They receive their chicks in April, and by August will have completed a record book and chosen their top three hens to enter in the Chattooga County Agricultural Fair.
Not only does this project teach responsibility and dedication to their project, it also teaches organizational and communication skills. 4-H’ers will be encouraged to reach out to community members who might be interested in buying their hens and invite them to the Poultry Auction which will be held at the fair. This allows 4-Hers to take ownership of their project and share their hard work with community supporters.
Another agriculture-based spring program is Poultry Judging. In this activity, 4-H’ers learn about the poultry industry, which Georgia is #1 in broilers and egg production. 4-H’ers learn to grade eggs and ready-to-cook carcasses, as well as the quality of live hens. 4-H’ers learn about the poultry products they consume, which allows them to be more engaged consumers when purchasing products.
Many of the skills these members acquire are easily transferable, such as the communication and reasoning skills they learn while giving reasons and communicating their decisions to judges. This year, the Chattooga County 4-H Poultry Judging Team consists of 5th-12th graders who will compete at the district level on April 14th.
Agriculture is Georgia’s top industry. Chattooga County 4-H strives to ensure the youth of our community understand the impact agriculture has on their daily lives. Through judging teams, livestock shows, and club meetings, the 4-H program brings awareness to Georgia’s agriculture industry daily. The most important reason for Georgia Ag Awareness Week is to bring awareness to the importance of those who work in agriculture and to encourage others to become more involved in growing Georgia.
If you would like to be more involved or learn about programs offered, contact the Chattooga County Extension Office.
Comments