4-H at Farm Fair
Come and visit the 4-H exhibits as we join the Burlington County Farm Fair Association in presenting the fun and priceless experience of Farm Fair, the “One Great County, One Great Fair”. The 4-H Tent is where Burlington County 4-H members showcase their clubs and projects. Clubs choose a theme to decorate a booth or design a club pennant; individual 4-H members display sewing, arts and crafts, art work, creative writing, woodworking and photography. Returning to the 4-H tent this year are the horticultural classes, which include houseplants, cut flowers and vegetables. Of special interest are the costumes used by our 4-H Drama Club in their productions.
Look for a display for Operation Military Kids. The mission of OMK is to reach out to military families from all branches of the service, especially children whose parents are deployed. We invite our local military families to stop by the 4-H tent for information about this program. OMK is a national partnership of Army, 4-H, USDA, Boys & Girls Clubs, schools and other community organizations.
Goats, sheep, poultry, a variety of small animals, dairy cows and horses are all on display at the fair. Again this year you can request a 4-H member to take you on a tour of their tent, providing information about owning and caring for livestock. Stop by the horse ring to watch a Horse Show or drop in at the Milking Tent to see where your favorite drink comes from. Each day there is an animal show in the Main Show Tent, including the Seeing Eye puppies from Caring Canines 4-H club and Winning Waggers 4-H Club. Don’t forget the “Kiss the Pig” contest held Saturday afternoon, sponsored Burlington County 4-H Small Animal Advisory Council. Stop by the small animal tent to cast your vote for the lucky person who gets to “Kiss the Pig.” On Thursday evening we hold our market lamb sale. Come and bid.
Other special events you won’t want to miss are the dance performance of the Burlington County 4-H Cloggers on Thursday evening and our county Equestrian of the Year contest on Friday evening.
For more information on how you and your child can be part of the 4-H fun, come and meet 4-H leaders and members in the
4-H Tent. With the wide range of experiences a young person has to choose from in today’s world, the question is sometimes asked, “Why is the 4-H experience important for youth today?” When 4-H was started, boys and girls were members of clubs which raised crops, livestock, and preserved foods. The main purpose was to transfer the research based knowledge from the land-grant universities to the local community.
Today, the 4-H Youth Development Program continues to be a “learn by doing,” research based, educational experience for youth. While 4-H youth continue to participate in traditional clubs, many new delivery modes such as school enrichment, theme camps, and community service have become the hallmark of 4-H. In addition to animal care and horticulture, new project activities include technology, drama, science, healthy lifestyles and photography. The resources of the New Jersey land grant university, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, provide support and educational opportunities to 4-H youth as well as adult volunteers. Through the leadership of dedicated adult volunteers, youth develop leadership abilities, self-confidence, and life skills. These attributes prepare young people for the challenges of the 21st century.
The 4-H experience is available to all youth. 4-H prohibits discrimination in all programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs) Interested teens and adults are invited to serve as volunteers making a difference. Contact us at 609-265-5052 or email
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Gloria Kraft, County 4-H Agent
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
PO Box 6000
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
