California Ag TODAY: Solano County 4-H Clubs Win Big at Skills Day

And that’s exactly what he did when he showcased his project at the Solano County 4-H Project Skills Day, held Jan. 11 in the C. A. Jacobs School, Dixon.

Scott gathered lemons from his grandparents’ tree, figured out the cost and nutrition value, purchased a table cover from a thrift shop, and polished his presentation skills. For his efforts he won a showmanship award in the intermediate food preservation category for sixth through eighth graders.

Scott was one of 11 youths winning showmanship awards, the highest honor given at the annual Project Skills Day, which showcases what the youths have learned in their projects and provides an opportunity to share their knowledge with others. Judges score the 4-H’ers on their display, presentation, knowledge and interaction.

The event drew 40 projects. Youths showcased projects ranging from poultry, horses, dairy goats and swine to gardening, Legos, candles and “the role of the 4-H treasurer.”

Other showmanship winners:

Lilya Gardner, Roving Clovers 4-H Club, Dixon, “Iced Pumpkin Cookies,” entered in the intermediate foods category, sixth through eighth grades.

Evelyn Young, Rio Vista 4-H Club, “Chickens: Easy Ways to Cook Eggs,” entered in the junior livestock/animals category, fourth through fifth grades

Sarah Bowen, Sherwood Forest 4-H Club, Vallejo, “Backing a Horse,” entered in the intermediate livestock/animals category, sixth through eighth grades

Makenna Caulfield, Roving Clovers 4-H Club, “Home-Grown Cookies,” entered in the intermediate livestock/animals category, sixth through eighth grades

Ivy Christensen, Sherwood Forest 4-Club, “Join Up With Your Horse,” entered in the intermediate livestock/animals category, sixth through eighth grades

Josephine Linan, Sherwood Forest 4-H Club, “The Bridle: English or Western,” entered in the senior livestock/animals category, ninth through 12 grades

Adilene Koelzer, Vaca Valley 4-H Club, Vacaville, “Gi'me Kumihimo,” entered in “all other projects,” junior division, fourth through fifth grades

Maya Miller, Suisun Valley 4-H Club, Fairfield-Suisun, “Stretching from your Health Officer,” entered in “all other projects,” junior division, fourth through fifth grades

Alec Merodio, Suisun Valley 4-H Club, “A Rube Goldberg Machine,” entered in “all other projects,” intermediate division, sixth through eighth grades

Carson Merodio, Suisun Valley 4-H Club, “The Role of the 4-H Treasurer,” entered in “all other projects,” senior division ninth through 12 grades

In addition to the showmanship winners, participation certificates went to:

Foods (primary grades, kindergarten through third grade) - Not Judged

Kaitlyn Westerhaus, Roving Clovers, Dixon, Baking Mixes 

Kylie Westerhaus, Roving Clovers, Dixon, Baking Mixes

Foods Intermediate, sixth through eighth grades)

--Katie Hurtado, Wolfskill, Dixon, “What's up, Doc? Hoppin' and Healthy Rabbit Meat”

Food Preservation (junior, fourth and fifth grades)

--Xavier Copeland, Suisun Valley, “What's P J - How To Make Pomegranate Jelly”

Food Preservation (senior, ninth through 12th grades)

--Siera Giron, Wolfskill, “Poppin' Hot Pepper Jelly”

Livestock/Animals (junior, fourth and fifth grades)

--Jordan Burkett, Sherwood Forest, “Horsie Hair Cuts” --Christopher Lang, Suisun Valley, “This Little Piggy Went to the Market” --Savannah Torres, Sherwood Forest, “Good Hoof/ Good Horse”

Livestock/Animals (intermediate, sixth through eighth grade)

--Kasey Davis, Elmira 4-H Club, Elmira, “Got Combs?” --Natalie Greene, Sherwood Forest, “One Size Does Not Fit All - Selecting the Saddle for Your Horse” --Amanda Kant, Sherwood Forest, “Trick or Treat - Decorating a Horse for Halloween”  --Luis Laffitte, Vaca Valley, “Nutrition Mission” --Erica Lull, Elmira, “What's a Good Egg” --Julette Pierce, Vaca Valley, “Scoop on Chicken Combs” --Daniela Setka, Wolfskill, “Dressing the Little Piggy”  --Jack Strickland, Vaca Valley, “Nutrition for a Pregnant Dairy Goat” --Emily Turner, Elmira, “Caring for Your HYPP Horse”

Livestock/Animals (senior, ninth through 12th grades)

--Nika Gardner, Roving Clovers, “No Horsin' Around” --Audrey Hennigan, Roving Clovers, “The Bunnies, The Birds and The Bees” --Sarah Lull, Elmira, “A Fishy Home - Setting Up a Freshwater Aquarium”

All Other Projects (junior, fourth and fifth grades) 

--Natalie Frenkel, Suisun Valley, “Record Book Tips” --Haley Scott, Wolfskill, “Haley's Edible Flower Garden” --Jason Williams, Roving Clovers, “Pi” --Cheyenne Miller, Suisun Valley, “Recycle/Reuse”

All Other Projects (intermediate, sixth through eighth grade)

--Sam Forbes, Suisun Valley, “Fire and Ice: How To Make Ice Candles” --Ethan Brown, Suisun Valley, “Lego Pieces, Parts, Bricks”  

All Other Projects (senior, ninth through 12th grades) 

--Megan Torres, Sherwood Forest, “Garden in a Jar” --Emma Vogliano, Suisun Valley, “The Science of WORDS”

In addition, the Solano County 4-H Project Skills Day featured the annual 4-H Chili

The 4-Alarm Team was comprised of (from left) Cody Ceremony,
Marley and Justin Means.

Cook-Off, won by the 4-Alarm Chili team of Dixon Ridge/Pleasant Valley clubs. The winning team: Cody Ceremony, Randy Marley and Justin Means of the Pleasants Valley Club with advisor Chuck Means of Dixon Ridge. Solano County Supervisor John Vasquez Jr. of Vacaville, Ed Coffelt of Dixon and Kathy Keatley Garvey of Vacaville judged the competition.

Receiving participation certificates were:

Want Quackers With Your Chili, Vaca Valley: Makenzie Davi, Marissa Davi and Emma Ryder

Jeans n Beans, Pleasants Valley: Sabrina Brown, Melanie Campilongo, Lillian Tudbury and David Witzel

The Persim-Monsters, Suisun Valley: Alexis Taliafero, Clairese Wright and Robert Wright

The 2013-14 Solano County 4-H All-Star Lyle Glass of the Vaca Valley 4-H Club served as the emcee. Assisting him were Tyler Sasabuchi of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club, and Siera Giron of the Wolfskill 4-H Club, the Dixon area representatives to the Solano County 4-H Leaders’ Council, and the 2012-2013 Solano County 4-H All-Star Julianne Payne of the Sherwood Forest 4-H Club.

In special presentation, Tractor Supply Company of Dixon received the 4-H Paper Clover Award. Receiving the award was the store’s representative, Kristen Clark-Webb. The company and its employees supported 4-H during the Paper Clover promotion, which raised $503 for the county 4-H program.

Chili judges Ed Coffelt (left) of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club, Dixon, and Solano
County Supervisor John Vasquez Jr. of Vacaville score the teams at the Solano
County 4-H Chili Cookoff.

Solano County 4-H representative Valerie Williams of Vacaville and her sister, Kelly Fletcher of Dixon, each received a bouquet of flowers for their work in organizing the event.

Solano County has 12 4-H clubs with a total of 500 members

The clubs are:  Dixon: Dixon Ridge, Maine Prairie, Roving Clovers, Tremont and Wolfskill

Fairfield-Suisun: Suisun Valley and Westwind  Rio Vista: Rio Vista 4-H Club

Vacaville: Elmira, Vaca Valley and Pleasants Valley 

Vallejo: Sherwood Forest

More information about the 4-H program is available from Valerie Williams, Solano County 4-H program representative, Solano County Cooperative Extension, at (707) 784-1319 or Valerie A Williams at vawilliams@ucanr.edu or by accessing the web site at http://cesolano.ucdavis.edu.