The Richmond County 4-H accepted is getting a leg up after a donation from the Farmers Bureau.
Tommy Rider, president of the Richmond County chapter of the Farm Bureau, came to the University of Georgia Extension Office downtown to presents gifts of $1,000 to the 4-H Club and the Exchange Club of Augusta.
The University of Georgia 4-H is a youth leadership development organization that offers programs to help students, primarily those in elementary or middle school, cultivate various life skills. Augusta 4-H’ers participate in a range of activities, mainly through its clubs, such as the Fishing Club, Horse Club, Small Animals Club and the Gardening Club.
“We have a lot of underserved kids who don’t have opportunities to do some of things that 4-H Clubs offer,” said Campbell Vaughn, agricultural and natural resources agent with the Richmond County UGA Extension Office. “One of the biggest things we do, and probably one of the more visible things we do, is summer camps.”
Every summer, 4-H sends upwards of 90 kids off to campsites throughout the state, where they can learn about healthy living, STEM subjects or agriculture. The students are separated into three groups: the Cloverleafs, with kids in fourth to sixth grade, Juniors, in seventh and eighth grade, and Seniors, in ninth through 12th grade.
Registration for the camps, already offered at a discount rate, costs roughly $350 to $400. The Farm Bureau’s donation, $1,000 a year for four years, will help offset costs for registration, to help finance other 4-H activities.
“We give kids opportunities to participate more in 4-H and do more with the program, do other things that are more interactive,” said Vaughn, who also chairs the fair committee in the Exchange Club of Augusta.
One of those activities is the livestock show competition at the Georgia-Carolina State Fair. Participating 4-H’ers compete in grooming, keeping and, ultimately, presenting their animals, such as cows, steers, pigs or goats. Winners receive silver belt buckles — also acquired through sponsorship from the Farm Bureau.
To make its donation, the Georgia Farm Bureau drew from a robust scholarship fund for various farming programs.
“We’re to keep people involved, in some way, in agriculture,” said Rider about the Farm Bureau’s support.
For more information about the Richmond County 4-H program, visit https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/richmond/4-h-youth-development.html.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
