Youth Development (Grant County)

Competitive Events
County Competitive events and contest trainings were conducted to expand life skills and knowledge. 95% of novice/junior/senior youth advanced to District/State level competition. Contest Areas included Public Speaking, Consumer Decision Making, Livestock Evaluation, Horse Evaluation, Range Plant Identification, Wool Evaluation, Parlimentary Procedure, Entomology, Wildlife Habitat Evaluation, Meats Evaluation, Shooting Sports. 100 % of youth participating in competitive events increased knowledge and skills/four basic needs related to Mastery, Independence, and Belonging through cooperation, self esteem, critical thinking, teamwork, and contributing to a group effort as evidenced by every Grant County 4-H youth attending district or state contest to walk stage with at least a top five finish individually or as a team during competition awards.


Awards & Recognition
Ten 4-H youth served as Master of Ceremony, keynote speakers, pledge leaders and presenters at the annual Grant County 4-H Banquet, increasing their public speaking skills and giving leadership to the overall program. Members received award pins, trophies, plaques, and certificates in recognition of their achievements and increase in life skills throughout the 2007-2008 program year. ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Eighty-two ¬members, leaders and guests attended the event.

School Enrichment (may do one per program offered or one overall statement with total information – remember, this is during school hours)
County Extension personnel provide quality educational experiences through cooperation with classroom teachers. At local elementary schools 97 youth gained knowledge related to embryology through the Egg to Chick curriculum. Youth gained life skills related to generosity and mastery by learning to learn and nurturing relationships as evidenced by youths’ concern for the chicks and increased ability to reason and follow logical steps in completing tasks. All classrooms from 2008 Eggs-to-Chicks have requested future programs in the 2009 year.


School Enrichment (may do one per program offered or one overall statement with total information – remember, this is during school hours)
County Extension personnel provide quality educational experiences through cooperation with classroom teachers. From local schools 587 youth and 31 adults gained knowledge related to an agricultural lifestyle with the Kids Kows and More program, and skills related to accepting differences, social skills, learning to learn, personal safety, critical thinking as evidenced by an increase in youth awareness of agricultural practices noted through posters and thank you’s sent to the Extension office. Kids Kows and More will be increasing in size for the 2009 program in Grant County.


School Enrichment (may do one per program offered or one overall statement with total information – remember, this is during school hours)
County Extension personnel provide quality educational experiences through cooperation with classroom teachers. 776 youth gained knowledge related to Cowboy Life (Kids and Cowboys Program) and skills related to character, accepting differences, and learning to learn as evidenced by an increased awareness to the rural lifestyle.
Special Interest (may do one per program offered or one overall statement with total information – remember, this is not during school hours for a minimum of six hours)
County Extension personnel/volunteers provided quality educational experiences to the Grant County Fifth Grade water Festival. One-hundred-seventy-two youth gained knowledge related to Gardening and skills related to wise use of resources as evidenced by knowledge gained of water conservation techniques in small garden plots.


Hunters Safety
County Extension volunteers provided quality educational experiences to 128 youth during the Hunters Education Classes offered in 2008. The youth gained knowledge related to concern for others, communication, wise use of resources, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making. Evidence of knowledge gained is possible with 98% passing the class with the failing percentage due to attendance.

District Contest
Grant County Extension personnel with help from agents and volunteers from the southwest district conducted District Contests in Grant County for 2008. 173 youth competed in Horse, Wildlife, Range Identification, Horticulture, Rifle, Archery, Home Ec Presentations, General Presentations, Ag Presentations, Crops, Clothing, This is 4-H, Consumer Decision Making, Impromptu Speaking, Prepared Speaking, Favorite Foods, Livestock, Entomology. This Extension program encompassed the life skills that 4-H has to offer.

Coordinated NM State 4-H Shooting Sports Contest in Raton, NM at the NRA Whittington Center. Senior age 4-H members participated in the event to demonstrate proficiencies in various shooting disciplines. Top placed teams qualified for the national event in June. There were 210 youth competing. (Increase of 35 4-Her’s from 2006.)

Presented 4-H Shooting Sports clinic at Lincoln County Ag. Days in Capitan, NM. Ag. Day is a multi-agency school field day focusing on introduction fifth graders to agriculture and its contribution to our live. Approximately 250students from Capitan Schools attended.
Coordinated the planning of NM State 4-H Horse School. 221 4-H members and leaders from New Mexico participated. The objective of the school is to assist 4-H members with their horsemanship skills as well as give the opportunities to learn more about the horse by attending equine related workshops. Leaders participate in sessions as well to take the program to their home counties and develop similar type educational events. Further introduced animal ID act through workshop by New Mexico Livestock Board and career development workshops. Evaluations indicated that audience was very favorable to the new focus. Received sponsorship of school from Horseman’s Supply and New Mexico Livestock Board.

Coordinated the planning of NM State 4-H Livestock Schools. 300 Four H members from Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico participated. The objective of the school is to assist 4-H members in learning about their livestock projects thru a variety of teaching methods. The methods range from hands on sessions to classroom type workshops. 4-H members and leaders learn showmanship, ethics, feeding and overall management of their projects. The educational curriculum is offered to 4-H participants in the following species of beef, dairy cattle, sheep, swine and meat goat. Received sponsorships from Southwest Dairy Producers, Ranch-Way and ADM Feeds.

Coordinated 16 agriculture and natural resources related contests for NM State 4-H Conference. 4-H members from across New Mexico participate in contest events geared to test senior aged 4-H member’s subject member’s knowledge. Over 300 4-H members participated in these related contests.

New Mexico State 4-H program serves as a co-sponsor to the Youth Hunter Education Challenge. Here youth from across the state experience challenge through a series of events to show their combined knowledge and skills in archery, muzzleloader, hunting, and orienteering. This specialist assisted with conducting the contest. Approximately 120 youth participated.

Conducted a safety shooting clinic at the Double H Ranch Conservation Day near Datil, NM. Conservation Day is a multi-agency school field day focusing on introduction fifth graders to wildlife management, waterfowl, water use, fishing, archery and shooting sports. Over 167 students from 7 schools in Catron, Socorro and Valencia Counties attended. Other participating agencies were: NM Game and Fish, US Fish and Wildlife, US Forest Service and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Coordinated NM State 4-H Shooting Sports Contest in Raton, NM at the NRA Whittington Center. Senior age 4-H members participated in the event to demonstrate proficiencies in various shooting disciplines. Top placed teams qualified for the national event in June. There were 210 youth competing. (Increase of 35 4-Her’s from 2006.)

Presented 4-H Shooting Sports clinic at Lincoln County Ag. Days in Capitan, NM. Ag. Day is a multi-agency school field day focusing on introduction fifth graders to agriculture and its contribution to our live. Approximately 250students from Capitan Schools attended.
Coordinated the planning of NM State 4-H Horse School. 221 4-H members and leaders from New Mexico participated. The objective of the school is to assist 4-H members with their horsemanship skills as well as give the opportunities to learn more about the horse by attending equine related workshops. Leaders participate in sessions as well to take the program to their home counties and develop similar type educational events. Further introduced animal ID act through workshop by New Mexico Livestock Board and career development workshops. Evaluations indicated that audience was very favorable to the new focus. Received sponsorship of school from Horseman’s Supply and New Mexico Livestock Board.

Coordinated the planning of NM State 4-H Livestock Schools. 300 Four H members from Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico participated. The objective of the school is to assist 4-H members in learning about their livestock projects thru a variety of teaching methods. The methods range from hands on sessions to classroom type workshops. 4-H members and leaders learn showmanship, ethics, feeding and overall management of their projects. The educational curriculum is offered to 4-H participants in the following species of beef, dairy cattle, sheep, swine and meat goat. Received sponsorships from Southwest Dairy Producers, Ranch-Way and ADM Feeds.

Coordinated 16 agriculture and natural resources related contests for NM State 4-H Conference. 4-H members from across New Mexico participate in contest events geared to test senior aged 4-H member’s subject member’s knowledge. Over 300 4-H members participated in these related contests.

New Mexico State 4-H program serves as a co-sponsor to the Youth Hunter Education Challenge. Here youth from across the state experience challenge through a series of events to show their combined knowledge and skills in archery, muzzleloader, hunting, and orienteering. This specialist assisted with conducting the contest. Approximately 120 youth participated.

Conducted a safety shooting clinic at the Double H Ranch Conservation Day near Datil, NM. Conservation Day is a multi-agency school field day focusing on introduction fifth graders to wildlife management, waterfowl, water use, fishing, archery and shooting sports. Over 167 students from 7 schools in Catron, Socorro and Valencia Counties attended. Other participating agencies were: NM Game and Fish, US Fish and Wildlife, US Forest Service and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Grant County 4-H has increased participation in almost all areas this year. With an entirely new staff to the office, many new ideas have been implemented and ultimately the youth of Grant County have benefited.

To substitute for weather cancellations, the Grant County 4-H Council participated in the Southwest District Officer Training, held in Soccorro. The two day event allowed officers from the district to participate in hands on team building and goal setting activities. Workshops were presented by district agents and members of the state 4-H office staff. Future plans include rotating the event around the district in future years.

With knowledge gained from the District Officer Training, the Grant County 4-H Council including the 4-H Agent, held county leadership training. Twenty members from around the county attended, they were able to take leadership skills and some needed parliamentary procedure back to their clubs to help participation and organization in their club meetings. The 5 hour training was a success and will be presented annually in the future.

School enrichment this year consisted of eggs-to-chicks programs, farm week presentations, citizenship programs, classroom recruitment visits, and agriculture awareness programs. Students from Harrison Schmitt Elementary, Stout Elementary, Snell Middle School, and Calvary Christian Academy were provided programs at the request of teachers and administrators. Eggs-to-chicks was the most popular program reaching 20 kindergarten and pre-k students, and 8 high school students at Calvary Christian Academy, 29 first graders at Stout Elementary, and 64 (3 separate classes) of kindergarteners at Harrison Schmitt Elementary. Previous success in hatching eggs promoted more classes to participate this year than in years past. Improvements to visual aids and new hands on diagrams helped to make difficult sections of embryology easier for young minds to understand. The program ran from March 7th to May 8th, utilizing the agent for 3 hours a week 40 hours total. Hatching success was near 50% and all chicks were returned to egg producer. The donor of eggs is already on-board for next year.

Other school enrichment/ag awareness programs provided include: Citizenship at Snell Middle School in Bayard. Nearly eighty students were provided a program on being a better citizen. During the hour workshop students were first provided a definition of citizenship and then provided examples of situations on the board. They were to choose a way of handling the situation, with cause and effect type evaluations. The Cobre School district is working toward better behavior at school. This program was part of the solution. Increased enforcement and lower tolerance have helped to promote good behavior now and in the future. This Agent provided ag-awareness/animal safety programs at Stout Elementary during their Ag in the Classroom visit last spring. With support from local farmers with young animals and some displaced eggs-to-chicks, a program on animal types and breeds, and animal safety was presented in 1 hour rotations. Due to a USDA release on salmonella and small chicks minutes before the program was to begin, modifications on animal safety were added to the program. Students were given time to identify types of livestock from a coloring book, allowed to color them and from that a teachable moment on phenotypical breed characteristics allowed for a different component to the lesson. Chicks from the eggs-to-chicks program were showed to the kids, noting on the finer points of the ETC program. The lesson was finished with animal safety issues such as washing hands after handling, cleaning shoes and clothing after entering animal enclosures, and how to prevent animal sickness and disease from spreading. 4-H literature was presented to teachers for future use. This program reached 73 kindergarten students. Within the next month many of the teachers wanted to see more young farm animals and have programs on some of the facts about that particular animal. This agent gathered a piglet for them to look at. Students asked questions and topics were addressed from their questions. The 38 students were provided information on basic pig care and the importance of shade and water to not only swine but all animals. Plans for visits with farm animals are already made for the spring of 2008. Many of the students from that school are now signed up as cloverbuds and looking forward to animal projects.

During any program, this agent allowed a small amount of time at the closing portion for 4-H recruitment. Teachers from all over the county agree in the importance of agriculture in education. Many teachers admit lacking the knowledge or background to teach agriculture. This has allowed for many programming opportunities and the addition of new in school 4-H clubs to take place. Currently the Calvary Christian Academy has started a 4-H club. This club is a traditional type club which meets on weekends, but through support from the school administration has allowed class time for this agent to educate on agriculture by working on 4-H project materials. The club is currently at 23 members and 1 adult leader.

Hunter Safety programs were in full swing during March and April. Two classes were held in Silver City, one class at Mimbres, and one in Santa Clara. A total of 20 volunteers gave instruction on safe gun handling, hunting history, traditions, wildlife conservation, survival afield, and shooting fundamentals. This program reached 64 youth and 9 adults. Of the 73 participants, six were already enrolled in 4-H, two new members were gained from the Silver City class. The classes passed 64 of the participants, the remainder did not pass due to attendance.

Grant County is very competitive, this Agent with help from office staff and FFA advisors, spent numerous hours working on judging practices. Teams that competed in livestock, wool, wildlife (FFA and 4-H), shooting sports, range plant, and horse were coached by the 4-H and Ag agent with help from the Silver High FFA Advisor in livestock. Home economics and speaking contestants were coached by the 4-H program assistant, Home economics teachers from local schools, and the Grant County Home Economist. Parliamentary procedure teams were coached by the Silver High FFA. Grant County 4-H did well with all teams competing placing in the top 3 in every contest entered at State or District. Nineteen youth participated at district contest, and 24 participated on the state level. Some honorable mentions are the Livestock Team, which will be traveling to the American Royal to compete on a national level after their 2nd place finish at state. This agent has also spent numerous hours working this year with Valencia County, they had qualified for the National Wildlife Habitat Evaluation contest held in Cedar City, Utah. With the Valencia County 4-H position open, this agent was asked to coach and travel by the Extension Wildlife Specialist who serves on the National Committee for this contest, making that individual ineligible to coach teams.

Livestock is a large part of the Grant County 4-H Program. This Agent began the year by helping families to select their animals at numerous sales across the state. This agent also began project checks in early April continuing to the fair in late September. The Grant County 4-H agent is the only way you can get your animal tagged for state fair, this year tag days were set with little room for leniency with the new retinal scans on show animals. This agent and the agricultural agent are certified to collect retinal scans and hopefully will be able to teach local FFA advisors to collect retinal scans if need be. Efforts are currently underway to increase FFA advisors in helping with county livestock validations, only future years will tell. Participation held strong this year with 32 lambs, 30 swine, 15 beef, and 5 heifers traveling to state fair. 30 4-H members traveled to the state fair. At the County Fair, 114 4-H youth showed 189 swine, 70 lambs, 15 goats, 19 steers, and 6 heifers. The junior livestock sale broke an all time record with $164,000 going back to Grant County Youth. This is up 15k from last year’s sale. Overall the numbers of animals have held steady from last year, however the addition of a market goat class allowed for more diversity in our livestock project areas.

Justin Armenta has signed on to support Youth Development within Grant County.