Garland County 4-H loves to compete. We compete with livestock, fashion, talks, robots, canning, cooking, livestock ID, wildlife ID, bait casting, BBQing, and so much more! Our goal is to teach 4-H'ers how to make the best better by becoming contributing members of society. To do that, 4-H'ers can choose a project and work on that project all year long within their club, community, and the world. In Garland County, we offer two days full of competition just for our 4-H'ers.
The first day I would like to share with you is called Big "T" Day. Big "T" Day is all about talks, talent, fashion, and contests. If a 4-Her decides to give a talk, it can be an illustrated talk or a method demonstration. This means they can have something that the audience can visually look at, such as a slideshow or a poster board. They can also bring things to demonstrate something about their talk. Some examples I have seen would be their robot, a prepared dish, or tie-dying a shirt. For talent, 4-H'ers can participate in the dance, vocal, or instrumental category. For these three competitions, you can have up to five 4-H members for one act, however, they must be in the same age division (Juniors, ages 9-13 and Seniors, ages 14-19).
Fashion is all about how well someone knows their clothing. There are two categories, purchased or modified/constructed. Purchased clothing involves choosing a "dressy" or "casual" outfit and modeling it. The 4-Her would give a 1-2 minute presentation about their outfit. An example would be what the outfit is made of, how to care for it, how to dress it up/down, etc. Modified is the same, but there must be some kind of alteration to at least 30% of the clothing that they created themselves, or you can just make your own clothing and enter the constructed category!
Lastly, there are contests. There are multiple contests we offer, including Horticulture, Livestock ID, Crop and Weed ID, Entomology Collection, Forestry, and Wildlife. All these contests have some kind of identification quiz, as well as a written quiz.
The second day full of competitions that Garland County 4-H offers is Big "B" Day. This day consists of bait casting, bicycle, BB gun, and BBQ contests. Bait casting involves casting a fishing pole to try and hit a certain area to earn the most points. It also comes with a written quiz. Bicycle comes with a quiz and an obstacle course for the 4-Her to ride through without knocking over any cones. The BB gun contest is all about accuracy. The 4-H'ers must take a written exam, test their target shooting and shooting positions, and demonstrate safe handling and care. The BBQ contest consists of grilling four chicken thighs with a charcoal grill, which they must start up themselves. The BBQ contest is judged based on cleanliness, starting and controlling the fire, chicken prep, practicing food safety, taste, and appearance.
Opportunities to thrive never end as a 4-Her. All these contests, and more, are available to participate in on the state level and some, on the national level. When listing all of these, sometimes it can be overwhelming on what to choose or where to start. That's where the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service comes in. We are here to help with your 4-H experience. If you have any questions about 4-H or any of these contests, come see us!
A look ahead
The Ross Photography Contest deadline is quickly approaching! Be sure to send in your best photos that show off your photography skills by the end of March. Please call the Garland County Extension Office for more details.
The deadline to register for the Big "B" Contests will be mid-April! Please call the Garland County Extension Office to sign up!
4-H information
There are 4-H clubs for Garland County young people who are 5 to 19 years old. For more information on all the fun 4-H activities that are available, call Sara Jackson at 501-623-6841 or email her at [email protected].
Master Gardener information
Master Gardener meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at the Elks Lodge. They're open to the public and guests are welcome. For more information, call Arin Shaffer, horticulture agent, at 501-623-6841 or email him at [email protected].
EHC information
Are you interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For information on EHC, call Alison Crane, family and consumer sciences agent, at 501-623-6841 or email her at [email protected].
An undated handout photo of Sara Jackson, Garland County Extension Office 4-H agent. - Submitted photo