From Sheep to STEM: 4-H Youth Shine at the State Fair

Conjure up a mental image of “youth participating at the State Fair,” and the first thing that comes to mind is likely a boy or girl showing a farm animal.

It’s appropriate. From its beginnings in 1853, the North Carolina State Fair was intended to showcase and promote agriculture. Today, that legacy endures with a $111 billion industry that remains the backbone of the state’s economy. While dizzying rides and decadent food have become central to the experience, even in modern times hundreds of young people exhibit livestock that they’ve spent months caring for and preparing for the event.

But when it comes to 4-H involvement, the State Fair is so much more.

“The State Fair is very youth-minded and there’s a lot of agriculture opportunities,” said Tara Taylor, 4-H agent in Onslow County. “But there’s many other opportunities that young people can have. Anything you can think of, there’s a category for it —  arts, crafts, beaded jewelry, fabric painting, sewing, cakes. Our young people from across the state can participate.”

North Carolina 4-H is NC State Extension’s youth development program, serving more than 250,000 young people between the ages of 5-18 every year with activities ranging from community and project clubs to special interest, school enrichment and afterschool programs.

Related: NC 4-H Annual Report

That includes livestock and poultry programs. Many of Taylor’s 4-H’ers are showing project animals, including participants in a sheep project called Wool Pack.

“We have 4-H’ers showing turkeys, market goats and market hogs this year, and we have 18 young people coming to show wool breed sheep, which is a project that we run as a partnership between Extension and a local producer, Melissa Gray at Southern Sheep Company,” Taylor said. “They’ve been learning about the wool industry and where their fiber comes from and other important things in addition to animal husbandry and care.”

A hay bale decorated by Harnett County 4-H at the State Fair.

Across the fairgrounds from the livestock building, other 4-H’ers are exhibiting a different kind of work inside the Education Building. 

“4-H is definitely more than just livestock,” said Shannon McCollum, NC 4-H’s statewide youth development specialist. “It is photography, it’s STEM and Family and Consumer Science, citizenship and civic education, leadership, plant science, entomology, all sorts of projects.”

McCollum serves as the liaison between NC 4-H and the State Fair. She works with the staff in securing judges and determining competition categories in the crafts area. Each category is judged, with small cash prizes going to the winners.

“For as long as I have worked with 4-H, we have had a presence at the NC State Fair in the educational building,” McCollum said. “There’s 887 items that were pre-registered in this particular area, from roughly 30 counties. A lot of county programs build up to competing at the State Fair. It’s exciting to see their work displayed.”

Exhibits communicate the breadth and depth of 4-H projects, and demonstrate the value of the organization. This year they include all manner of crafts (artwork, basketry, bead jewelry, candle making, leather articles, needlework, pottery, quilts, soap making, woodworking and many more), along with photography, entomology, and hay bale decorating.

“We look at what’s trending with young people as far as crafts, photography, those kinds of things,” McCollum said. “We make a decision based on what the kids are doing locally to decide what kind of items that they will display at the Fair, what categories we have.”

Artwork created by NC 4-H’ers on display at the State Fair.

Last year’s top youth entomology exhibit came from Onslow County.

“This particular 4-H’er has participated in public speaking at the district and state level for entomology,” Taylor said. “He has not only been a winner, but he has learned that entomology is something he gets excited about — his spark.” 

Showing sheep and amassing an insect collection might seem like disparate talents, but they both teach core 4-H values.

“Anytime a young person is preparing a 4-H project, they are learning valuable life skills,” Taylor said. “Regardless of their project selection they are learning to manage their time and be responsible for their finished product. We hope that through these opportunities our youth are finding their passion and what sparks their interest time and again.”

The State Fair is also a great opportunity to advertise 4-H. One county from each of Extension’s five districts across the state has an educational booth in the exhibit hall. 

“We use it as a marketing tool not just for 4-H but for all of Extension,” McCollum said. “We have volunteers that come out here and talk to fairgoers, show them what they’ve done in their 4-H project, and give them a way to contact the local county Extension office to get their kids involved in 4-H or Extension in general.”

4-H agent Tara Taylor and program assistant John Osborne at Onslow County’s educational booth.

This year, it’s Onslow County’s turn to represent the Southeast district. 

“We feel honored that our county is participating this year,” said Taylor, who installed the booth with the assistance of program assistant John Osborne the week before the fairgrounds opened to the public. “We try to showcase things from our county 4-H program and projects that our youth are involved in throughout the year. We hope that families will walk by and see all of the neat things going on, then click on the QR code provided to enroll in 4-H across the state.”

McCollum grew up in 4-H in Halifax County, and served as the agent in the county for six years before moving to her current position 29 years ago. She hopes the exhibits at the State Fair motivate even more people to get involved.

“I believe in the program,” she said. “What it did for me as a young person growing up in a rural county, the life skills that I gained, the friends I’ve made, you can’t put a price tag on that. It is a passion for me, seeing young people succeed. Our motto is to make the best better. And our slogan is learn by doing. That’s the goal for our 4-H’ers and that’s what you can see that they’re doing out here, taking a skill and showcasing it.”

Photos taken by 4-H’ers across North Carolina are on display at the State Fair.

Taylor is excited about her youth showcasing their projects, whether in the Education Building or the livestock arena. She also looks for other opportunities to bring them to Raleigh, home of NC State.

“Our 4-H program takes advantage of opportunities to bring our youth to Raleigh and on the NC State campus,” she said. “We participate in events such as 4-H Congress and love special treats like sharing Howling Cow ice cream when we can. We take kids on campus tours and enjoy special places like the Brickyard or Library. If they feel comfortable on a college campus like NC State, they may see themselves here someday. We are just trying to provide meaningful opportunities for young people.”