Agriculture & Food Business Career Camp Series for Finger Lakes Students

As farms and food-based businesses continue to develop in the Finger Lakes, new careers are emerging for future workers. Young people who see a future in food science, farming, and applied agriculture technology can participate in a new program to get real-life experience with the many existing and new job possibilities.

The 2008-2009 Agriculture Career Camps are an opportunity for 7th through 12th graders to get involved as early career leaders in agriculture, food, and farm product development.  One Saturday each month from September through April, participants will spend the day at a farm or food processing plant in the Finger Lakes region. Activities include tours of a vineyard, a robotic dairy farm, a greenhouse operation, a hydroponic operation, an organic farm, tractor and equipment dealers, livestock enterprises, a winery, and retail stores.  Student participants from all schools in the region are welcome.

The Agriculture Career Camp Series is sponsored by the Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Programs in Ontario, Wayne, Livingston, Seneca, Yates, and Monroe Counties, and the Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion Project.  For a brochure click here. For more details about signing up, call the CCE - Ontario County Agriculture Program at (585) 394-3977 x427 or go on-line to http://fusiongrant.org and click on "Ag Career Camp."

Date/time:  Specific Saturdays, September 2008 - April 2009; 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location:     Various tour and meeting sites, see brochure.
Registration: Pre-registration required.  For registration materials, call
(585) 394-3977 x427 or click here
Cost: $5.00 per session or $30.00 for all seven sessions.

Links

• http://nys4h.cce.cornell.edu/
• www.4husa.org
• http://www.collegiate4h.org

Program Year

• The 4-H program year begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th.

Enrollment

• Enrollment is open to all youth 5 - 19 years of age as of January 1st of the current 4-H year. In Seneca County, youth 5-7 years of age are enrolled in a special "Cloverbud" program. Those youth who are age 8 by January 1st and in 3rd grade are enrolled as youth members. Enrollment is open to all boy and girls regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion or disability. Enrollment fee is $10.00 per child per year. A family with more than two 4-H members will pay a family rate of $25.00. The fee is due with your enrollment forms. Those who have not re-enrolled by December 31st, will be dropped from 4-H enrollment. The deadline to enroll for the current 4-H year is
  April 1st.
• To register, print out the enrollment form, fill it out and turn it in to the address at left.

Independent Members

• When circumstances prevent a youth from joining a 4-H club that youth may participate in the 4-H youth development program by enrolling as an independent member. They work on projects of their choice, at their own pace, with parental  or adult assistance. They are encouraged to participate in county fund-raisers and all county sponsored activities. They are required to enroll each year just like other 4-H members.

Dues & Uniforms

• 4-H does not require wearing a uniform. At the present time a $10 yearly enrollment fee to the 4-H office is in effect. Club dues may be collected by individual clubs to help offset project costs, materials and activities.

Fundraising

• Several countywide fundraisers are held each year.  Profits are split between local 4-H clubs and the 4-H Trips & Awards Fund. The 4-H Trips & Awards Fund is used to defray the cost of numerous 4-H Award trips, activities and awards. 4-H Clubs are encouraged to participate in at least one of the county fundraisers to help build their club treasury and to support the trips and awards which are provided to 4-H members. Some clubs may have special projects/trips in which they need to raise extra funds and many conduct additional club fundraisers. Fundraising is not to be a major activity of individual clubs.

Insurance

• Each 4-H member and adult volunteer, whose 4-H enrollment form is on file at the Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension office, is covered by accident insurance. The 4-H office must be notified within 24 hours of an accident. The insured must be participating in a 4-H event/activity when the accident occurs.

Founded

• 4-H began nationally in 1902 and officially when Congress passed the Smith Lever Act in 1914. this act established the National Cooperative Extension Service. Under the Smith Lever Act, "Boys & Girls Club Work" became 4-H. 4-H in Seneca County began in early 1920 and officially in 1938.

Partners

• The 4-H Program is the youth development program of the national education system of Cooperative Extension, shared by the United states Department of Agriculture (USDA), the state land grant university / college system (Cornell University) and county governments. 4-H Connects Kids to Cornell

4-H Emblems & Symbols

• The national 4-H emblem is a four-leaf clover with a capital letter "H" on each leaf. The 4-H emblem is protected under federal statue 187SC707. The four "H's" stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health.
• The 4-H pledge is something that 4-H members and volunteers should learn.

"I Pledge
My Head to clearer thinking,
My Heart to greater loyalty,
My Hands to larger service, and
My Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

• Green and white are the 4-H colors. The white of the "H's" symbolizes purity; the green clover 4-H emblem is nature's most common color in the great outdoors and is the color of springtime, life, and youth.
• The national 4-H motto, "To Make the Best Better" should be the objective of each 4-H volunteer leader and member.
• The 4-H slogan is "Learning by Doing".

The 4-H Creed:

I believe in 4-H club work for the opportunity it gives me to
become a useful citizen.

I believe in the training of my Head for the power it will give me to
think, plan and reason.

I believe in the training of my Heart for the nobleness it will give me
to be kind, sympathetic, and true.

I believe in the training of my Hands for the ability it will give me
to be helpful, skillful, and useful.

I believe in my country, my state, my community, and in my 
responsibility for their development.

In all these things I believe and I am willing to dedicate my efforts
to their fulfillment.