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Happy New Year 4-H Families!
I hope everyone had a great holiday, and that your 2024 is off to a wonderful start! December was another slower month for Cochise County 4-H, as many of our families took advantage of this time to be together to celebrate the holiday season. There were only two events that occurred last month: Level One Shooting Sports Training and Wreaths Across America.
The weekend of December 8th-10th the Arizona State Shooting Sports Committee held a level one instructor training. Before attending, leaders and volunteers had to register for a specific firearm project (rifle, shotgun, pistol, hunting skills, etc.) using ZSuites. 4-H youth were also able to participate in the trainings, and at the end they became Junior Leaders. Steve Fenn was the facilitator for hunting skills. Steve taught his students different skills and activities that they could take back to their clubs. Some of students’ favorite activities were the Carmelita hunt, how to start a fire, and blood trail tracking. Steve also went through safety, what to have in a hunting pack, Dutch oven cooking, and other skills that you might need while hunting. This training is intensive, but definitely worth the time! It is very hands-on, you are constantly learning, and able to ask questions. If you are planning on doing shooting sports with your clubs these training sessions are mandatory. The next Level One Instructor Training will be July 19-21, and the location is still being determined.
Wreaths Across America was held on December 16th at 10am at the Sierra Vista Veterans Memorial Cemetery. To start the morning, there was a ceremony that honored those that were currently serving and those that had served. During the ceremony, each branch of the military was represented, and a wreath was hung on a stand in their honor. All the volunteers then followed and watched in one big group as the first row of wreaths were laid on the graves. There was a brief explanation about how to properly lay the wreaths (the bow needed to be facing upwards, and we should not disturb other decorations that had already been placed). Then, all the volunteers were off working hard to make sure each grave was beautifully decorated. While laying the wreaths it was encouraged to take a moment to step back and say the name of the person and thank them for their service. This was a beautiful event that I would like to continue to go to yearly.
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Stronghold 4-H Club Spotlight
In October, Cochise County 4-H Volunteer Terry Burke held a garden meeting for the Stronghold 4-H members. Each age group was judged on their pumpkin decorating, and winners were awarded in each age group. The best overall decorated pumpkin went to Abby Aabye, who decorated it with an iridescent purple design.
We want to highlight all our amazing clubs. Please send photos and a description to Haley so that your club can be the next in the spotlight!
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Cochise County 4-H Spotlight
Thank you to the Brian and Blair Randolph family for sharing some photos from our Cochise County 4-H Awards Banquet that took place on November 14th.
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Agriculture Highlight:
The Orange
By: Haley Chappell, 4-H Agent
Orange is not only a color but also a wonderful edible fruit. Where does this fruit come from and how did it come to the United States? Many scientists believe that the orange originated in the tropical regions of Asia. From Asia, the orange made its way to India, the east coast of Africa, and to the Mediterranean. Many factors helped the orange to spread around the world including: the Roman conquest, the development of the Arab trade routes, and the expansion of Islam. By the time North America was discovered, the orange tree had already been established in the Canary Islands (Petruzzello, 2023).
In 1513, Spanish explorers Ponce De Leon, Hernan Cortez, and Hernando DeSoto brought the first citrus to the United States via Florida. It is believed that Ponce De Leon planted the first orange trees in the mid-1500’s around St. Augustine, Florida. The orange continued to rise in popularity, and in 1763, Jesse Fish of St. Augustine created the first commercial citrus grove. Florida was doing so well in producing oranges, that in 1776, 65,000 oranges and two caskets of orange juice were shipped to England. In the United States, the development of the railroad system allowed the orange to be shipped across the country spreading it nationwide (Tjaden, 2023).
In Arizona the first orange trees were planted in the Salt River Valley in the late 19th century. The orange industry quickly blossomed as Arizona provides the perfect growing conditions for oranges: warm climate, sunshine, and fertile soil. Over the last few years, the industry has continued to grow and thrive. Many of the orange groves are in the Southern and Southwest regions of the state as the climate is more conducive there for citrus. The most common varieties of oranges grown here are the Navel and Valencia oranges. Navel oranges are known for being seedless, sweet, and juicy. On the other hand, Valencia oranges are known for their juicing qualities. Navel oranges are harvested from
December to March, while Valencia oranges are harvested from late winter to early summer peaking between February and May. The orange industry also brings employment opportunities to the state. Due to water issues, there has been research to help figure out how to grow oranges more sustainably. For Arizona, citrus is important and one of the “Five C’s” for the state’s economy. Next time you eat an orange you will have a better understanding of where the orange came from and how it got to Arizona (Orange, 2023).
Citations:
(Orange, O. (2023, April 18). Arizona citrus - providing fruit for over a century!. Arizona Orange Co. https:// www.arizonaorangeco. com/arizona-citrus-providing-fruit-for-over-a-century /#:~:text=Types%20of%20Citrus%20Grown%20in,for%20their%20excellent%20juicing%20qualities.
Petruzzello, M. (2023, December 27). Orange. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/orange-fruit
Tjaden, L. (2023, July 8). Facts about Florida Oranges & Citrus. VISIT FLORIDA.https://www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/eat-drink-facts-about-florida-citrus-oranges/#:~:text=Florida’s%20Citrus%20History&text=In%201513%2C%20Spanish%20explorers%20including,Augustine%2C%20Florida.
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Snowman Competition
There were two entries for the snowman competition: Ellie Black and Gabe Black. Ellie made her snowman from farm-fresh eggs that she had in the kitchen. Gabe took some of his lids from his canning projects to make his tin-lid snowman. Using Facebook's poll, members, family, volunteers, and supporters could vote to decide the winner. Pictured below are the two adorable snowmen.
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The votes are in, and the winner is…. Ellie’s Farm Fresh Egg Snowman! Congratulations Ellie and keep an eye out for a package in the mail as your prize has been mailed to you.
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January Activity
Email a picture to chappellhaley@arizona.edu of something that you made to keep you warm during these cold winter nights. Be creative and have fun!
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TOMORROW!!! January 6thCochise County 4-H will have a promotional booth to try to get new 4-H members involved in the Benson area. There has been talk recently of the possibility of a club starting in Benson youth living in Benson. If you know anyone interested in joining, make sure to tell them about this event so that they can learn more about our amazing programs.
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IMPORTANT Council Meeting! January 23rd
The next 4-H Council meeting will be in person and on Zoom on January 23, 2024. Come vote for your next Council members and join a committee for the 2023-2024 4-H year.
Nominations/Self-Nominations must be submitted no later than January 22nd by 5 PM
As with all Cochise County 4-H Council meetings, we welcome ALL 4-H families to attend either in person or via Zoom. It is a great way to be involved and know what is happening in Cochise County 4-H. If you are interested in serving on the Cochise County 4-H Council, please nominate or self-nominate by clicking the button below and submitting the nomination form.
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YQCA - In-Person Training January 27th
Get your YQCA training done early for the 2024 Cochise County Fair. Our first training will be held January 27th at the Sierra Vista PMR. Use the link to buy your ticket and register for the class. You must pre-register by January 19th!
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Cochise County 4-H Officer Training
March 9th, 9 AM-2 PM at the Benson Community Center
Come find out how to run a powerful 4-H meeting!
Register on Zsuites!
Registration closes on March 4th
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Don't miss out on these great scholarship opportunities!
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