Home Garden Vegetable Seed Trials – Open to Youth & Adults

Athens County is hosting the 2024 Home Garden Vegetable Trials.  The trials are open to any home gardener in the state of Ohio. This means you and all of your friends. This is the sixth year of the trials and we have some exciting news. We have added a cut flower trial, a herb trial, and a youth trial (to get the kids excited about gardening). We’ve been listening to feedback and this year we’ve added lots of varieties that can be grown in containers.

The purpose of the trials is to have gardeners grow 2 varieties of a vegetable side-by-side and then give us their feedback through our online reporting site. To learn more details about the trials, you can visit the Vegetable Trials Homepage

There are a total of 13 trials this year. You can select to do from one to five vegetable trials plus the flower, herb, and youth trials. Community Gardens can choose to do all 13, if they would like. The cost of each trial is $3 plus shipping. If you pick up your order at the Athen’s County Extension Office, there are reduced  shipping charges. To see a description of this year’s trials, visit the 2024 Trials page. The deadline to order is Feb. 16 for guaranteed seeds or March 1 for remaining seeds, When you are ready to order, visit the order site at https://go.osu.edu/veggies2024

4-H Members Enjoy a Variety of Activities at Craft Event

The annual 4-H Holiday Crafting event was hosted on December 22nd at the OSU Extension Office in Washington County.  Attendees enjoyed making wreaths, ornaments, candles, coloring pages, no hook throws, and even Christmas cookies.  The participants also were surprised by a Santa Shop where they were able to choose a few items for gifts for friends and family.  Crafting supplies and Santa Shop items were provided by Joann Fabric and Crafts through the Kids in Need Program.  This event is always a favorite for those attending and the event is open to all youth in Washington County.  You can save the date for 2024 as the event will be held on December 23, 2024.

Real Money Program at WCCC

OSU Extension hosted a Real Money, Real World financial literacy program for students at the Washington County Career Center. Special thanks to our local volunteers and businesses that helped staff the financial tables. (and Peoples Bank for sponsoring lunch from Huck’s Farm Market!). Here is a list of everyone that helped out for the day. Sorry, I missed getting pictures of a couple of volunteers!

Is your high school interested in learning more about the Real Money, Real World program and teaching practical, hands-on financial literacy to your juniors or seniors? Contact OSU Extension about details!

  1. Chance – Evan Schaad
  2. Child Care – Melina Matics
  3. Clothing – Maggie Webster
  4. Communications – Sharon Dye & Ron Leisure
  5. Contributions – Bruce Zimmer
  6. Credit – Danielle Allphin
  7. Entertainment – Marcus McCartney
  8. Financial Advice – Sherri Nolan, Brenda Robinson, & Kathryn Hartline
  9. Food – Pam Montgomery
  10. Housing – Ken Schilling & Al Miller
  11. Insurance – Charlie Wentz & Erica Huddleston
  12. Student Loans – Gwen Morgenstern
  13. Transportation – Rhonda Knoch & Maricia Holschuh
  14. Health and Wellness – Sharon Gegner & Sandie Scott

   

4-H to Host Crafting Day

The Washington County 4-H program will be hosting a make it and take it craft day.  Youth in grades Kindergarten thru 12 are invited to the OSU Extension office located at 1115 Gilman Ave Marietta on December 22nd.  The event will be open  from 9:30 to 12noon.  Youth will enjoy wreath making, off the hook crochet, ornament making, cookie baking, Christmas movies, and snacks.  Participants are encouraged to bring a friend and register at the following link.  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094EADA72CA1FD0-46485833-holiday  You do not need to be a 4-H member to attend.  Please contact our office for further details 740-376-7431.

Washington Electric Cooperative Youth Tour

2024 Youth Tour Application Fillable

Each year, Washington Electric Cooperative sponsors two high school students on Youth Tour, a weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. They are joined by around 40 other students representing electric co-ops throughout Ohio to tour historical sites and landmarks, meet their Congressional representatives, and learn about the cooperative business model. Best of all is that the experience is FUN! Many of our  Youth Tour alum have called this an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience and say they have made friendships that will last their entire lives. Some of our students have even gone on to careers within the cooperative world.

Youth Tour will take place Saturday, June 15 through Friday, June 21.  I’m reaching out to all of our local 4-H and FFA professionals in hopes that you might share this information with your students. The trip is open to high school sophomores and juniors whose parents are full time residential members (customers) of Washington Electric Cooperative. Application forms are attached and also available on our website at weci.org/youth-programs, and they are due by Feb. 9.

There is no minimum gpa requirement. Students who apply will then be interviewed at a later date here at Washington Electric Cooperative.

There is a video on the site that shares some of the highlights of the 2023 Youth Tour, which was attended by Addison Schaad of Waterford High School. Again, our goal is to send two students on the 2024 trip.

Jennifer Green

Director of Marketing, Washington Electric Cooperative

Fall Festival at Washington Co Fairgrounds – Asking for Help

The Washington County Fairboard is hosting a Fall Festival on Saturday, October 14. They are asking for help from the community to provide this new event!

Help is needed with:

  • Cookie Decorating
  • Dining Hall/Food Service
  • Gem Mining
  • Parking
  • Pumpkin Painting/Carving
  • Pumpkin Patch
  • Wooden Race Car

Here is the link to volunteer: https://signup.com/go/kTvVaBx

Timeline for County 4-H Awards & Trips – Due Oct 11

Members can apply for 2023 Pin Awards and 2024 Trip Awards.

There is one application that does it all and you can choose the application that works best for you. See the options below.

Why Awards?

  • To recognize outstanding work by a 4‐H member at the end of a successful
  • To recognize a history, or an accumulation of successes throughout a 4‐H
  • To provide a career training opportunity for members to learn to complete an
  • To provide a basis for Ohio 4‐H Achievement Awards & College Scholarships

2024 Trip Details

  • Buckeye Leadership Workshop – Recreation Unlimited, Ashley, OH. March. Age 16 or high school sophomore.
  • State 4‐H Leadership Camp – 4‐H Camp Ohio, early Must be age 15 as of Jan 1st.
  • 4‐H Citizenship‐ Washington Focus – National 4‐H Center, Washington June/July. Must be age 14 as of Jan 1
  • 4‐H Forestry Wildlife Camp – Forestry & wildlife education, fishing, hiking, tree climbing. Canter’s Cave 4‐H Camp. Weekend in April. Ages 12‐18
  • 4‐H Sea Camp – Kelley’s Island, July, Must be ages 15‐17
  • Ohio 4‐H Sr. Shooting Education Camp – Canters Cave 4‐H Camp, Jackson, OH. July. Must be ages 12 – 18.
  • Ohio 4‐H Jr. Shooting Education Camp – Canters Cave 4‐H Camp, Jackson, OH. July. Must be age 9 –
  • Space Adventure Camp – Marietta College. June. Youth ages 11‐13 and/or grades 7 – 9.

Award Application for Members to Complete. Choose the format that works best for you!

Club Award Forms & Year End Recognition

  • Charlotte Wagner 4-H Club Community Service Award – due October 11, 2023
  • 2023 Honor Club Application (completed by club)
  • 2023 Scrapbook Application/Score Sheet (completed by club)
  • October 11                   Member’s application due to Extension Office.  Extension Office removes names and adds numbers to applications to provide an anonymous packet for the Awards Selection Committee to review.
  • October 23                      Awards Selection Committee reviews applications and selects Project Pin and Special Pin Award Winners. Trip Committee interviews applicants and selects winners for 4-H Trips and Margaret Meredith award.
  • Early November          Award winners invited to attend the 4-H Year Celebration.
  • November 16                 4-H Year Celebration – Ice Cream Bar at 6:30 PM and program at 7:00 PM. at the Washington County Junior Fair Building. Award Applications are returned to applicants.