Megan Thorson, 4-H Update

Everyone knows that summer is the busiest time for 4-H&8217;ers in the county.

Not only are they preparing all of their projects for the county fair, but they may also be participating in the many other activities that take place during the summer months.

With the month of June fast approaching, there are many events planned.

One of the biggest events that the younger 4-H members look forward to is 4-H Camp Patterson. Camp Patterson is located on Lake Washington near Madison Lake. The theme for this year&8217;s camp is Celebrating Minnesota&8217;s 150th anniversary. 4-H&8217;ers participate in learning sessions while at camp, but also have plenty of time for other fun like canoeing, swimming and recreation. Many of the camp sessions will be based around MN themes.

Some of the sessions will include Minnesota geology, Minnesota glaciers, Minnesota crafts, outdoor cooking with Minnesota foods, and a trek around the state.

Not only do the 4-H&8217;ers get to participate in all of this fun and learning, they get to meet many new friends.

A big event that many of the older 4-H members look forward to in June is a youth leadership retreat called YELLO. Youth Exploring Leadership and Learning Outloud! (YELLO!) is an exciting and fun annual statewide leadership conference that brings together approximately 450 youths from across Minnesota to teach them valuable skills that they will be able to take back with them to their counties and use throughout their lives.

Some of the highlights of YELLO this year will be two guest speakers Patty Hendrickson who will talk about the possibilities of 4-H, leadership and life.

Judson Laipply is an inspirational comedian who will talk about the changes in life through comedy. This will be a great experience for our youth leaders attending YELLO.

Day Camps are also a favorite of many 4-H&8217;ers and their friends. Day camps are held around the county at different locations such as Glenville, Alden and Geneva. Day camp themes for this summer will be Food and Fitness Fiesta, Fun with Paint, Popcorn Palooza and Beach Fun. If you would like more information about day camps or like a registration form, call the Extension Office at 377-5660.

We don&8217;t want to forget about the other activities we have planned for June such as Wildlife Education Day, Livestock Tour Trip or the Dog Invite. Older 4-H&8217;ers and their parents are invited to attend the overnight trip that consists of tours of many different ag organizations such as feedlot and genetics facilities. Come to the dog invite on Saturday June 28 and see many of the 4-H&8217;ers working with their dogs in obedience or dog agility.

There are many opportunities for 4-H&8217;ers to grow and learn in their project areas. They can take advantage of the many opportunities that there are offered through out the summer. Whatever a 4-H&8217;er&8217;s interests are, there is always something for everyone.

Megan Thorson is a 4-H program assistant for Freeborn County.