by D. N. Kinsey

4-H Leader

More than 6 million young people across the United States are in 4-H clubs. Orcas Island has more than 50 members enrolled in 4-H with most of them demonstrating a year’s worth of work at the San Juan County Fair.

The work that the members and the volunteers do has a positive impact on the local community, so many thanks are in order to the San Juan County Fair Board and Staff, 4-H Leaders, the families, WSU Extension and our feed sponsors, Island Hardware and Supply. This year Orcas 4-Hers won several awards in showing and judging contests. Here is a sampling of the project areas:

Will Stephens brought Dweedin the Blue Cochin chicken and Mokey the cavy.  He got blues in showmanship and the Grand Champion in cavy showmanship. He also got the trophy for outstanding achievement in rabbit/cavy.

Joe Stephens had Ticken the Chicken, a partridge cochin or a brahma cross plus pumpkin the cavy. He is a primary 4-H member (five years to third grade) so he received rainbow ribbons.

Lindsey Simpson showed her rabbit Indy. Results were a first place for breed, a first place for showmanship and a grand champion for rabbit/cavy judging for the intermediate age group.

Emalyne Babcock brought her rabbit, a French angora named Midnight and won grand champion for rabbit showmanship and rabbit/cavy judging for the junior age group.

Moose Kinsey brought his rabbit Blacktail Bonnie, an Orcas wild, and his chickens Grey Ghost the flytie rooster and Fluffy the silkie. He was awarded a reserve champion for rabbit showmanship and an award of merit for the rooster while Fluffy the hen received best of class.

Anwyn Thompson, Kinsey and Tashi Litch all participated in the San Juan County demonstration contest taking grand and reserve grand champion awards.

Thompson, Lael Watson, Kinsey, Tashi Litch and Kaj Litch played instruments and sang during the 4-H Performing Arts Contest with Tashi and Kaj earning grand and reserve champion awards.

Many of the 4-H members also showed other livestock or horses during the fair week, including alpacas. Orcas Island 4-H Club Fur and Feathers has an alpaca club, thanks to the help of Orcas Moon Alpacas. The alpaca barn along with youth demonstrations of showmanship and obstacle classes were a hit.

The Orcas Island Trailblazers Horse 4-H club won numerous awards this year for showmanship and riding classes plus herdsmanship. Pictured above are the Orcas, Lopez and San Juan horse-riders who have qualified to participate at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup this September.

A huge thanks is also in order for those folks who supported the livestock auction. Several Orcas based businesses such as Rose’s and the Lum Farm bid on project animals.

In 2014 Orcas Island 4-H received a grant from the Orcas Island Community Foundation to purchase educational materials for poultry, sheep, dog, rabbit and horse projects.  Our 4-H members and leaders were able to utilize and study the materials before competing at the 2015 San Juan County Fair – the Ohio State learning kits have helped everyone learn more about their projects and it made for success at the fair.

ICYMI research has proven that participation in 4-H has a significant positive impact on young people. In San Juan County, the 4-H clubs always welcome more participants as both members (anyone aged five through 19) and volunteer youth leaders.