Talk of the town: 4-H projects showcased at Floyd County Fair
Clover Kid James Dorn, 8, of Charles City talks over his projects with a judge at the Floyd County fairgrounds on Tuesday. 4-H kids packed the Youth Enrichment Center with crafty handiwork, technical skills and more during judging. Press photos by Kate Hayden
James Dorn created two projects that were judged Tuesday — a model Figure 8 racecourse and an exhibit on taking care of his dog, an English Mastiff named Winston, "'cause he's just so adorable."
A judge reviews craftmanship with Autumn Peterson of the Jolly Ranchers 4-H club.
Autumn Peterson stands for judging with her 4-H project, a ladder showcasing picture frames. Peterson's project won a blue ribbon.
A custom patio set not yet judged sits next to several other heavy-duty furniture and equipment projects in the Youth Enrichment Center on Tuesday, as judges review 4-Hers craftmanship.
Sophia Morton, 16, of Charles City, showcases a portrait of her family guinea pig. Morton submitted another painting of a bird to be judged on Tuesday.
A judge talks through a castle project with a young 4-H member on Tuesday, the day before the Floyd County Fair opens to the public.
Kelsey Andersen, 18, of Rockford, submitted her senior prom dress as a project for the Clothing Selection category. Andersen received the prom dress for free and is being judged on her presentation of the entire outfit. "Shopping is something I love to do," Andersen said.
By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com
By noon on Tuesday, 200 student exhibitors began presenting close to 800 projects to Floyd County Fair judges.
So what kind of projects was Lesley Mehmen Milius, director of the Floyd County ISU Extension Office, excited to see this week?
“I won’t know until tomorrow,” Milius said on Monday.
Members from 12 Floyd County 4-H clubs have projects spanning from STEM or arts topics, to baking and home improvement — with just about everything in between.
Club members lined exhibits in the Youth Enrichment Center with photos, baked goods samples and a few heavy-duty projects — including a striking patio table and seating set — which will be showcased for the rest of the week to fair visitors.
In the past few years, websites like Pinterest — an image-saving and sharing social network — have changed the way students search for their inspiration, Milius said.
“Pinterest has made a big impact on our members and what they show. It’s broadened their world,” Milius said. “It used to be those with different projects were the kids who have gone to other county fairs. Now, it’s opened a lot of possibilities.”
The internet may have made inspiration easier to find, but it hasn’t taken away from long-time traditions: students still bring forward new takes on the projects their parents or grandparents may have done in years past — a family recipe passed down, or refurbishing a family heirloom.
Judges ask the club members to talk about what goals they wanted to accomplish with each project — and what they learned on the way.
“Fair is that time of year you really see those kids hit their accomplishment time,” Milius said. “The goal is to never hear the kid say, ‘I want a blue ribbon.’ That’s not in their power to accomplish that goal. What did they want to learn — to measure ingredients, or how to crochet and make different types of knots, or they wanted to learn about different types of wood or painting styles.”
It takes more than 100 volunteers to keep the Floyd County Fair running for a week among different events such as crafts, livestock or running the auctions. But during the rest of the year, volunteer 4-H club leaders and the ISU Extension office are the link between kids and project resources.
The Extension office holds project days in the spring to help kids explore topics for project ideas with business experts — learning how to sew with Stitches, painting with Rustic Corner or learning food and nutrition at Hy-Vee.
“I think there’s going to be a little bit of that perception always, that it is only about agriculture or animals. It’s totally not true,” Milius said. “In my mind, we really aren’t focused on just that. … If you want to do something in 4-H, the sky is the limit.
“From building a Lego tower to your own robot, restoring a car, you can do all that in 4-H.”
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