Imperial County 4-H Program Flourishes
At Vesper Society, we are dedicated to long-term solutions that help communities help themselves. One example of this is the University of California Cooperative Extension’s (UCCE) 4-H youth development program in Imperial County.
Imperial County Youth Earns Top Honors in 4-H. Rose Fiorenza, Calipatria High School graduate of 2018, was awarded the California Diamond Clover Award – the highest achievement for which a 4-H youth member is recognized in California.
To be considered for this award, 4-H members fulfill a number of requirements, including attending State Leadership Conference or an Area Conference and completing more than 100 hours of community service. Six additional requirements such as serving as a state ambassador or serving as a judge at a county, area or state judging day are also met.
Fiorenza, a member of the Magnolia 4-H Club, began her 4-H career at the age of 6. Over the past 12 years, she went on to become a junior leader and eventually a teen leader in the small animal projects.
Through 4-H, Rose helped develop and implement Sustainable You! — an environmental science summer camp in Imperial County that teaches youth how to conserve our natural resources and lead more sustainable lives. She was instrumental in helping create and develop a statewide curriculum to teach civic leadership to youth.
Last year, Rose was one of five youths who represented California at the National 4-H Conference. While there, she gave a presentation to the federal Department of Health and Human Services on how to implement positive youth development into their healthy living programs. “It was an absolutely surreal experience,” Rose recalls. “To know that such a big governmental agency truly values what you have to say is so empowering.”
Although her days as a 4-H youth member have ended, Rose has not stopped pursing her goals. She is currently pursuing a degree in Marine Biology with an emphasis on Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the University of California, San Diego.
California 4-H Wool Judging Team takes top honor at National Competition. The first team from California 4-H to compete in the National Western Wool Judging competition came home National Champions. Three Imperial Valley members of the team are Audrey Rose Abatti, Hannah Cartee, and Sarah Grizzle. In January, they headed to Denver, Colorado, to the National Western Livestock Show to showcase their skills.
There are three components to the contest. They examine the fleece and identify the micron of the wool, which tells how fine the wool is and its uses, such as “next-to-skin,” outwear, carpets or blankets. They identify the clean yield on the fleece, its character and purity designation which relates to its commercial value. And they rank the fleece based on production for commercial use and breed classes, which requires students to know about the wool industry and what attributes make good purebred fleece.
Team member Sarah Grizzle is a senior at Holtville high school who may pursue a degree at Colorado State University (CSU) in plant science next fall. Audrey Rose Abatti is a sophomore at Holtville High School. She originally placed fifth in the nation at the North American International Livestock Exposition last November. Hannah Cartee is an Imperial County All Star and Junior in High School. She plans to attend college in Arizona when she graduates and major in Agriculture Business.
Wool judging provides youth with an opportunity to increase critical thinking skills through decision making during fleece evaluation, increase public speaking and social skills through cooperation and working on a team, as well as develop future employment skills.
Vesper Society supports the Imperial County 4-H program, recognizing the impact that nurturing leadership and service among youth can have on Imperial Valley’s future