by Julie Pigott Dillard | May 24, 2013
There’s a home agricultural movement sweeping the United States. Raising chickens in the backyard, not only in rural settings but also urban and suburban areas, is quickly gaining in popularity. Chickens are very social animals and provide not only enjoyment, but high quality, nutritious eggs. Several websites promote and advocate raising chickens in urban/suburban locales and provide readers information on building coops, breed information, incubation and hatching, growing your own chicken feed and protecting chickens from disease. Search on Pinterest and you’ll find coops and chicken breeds of every shape and size.
Egg incubation and hatching is another aspect of 4-H poultry projects that is awe-inspiring for our youngest to oldest 4-H’ers. To think that a baby chick forms in only 21 short days is amazing.
Raising poultry is a relatively inexpensive and easy 4-H project for youth to begin. Chickens require little space, feed is readily available, and compared to large, traditional 4-H livestock projects, care is minimal. But before you send club members to the local farm supply store or order chicks or fertilized eggs from an online vendor, check city ordinances so that they are in compliance.
In my hometown of Chipley, the rules are quite simple:
- pens must be cleaned regularly and kept sanitary
- pens cannot be within 100 feet of a residence
Tallahassee, however, has three very specific rules with four very specific exceptions. To explore your city’s municipal codes, visit municode.com, select state followed by city. Entering poultry or chickens in the search box should take you directly to ordinances on this subject.
Julie Pigott Dillard is the 4-H Youth Development Agent and Director of UF IFAS Washington County Extension. Having raised chickens growing up, she now enjoys it with her oldest son and parents who have a unique assortment of both production and exhibition breeds. They also teach poultry classes for youth and adults. During the past two weeks, they have hatched two dozen chicks! juliepd@ufl.edu
by Monica Brinkley | May 10, 2013
Sewing is much more than just making a garment or a bag, instead it is the vehicle to teach self-confidence through skill building.
In today’s world, sewing is no longer a necessity as it was in our mothers’ and grandmothers’ day. Most women of that era knew how to sew and could clothe their families by using their sewing skills. Now, sewing can be expensive, so why should children be taught to sew?
The goal of teaching children, and adults for that matter, to sew is to gain self-confidence as they learn a new skill. Hand sewing skills develop finger dexterity and the development of fine motor skills. If you have ever hand sewn you know it can also teach you the value of patience. These skills can be used not only to create beautiful pieces of art and heirlooms to be passed down, they are the same skills needed to mend cloths. Knowing how to put a hem back in pants and skirts as well as how to sew a button back on a garment is extremely important and can be very expensive to have done.
Sewing teaches listening and following of directions. Either a student listens to or reads directions in order to complete a project. Reading and following a pattern is the hardest part of sewing for many people. Throughout life we follow directions. In our modern world we listen to the GPS to aid us in reaching a destination or follow the printed map. Did you make the connection between sewing and reaching a destination?
Not only can basic skills be taught through sewing, there is a lot of science, technology, engineering, and math that can be taught. Many creative people are also great engineers. A lot of the modern sewing machines are computer driven. Just learning to operate some of them takes a technologically minded person. Think of the science that goes into engineering the new fibers that are used to make not only clothing but all the other items we use made of fibers. And the measurement skills, addition, and subtraction that go into sewing are naturally math concepts.
Sewing is much more than just making a garment or a bag, instead it is the vehicle to teach self-confidence through skill building. If you don’t know how to sew yourself, either learn or find another volunteer who has the skill. Let’s teach youth skills they will carry with them throughout life.
by Heather Kent | Dec 5, 2012
You may have made your own pH indicator out of red cabbage in science class, but did you know that you can make pH paper out of poinsettias? Many plants contain pigments (special colored cells) that are responsive to changes in pH. You can extract the pigment from red poinsettias to make your own pH paper at home to test whether a liquid is an acid or a base. “pH” stands for potential Hydrogen and is a measure of the acid/alkaline balance of a substance. Scientists use this measurement in a variety of fields to monitor health of humans, plants, and animals. pH is also an important measurement for maintaining our water quality.
Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America. In the US, they are used as annual decorative plants for the winter holidays, but they can be grown as a perennial in warmer climates. They are available in a variety of colors ranging from white to deep red. The so-called ‘flowers’ are actually special leaves called bracts; the real flowers are tiny and usually yellow. For more information on how to select and care for poinsettias, visit the UF IFAS Extension website at: http://solutionsforyourlife.ifas.ufl.edu/hot_topics/lawn_and_garden/poinsettias.html#varieties. Note: Poinsettias are in the milkweed family, and some people are sensitive to the milky sap that comes out when you break off a leaf. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the leaves, and do not touch your face, eyes, or mouth while making your pH paper.
To make Poinsettia pH paper, you will need:
- poinsettia bracts
- scissors or a blender
- ½ cup boiling water
- 2 cup liquid measuring cup
- coffee filters
- rubber band
- toothpicks or cotton swabs
- vinegar or lemon juice (an acidic solution to test pH)
- baking soda solution (1 tsp. in one cup of water, a base solution to test pH)
- adult supervision
Cut the bracts into strips or ask a parent to chop them in a blender. Place the cut pieces into measuring cup. Add just enough boiling water to cover the plant material. Allow the solution to steep until the color is removed from the plant (this usually takes 10-20 minutes). Cover a cup with a clean coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. Slowly pour the liquid into the cup, then discard the plant matter. Remove the rubber band and filter paper and discard. Dip a clean coffee filter into the filtered poinsettia solution. Allow the filter paper to dry. You can cut the colored paper with scissors to make pH test strips, or leave the filter whole to use a color change paper. Use a toothpick or cotton swab to apply a little liquid to a filter paper. The color range for acids and bases will depend on the particular plant.
Create your own pH scale by researching the known pH of common house-hold liquid such as vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, soda, etc. Test each liquid to determine the color the pH level produces; or design an experiment to find out what happens if you dilute the vinegar or baking soda. Does it change the pH?
4-H is the youth development program of UF/IFAS Extension and is available in all 67 counties in Florida. Youth involved in 4-H science programs apply science, engineering, and technology skills to their projects, develop science literacy workforce skills, and pursue education and careers related to science resulting in a workforce that will create a viable economy and communities for Florida. According to the Tufts University Study on Positive Youth Development, 4-H youth are more likely to: Report better grades, higher levels of academic competence, and an elevated level of engagement at school; are nearly two times more likely to plan to go to college; are more likely to pursue future courses or a career in science, engineering, or computer technology; and have higher levels of female involvement in science programs. 4-H is open to all youth, ages 5-18, regardless of gender, race, color, ethnicity, nationality, creed, or disability.
