The 79th Annual North Florida Fair began with exhibits coming in Monday and being judged on Wednesday. We would love you to come see what our industrious youth have been up to creating artwork, growing plants and sewing to create some one of a kind pieces. Thank you to our judges who volunteered their time to support our youth!
Allison orienting judges for the 4-H exhibit judging.
The 4-H experience is being showcase right now at the 2021 North Florida Fair in Tallahassee, Florida. The fair is open thru November 14th, we hope you will come by and visit us. Here you will have the opportunity to see the 4-H youth work and meet UF/IFAS Extension Faculty and Staff. There are two areas to visit with Extension professionals.
2021 Award of Merit Exhibits on Display at NFF
The first is the 4-H Building. In this exhibit you will find youth exhibits of artwork, sewing, canning, photography and much more. The second is the UF/IFAS Building where you can check out your marine science knowledge, learn about grains and grasses and amphibians. Youth will be participating in Beef, dairy, goat, poultry, and rabbit shows throughout the week. 4-H Day at the Fair is Saturday, November 13, 2021. From 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon youth will be competing in agricultural judging, horticultural judging, wildlife ecology, consumer choices, stem challenge, sewing contests to demonstrate what they have learned about these specific topics.
The top Award of Merit winners for plants from all three age divisions
4-H teaches youth responsibility, compassion, respect and the value of hard work. It helps youth become a confident kid and caring adult. We provide 4-H programs in every county in Florida. 4-H programs are offered in big cities, small towns, and rural communities, as well as on U.S. military installations. For more information contact your local extension office. Participation shall not be denied on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital or family status, or political beliefs. Persons with disabilities should contact the Extension Office at least 10 working days prior to the event so that proper consideration can be given to the request.
Help support by purchasing a 4-H Specialty Plate
You can help kids have the same great experience – share your #4HGrown story. You can also help your local 4-H program by purchasing a 4-H license plate. Vouchers for a new specialty license plate bearing the iconic 4-H clover is available for purchase at all county tax collector offices and license plate agencies in Florida or online (from anywhere in Florida) through the Escambia County Tax Collector’s Office. The license plate will go into production once 3,000 pre-sale vouchers are sold. The voucher, which includes the $25 specialty plate fee plus processing fees, is $33 total. Please consider purchasing your plate today, it would make a great Holiday present for those who grew up in 4-H!
Summer is upon us and so is the heat in the Florida Panhandle. Schools are out and the kids are at home needing activities to do together. Homemade Freezer Pops are an excellent source of fun! These popsicles can be secretly healthy and taste absolutely delicious. They don’t have to just be for the kids either, adults of all shapes and sizes can enjoy them too. In this article we will discuss what freezer pops are, how to make them, and a few tips for maximum enjoyment!
What are Freezer Pops?
A freezer pop is a frozen treat that generally comes in a clear, plastic tube. Freezer pops, not to be confused with popsicles which are typically consumed off a wooden popsicle stick, are found in grocery stores in unfrozen liquid form, ready for the consumer to pop them into their freezer at home! Once frozen solid, the consumer picks their flavor of choice, cuts open an end of the plastic tube, and simply squeezes or pushes the sweet ice out of the packaging.
Many of us know these sweet and fruity slushy pops as Otter Pops or Fla-Vor-Ice. These nostalgic treats are simply made from sweetened, colored, and flavored water. With little nutritional value coming from the store-bought version, homemade freezer pops can be much more nutritious. Keep following along to find out how to make these tasty treats!
How to make Homemade Freezer Pops
Freezer pops are super easy to make and are a healthier alternative to the nostalgic treat. Before you get started, you will need all the necessary supplies. Supplies commonly found at home would include a freezer and a blender. Supplies that can be bought at the store are Zipzicles (a freezer pop reusable plastic bag) or silicone ice pop molds, fruit of your choice, and a natural sweetener like honey.
Step 1: Wash your hands! Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from spreading germs. You should wash hands before, during, and after preparing your food. To wash your hands the right way, first wet your hands with warm, clean, running water. Then turn off the tap and apply your soap. Lather your hands (make lots of white foams/bubbles) by rubbing them together with the soap. Make sure you lather the back of your hands, between your fingers, under your nails, and palm of your hands. Scrub for about twenty seconds. (Don’t know how long 20 seconds is? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from the beginning to the end twice!) Finally, rinse your hands well under warm, clean, running water and either dry with a clean towel or air dry. (1)
Step 2: Gather your ingredients to be blended. There are lots of fruits that make great homemade ice pops: watermelon, orange, pineapple, mango, raspberry, honeydew, cantaloupe, and strawberry! (3)
One of my favorite recipes for freezer pops uses 10 ounces of ripe berries, ~½ a cup of water, and 1-2 tablespoons of honey. If the fruit you use is very juicy, you may not have to use as much water but remember, the more water that you use, the icier the pop will become in the freezer. You can also use either lemon or lime juice to add a little flavor boost!. (3) The amount of sweetener needed varies as the sugar content of the berries can vary. If the berries are ripe and sweet, use a little less sweetener. If the berries are not as ripe, simply use a little more sweetener. Then blend all the ingredients together completely, until smooth!
Step 3: Fill individual baggies of your choosing. Make sure to not over fill the bags.
Step 4: Freeze the freezer pops for ~ 2 to 4 hours before enjoying. If you consume them around 2 hours, they may not be as solid as they will be at the 4-hour mark.
Step 5: Enjoy a refreshing treat!
Tips for Homemade Freezer Pops
The sweetness of the chosen fruit will be muted once frozen. Make sure to use over ripe fruit or added sweetener to keep the treat sweet.
Use a funnel to fill your freezer pop bags. Using a funnel will keep you from making too much of a mess, and will also help you mind the “maximum fill line” on the bag. If you keep the contents you are pouring into the bag under the line, it will be easier to seal! \
Just about anything that can be blended or pureed can be used for a freezer pop! Leftover smoothies, various fruit juices, and even sodas make for easy treats! Check out the image below to see flavors others have created! (4)
For National Freezer Pop Day, July 8th, 2021, enjoy making homemade freezer pops with your family! With a snip of the scissors, you’ll produce smiles with every sip. (2)
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays! Growing up it was the time that my family (even those distant cousins) gathered together for a weekend of fun, food, and fireworks. There is nothing worse than spending your holiday sick or injured, so we have complied plenty of resources to help you plan a celebration that is fun, but also keeps everyone safe:
Keeping Food Safe- If you are planning a picnic, covered dish, or just grilling out, use these tips to keep food safe (and delicious)
All 4-H members are encouraged to complete at least one activity or project that helps their community. Community service is usually a short-term project to help the community, whereas service learning is a longer-term project where youth identify a need, research the problem, and design and develop solutions to address the issue long-term. If you haven’t read it, check out our previous post about the difference between community service and service learning, or download this tip sheet to share at your next 4-H meeting. Here are 17 ideas to jumpstart your community or service learning projects in the coming 4-H year, organized by topic:
Start a fishing line recycling program in your community.
Design displays and presentations to raise awareness about invasive species impacting your community.
Design a campaign to address water quality or conservation at your school or community.
Help your community prepare for hazardous weather- join your local CERT (community emergency response team) or create awareness about the importance of a having an emergency plan for families. In 2018, 4-Hers in the Northwest District held a retreat to learn all about disaster preparedness. Check out their video:
Financial Literacy
12. Host a Living on My Own financial simulation for your school, community, or club.
13. Plan a day camp for younger youth to teach them financial literacy.
14. Plan a piggy bank decorating contest to raise awareness about the importance of saving.
Healthy Futures
15. Plan a 5K to raise awareness about healthy lifestyles; donate the funds raised to an organization that is working to address healthy issues such as obesity, heart health, or diabetes.
16. Host a health fair to educate your school or community about healthy lifestyle choices.
17. In 2018, teens in northwest Florida prepared chemo kits for individuals battling cancer. Check out this video about their project:
4-H club leaders are amazing instructors and terrific at running club meetings and events, but this job can be very time consuming. They deeply appreciate all the help they can get from the parents of the club members to help make the club even more successful. Even something as little as picking up snacks for a meeting or leading a group at a judging event can be a huge lifesaver. In addition, there are benefits to parent involvement. When parents, grandparents and other family members get involved in supporting 4-H clubs, it strengthens family relationships by improving “parent/child communication, bonding, and perceptions of one another” (Duerden, Witt, & Harrist, 2013). In addition, research shows that family involvement “prolongs the experience’s positive post-participation effects” (Duerden, Witt, and Harrist, 2013, p. 1).
Aside from the benefits listed above, it is important to recognize reasons why parents volunteer. There are three types of motivation: achievement, affiliation and power (Atkinson and Feather, 1966). Henderson (1981) found most 4-H volunteers to be motivated by affiliation. Individuals motivated by affiliation value relationships with people and organizations. Affiliation-motivated volunteers would respond best to thank-you notes, verbal praise or informal “pats on the back.” One of the best ways to recruit parents or grandparents to help with clubs is to provide opportunities for them to develop positive relationships with other parents, members, and volunteers. Here are two simple suggestions for recruiting more parents and grandparents:
When advising parents to sign their child up on 4-H Online, mention that they can also create their own profile so they can get involved as well. Make sure when you are recruiting new youth to your club, to also be very welcoming to their parents and encourage them to stay for the meetings and programs. Give them a copy of the club program calendar so they know when the meetings are and what is on the agenda.
Introduce parents to other parents. Help them build connections with each other. Better yet, ask a more experienced parent to mentor new parents.
Let parents know you welcome their involvement and give them the Parent Involvement Form. This form will allow parents the opportunity to see all of the different jobs and responsibilities that they can do to help the club succeed and sign up for the things that interest them. This will help you as a club leader to have a little less on your plate and allow the parents to help get involved with their child’s interests.
Every chance that you get to be involved in 4-H, whether you are a youth, parent, or club leader, you are giving your community a brighter future. All of the opportunities that 4-H provides will help build youth into positive members of society one day. So, club leaders, go out there and recruit the parents of your club members to help out and make your programs even stronger! Next week, we will talk about how to engage parents in your club!
References:
Duerden, M. D., Witt, P. A., & Harrist, C. J. (2013, Winter). The impact of parental involvement on a structured youth program experience: A qualitative inquiry. Journal of Youth Development, 8(3), 1-17. Retrieved August 31, 2018, from jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/88.
Atkinson, J., & Feather, N. (1966). Theory of achievement motivation. New York: Wiley.
Paula Davis is the 4-H Youth Development Faculty in Bay County, Florida since 2000. She earned her doctoral degree in Adult Vocational Education from Auburn University, master’s degree in Ruminant Nutrition from the University of
Tennessee and her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Berea College. Her work has focused on 4-H youth development, plant science, military programming and camping. She worked with the military partnership program since 2004, and became the state liaison in 2015. She has been a part volunteer training teams, both stateside and internationally throughout her career.
Paula grew up in 4-H in Eastern Kentucky, interned while in college with Kentucky Extension, she has also held Extension positions in Illinois, Alabama and Ohio before moving to the Florida Panhandle when she married her husband Jim Moyers and began her family. Now both of their daughters are in high school. The family resides in Panama City.
Paula works in Bay County with Families, Faculty and local community organizations to build a strong 4-H program. She works with military and afterschool programs to enable youth to find their passion while building life-skills to help them become productive citizens. As the state military liaison, she also trains Air Force Staff in Europe and Navy Staff in Cuba. It has been a very rewarding career working with volunteers to make the best better with 4-H. For more information on 4-H, please contact your local 4-H office. You can find your local office here.
