By Lindsey Rowland
lrowland@wbcowqel.com
4-H is a longstanding and beloved tradition in Crawford and surrounding counties, and on Tuesday, seeds of a special variety were planted for this cherished piece of our culture in the form of Cloverbud Fun Day.
From 8:45 in the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon, Cloverbuds ranging from preschool to second grade gathered from all corners of the area in the Youth Building of the Crawford County Fairgrounds to get the opportunity to meet each other, learn, and have a whole lot of fun in the process. The event was started to give Cloverbuds a chance to gain the 4-H camp experience while they are still too young to go.
The theme of the day was the solar system, featuring everything from crafts such as “Mars Mud” and paper plate UFOs to mock cadet training so that the kids could understand what it takes to be an astronaut.
For the Cloverbuds, it is a wonderful opportunity to step outside the box and to begin to look together toward what it will be like to be a part of a larger 4-H club.
For many of the older crowd present, Cloverbud Fun Day is a picture of what the beginning of a potentially lifelong experience might look like, as they stand on the other side of the growing from a Cloverbud to a full blown 4-H member.
From one perspective stands Amy Coffman, a 4-H advisor whose father was an advisor for 38 years and whose daughter is now leading 4-H members in Washington, D.C.
From another, Bella Walter of the Dairy Maids and Gents stands as junior fair board member and student leader for Cloverbud Fun Day, which she attended as a child, before moving up to the larger 4-H camp experience and club participation.
At the helm of the event is Allison Cooper, who grew from a Cloverbud to the 4-H Educator for Crawford County. After being inspired through her years in 4-H, Cooper went on to get her masters in Agriculture and Extension Education from The Ohio State University.
She came to her position, and this event, hoping that the present Cloverbuds would build character and make friendships.
When asked what the best advice for a young 4-H participant who might want to follow in her footsteps as she comes full circle with her dedication to 4-H, Cooper stated that responsibility is key.
“Responsibility is a huge part of 4-H,” Cooper said, “And I know that we try to build it through activities like this but as you get older…when you actually get into 4-H and start doing the projects, there is so much responsibility there that I don’t think a lot of the kids see. Yeah it’s fun, and this kind of day is fun, but once you get up into that next level…you’re going to have to start taking responsibility for yourself.”
Cooper’s hope aligns with 4-H as a whole: to build wholesome community members who enjoy who they are and what they do.
During the fair the Cloverbuds will share crafts that they have made with judges so that they can get used to the experience which will be abundant in their future with 4-H. In addition, the education will continue with the Crawford County Farm Bureau’s education set-up for kids. It will be in the Whetstone Building and will feature crafts, a combine cab, and cow milking.
A photo gallery of Cloverbud Fun Day is available on the Photos page.