Orange County 4-H

07/09/2026

Thank you to our volunteers!

We would like to express appreciation to our Orange County volunteers for traveling with us to Yanceyville on June 24 to serve as judges at the 2026 4-H District Activity Day. Our volunteers had the opportunity to judge exemplary presentations by 4-H youth on topics such as health and fitness, livestock and poultry, citizenship and community service, and careers and entrepreneurship.

Thank you is extended to Grace Erchul, Mandy Cole, Rodney White, Amelia Lackey, Jean Eddleman, Barb Tipton, and Marcy Williams.

🍀 North Carolina 4-H

07/07/2026

Kai is on an adventure of a lifetime with the States 4-H International Exchange Program! We hope he has the best time and learns a lot while abroad this summer!

Congratulations to NC 4-Her Kai from Orange County 4-H on being the very first American 4-H youth exchange delegate to Taiwan! He arrived safely in Taipei a few days ago, and is currently enjoying time with his host family. He will also get to experience International Paddy Field Camp and 4-H High School Camp while he is there, learning about the Taiwan 4-H program and Taiwanese agriculture. He will stay there for a one-month program through North Carolina 4-H and States' 4-H International Exchange Programs.

We wish him safe travels and wonderful experiences!

-H -H

07/06/2026

Welcome!!!

Our first group of Inbound delegates for summer 2026 arrived a few days ago in NC!

We are so excited to welcome them, and they happen to be our very first group of delegates from Taiwan 4-H! We hope they had a great weekend celebrating the 4th of July with their host families.

Enjoy this wonderful (but very hot!) summer!

-H -H States' 4-H International Exchange Programs North Carolina 4-H Orange County 4-H Stanly County 4-H Caldwell County 4-H

06/23/2026

Ag Week 2026 was a HIT! 🐄🚜🍓🔆

Day 1: Our first stop Monday morning was Doggettville Farm where campers got to learn about cows and even feed a few friendly donkeys! From there, we headed to Rudd Farm to pick strawberries, green beans, and beets straight from the ground. We even explored their greenhouses and their farm store! Lastly, we stopped at Herbin Farms to learn about the farm's history, pick MORE STRAWBERRIES, and help create a beautiful mural that will soon be displayed in the Alamance County Extension Office.

Day 2: Campers spent the whole day at N.C. A&T College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences where they got to tour the property with Mr. Blake! We learned about the poultry unit, goats and sheep, field crops, and the robotic milking arm for their dairy cows. Mr. Blake kept the kids on their toes by asking some pretty tough questions - but they couldn't be stumped!

Day 3: We began our Wednesday morning with the Mobile Dairy Classroom! We learned about dairy production and got to meet Bunny the dairy cow. Next up, Alamance's own Horticulture Agent, Rhiannon Goodwin, showed us around the orchard at Buster Sykes Demonstration Farm and Forest and the kids got to pick some delicious blueberries. We then headed over to McPherson Farms where Renee Fuqua McPherson showed us around, taught us about farm equipment, and treated the group to Chick-Fil-A. From there, our last stop was Dinner Bell Farm NC and the kids got a TON of hands-on experience and learned about regenerative farming (lots of chickens were held, goats were fed, and pigs were hosed off!).

Day 4: Thursday was a special day mainly spent at NCSU Agroecology Education Farm! Campers had the opportunity to tour the farm, make their own squash salad and basil+mint infused water, and tried their hand at garlic braiding and marigold painting. This action-packed day ended at NC State Howling Cow Ice Cream with lunch and ice-cream on the patio (they even have a 4-H flavor!).

Day 5: After a long and exciting week, campers ended their time at Homeland Creamery. We got to tour the farm on the trolley, learn about cow anatomy and dairy production, and enjoy yet another cup of ice-cream. You can say that we really learned to be thankful for our cows after this week!

Thank you so, so much to all the locations that volunteered their time and effort to help make this camp a success. We appreciate all that you do for us each and every day! We can safely say that these kids had an absolute blast. We will see you next summer for Ag Week 2027 🍀🔆

06/12/2026

06/10/2026

We have two spots still open for 4-H residential camp at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center July 26-31. Let Jonathon know at 919-245-2057 or [email protected] if you would be interested in sending your child to camp for a life-changing week this summer! First come, first served.

Orange County 4-H has two open 4-H residential camp spots for July 26-31 at Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center. Open spots are for females between the ages of 8 and 12 at the time of camp. The cost is $412 per child. Housing, meals, and transportation to and from Hillsborough are included.

If you are interested, contact Jonathon Smith at 919-245-2057..

06/08/2026

The Orange County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension is pleased to welcome Lian Rothschild as our new Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, effective June 1.

Lian is a longtime 4-H alumna from Maryland who truly understands the power of 4-H to "make the best better" and inspire kids to "learn by doing." Growing up in the program, her projects spanned everything from livestock to fashion r***e to public speaking.

Lian brings over 15 years of experience as a teacher and coordinator to our team. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Education and Secondary Education from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Theatrical Properties Direction from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

"As a proud 4-H alumna, I am excited to join the Orange County 4-H Program just in time for summer camp season," says Lian. "I am extremely passionate about providing opportunities through youth programming, and I look forward to putting my 15+ years of public education experience into service alongside our members and volunteers as we make our best better, together."

"Lian is the right leader to move Orange County 4-H to the next level," says Jonathon Smith, Orange County Extension Director. "Her experience as a 4-H'er, her wide-reaching project interests, her passion for education, and her leadership skills will help strengthen our clubs, summer camps, community outreach, and overall impact on youth and families. I believe our many 4-H volunteers, parents, and supporters will enjoy working with Lian and Dr. Kathleen Rogers to provide programs and activities that are responsive to the needs of our local youth."

Please join us in giving Lian a warm welcome! You can reach her by email at [email protected] or by phone at 919-245-2069.

Welcome, Lian!

North Carolina 4-H OCNCGov

06/08/2026

No child should go hungry this summer. Visit our website to view summer feeding programs for children across Orange County. More resources will be added to this page in the coming days.

Summer can be a challenging time for many youth and families when children may not have consistent access to healthy meals like they usually would during the school day. The following resources are…

05/09/2026

Hummingbirds 4-H Club put their “hands to service” this week in Cedar Grove. 🍀

05/06/2026

Are you interested in learning about native bees? K-5 students are invited to join Varia and Lula from Girl Scouts Troop 1226 for a completely free, hands-on workshop at the Bonnie B Davis Environmental and Agricultural Center for a day of fun and learning about our pollinator friends!

2026 Workshop dates:
-April 11 from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
-May 9th from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

*Children who attend must have one adult to accompany them during the workshop.*

RSVP with your name, number, and email to [email protected].

This event and flyer are part of a Girl Scout Silver Award project for Troop 1226.

Note: This event is not a program coordinated by Orange County Cooperative Extension or Orange County 4-H