The Dirt Club, a Franklin County 4-H group that meets at Ray Family Farms, will have open enrollment in January and February 2016. The 4-H is for children ages 5-17 as of January 1, 2016. Each member must complete new registration forms (this has to be done annually). You do not need to live in Franklin County to participate in this club.
There are no fees, but participation in annual fundraising efforts are appreciated.
The 4H, sometimes written 4-H, stands for head, heart, hands, and health. This youth organization has been a mainstay for children’s agricultural education for over 100 years. While it is now an international organization, the 4H began in the US and has millions of members nationwide.
The Dirt club offers kids and teens learning opportunities on topics including gardening, animal husbandry, and farming. You don’t have to RSVP to come, just show up! The first meeting of the year will be on Saturday, January 9, 2016, at 1pm in the barn at Ray Family Farms, located at 6913 Pearces Road, in Louisburg NC (just outside Bunn NC).
Meetings last about an hour. Parents are welcome to stay and learn alongside their children; however, when the kids have activities to do, they’ll learn best doing it for themselves.
For January, Baxter’s Bees of Zebulon will be presenting about beekeeping. Bees are a critical part of US agriculture. Shannon and Steve Baxter help to educate people on how bees work, and how to properly work with bees, for food production. In addition to giving presentations like the one planned for this 4-H Dirt Club meeting, the Baxters oversee the Five County Beekeepers Association.
For more information on this event, visit the event’s Facebook page.
To find out more about Ray Family Farms, visit the farm website at RayFamilyFarms.com.
Baxter’s Bees, the presenter at this first 2016 meeting, may be found online at baxtersbees.com.
For 4H Clubs in other areas, visit www.4-h.org/about.
S0urce: Ray Family Farms
