Minnesota 4-H Agronomy Project Handbook

© 2019 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. University of Minnesota Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this material is available in alternative formats upon request.

Acknowledgements

Leadership provided by: Brian McNeill, Extension Educator, Youth Development, University of Minnesota Extension

Southwest region project pilot team: Jared Goplen, Extension Educator, Agriculture Food and Natural Resources, University of Minnesota Extension Sam Jens, Extension Educator, 4-H youth development, Lyon County, University of Minnesota Extension Kirstin Koch, Extension Educator, 4-H youth development, Stevens County, University of Minnesota Extension Marisa Kroells, Extension Educator, 4-H youth development, Renville County, University of Minnesota Extension Janelle Negen, 4-H Program Coordinator, Swift County, University of Minnesota Extension Crystal Reith, Extension Educator, 4-H youth development, Cottonwood County, University of Minnesota Extension Becca Turnquist, Extension Educator, 4-H youth development, Swift County, University of Minnesota Extension

Reviewed and edited by: Casey Olson, Executive Office and Administrative Specialist, Morris Regional Office, University of Minnesota Extension

We would also like to acknowledge the Minnesota Corn Growers Association for their financial support of this work.

This guide was created in the fall of 2018. Updated in 2019.

Table of Contents

Introduction 5 Purpose 5 Goals 5 Program Design 6 Opportunities 6

“Learn By Doing” Approach of 4-H 6 Teaching Life Skills 6 The Experiential Learning Process 7 Ladder of Learning 7

4-H Agronomy Program Model 8 Plant 8 Start-up Kits 8 Club Experiences: 4-H Club or Project Club 9 Adventures: After School or Summer 10 County Fair 10 Exhibit Timeline 10 4-H Premium Book and Exhibit Ideas 11 Judging Process 11 Interactive Displays at County Fair 13 Learn 13 Agronomy Day 13 Day Camps 13 Tours 14 Grow 15 4-H Crop Scouting 15 4-H Agriculture Ambassador 15 4-H Project and Career Connection 15 Science of Agriculture Challenge 16 State Fair 16

Evaluation 16

Volunteers 16

Appendix 18

Introduction

Agronomy is the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. 4-H projects in agronomy can explore the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, soil science and even the weather! Agronomy is unique because it combines sciences like biology, chemistry, ecology, earth science and genetics. As a career choice, Agronomists help in producing food, creating healthier food, managing environmental impacts and creating energy from plants.

For more than a century, 4-H has engaged youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This has traditionally meant a solid focus on agricultural science, electricity, engineering, mechanics, entrepreneurship and natural sciences. Today, 4-H has grown to include rocketry, robotics, bio-fuels, renewable energy, computer science, environmental sciences, and more. 4-H STEM provides youth with hands-on experiences that encourage them to learn about the world around them in partnership with adults that care about their learning and are excited about STEM.

In school, science classes need to cover a broad range of topics in a limited amount of time. 4-H STEM allows youth the time to dig deeper into what interests them. They can spend as much time as they want and choose what they want to work on based on their interests, questions, and skills. 4-H allows youth to utilize expert support by working with adults who have made science and engineering their life's work. 4-H STEM allows youth to work on their questions, design their own experiments, create their own models, build their understanding and share their work with others.

In 2018, Southwest Minnesota 4-H Youth Development launched an 4-H Agronomy Project Pilot to increase awareness and participation in the 4-H Agronomy projects. Through this pilot process, a design team explored, created and tested many different avenues of what could be included in 4-H Agronomy. The result was excitement with 4-Hers, a new look with agronomy related exhibits and many resources found in this handbook.

Purpose

4-H youth explore the broad scope of agronomy and plant sciences through educational opportunities about crops, vegetables, horticulture and more. Participants learn about topics including: weeds, ag technology, crops, fruits, vegetables, gardening, and horticulture.

Goals

● To provide opportunities for 1st Generation families, youth and volunteers ● To grow numbers and understanding of Agronomy Science ● To develop 21st Century learning in Agronomy ● To expose youth to higher education and career opportunities ● To build a base of volunteers in Agronomy ● To develop new partnerships within Extension

Program Design

We are excited to be sharing with you the best practices of offering a 4-H Agronomy experience in your county or region. There are unlimited possibilities for you to provide youth and volunteers around the world of agronomy. This guidebook will provide you best practices and ideas that were tested, evaluated, and modified for your use.

Opportunities

As you begin working with the 4-H Agronomy program, there will be many NEW opportunities that will happen for you (as 4-H staff), your youth members, and adult volunteers in your county. ● New partnership opportunities: The 4-H Agronomy program will open the doors for many new partnerships. Some partnerships could include: local seed dealers, Co-ops, Elevators, Crop Consultants, Agronomists. Some others might include Community or Technical colleges with an Ag or Agronomy department. ● New 4-H member opportunities: There are many possibilities to explore, some could include: educational tours, day camps, project kits and county fair displays! You might even challenge your 4-H clubs to participate in trying some agronomy experiences at their 4-H club meetings. ● New volunteer opportunities: The agronomy world is full of potential volunteers for you to recruit and help enrich the agronomy programming you will be providing. Try getting agronomy crop scouts to be a coach for a crop scouting team. Ask a crop consultant to provide some education or an agronomy tour. Invite an agronomist to speak or provide an educational experience at a 4-H Council/Federation meeting.

“Learn By Doing” Approach of 4-H

The Minnesota 4-H Agronomy program focuses on these three philosophies.

Teaching Life Skills

Life skills are a basic foundation that prepare youth for success in life. The goal is for every youth to possess the life skills needed to succeed and lead a productive life. 4-H helps youth develop these basic life skills through hands-on activities in a number of program areas that offer something for every interest.

The 4-H Agronomy program supports youth learning and growing at their stages of development. The implementation of the 4-H agronomy startup kits support youth as they learn to self-motivate, communicate and build resiliency. As the youth grow in this program, they refine other skills in cooperation, critical thinking, teamwork, leadership, and nurturing relationships.

The Experiential Learning Process

4-H Youth Development relies heavily upon the five steps of the experiential learning model to teach life skills. The sequential steps of the model help youth identify what they have learned from a 4-H experience or activity and apply that learning to other situations. This model requires that the “teacher/leader” be very clear about the skills targeted and that the experience and the processing questions are designed to support that learner goal. The experiential learning process engages the learners in all phases of the activity, resulting in the ability to generalize this learning to new situations.

The 4-H Agronomy program supports the experiential learning process by providing start-up kits for youth to explore growing something. The youth will plant using their kits (Experience). They can share their kits with their 4-H club or other people (Share). They can continue to watch their plants grow and ask questions to their parents or another adult expert (Process). They can start to think about their experience and relate it to a job or education (Generalize). After their plant has grown, they can share their experience at a county fair or think about their next step for the coming year (Apply).

Ladder of Learning

A Ladder of Learning is a way of providing youth opportunities to continue to grow as they are involved in the 4-H Agronomy project. Below is an example of how the Ladder of Learning can be used in 4-H Agronomy:

Grades K-2 Agronomy Day Camps Agronomy After school programs County Fair Exhibits - fun examples of youth exploring plants.

Grades 3-6 Start-up Kits Agronomy Day Camps County Fair Exhibits - start-up kits, garden boxes, Agronomy judges assistants

Grades 7-8 4-H Crop Scouting Start-up Kits County Fair Exhibits - start-up kits, garden boxes, crop jars, Agronomy judges assistants

4-H Agronomy Days - exploring Higher Education 4-H Agronomy Tours - exploring potential careers

Grades 9-12+ 4-H Crop Scouting 4-H Agriculture Ambassador 4-H Agronomy Mentor County Fair Exhibits - Educational displays of agronomy, exploration or colleges or careers, science experiments using crops, soils or fertilizers. Youth Teaching Youth - Day camp presenters, in school presentations 4-H Agronomy Days - exploring Higher Education 4-H Agronomy Tours - exploring potential careers Science of Agriculture Challenge

4-H Agronomy Program Model

The 4-H Agronomy Program Model was developed to engage youth at an early age and provide opportunities for them to grow as they are involved in the learning opportunities and project advancement.

Plant Learn Grow Start-up Project Kits 4-H Agronomy Days 4-H Crop Scouting Event Club experiences Day Camps 4-H Agriculture Ambassador County Fairs Start-up Kits 4-H Project and Career Connection (Displays and Exhibits) 4-H Agronomy Tours Science of Agriculture Challenge Volunteer Opportunities State Fair After School opportunities

Plant

Start-up Project Kits Start-up project kits, help members in specific Agronomy project areas begin to learn about a growing process. It is strongly encouraged that the project kits and learning be shared at your respective club meetings and county fairs. Start-up kits could be a small investment from the family. Included in the project kit is a support guide to provide information on the project area, as well as help members through the project. An evaluation should be included in the project kit to measure the educational growth of the member.

Available Agronomy Project Kits 4-H Agronomy project kits are available for youth to experience growing a plant. This experience provides the member the ability to grow something no matter where they live or what access they have to ground. The project kits are also suitable for members to bring as an exhibit to the county fair if they choose. The learning that happens in this contained garden will provide the member an opportunity to showcase their learning.

● Crop Science - Corn: Learn about growing three different corn varieties from planting and germination to harvest. By watching your corn grow, you will learn about the different needs and plant structures of various corn varieties. ● Crop Science - Soybean: Learn about growing soybeans from planting and germination to harvest. ● Forages: Grasses and forages are used to feed livestock everyday! Learn about the different structures and types of forages. ● Potatoes: Learn about growing potatoes from eye to full grown potatoes. They will be grown in the potato bag and for further learning can be transferred to a garden. ● Plant and Soils Science: Learn about different root structures and how plants grow. Start growing your seeds in the root viewer to be able to see the differences between different types of root structures. Choose three different seed types to compare the differences between taproot, fibrous, and tuberous root systems. ● Vegetable Gardening: Learn how to nurture your container herb garden from planting and seed germination through harvest! Keep it in your windowsill, or for continued learning, transfer to your outdoor garden for more growth and possibilities.

Club Experiences: 4-H Club or Project Club There are a variety of ways the Agronomy program could be included in a 4-H club meeting or even by creating a 4-H Agronomy project club.

Here are some ideas that could be used in a club setting: ● Create an Agronomy group or project club: Sign up your club members for one or more of the project start-up kits. This would be a great way to work on the kits in a group. Members could update everyone each month on what is or is not working in their kit. As a club, the members could also work together on their exhibits for the county fair. If you choose a vegetable kit, you could invite a Master Gardener to talk about plants and how to care for them. ○ At the first gathering, each youth should plant a seed. Every time you meet, talk about what they are observing from their plant and what the plants will need to continue to grow. ○ If your group has older youth participants, think about challenging them to be leaders with your club. Also think about how they can use the experience to participate in the Science of Ag challenge. Using a start-up kit they could try different soils with seed or different types of fertilizer.

They could try a variety of things with their plant as they are growing. They could also connect with experts such as an agronomist or Extension faculty to deepen their learning. ● Include a fun activity or lesson to do during a 4-H club meeting. See the appendix for Agronomy lesson plans to integrate into 4-H meetings. ● Agronomy Tour: As a club, map out your community and identify an agronomy business to tour. Some ideas could include: grain elevator, a crop plot, a business that processes the crop, an implement dealer, ethanol plant, a sugar beet processing plant, or be creative to see what business you could tour relating to agronomy. ● Invite an Agronomy speaker: There are a variety of resources you could ask to come and talk to your club members. Ideas include: an Agronomist, Seed Dealer, Croup Scout, Elevator Manager, Master Gardener, or a representative from Corn or Soybean Growers. This would be a great way to expose your club members to Agronomy.

Adventures: After School or Summer Kids go from home to school to extracurricular activities, with each environment contributing to their development. To provide more opportunities for youth and project growth you might try providing a 4-H Agronomy Adventure, either after school or in the summer. There is a sample in the appendix of this support guide.

Here are a few ideas for 4-H Adventure opportunities: ● AgVentures: You’re invited to join us to explore the exciting world of agriculture! At each session, we will explore a new and exciting topic, from animal agriculture to crops and everything in between! ● Crop and Soil Fun: Learn about different soil types, how corn and soybeans are raised and how crops are used to feed us and animals! ● Come Grow With Us: Work with local Master Gardeners to explore the world of horticulture!

County Fair Showing and exhibiting can be a valuable and educational experience for a 4-H member. Demonstrating that quality produce is the result of using good seed, following improved cultural practices, and knowing harvesting time and methods. This gives the participating member a sense of accomplishment. Conference judging helps a 4-H member realize and appreciate the fine points of showmanship and provides inspiration to continually improve and grow in the art and science of growing plants.

Exhibit Timeline Agronomy exhibits are a great way to expand a 4-H’ers learning opportunities. However, some agronomy projects require a lot of forethought and actually need to be collected right after the previous County Fair due to our growing season! Here are a few tips for time sensitive agronomy projects.

● Corn - Ear of Corn Display: This project needs to be completed in the fall. You will want to select 6-10 ears of dent corn of the same variety for your display. ● Corn - Jar of Corn Display: This project could be completed in the fall (or anytime if you have a grain bin). After collecting your sample, you will want to clean it. You will want a 2-quart sample to display. Know the variety for conference judging. ● Forages: This project could be completed in the fall, spring or summer, whenever the harvest season is for the forage you would like to display. A forage sample would include a dried sample, in a 3-5 inch tied, dried bundle or in a sample 4-6 inch slab of a bale of forage. Forages include: alfalfa, warm season grasses, cool season grasses, sorghum, native grasses, silage, etc. It is recommended that an analysis of your forage accompany the sample. ● Specialty Crops: This project could be completed in the fall, spring or summer, whenever the harvest season is for the crop you would like to display. Specialty crops could include: sugar beets, edible beans, black beans, kidney beans, field produced sweet corn, peas, carrots, potatoes, popcorn, etc. After collecting your sample, you will want to clean it. Dried products should be in a 2 quart jar; fresh products on a plate or flat box. Know the variety for conference judging. ● Small Grains: This project could be completed in the fall or summer, depending on harvest time. Small Grains include wheat, barley, rye, oats, etc. After collecting your sample, you will want to clean it. You will want a 2-quart sample to display. Know the variety for conference judging. ● Soybeans: This project could be completed in the fall (or anytime if you have a grain bin). After collecting your sample, you will want to clean it. You will want a 2-quart sample to display. Know the variety for conference judging.

4-H Premium Book and Exhibit Ideas Premium Books changes and additions that allow for increased Agronomy project opportunities and options. ● Agronomy - Agricultural Technology, Corn, Forages, Plant and Soil Science, Small Grains, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Weeds & Pests ● Horticulture - Flower Gardening, Fruit, Indoor Gardening, Potatoes ● Vegetable and Herb Gardening - Herb Gardening, Vegetable Display Box, Vegetable Gardening Box, Vegetable Plate, Largest Vegetable

The requirements and exhibit suggestions for these updated project areas can be found here. These updated project areas can replace any Crop Sciences, Plant and Soil Sciences or Horticulture projects in your existing Premium Book.

Judging Process In the fair setting, a 4-H'ers learning can be enhanced in the exhibit evaluation process through Education, Evaluation and Encouragement. Since 4-H focuses on youth, the growth and learning of each individual is more important than the outcome of a competitive event, product, article, or animal exhibited. Exhibits and fair activities

should provide an opportunity for youth in all types of 4-H clubs and groups to educate others about what they have learned by being involved in 4-H.

County Fair judges provide a unique learning opportunity for 4-H members. The judging process allows the member to have a conversation with a caring adult. After the conference judging, the 4-H member will be given a ribbon for their knowledge and workmanship on their exhibit. If they did an excellent job, the member might also have the chance to attend the Minnesota State Fair with their exhibit. This is another way they can continue to share their learning. 1. County Fairs provide 4-H'ers an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in a specific project area. This represents an educational function in which the 4-H'er can share what they have done and serves to strengthen their life skill development. 2. County Fair judges provide feedback on 4-H'ers accomplishments. This recognition opportunity stimulates positive self-regard for their efforts. 3. County Fair judges provide an opportunity for the public to see 4-H in action. This showcasing opportunity serves to help our external audiences better understand what 4-H'ers are able to achieve.

The evaluation process of a 4-H fair exhibit helps youth to measure their progress toward accomplishing their goals and against accepted standards of excellence. Each experience can encourage and inspire 4-H'ers to expand their project interest and activity.

Expanding into the agronomy area you might get new judges to evaluate the exhibits in the agronomy related areas. To ensure a good experience for the new judge and the 4-H member these tips can be shared: 1. Keep in mind the whole product is more important than its parts. Projects are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. 2. When judging static 4-H exhibits, try to visualize the age and experience level and resources available to the exhibitors. Remember they will each have had different learning opportunities. Judging is done according to quality standards and is not a matter of personal taste or preferences. 3. Make the judging experience as educational as possible. If the members are not present, fill out the comments sheets carefully and include as many suggestions as possible. Use plenty of positive comments. Be careful in words used with faults – make sure suggestions are stated in a positive way. 4. Be consistent. 5. Be ready to explain placings. 6. Verbal comments made while judging should be very objective. No exhibit is so bad that something good cannot be said about it. No exhibit is so well done that some improvement cannot be made. 7. Please be aware that in cases of extenuating circumstances that may not be known or communicated prior to judging (i.e. learning disabilities), the local Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, may alter a placing to more clearly reflect the level of accomplishment of the 4-H’er based on the information provided.

Interactive Displays at County Fair The County Fair is a great time to showcase 4-H Agronomy projects! In the 4-H Agronomy Google folder, you will find promotion materials that can be printed including a banner and brochure about 4-H Agronomy. Below are a few ideas for including interactive agronomy displays at your fair. ● Seed and Plant matching activity: Collect samples of plant seeds and have fairgoers match the seeds with photos of the plants. Seeds we used included: soybeans, oats, alfalfa, red clover and corn. Consider doing the same for vegetable gardening, matching seeds to the vegetable. ● Agronomy Byproduct matching activity: Collect byproducts of different crops grown in Minnesota and have fairgoers match the byproduct with the picture of the plant. For example, for corn you could have salad dressing, starch, diapers, bubble gum; for soybeans you could have crayons, margarine, foam, plastics, lipstick. ● Agronomy samples: Provide set times where fairgoers can come and taste test products grown right in your county! ● Agronomy facts interactive display: Create a display with facts about products grown in your county! Consider making the display fun and interactive, such as questions that have to be flipped open to see the answer or a rotating display or a display that involves movement. See our example! ● Plant display: Do you have room on your fairgrounds for a small plot, sample garden or pollinator garden?

Learn

Agronomy Day Coming together with other youth and adults to learn about agronomy is a great way to create excitement. An Agronomy Day is a great opportunity to partner with a local cooperative, implement dealer, research center or college. If you can find a higher education school (college, community college or technical school) that offers Ag classes or even Agronomy classes, who will host a day of learning at their location, it only enriches the experiences. Work with neighboring counties and pair up and offer a day where some of the college faculty could present some of the workshops and even provide a tour of the college.

The day could include educational speakers from the host site, motivational speakers, hands-on learning and mini competitions for the youth to experience. Check out the sample schedule in the appendix. Day Camps Summer day camps are important because they offer a structured opportunity for children to grow. Summer day camps are another unique venue for growth, allowing kids to become independent and self-confident, while socializing and making new friends and learning new skills.

To provide more opportunities for youth and project growth you might try providing a 4-H Day Camp. There is a sample in the appendix of this support guide. This would also be a great opportunity to ask for special speakers, funding or other support from agronomy companies in your area.

Tours Tours are a great way to have 4-H parents and youth interact with industry professionals. A best practice is to offer the experience for youth in 3rd grade and higher and their parents. When planning, consider a mix of large group tours, speakers and small group activities for a successful event. Below is information on a piloted schedule. See the appendix for examples. Site Tours A best practice is to identify and tour three locations in your community that all involve agronomy in a different way. Some examples include: ● Bonanza Bean: An edible bean processing facility. The business has been integral in growing the edible bean industry in Minnesota. They process 5 different varieties of beans including kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans. Toured the facility and learned about their process and taste tested their product. (Located in Morris, West Central Minnesota) ● Riverview, LLP: A dairy farm in west central Minnesota. Participants learned about and looked at the machinery they use to meet their planting, cutting, processing, spreading and hauling needs. They provided a tour and learned about their forage storage facilities. ● Co-op Plot: Find a local cooperative plot of corn and soybeans. Soybean and corn agronomists can discuss many different topics related to those products. Hands-on activity could be calculating yield potential and determining plant stage. ● Ethanol Plant: (CVEC of Benson) CVEC has the capacity to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol annually. It is still a small-town Minnesota company, but has grown to 975 cooperative owners, with the majority living within a 50-mile radius of the plant. CVEC is recognized at both the federal and state levels for efficient production and leadership in shaping ethanol policy. ● Other Tour location ideas: Your local cooperative or elevator, seed processing plant, local seed dealer, ethanol plant, feed processing plant, plant genetic research farm, beets, peas or corn processing plant or local trial plots.

Other ideas to include on a tour day ● Hands-on sessions: Provide sessions where participants are able to explore different aspects of agronomy. Sessions could include presenters about: drone technology, 3-D plot tours/virtual reality, weed identification, crop staging demonstrations and soil testing. Other session ideas could be around spray application, grain safety, livestock forages, establishing yields, grain grading, soil structure or seed varieties.

● Suggested presenters include: University of Minnesota Extension Educators, state or community college instructors/professors, soil scientists, University of Minnesota graduate students, local cooperative or elevator, seed dealers and local farmers.

Grow

4-H Crop Scouting What is Crop Scouting? A crop scout inspects farmers’ fields and records weeds, insects, disease and other observations. This is an important role to help farmers make timely, and economical crop decisions.

The 4-H Crop Scouting event was created to engage 4-H members in a hands-on way, to learn about crops in a deeper capacity. Teams of three to th five youth (7 grade through one year out of high school) are created and work with a volunteer coach. The team should practice during the summer to learn about the various forms of scouting a field. Practicing should help prepare the team to view and analyze various aspects of a crop scout. Topics that are included in the 4-H Crop Scouting event include: crop staging, plant disease, insect identification, weed identification, sprayer nozzles application. Counties are encouraged to create a team and send them to this event.

The event will take place in late July. The timing of the event will help the top two teams prepare for a national competition that will happen in August. Yes, this event is a stepping stone to a national competition. More information on crop scouting resources can be found in the appendix or on the MN 4-H website. 4-H Agriculture Ambassador The 4-H Agriculture Ambassador is open to youth in grades 10 through one year out of high school.This opportunity provides training and experiences that will enhance leadership skills in public speaking and communication. This one-year commitment will also provide opportunities for youth to share their stories with organizations and industry representatives in agriculture.

4-H Project and Career Connection As a young person, it can be challenging to know the variety of career opportunities and how they might be connected to a 4-H project experience. It can also be challenging to know what types of classes youth should take in school to help prepare for college. A document has been created around agronomy careers, the 4-H project connection and classes needed as youth pursue those careers. The sheets, found in the appendix, can be printed off and shared with youth or volunteer leaders as they explore the world of agronomy.

Science of Agriculture Challenge The Science of Ag Challenge is a hands-on learning experience to inspire the next generation of agriculture leaders in Minnesota. Teams of two-five youth in grades 6-12 work with volunteer coaches and mentors to create projects and build solutions. As a team, youth will identify agriculture-related issues in their community, develop solutions and share their projects with their community. Each summer, teams present their ideas to a panel of industry-expert judges at a state competition.

Staff should help and challenge young people and volunteers as they experience agronomy. Show them how it can be turned into a Science of Agriculture Challenge. This would be great for older youth who want to challenge themselves and think about what some new research might do for the industry.

More information about the Science of Agriculture Challenge can be found on the MN 4-H website. State Fair 4-H members will have the opportunity to share what they learned with their 4-H Agronomy exhibits at the Minnesota State Fair in a conference judging experience and meet other youth from across Minnesota. Attending the Minnesota State Fair will allow the youth to have a 4-H experience outside of their county, see what other youth are doing across the state of Minnesota, and bring the ideas back to their county. The 4-H Agronomy program has been able to add a variety of areas for youth to showcase their exhibits. More information about 4-H at the Minnesota State Fair can be found here. Evaluation

Evaluation is essential to understanding the experiences of the youth and their families as they participate in the 4-H Agronomy experiences. Examples are provided to use with the start-up kits, agronomy days and tours. This data can be shared with decision makers and stakeholders in your reporting. It is also valuable information to help with program improvement and to ensure a quality experience is being offered and delivered.

Volunteers

There are many roles for volunteers as you look at providing agronomy opportunities in your county. Volunteers are very important for sustainability, growth, excitement and the ability to reach more young people. When recruiting volunteers for the agronomy program verify you are following the 4-H volunteer practices.

There are a variety of places you can find volunteers to help support the agronomy efforts. You may find members of the local corn and soybean growers, a local agronomist, a seed dealer, a local farmer, grain marketer in a grain elevator, an ag chemical dealer, or any other adult who might have a connection to agronomy. Some ways these volunteers could be used are: speakers at local 4-H Clubs, Leaders Council/Federation meetings, leader/advisor for a crop scouting team or science of ag team, a presenter on an agronomy tour or instructor at a project workshop.

Think about recruiting these volunteers at their local meetings, places of business or ag newsletters. Another great practice is to find the local business and stop by and share what 4-H is doing with agronomy and how they could help support the effort.

Appendix

Agronomy Day

Evaluation Flyer (sample format) Schedule (sample format) Agronomy Adventures, Day Camps, and Lessons

Lesson Plans

Career Connect

Project and Career Connection

County Fair

County Fair Signs County Fair Judging Exhibit Timeline Premium Book

Crop Scouting

Resources

Project Kits Evaluation Flyer Supply List - master copy for all kits Support Guide: Crop Science Kit Support Guide: Forages Kit Support Guide: Plant and Soil Science Kit Support Guide: Potato Kit Support Guide: Soybean Kit Support Guide: Vegetable Gardening Kit

Promotion

Agronomy Banner Agronomy Brochure Agronomy Logo

Tour Information

Tour agenda (includes hands-on activities-sample format) Tour agenda (No hands-on activities included-sample format) Flyer (includes hands-on activities-sample format) Flyer (No hands-on activities included-sample format) Participant evaluation

Volunteer Resources

Job Description: Volunteer Crop Scouting Coach

Youth Leadership

4-H Agriculture Ambassador