Author: ac4hfairgrounds

Thank you to everyone who came out to support our 71st 4-H  Fair.  It just goes to show you what type of dedication our 4-H family has to bring together a fair with less then two months of preparation after being shut down since March of 2020.

We look forward to hosting our annual fair again next year.  Notes were taken and new ideas are always taken into consideration.  If you know of anyone that might want to be a vendor, please send them the Fair page link so they can be added to growing vendor list that we will use for all our upcoming events.

Until then, keep checking our Upcoming Events page so you don’t miss any of the fun.

We are looking forward to hosting this years fair for our 4-H family and our community. This year’s fair may look a little different because of COVID restrictions but we hope you come out and support a tradition that has taken place for the past 76 years.

If you are interested in learning more about 4-H please stop by the information desk. 4-H is a great community for both children & adults. We are constantly looking for volunteers to share their skills to help guide today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders into responsible adults by using their “Four H’s” Head, Heart, Hands, Health. Together we will make the best better!

See you at the fair!

Dear Rutgers Cooperative Extension Volunteer:

As a Rutgers Cooperative Extension volunteer we have asked you to be patient over the past year as in-person programs, activities, and events were suspended due to COVID-19. We are pleased to now begin our phased restart of in-person Extension programming.  As of May 2021, pre-approved RCE programs, meetings and events can take place in-person in an outdoor setting with no more than 25 total participants (including volunteers, participants, parents, etc.).  Social distancing and face masks must be utilized.

We know that some of you may still not feel ready or comfortable with in-person volunteer roles and that is okay. We also know that many of you are eager to resume some form of in-person volunteer participation. Our main priority is to keep you, our volunteers, as well as our 4-H youth, program participants, staff, and our communities safe and healthy.

Although things will look a little different for now, we are excited to welcome you back to our Cooperative Extension in-person programs/events/meetings. Our Extension staff are here to help you. Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns.

Please note that these guidelines will be updated when conditions change and we will communicate these updates through our staff and website. Thank you for volunteering for Rutgers Cooperative Extension. You really do make a difference and we appreciate it!

Sincerely,

Brian Schilling, Ph.D.

Senior Associate Director, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station

Director, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

A letter from NJ 4-H..

Dear 4-H Volunteers and Families:

As you know, the New Jersey 4-H program, as part of Rutgers Cooperative extension, has been operating under an in-person programming suspension.  An updated Rutgers University directive (released 12.22.20) continues the suspension.  All 4-H in-person events, classes, programs, club meetings, camps, and other group activities organized by or under the auspices of RCE – 4-H Youth Development are suspended through March 31, 2021.

Reported daily increases in new COVID-19 cases in our state are tracking higher again and community transmission of the virus continues.  In order to protect the health of our communities, Rutgers Cooperative Extension is aligning with the University’s plans to continue programming only in remote formats through March. This means all 4-H events, classes, programs, club meetings, camps, and other group activities organized by or under the auspices of Rutgers Cooperative Extension – 4-H Youth Development must be conducted remotely.

All of us hope to return to in-person programming soon. While we will continue to utilize remote formats this winter, it is clear that the 4-H community knows how to bring the spirit and values of 4-H into the virtual world. Our 4-H members, families, and volunteers are creative and dedicated to finding meaningful ways to connect to their clubs, communities, across the country, and even around the world.

Over the past nine months, 4-H members and volunteers have held virtual club meetings and led community service projects. 4-H From Home provided resources for volunteers and interactive opportunities for youth across the state (new resources and opportunities are added weekly). Hundreds of youth participated in weekly webinars and virtual 4-H special interest clubs. Our 4-H Camp team led a successful fall virtual camp—building off the successes of the summer virtual camp HAFHAH (Home Away From Home At Home). Over 1,600 entries were submitted to NJ 4-H Virtual Fair. Through all the challenges of the recent months, 4-Hers continue to lead by example and find innovative ways to serve their communities from a distance.

Even though we are apart, the 4-H community is strong and united in exploring new and innovative solutions for today’s challenges. RCE and 4-H faculty and staff will continue to support our youth, families, volunteers and local partners as we navigate our country’s health emergency. We are still in this together and we will get through this together!

We thank you for your support as we continue to learn from our health officials and educational partners the best methods to serve young people during this extraordinary time.

We wish you and your loved ones a relaxing and reflective holiday season.  Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!

Sincerely,
Rachel Lyons, Chair
Department of 4-H Youth Development
December 22, 2020

Good Afternoon 4-H Family; It is with a heavy heart that we must write to inform you that our 2019-2020 4-H Fair has been suspended for this year. All 4-H programming has been suspended from now until August 31st, 2020. We know that this is not the information that we wanted to hear or what we wanted to happen but with the severity of COVID-19 we need to take every precaution to keep everyone safe and healthy. This situation is constantly changing and we are working our hardest to try and come up with alternatives for our members to participate in and celebrate all of their hard work and achievements. We are asking that you all try to remain positive during this time, as difficult as it may be. The 4-H office will be in touch with updates and opportunities as they arise. You have all done an amazing job so far! Please keep up the wonderful work as we navigate this challenging time. We need to remember that we are a family and we will get through this together.

We have a lot of great events coming up this spring!!

Egg Hunts, Spring Festival for Kids, Train Show and Electronic Recycling just to name a few. Find details under our upcoming events tab.