Our 4-H Programs
Virginia Beach 4-H Country Cured Ham Project
January - May Annually
Ham Show at Virginia Beach Livestock Show and Sale
Embryology Project
Virginia is home and birthplace of Smithfield Country Ham. Our state is known for its Country Hams and the traditional holiday and breakfast meals in which ham is on the menu.
But what about some NEW recipes to shake up the monotony of holiday dinners and breakfast platters?
VA Beach conducts the 4-H Country Ham Project each year training youth, adults, and families how to create such an historical culinary delight. And now Simply Southern Cooking with country ham is here!
Join VA Beach 4-H and Chef Kip Poole on November 4th from 12pm-3pm at the Virginia Beach Masonic Lodge for a one – of- a- kind cooking event as he cooks up country ham dishes that will surely make your holiday dinners something to celebrate.
Chef Kip Poole has dedicated his life to feeding youth and adults and providing quality food and meals to as many people as he can. He has appeared on HBO Max “The Big Brunch”, Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games”, is Executive Director of The CROP Foundation, and is Executive Chef of Commune Restaurant. He recently has taken part in the Virginia State Fair’s Black Tie and Boots: Taste of Virginia event. Chef Kip is a personable and dedicated culinary master. VA Beach 4-H is proud to have him share his knowledge with our 4-H community and Ham Project participants. Simply Southern Holiday Cooking with 4-H and Chef Kip Poole will use country ham as the featured ingredient as he combines the best traditional recipes and contemporary flavors to make your family’s holiday menus worthy of enjoying all year long.
When: November 4, 2023, from 12pm-3pm
Where: VA Beach Masonic Lodge, 2849 Princess Anne Rd., VA Beach, VA 23456
Who: Everyone in the VA Beach and surrounding area
Cost: $20 per person
Register: https://tinyurl.com/simplysoutherncooking
What’s Included?
- Recipe sampling
- Hands-on demonstrations
- Door prizes
- Grandma’s Traditional Recipe Contest (Optional) *
*If you’d like to participate in Grandma’s Traditional Recipe Contest, bring a written copy of the recipe along with the cooked and covered version of the dish you’d like to submit for judging.
True to 4-H's "learn by doing" philosophy, youth will learn how to salt cure their own ham. The Ham Project begins in January and ends with a ham show and display at the Virginia Beach 4-H Livestock Show and Sale in May.
Questions can be emailed to jmungo@vt.edu.
For more information and to get on our email and registration list please visit our 4-H program website at https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/virginia-beach-4-h-inschools/home
Resources:
SAVE THE DATE!!
2023 4-H Day at the Capital will be held on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at the Virginia Capital in Richmond, Virginia.
Plans are being made for 4-H Day at the Capital and more details will be sent later.
This is a day trip in which schools, homeschools, clubs, and all 4-H connected youth and programs can attend. The day will include a tour of a historically significant site that will support US and VA studies.
4-H Civic Engagement
4‑H civic engagement programs help kids learn about civic affairs, build decision-making skills and connect to others. It empowers young people to be well-informed citizens who are actively engaged in their communities and the world.
4-H Civic Engagement offers youth the opportunity to engage with elected officials and government entities that make decisions that concern their present and future lives.
4-H Day at the Capitol is a day in which 4-H youth across the commonwealth converge on Richmond to show our lawmakers the strength of our numbers and to speak with them about what matters to them and their community. Youth learn the real power of being part of a constituent.
The "Beginning of Life" 4-H project is designed to help youth obtain a better understanding of life and embryonic development. 4-H educational materials guide students through each step of the hatching process from preparing the eggs for incubation to building a brooder for the newly hatched chicks. These educational materials address Standards of Learning (SOL’s) for math, science, English, life science, and computer technology. 4-H will provide fertilized eggs, guide you through training, support you during the hatch, and then collect the chicks to be sent to a local farm.
Embryology Project
Enrollment Forms: Each individual teacher participating in the project must fill out and sign a 4-H Volunteer Enrollment form. In addition, each teacher must fill out a Learning Groups Log on the students in their class participating in the project. This information is used for our insurance coverage and is required by the State 4-H Office and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Egg Order Form: Teachers must complete and return the egg order form by February 7. There is no charge for eggs this year. You may submit one order form per school also if you would like to do that.
Incubators: Unfortunately, we do not have any incubators that we can lend out to use for the embryology project. However, if you need assistance with finding an incubator, the 4-H Office would be happy to assist you in doing so.
Egg Delivery Date & Location: The eggs will be available for pick up from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., March 3 at the Virginia Beach 4-H Office - Room 216, Agriculture Department, 2449 Princess Anne Road, Building 14, Virginia Beach, VA, 23456. Teachers are asked to please bring egg cartons to transport their egg orders.
Safe & Humane Care of Eggs and Chicks:
1. Teachers must be aware of the following:
- Test the incubators before receiving chick eggs.
- The importance of consistently monitoring the temperature and turning eggs even on weekends and holidays.
2. Returning Chicks: Unless prior arrangements are made with me, ALL CHICKS will need to be returned to the Extension Office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Failure to return chicks may result in denial of future project participation. Teachers are reminded that health regulations prohibit students from taking chicks home at any time.
3. Teachers must plan in advance for students’ responsibilities in the project and they must properly train the students.
Resource:
http://extension.psu.edu/4-h/projects/poultry/embryology/teacher-resources
All forms may be mailed, emailed, or faxed (385-5684) back to Tammy Mas, 4-H Administrative Assistant (tmas@vt.edu). If you need any assistance or have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the 4-H Office.
4-H enrichment projects offers "learning by doing" curricula that covers an array of topics from leadership development and citizenship to aerospace and computers. There is a resource of ready-to-use programming for youth in the following 4-H curriculum areas:
- Animal Sciences
- Citizenship
- Communications & Expressive Arts
- Natural Resources & Environmental Education
- Family Sciences
- Foods, Nutrition & Health
- Careers & Economic Education
- Leadership & Personal Development
- Plants, Soils, & Entomology
- Science & Technology
Get Involved with 4-H Educational Programs
4-H Educational and Community Programs are suitable for families and Virginia Beach residents throughout the city to participate together. Before signing up for any of these special offerings it is highly recommended that participants attend an orientation and/or training where they will be made aware of the program requirements, duration, and resources available for completion of the program. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and review materials during these informational sessions. These special 4-H educational programs can be found by following this link: https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/virginia-beach-4-h-inschools/home At the bottom of each program page, participants may register to receive more information and to participate with their classrooms families or community.
For questions about any of these programs not addressed on the website please contact Jonette Mungo Virginia Beach 4-H Agent at 757-385-8153 or by email at jonetm4@vt.edu.
Getting Saucy with 4-H
Register at https://tinyurl.com/VBGettingSaucy
Bring the family or grab some friends and join VA Beach 4-H as we lead you through 2 days of activities that will result in you learning how to select the perfect tomatoes for your next recipe, how to prepare your tomatoes for making your own pasta sauce, and how to can tomatoes for soups, stews, and other dishes.
Day 1
Cromwell Farm will host us on Day 1 on their farm as they lead us through a tomatoe presentation and tasting. All participants will learn to select the perfect tomatoe for just the right recipe. After the presentation, pick your own tomatoes or purchase a pre-picked box of tomatoes. You will be pleasantly surprised at just how far your dollar will go in purchasing tomatoes on the farm.
Day 2
We will gather at the Princess Anne Masonic Lodge where 4-H and FCS Agents will lead you and your group or family through the process of making your own spaghetti sauce and you will can your own jar of tomatoes. Each registrant will go home with a jar of spaghetti sauce and a jar of canned tomatoes. If you are registering as a family or group of 5, you are considered as 1 registrant, so you will have 1 jar of sauce and tomatoes for your family or group.
Have your taste buds ready on Day 2. You will sample some recipes using the canned tomatoes and sauce recipes.
The experience is great for all ages and is open to all VA Beach residents.
Please, call our office if you have any questions, 757-385-4769.
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/VBGettingSaucy
If you are a person with a disability and desire assistance or accommodation, please notify Jonette Mungo, 4-H Agent, at the Virginia Beach Extension Office at (757) 385-4769/TDD*) during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
*TDD number is (800) 828-1120.