Genesee County Cooperative Extension

Genesee County Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program is going to the dogs this year — and the pigs, chickens, goats, and many other animals, to be fair — Director Jocelyn Sikorski says.

Sikorski gave a yearly review to county legislators this week about a program that’s been on the rise. There are 295 youth members, 37 clubs, 75 adult volunteers and a 10% increase in youth enrollment from the previous year, she said.

“So we've never lost, regardless of kids graduating out of our program. Our program committee has expanded our hands-on workshops they offer three to four a month. We added an additional dog program this year; we had two volunteers step up who wanted to bring back a dog program for our 4-H program,” she said, listing a former activity that's circled back. “Our shooting sports club will be resurrected in this coming program year for 24-25. We have about six leaders who have recently been trained and recertified.”

The expanded dog program offers dog obedience training on a bi-weekly basis to enrolled youth, and 15 of them are participating with their four-legged canines. 

As for the bulk of animal activity right now, however, it’s that time when kids bring their animals out to the county fairgrounds for exhibits, shows and the market animal auction, which serves as a fundraiser for youth programs.

“Right now, we have 303 entries for next Thursday,” Sikorski said. 

The auction is to be a hybrid format of in-person and online bidding. Entries include 66 beef steers from 45 youth participants, eight dairy steers from six youth, 60 goats from 30 youth, 33 lambs from 16 youth, 86 hogs from 43 youth, 25 pairs of market rabbits from 18 youth, and 52 pairs of meat chickens from 32 youth, she said. 

“We will continue our baked goods sale in a new format: items will be sold in a silent auction during the 4-H auction,” she said. 

Last year’s market sold 47 beef steers, eight dairy steers, 21 goats, 66 hogs, 23 lambs, 10 rabbits, 36 pairs of meat chickens and eight baked goods for an overall 14% increase of animal entry. Gross sales were $334,655.35, with 5% going to Cooperative Extension to cover costs and the remainder going back to the youth participants.

The market animal auction is set to begin at 6 p.m. July 25 in the Main Show Ring at the fairgrounds, 5056 East Main Road, Batavia. The fair runs from Friday (grounds open at 2 p.m.) to July 27, and there are many 4-H exhibits and shows in addition to other activities to keep you entertained.

Cooperative Extension received a $26,000 grant for Dairy in the Classroom, which is a focus on dairy-related activities  over three to four months for 400 to 500 students in 35 classrooms throughout the school year, she said. 

The 4-H tractor safety program during the first quarter of this year trained 11 youth aged 14 and 15 to become certified to legally operate farm equipment for hire. Participants had to complete 32 hours of training and pass a written and driving test to receive certification. 

Other programs took kids out of the field and in front of podiums during the public speaking program,, which gave 41 youth an opportunity to give a public speaking presentation and receive constructive feedback from adult volunteers in February. The top 10 youth presenters were invited to give their presentations at the district-level contest.

Hands-on workshops covered a wide array of topics, from string art 101, a soup workshop and chocolate treats to apron sewing, potholder making, and tie-dyeing shirts.

Another faction of Cooperative Extension is the Leadership Genesee program, and recruitment for the Class of 2025 is already in full swing, she said, with a tuition of $2,750.

The program’s steering and marketing committees are working on rebranding Leadership Genesee in this, its 25th anniversary year, to represent “experience and excellence in providing Genesee County with well-prepared stewards,” she said in her report.

“(LG Director Peggy Marone) is working with the Steering and Marketing Committee. She's looking forward to recruiting 25 members for the 25th year, and she will have a fundraiser coming up this fall called the LG Express,” Sikorski said.  

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley has written to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie requesting increased funding for County Cooperative Extension (CCE) Associations, which haven’t seen a funding increase in more than 20 years.

CCEs are statewide organizations that are actively engaged in their communities in fundamental areas of agriculture and nutrition sciences as well as youth development and leadership, including 4-H programming, economic development and community and environmental progress.

“We are requesting your support for an increase in the overall funding to the CCE system from $3.9 million to a total statewide amount of $8 million which would support all CCE county associations,” Hawley wrote in the letter.

“With increased funding the CCE system will be better able to proactively respond to local emerging necessities in the area of food system support. In addition, it will better leverage county funding and competing grant support for all communities.

“Additionally, funding will help generate research-based environmental justice projects related to urban agriculture.”

Hawley is a longtime member of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, former owner and operator of his family farm in Batavia, Hawley Farms, and is a past president of the Genesee County Farm Bureau.