This year was Harlem Valley Homestead’s first year hosting a brand new 4H club, The Field Sprouts! We partnered with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Dutchess County’s Flourishing Farmers program, which is part of the ‘Think Differently’ initiative, to enable children with disabilities to access farms and participate in typical 4H activities. HVH’s primary focus was on vegetables, teaching the children about seeding, watering, harvesting, and everything that makes vegetables grow. Since we also have animals on our farm, we made many visits to the cows, chickens, and pigs.
Providing a safe environment where our 4H members could truly flourish was so special. Some of our members had never set foot on a farm before, and by the end of the season, they were eagerly looking forward to our meetings. We captured the essence of being part of a community and encouraged young people to try new things and discover new passions. Despite feeling like our meetings were never long enough, we ensured that activities were planned to suit the season and were as hands-on as possible.
The Dutchess County Fair supports 4H clubs, and we had the opportunity to participate in the Flourishing Farmers ceremony on Think Differently Day, August 22nd. It was great to stand alongside other host farms and clubs, hear about what they’ve learned this year, and see them proudly showcase their animals. Our club members even received a ribbon for the best vegetable plant—a Fairytale Eggplant, which was transplanted and cared for by the children.
This program is made possible only by the amazing and dedicated parents, especially our club organizer, Allison Knox, who initiated the conversation with CCE, garnered interest from parents, organized sign-ups, and coordinated with HVH to schedule dates and times for our club meetings. We are so grateful for her dedication and appreciate her wonderful attitude and ever-cheerful demeanor. We cannot wait to get The Field Sprouts together again soon.
