LOUISVILLE, Ky. – “4-H in the state of Kentucky is stronger than ever.”

Those are the words of Benjamin Carr, advancement director at the Kentucky 4-H Foundation. His group’s areas of concentration include agriculture, family and consumer sciences, healthy living, communication, leadership, natural resources and science, engineering and technology.

Carr has a thumb on the progress of 4-H in the state. He and his group do a lot of fundraising and fiscal management for Kentucky 4-H and keep tabs on recruiting youth to the program.

“Prior to COVID-19, 4-H attendance was really on the rise in the state,” Carr said. “We’ve come out of that and we’re beginning to see our numbers surge once again.”

According to Carr, there are 290,000 youth involved with 4-H in Kentucky. His statistics show an increase of roughly 10,000 each year.

“Our 4-H crosses into the urban communities as well as the rural areas,” Carr said. “Its roots are in agriculture and the rural areas, but cooperative extension is everywhere. We provide programming which touches all aspects of life, not just agriculture. We have a natural resources, science, engineering and technology board which travels the state and teaches things to kids. In all 120 counties in our state there is an ag agent, a family consumer sciences agent and a 4-H agent, so 4-H is in all counties.”

While interest in livestock projects, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and shooting projects are on the rise in his state, Carr said camping and the country ham project are the top two 4-H activities in the Bluegrass State.

“Camping is supreme in this state,” Carr said. “We have four summer camps across the state and that brings in the rural and urban kids alike.”

The four camps are in different parts of the state. The J.M. Feltner Memorial 4-H Camp is near London. The camp covers more than 200 acres of scenic foothills near the Daniel Boone National Forest and the Levi Jackson Park. The camp serves 34 counties and can accommodate 368 campers and counselors per session in its cabins.

The Lake Cumberland 4-H Camp is in Jabez. It is the largest 4-H camp in the state and is on Lake Cumberland. The camp utilizes 1,500 acres of rolling hills and forested land. The camp serves 20 counties for summer camp, and includes high element zip lining, a craft and nature building and heated cabins. It can accommodate 377 campers and counselors each session.

Another camp is in Carlisle on 350 acres of forested land near Lake Carnico. This 4-H camp serves 28 counties and can accommodate 422 guests in its air-conditioned and heated cabins. It offers a swimming pool with waterslide. Program facilities include rifle and archery ranges, bird blind for nature classes, observation beehive, low and high ropes, challenge course and athletic fields.

The West Kentucky 4-H camp is a 465-acre facility serving 38 counties. The Dawson Springs facility includes a 17-acre fresh-water lake, fishing dock, high and low rope challenge course, archery, rifle ranges, swimming pool, athletics fields and 22 cabins with a capacity to hold 486 campers.

Second to camping is the country ham project, which enables children to cure a country ham and enter that project in the state fair.

“The country ham project is kind of unique to Kentucky,” Carr said. “It’s a cultural thing.”

The country ham has been a food tradition in Kentucky and throughout the southeast for hundreds of years. The Kentucky 4-H country ham project continues the tradition. The project began in the late 1990s with about 40 4-H’ers engaging in this project. The project begins in January and culminates in August at the Kentucky State Fair.

“In the country ham project there is a speech winner, a winner based on the ham and then a combination of the two,” Carr said. “And it’s not just about the ham, it’s about the skills they’re learning, including communication skills. Each year we have between 700 and 900 kids engage in this ham project. Throughout the project the 4-Hers learn about food production and how the country ham fits into Kentucky’s food heritage.”

The trek through 4-H in the state begins with Cloverbuds, for boys and girls at least 5 years old. Boys and girls ages 9 through 18 can participate in Kentucky 4-H. At age 19, a person is too old to participate but may become a volunteer within the program.

4-H in Kentucky has a strong presence each year at the Kentucky State Fair with its “Cloverville.” This is where all 4-H exhibitors in the state get to display their projects. The Kentucky State Fair is a great time to be in 4-H,” Carr said.

The Kentucky State Fair hosts 4-H projects from across the state in the West Hall of the Kentucky Exposition Center. The ‘4-H village’ within West Hall is called Cloverville. In August 2014, the Kentucky 4-H Foundation held its grand opening and ribbon cutting for Cloverville.

Cloverville annually hosts 6,000 4-H member exhibits from across the Commonwealth in a village-like setting where 4-H’ers can display their skills and compete for state-level ribbons and awards. The complex contains 16,800 square feet of space.

Cloverville consists of 18 divisions where 4-H’ers can showcase their projects. To exhibit a 4-H project in Cloverville, 4-H’ers must first compete in their county and be selected as the grand champion in a particular class. These grand champions advance to the Kentucky State Fair and are exhibited in Cloverville, where they are judged by the Danish System.

The Danish System judges the participants against a set standard for the specific competition and not against the other participants. In addition, Kentucky 4-H believes that all youth should have opportunities for positive youth development in four guiding concepts: mastery, belonging, independence and generosity.

“4-H’ers can be involved in Cloverville in a variety of ways from exhibiting projects, conducting demonstrations or performing talents on stage,” Carr said.

Complete with six stores, stage, park and modern welcome center, Cloverville is designed to allow for an increasing number of 4-H member projects.

“Again, our biggest push is that 4-H in Kentucky isn’t just about agriculture, it’s about involvement in all phases of life,” Carr said. “4-H in the state provides a multitude of opportunities for the children. Unlike the Boy Scouts, where you boys earn merit badges, there’s nothing like that in 4-H. We simply keep track of the progress of each participant.”

According to Carr and those at the Kentucky 4-H Foundation, young people who are engaged with 4-H are four times more likely to contribute to their communities, two times more likely to be civically active, two times more likely to make healthier lifestyle choices and two times more likely to participate in science, engineering and computer technology programs during out-of-school time.