The Union County Heritage Festival showcased remarkable talent and skill from both youth and adult participants in this year's 4-H Youth and Adults Exhibits. The annual event featured a variety of categories, from sewing and needle art to canned goods and farm-fresh eggs. The Union County community came together to celebrate the hard work and creativity of its members.

Three Union County 4-H youths proudly represented their county at the inaugural Eastern Region Goat Show, held at the Tennessee Valley Fair last month.
Competing for the first time in this prestigious event, these young participants demonstrated skill, dedication and sportsmanship across multiple categories.
In the Showmanship competition:
- Madison Cole earned 2nd place in the Senior Level I division.
- Briar Smith secured 4th place in the Junior Level division.
- Reed Reno captured 3rd place in the Explorer Level division.

Union County 4-H members recently showed off their grilling talents in two exciting events, displaying their culinary skills and competitive spirit.
1st Annual Union County 4-H Grill Team Competition
Last month, local 4-H members gathered for the Fall Palooza at the Union County Farmers Market for the inaugural Union County 4-H Grill Team Competition. These talented young grillers, split into two divisions, impressed the crowd with their mastery over the grill.
Junior Division Results:
- 1st Place: Harlynn Dodd (poultry)
- 2nd Place: Aspen Davis (pork)

The Union County 4-H annual Chick Chain Auction took place at Trevor Jones Livestock Auction, and it was nothing short of a success. Despite the forecast hinting at rain, the skies stayed clear throughout the event, allowing the auction to proceed without a hitch—though we were well-prepared with covered accommodations.

Truett Davis, a member of Union County 4-H, took home first place in the Youth and Talent Contest at the Appalachian Fair last month. There were seven contestants, ranging in age from 12 to 21. Truett was the youngest participant at 12 years old. He has taught himself piano over the past couple of years, and only just last week, began formal instruction with a piano teacher. He played "Rush E" and the audience was delighted.

Community service is such an integral part of 4-H. Both our Honor Club and All Stars group are designed to promote community service, and all of our clubs participate in service projects. They range from sending cards to those that are homebound or at Willow Ridge, to serving a meal for the veterans of Union County, to removing non-native invasive plants at Big Ridge State Park—a real variety!

Excitement filled the air at the plaza of the UT Alumni Memorial Hall on May 16 as 4-H Clover Bowl teams from all over East Tennessee gathered. Teams of four or five 4-H members and their parents chatted, snacked and quizzed each other while waiting for the competition to begin.

On April 11, 4th and 5th graders from Maynardville, Paulette, Big Ridge, Sharps Chapel and Luttrell elementary schools gathered at Horace Maynard Middle School to compete in the Union County 4-H Clover Bowl. Each team previously won their in-school contest to qualify to represent their school in the county contest.

The Union County 4-H Public Speaking Contest allows youths to highlight their exceptional presentation abilities in a supportive environment. Youth learn from professionals as well as their fellow 4-H members.
On February 6th, 2024, 4-H member grades 4-8 gathered at Horace Maynard Middle School for the annual County Public Speaking contest.

Friday, September 30th, 2022 Alyshia Victoria, the Union County Family Consumer Science Agent, and four hopeful 4-Hers headed down to UT’s campus to compete in the first ever 4-H/FCS Skillathon. 4-Hers Gracie Tindell, Zeeva Boucher, Silas Whitley, and Meradeth Whitley, participated in the judging competition hoping to make it to the top ten. For those who do not know how the Skillathon works, the 4-Hers are divided into two groups, junior high and senior high, based on their grades. The Union County team competed in the junior high division while our senior competed as an individual.

As Erin Wilkerson sat across from Mike Williams in his Nashville office, she felt as if she had a voice as a leader of tomorrow. Little did she know that the experiences she had in 4-H, such as this one, would make her a leader of the next generation
She (now Erin Webb) is the leader of a Bioresource Science and Engineering Group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and resides in Luttrell, Tennessee, with her husband and two sons. Webb was a Union County Delegate at the Tennessee 4-H State Congress in 1992.

As the young showmen drive their hogs around the show ring they all intently look at the judge and make every turn smoothly and at the perfect time.
Every showman has their own way of doing things, but each one makes an impression on the judge. The crowd sets on the edge of their seats wondering who will be chosen as the grade champion showman.

Join us on Saturday, May 22, as the Union County Farmers Market kicks off our Nourish Kids program. This will be the second season that the market has partnered with Nourish Knoxville to present this program. Through a grant, Nourish Knoxville has been able to assist markets like ours throughout East Tennessee, providing materials and Produce Bucks making this program possible.

The Union County 4-H Public Speaking Contest allows youths to highlight their exceptional presentation abilities in a supportive environment. Youth learn from professionals as well as their fellow 4-H members.

While many found quarantine boring, endless, and unprofitable, some people made excellent use of their extra time.
Among these are the Union County 4-H members. In spite of having some events postponed or canceled, many 4-H students stepped up to the plate with enthusiasm. No small thanks to the leadership skills and abilities possessed, the students adapted very well to the online platforms they switched to during quarantine and COVID-19 regulations.

It’s public speaking time in Union County! One of the most exciting 4-H competitions is just around the corner: the 4-H Public Speaking Contest.
This experience really boosts your confidence. Almost everyone has fears of public speaking, but it sure is an excellent way to turn your weakness into strength. Preparing a speech makes you look inward to personal thoughts or ideas that you would like your audience to hear about.

Wearing overalls, boots and cowboy hats, the students of Big Ridge Elementary ventured out to the green space and found some fun farm activities as part of the 26th Annual Union County Farm Day on Thursday, September 26. The 250 students made their rounds to 17 stations demonstrating and teaching Ag in the Classroom activities led by more than 40 volunteers.
Farm Day is hosted annually by Union County Farm Bureau, which is putting efforts in to teach the youths of the community the importance of agriculture in their daily lives and give them some knowledge to take home.

The Annual 4-H Chick Chain Show and Sale was held Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at Darrell’s Auction & Livestock.

Article written by 4-Her Meradeth Whitley
When the Union County UT 4-H Extension office called and asked if I would like to be the June Dairy Month Chairperson, my first question was, “What is that?” I did not know anything about June Dairy Month, and I knew very little about dairy.

Agriculture partners joined forces in a pleasurable and educational event for Paulette Elementary School students on May 15. This was the 25th Annual Farm Day hosted in Union County. The event is hosted at one of the county’s five elementary schools each year, in rotation, so that every student in the county gets at least one attendance.