This educational event gives youth an opportunity to showcase their food preparation and presentation skills.  It also encourages youth to learn where their food comes from.

The recipes in the following pages feature foods grown and/or produced in New York State.  Give these recipes a try – they just might become favorites!

… Please be sure to visit your local farmers market to meet some of the families who bring you NYS produced foods. All fresh farm market foods taste, “Oh, so good!” Remember farmer’s market support your local school’s Wellness Policy by bringing you fresh fruits and vegetables.

Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension would like to extend a special THANK YOU! to Betty Heitmann, 4-H Youth Development and Human Ecology Leader (retired), and Katie Nelson, 4-H Youth Development Educator for their dedication to the NYS 4-H Youth Foods Contest.

Seneca County CCE would also like to acknowledge the combined efforts and enthusiasm of the 4-H youth, families, friends, and Leaders who have volunteered many hours to present the “Pride of NYS Farms”.

Seneca County CCE will invite our 4-H Youth Food Contest participants to present their recipes at Empire Farm Days 2006 held in August. Look for and support our 4-H Youth Presentation program by attending Empire Farm Days this summer. You will find our 4-H youth presenting their NYS recipes each morning in the Grange Tent (“Family Tent”) located on Shade Tree Lane.

This is 4-H

4-H is this nation’s most exciting out-of-school, informal education program for youth between the ages of 5 and 19.  It is the Youth Development Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Through the 4-H Club, special interest and school enrichment youth receive instruction in educational projects such as pet and animal care, electrical, woodworking, foods & fitness, creative arts, sewing and textiles, gardening, photography, public speaking and much more.  They conduct business meetings, do service projects for their community and HAVE FUN TOGETHER.

4-H is for everyone – city and suburbs, farms and rural non-farm youth. 

Adults volunteer their time to lead local clubs, showing youngsters the “how to” of various activities.  Older 4-Hers share their responsibility as “teen leaders”, giving of themselves to help younger members grow and achieve.

Business and industry give 4-Hers a reason for achievement – a catalyst of incentives and recognition at local, county, state and national levels.

If you are interested in joining 4-H as a member, or in volunteering as a leader of a club, or in supporting 4-H by sponsoring some phase of the program, please contact your county Cooperative Extension Office.  Learn how you can promote the future of the nation’s greatest resource – youth!