West Virginia University Extension Service

Volume V, Number 3 Fall 1990

Alternative Ideas In Agriculture Attract Interest

Sustainable agriculture, one of the most talked-about concepts in agricultural circles today, is difficult to define.

Some think "sustainable" means maintaining present production levels. Others advocate reducing reliance on purchased agricultural inputs, such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, in order to sustain the environment and safeguard human health.

Edmond B. Collins, extension division leader for agriculture, forestry and community development at West Virginia University, combines both aspects in his definition: "Sustainable agriculture involves finding economi­cal and environmentally safe ways to manage pests and diseases that will allow farmers to maintain production and profits. But it also involves total crop management, which includes decisions about fertilizers, cultural practices, labor and equipment, in \ddition to controlling insects, dis-

- eases and weeds." continued page 3

Extension

Keith Dix, leader of extension's Center for Sustainable Agriculture, confers with Carolyn Merrill, vice president of the Mountain State Organic Growers and Buyers Association, prior to a public tour of four Lewis County organic operations.

Viewpoint

West Virginia University has just issued a Strategic Plan for Economic Development at West Virginia University. The document was pre­pared by the Economic Development Council, composed of deans and of directors of research centers, and chaired by me. It was reviewed and approved by the provost and presi­dent and will serve as a guide for program development, budget planning and hiring in the next few years. The plan applies to all units at West Virginia University, but it has special implications for West Virginia University Extension. For that reason, I want to share with you the mission statement, 11 long-range goals, and a one-year implementation plan.

Mission West Virginia University's mission in economic development is to serve as a catalyst and to exercise leader­ship; to be an intellectual resource to government, communities and indus­try through planning, research and policy development; to be a source of direct assistance to communities, businesses and other groups; and to provide high-quality education for students, citizens and leaders.

Long-Range Goals in Support of the Mission

1. Conduct research on West Virginia's economic needs and potential.

2. Examine emerging issues of critical importance to the state, provide economic and policy studies, develop solutions and disseminate information to state and local leaders and to citizens to enable them to make informed decisions.

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3. Make relevant data, research, analytical tools and training available to West Virginia businesses and governments.

4. Help businesses from start-up to maturity to identify and solve problems, develop and apply tech­nology, and improve labor/manage­ment relations.

5. Improve the linkages between citizens, the extension network and campuses so that people all over the state can access the institution's intellectual resources.

6. Identify and implement mechan­isms and facilities that will support the development of intellectual properties and the commercialization of research. 7. Improve collaboration with local, regional and state organizations and agencies interested in economic development.

8. Educate students and citizens to compete in the global economy, to assume professional and managerial leadership roles in West Virginia and to continue their education through­out life.

9. Expand student involvement in community service and internship opportunities, which expose them to West Virginia problems and possibili­ties and match their talents and energies with community needs and opportunities.

1 0. Improve the health status of all West Virginians through a variety of means including recruiting students to practice primary care medicine in rural areas of the state.

11 . Act as a catalyst and leader to improve the quality of public educa­tion in K-12, vocational, early child­hood through professional develop­ment, parent and citizen education, and policy development and implementation.

1991 West Virginia University Plan of Action in Economic Development

1 - Implement the West Virginia Industrial Extension Service to provide direct assistance in modern­ization of small and medium-sized manufacturers.

2- Develop a resource guide and a clearinghouse to enable citizens, government and industry to access the intellectual resources of West Virginia University. 3 - Expand assistance to North Central West Virginia in collaboration with other higher education institu­tions and economic development planning groups in the region.

4- Seek additional federal funding for travel and tourism research in collaboration with the Appalachian Travel Research and Development Center at Concord College.

5- Develop and implement expanded corporate health care services at the Health Sciences Center.

6- Create seminars for state leaders on emerging policy issues which build upon existing policy studies published by West Virginia University faculty.

7- Aggressively pursue federal and private support for research in energy, health sciences, software and artificial intelligence, advanced materials, education, environment and manufacturing.

8- Continue development of the Research Corporation as a mechan­ism to facilitate expanded research by faculty and to increase commer­cialization of research. As these goals are implemented in the next five years , the West Virginia University Extension network in each county will be linked into all of West Virginia University 's resources in support of economic development, making us much better able to respond to community issues with appropriate educational programming. The Strategic Plan is a map with routes marked; we still must make the journey to accomplish the mission. I look forward to your comments and would be happy to share a copy of the complete plan.

Rachel B~~ Associate Provost for Extension and Economic Development Director, Cooperative Extension Service

West Virginians are becoming interested in organic gardening; 85 people participated in the Earth Tenders Walking Workshop tour offered in July by four organic producers in Lewis County.

Alternative Ideas Continued from page 1

To coordinate its programs in this area, the Extension Service recently appointed Keith Dix as leader of its Center for Sustainable Agriculture .

"Keith's role is to gather information on alternative ways to control pests and diseases and disseminate it to county agents and interested produc­ers," Collins explained. "He'll help in­crease extension faculty's awareness of the importance of sustainable agri­culture."

Dix, who works one day per week in the position, began farming part-time in 1975. He resigned as associate professor in WVU's Institute for Labor Studies in 1987 in order to devote all of his time to growing vegetables, apples, other fruits and herbs, using organic techniques.

Organic producers represent one end of the sustainable agriculture spec­trum. True organic growers use no synthetic chemicals on their crops and soils, but depend upon biological controls, disease-resistant crop vari-

ties, and such cultural practices as

rotating crops, mulching, tilling, and using manures and cover crops to enrich the soil.

When Dix decided to become a full­time producer, he wanted to have his operation certified as organic. West Virginia has no regulations concern­ing organic certification, and there was no state growers organization to carry out the certification .

"I thought there would be perhaps six or eight organic growers in West Vir­ginia, but 25 came to an organization­al meeting two years ago," he report­ed . The producers organized the Mountain State Organic Growers and Buyers Association (MSOGBA) and elected Dix president. MSOGBA now has about 100 members, most of whom produce on a small scale. Their operations range from less than an acre to 600 acres.

This year, 16 MSOGBA members ap­plied to the association for certifica­tion. An independent evaluator in­spected their farms and checked records including soil tests. Produc-

ers believe certification is worth the $50 cost because a growing number of consumers want assurance that they are buying organically grown produce.

"A convergence of issues is leading to an upsurge of interest in alterna­tive agricultural methods," Dix point­ed out. "In addition to concerns about food safety and the environ­ment, especially groundwater pollu­tion, we're seeing more conventional farmers becoming interested in lower­ing their use of off-farm inputs be­cause they are expensive and cut into profits," he stated.

"I think there's an opportunity in spe­cialty crops for small farmers in the state," Dix said, "and we're eager to help anyone using organic or other sustainable techniques to be com­petitive."

"A convergence of issues is leading to an upsurge of interest in alternative agricultural methods."

Evidence of interest in organic pro­duction was shown on a rainy Satur­day this July, when 85 people partici­pated in a tour of four Lewis County organic gardens.

"I was overwhelmed by the atten­dance; we had people from as far away as Pittsburgh, Charleston and Monroe County," commented Caro­lyn Merrill, MSOGBA vice president and an organizer of the Earth Ten­ders Walking Workshop.

She would like to see association members offer tours in several re­gions next year. "Also, if the tours include larger scale farmers who are making a living from organic produc­tion, then perhaps we could get more farmers to see what can be done," she said. Merrill, who markets garden produce through the Central W.Va. Farmers Market at Weston, understands the hesitancy of commercial growers to quit using agricultural chemicals. "However," she continued, "it's time

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"It's time to educate farmers, county agents and others about organic production, because people are afraid of what they don't know."

to educate farmers, county agents and others about organic production, because people are afraid of what they don't know."

Lewis County extension agent Robin Poling participated in an organic agri­culture training session in Massachu­setts this spring and returned "in awe of organic farmers and what they know about plants and pests."

Poling believes that the Farmers Mar­ket, which she helped to reorganize as a cooperative, provides an oppor­tunity for marketing organically grown produce. In cooperation with the market, she is planning a seminar on organic production this fall.

"Organic is not for everyone," Poling emphasized. "It requires high man­agement input and it's labor-intensive, which is why organic growers charge more for their products."

Although there are only four major or­ganic producers in her county, Poling is finding that other growers are showing interest, "perhaps not in going the whole organic route but in trying to use sustainable practices."

Among the sustainable practices emphasized in West Virginia and throughout the nation since the 1970s are Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and its companion, Integrated Crop Management (ICM).

The philosophy behind IPM is to man­age insect pests rather than eradicate them. Under this program, trained producers or their employees scout crops in order to monitor insect popu­lations. They then determine whether pest levels warrant the use of a chemi­cal control and, if so, when and at what rate the control should be applied. When making these decisions, pro­ducers look at the economics of the situation to see if the cost of control­ling a pest will be less than the ex­pected crop damage.

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Organic grower Carolyn Merrill uses no synthetic chemicals on the vege­tables she markets through the Central W.Va. Farmers Market in Weston.

"Organic is not for everyone," Poling emphasized. "It requires high management input and it's labor-intensive, which is why organic growers charge more for their products."

Dr. John F. Baniecki, extension ento­mology/plant pathology and pest con­trol specialist, has directed West Vir­ginia's IPM effort since it began as a pilot project in the Eastern Panhandle in 1978.

IPM soon evolved into ICM as the program broadened from just manag­ing pests to managing crops. "We felt that producers would be more interested in total crop management, involving weeds, diseases, soil condi­tions, cultural practices and record keeping," commented Baniecki .

In early IPM/ICM efforts, Baniecki and others trained scouts hired by the producers to monitor their alfalfa and corn fields weekly. Now producers are doing their own monitoring. Also, West Virginia Department of Agricul­ture scouts monitor conditions on

"Monitoring usually leads to fewer sprayings of insecti­cides," noted Baniecki, "because producers spray only when it's necessary rather than on a predetermined schedule."

about 125 farms statewide and pro­vide survey information to extension specialists and agents who make recommendations to farmers.

"Monitoring usually leads to fewer sprayings of insecticides," noted Baniecki, "because producers spray only when it's necessary rather than on a predetermined schedule." He added that this "not only helps the environment but also means a sav­ings to producers who are looking to reduce costs and manage efficiently." Also, soil tests help producers deter­mine whether they can cut back on fertilizer applications.

The IPM/ICM program spread to tree fruits in the early 1980s, when East­ern Panhandle producers hired train­ed scouts to monitor their orchards. In 1984, Dr. Henry Hogmire, exten­sion entomology specialist, began training growers and their employees to do their own monitoring. Hogmire, who is based at the WVU Experiment Farm at Kearneysville, trains about 75 people from West Virginia and nearby states each year.

"Generally speaking, monitoring has allowed orchardists to eliminate two to four of their 1 0 to 13 sprays per season, although this varies among growers," commented Hogmire.

The specialist believes that one ad­vantage of IPM/ICM is that growers are in their orchards each week and therefore can apply pesticides in a more timely fashion. "So they not only reduce the number of applica­tions, but they're also doing a better job when they do spray, which leads to improved fruit quality."

Leaf analyses and soil samples help orchardists monitor nutrition levels. In one recent year, 40 percent found that their soils had excessive levels

of nitrogen; this knowledge allowed them to cut back or eliminate nitrogen applications for a year or two.

A pilot IPM/ICM program involving nine producers of sweet corn is now under way. Preston Co•Jnty farmer Ed Grose's operation was featured in the April1, 1990 issue of Pennsyl­vania Farmer. He uses hormone­containing traps to determine insect populations in his 1 0 acres of sweet corn. When he traps more than 10 fall armyworm moths in one night, for example, he knows it's time to spray.

"We've learned that the best time to spray is in the evening because that's when insects are most active," said his son Tom Grose. "We get a better kill and better control because sun­light quickly breaks down the chemi­cals," he added.

"Dr. Baniecki got us fired up on it," the younger Grose said of IPM. He is enthusiastic about using IPM as a pest management plan: "IPM tells us when to spray and we use less pesti­cides; also, we can control insects at the proper time with a minimum amount of insecticide."

Tom Grose thinks chemicals will be necessary in tomorrow's agriculture, "but they should be used wisely. Some of the chemicals taken off the market were good chemicals but they were overused or not used properly."

Extension also is working with other agencies in a program that encour­ages producers to adopt ICM prac­tices. In Berkeley and Jefferson counties, seven cooperating orchard­ists received ICM training from Hog­mire. Seven farmers in Mason and Greenbrier counties also enrolled in the program, which features cost­sharing by the Agricultural Stabiliza­tion and Conservation Service (ASCS), technical assistance by the Soil Conservation Service, and edu­cation by extension.

The goal of the interagency program is for producers to reduce their use of pesticides and fertilizers by 20 percent.

SCS is paying 75 percent of the ,osts involved in hiring scouts, testing

Agronomy specialist Charles B. Sperow is one of several state and county extension faculty who are cooperating with other agencies to encourage farmers to adopt Integrated Crop Management practices.

"I feel that everything we in extension do is with the inten­tion of helping agriculture be sustainable; we recommend programs and practices to help producers make a profit, while meeting community standards."

soils and manure, and analyzing leaf tissue. Payment limits are $7 per acre for small grains, forages and hay, and $14 per acre for tree fruits.

In Greenbrier County, the ICM pro­gram is tied in with a three-year project involving the Greenbrier River Basin, one of 37 hydrologic units in the na­tion chosen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for increased technical, educational and financial assistance to improve water quality. In addition to USDA agencies, cooperators in­clude extension, the state Department of Agriculture, the West Virginia Soil Conservation Committee, the local soil conservation district and land­owners.

All are working to implement agricul­tural practices designed to keep pol­lutants out of groundwater, streams and ponds. Agriculture is the leading industry in the region. Project organ­izers are encouraging producers to manage animal wastes properly, control erosion and sediment, and adopt nutrient and pest management practices.

As part of the effort, extension agron­omy specialist Charles B. Sperow will conduct demonstrations on using legume cover crops, manure and treated sludge as sources of nitro­gen. Follow-up soil tests will increase farmers' confidence in using these organic sources of nitrogen, accord­ing to Sperow. He also plans trials of alfalfa, corn and fall cover crops that will show the results of good crop management.

The agronomist predicts that Green­brier farmers will see greater yields as they adopt ICM practices. One cooperator, for example, had never had his soil tested before joining the program.

Does Sperow consider ICM as part of sustainable agriculture? "One prob­lem I have with the term is that every­one has a different definition for it," he admitted. "I feel that everything we in extension do is with the inten­tion of helping agriculture be sustain­able; we recommend programs and practices to help producers make a profit, while meeting community standards."

Observed division leader Collins about the concept of sustainability: "People are beginning to see that there are choices in agriculture and are beginning to look at their man­agement choices."

As farmers and gardeners in the state explore alternative production approaches and methods, extension faculty will continue to advise them as they make their choices. ai

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Multicultural Camps ... an opportunity to move from textbooks to real life

African arts and crafts help Mercy Kareithi (left) of Kenya and Tanka Ibrahim (right) of Nigeria discuss their homelands with three multicultural camp participants.

Multicultural Camps ... an opportunity to move from textbooks to real life.

That was the experience 160 junior and senior high school students had during three multi­cultural camps sponsored by the West Virginia University Extension Service in 1989-90.

The multicultural camps were de­signed to acquaint the students with people from other countries and with such global issues as human rights, hunger, homelessness, population growth and terrorism.

Each participant explored two of the four cultural spheres offered: Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. The classes were taught by WVU interna­tional graduate students, state resi­dents from other countries and

professionals with international experience. Instructors discussed educational systems, geography, government, family life, social cus­toms, religion and language of their countries. In addition to classes, the camps included recreational and social activities featuring international music, dancing and food.

As might be expected, most of the campers were enrolled in world cul­tures or foreign language courses at their junior and senior high schools. The camps were promoted among the state's foreign language teachers by Debra Brown, coordinator of foreign languages for the West Virginia Department of Education.

She endorsed the camps because research has shown that people remember more when they experi­ence something rather than just read about it in a book.

"Students, especially those from rural counties, begin to wonder if they're ever going to meet someone who speaks the language they're study­ing," commented Brown, who served on the committee to plan the camps.

"Students, especially those from rural counties, begin to wonder if they're ever going to meet someone who speaks the language they're studying,"

Dr. Ronald W. Dunbar, associate chairman of the WVU foreign lan­guages department, shared those sentiments: "It's difficult for West Virginia kids to have any contact with foreign languages, with people from other countries or even anyone not from West Virginia in some cases."

Dunbar helped select the foreign lan­guage students who served as camp instructors. "I tried to make sure that the campers would meet outgoing people who would be good represen-

"Who can find Czechoslovakia on the map?" is the question Pavlina Vagoun asks her class.

tatives of their countries," he said, adding that the WVU international stu­dents enjoyed the camp teaching and would like to do it again.

olombian Adriana Velasquez describes daily life in her South American ;ountry to Rob Gilpin, a Paw Paw High School sophomore in Morgan County.

Nuanprang Charoenwong shows money from Thailand. She lived and worked in Mineral County last year as an exchange teacher with the American Field Service.

"I highly recommend it for students (because) they find out that those from other coun­tries are people just like us; of course, there are differences but there are more similarities."

Gail Stone, a Spanish teacher at Roane County's Walton High School, accompanied four students to the Jackson's Mill camp and was so im­pressed with the program that she drove five hours to take five students to the Eastern Panhandle camp at Hedgesville.

"I highly recommend it for students (because) they find out that those from other countries are people just like us; of course, there are differ­ences but there are more similari­ties," Stone commented.

Jan a Mersing of Terra Alta decided to attend the camp "because it sounded like a chance to be with friends."

She and two others from East Pres­ton High School who participated in the Hedgesville camp were excused from Friday classes. "It was a lot of

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Meals and recreation periods provide opportunities for campers to talk informally with their international instructors.

Multicultural ... continued from page 7

fun and we learned stuff in the Africa section that isn't in our books," said the sophomore, adding that she'd recommend a similar experience to her friends .

"Perhaps these efforts will lead to more opportunities for West Virginia kids to go abroad, also."

The three camps were directed by Richard L. Fleisher, extension associ­ate professor and director of the West Virginia Affiliate, Council of Interna­tional Programs (CIP).

"The idea originated in extension's Southern District where several coun­ty agents had multicultural camps," explained Fleisher. "I met with some of the agents and we decided to 'institutionalize' the camps by tying them closer to school systems and involving older kids."

Extension faculty instrumental in plan­ning the camp programs included Southern District interim division lead­er Mark Dillon, then in Lincoln Coun­ty; John Marra, Cabell County; and

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Some special guests at the multicul­tural camps were international human service professionals participating in a work experience sponsored by the Council of International Programs. At the Eastern Panhandle camp, Sergey Kuznetsov (center) of the Soviet Union talks with Dr. Douglas Smith (left), coordinator of the WVU Graduate Center at Shepherd Col­lege, and Dr. Michael P. Riccards, Shepherd College president.

Donna Patton, Kanawha County. Serving on the planning committee for the Eastern Panhandle camp were agents Carol Bogacz, Berkeley Coun­ty; Kay Davis, Mineral County; and Jane Jopling, Hardy County.

Two grants from the West Virginia Humanities Foundation helped fund the camps, and scholarship money was donated by C&P Telephone , the Herscher Foundation and the West Virginia State 4-H Club Foundation.

Holding the two-night residential camps near Charleston, at Jackson 's Mill and in the Eastern Panhandle en­abled youths from throughout the state to attend one near their homes.

"We saw the camps as a pilot project in order to gauge the amount of inter­est among kids and teachers, and we feel it's a viable camp," said Fleisher. He would like to see it become a larger camp, perhaps one held in the summer at the Jackson's Mill State 4-H Conference Center.

"We'd also like to 'internationalize' it even further by involving more inter­national students," said the CIP director, who is working to develop exchange programs with Mexico and Brazil. "Perhaps these efforts will lead to more opportunities for West Virginia kids to go abroad, also."

"After all, these kids are the ones who will be making future decisions about our role in the world and our relations with other countries."

Fleisher believes that the chance to interact with folks from other coun­tries and to develop an appreciation for other cultures can only benefit the young participants: "After all, these kids are the ones who will be making future decisions about our role in the world and our relations with other countries."

Dunbar, who feels that it's important to reach children when they're young, expressed hope that the multicultural camp program will continue "because there's really nothing else like it." me

Not to Decide is to Decide Teen-agers Find

Skills in Judging Apply Elsewhere

Sweating palms. Knocking knees.

Churning stomach.

Remember those symptoms? They would attack as you waited to speak before your high school teacher and classmates.

That's how you felt when you had had at least several days to prepare your speech. Can you imagine your symp­toms if you had been asked not only to give a presentation based on your own series of decisions but also to defend those decisions ... with just an hour to pull the whole thing togeth­er? And, without any notes?!?

Now, can you imagine teen-agers voluntarily signing up for such an exercise ... in the summer?

Well, they do. They do it every year in 4-H. And it's not that they love sweaty palms or churning stomachs so much. It's what they love more. It's the horses. Or the livestock. Or the dairy cows. Or the poultry.

And while they enjoy pursuing their special interests, these 4-H'ers simul­taneously begin developing decision­making and communication skills that

Having knowledge is not the same as being able to use knowledge. Gathering information -pertinent information -is just part of the decision-making process.

Looking at the same things at the same time, 4-H horse judging contestants and a contest judge (kneeling) collect details to rank this performance class animal on a variety of "points," including how well it obeys commands.

not only can last a lifetime but can affect the quality of that lifetime.

You've probably heard the saying: "Not to decide is to decide." So, actually making a decision is an im­portant step. But what about the quality of that decision? Just how should you choose between Issue A and Issue B? What steps do you take to make a "sound decision"?

Unfortunately, decision-making skills don't automatically arrive with puber­ty. And some educators fear that many adults never fully develop the skill to gather and analyze information properly for life's cwcial decisions.

Currently, public schools and higher education are refocusing on the need to build decision-making skills into their curricula. Having knowledge is not the same as being able to use knowledge. Gathering information­pertinent information-is just part of the decision-making process. How to recognize and select alternatives are the next tests that must be mastered.

As educators grapple with ways to build decision-making experiences into classroom activities, 4-H'ers working with 4-H judging programs remain one step ahead of their class­mates.

Each discipline requires that the youths not only know "facts" but also understand how to interpret that informa­tion and apply it.

Through county workshops and state contests, hundreds of 4-H'ers exer­cise decision making via their learn­by-doing experiences in 4-H's horti­culture, land use, forestry, wildlife, dairy, livestock, poultry and horse judging programs. Each discipline re­quires that the youths not only know "facts" but also understand how to interpret that information and apply it.

The youths' decision-making skills become more finely honed when they must explain how they arrived at the judgments they made. Judging in dairy, livestock, poultry and horse con­tests adds this extra contest criterion, which is called "oral reasons."

The exercise of "giving oral reasons" is so effective in building decision­making and communication skills that the West Virginia University Exten­sion Service's Division of Home

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Not to Decide is ... continued from page 9

Economics and 4-H and the WVU animal production program go extra steps to make sure that those youths interested in horses have a way to explore their interests.

"When graduates come back, they tell me that it (horse judging) was one of the most important things they did ... because it increased their communica­tion abilities, their abilities to express themselves ... regardless of the field they entered," explained Bob McCur­ley, assistant professor in WVU's College of Agriculture and Forestry.

That feedback continues to motivate Dr. McCurley to "create" a horse pro­gram for a school that has no horses. Unlike other universities with horse judging courses and horse judging teams, WVU does not have any horses. Dr. McCurley compensates for that shortcoming by arranging for students' studies at area stables. After all, horse judges need to be able to see real horses.

However, all youths quickly begin to share the same intrinsic benefits: a self-confi­dence gained from being able to think, to compete and to communicate.

Parallel creativity continues to blos­som in county 4-H programs through­out West Virginia and in WVU's Knapp Hall, where 4-H specialists also have been maintaining a state 4-H horse judging program-without owning any horses.

According to Jean Woloshuk, state 4-H agricultural events coordinator, 4-H keeps the horse program going because horses continue to fascinate kids-both urban as well as rural. And, as any 4-H educator will tell you: Just let a youngster pick the animal he or she wants to work with, and then be prepared to watch that youngster develop.

Additionally, Dr. Woloshuk said, 4-H specialists recognize that the horse industry is a growth industry, with particular promise in a tourist state

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This halter class horse is about to be evaluated for its conformation, which includes muscling, balance and structural correctness.

like West Virginia. For some West Virginia youths, horses may become a hobby; for others, a career.

However, all youths quickly begin to share the same intrinsic benefits: a self-confidence gained from being able to think, to compete and to com­municate.

Dr. Woloshuk said that 792 youths were enrolled in some type of 4-H horse project in 1989. Sixty-nine were eligible to compete in the 1990 state horse judging contest.

That participation is apart from 4-H members' activities in the Junior Horse and Pony Show. Horse judg­ing is not part of that equestrian con­test, which is held in August during the West Virginia State Fair in Green­brier County.

Unlike the horse show, the homeless state horse judging contest has ap­peared wherever it could be "accom­modated" -meaning wherever horses and facilities are provided at no charge to WVU. Sites have included the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, a private stable in Weston and a private stable in Monongalia County.

In July, the state judging contest re­turned to one of its previous homes, Meredith Manor International Equestri­an Centre in Waverly (Wood County).

The school's availability gave an edu­cational bonus to the 1990 contest while taking a huge burden off the shoulders of the volunteers, parents

and extension faculty, who would have had to find and transport not just a lot of horses but a lot of horses with a lot in common.

Meredith Manor's stables (60 to 90 horses) meant the event arrangers would not have difficulty in structuring the eight-class contest. Within each

It's lonely at the top. These 4-H'ers need a little space and solitude to study their notes one last time before leaving them behind. No notes are allowed in the oral reasons presentations.

class, 4-H'ers needed to examine four horses of the same breed, the same age, the same sex, and the same physical condition.

That sameness is crucial. 4-H'ers study the horses within each class to rank them according to their charac­teristics, such as their ":;orrectness of legs," "spring of rib," "faults on the head," and possible "unsoundness and defects."

While the senior 4-H members confi­dently toiled through their oral rea­sons, the junior 4-H members (who write out decisions but don't give oral reasons) and their families watched a variety of educational demonstrations conducted by Meredith Manor stu­dents and staff.

In another year or so, the juniors will be eligible to compete for the senior state horse judging title . That title carries the state 4-H horse judging team to the annual national competi­tion in November in Louisville, Ky.

No "No Talking" signs needed here. Decision making underway!

Beyond 4-H titles await college judging teams and their regional and national honors ... and careers ... and basic skills -skills that transfer from 4-H into the classroom and into adult professional and daily life.

Beyond 4-H titles await college judging teams and their regional and national honors .. . and careers . .. and basic skills-skills that transfer from 4-H into the classroom and into adult professional and daily life.

Professors such as Dr. McCurley are motivated by what their students tell them about judging experiences. Professors such as Dr. McCurley also say they can see a difference be­tween students with pre-college judg­ing experience and those without.

High school teachers agree, too.

Particularly insightful testimony comes from Mary Jane Harvey, a former 4-H horse judging team mem­ber and a former WVU horse judging team member. Now an agricultural education graduate student at WVU, Harvey said her 4-H experiences, particularly giving oral reasons, have helped her gain self-confidence and have helped her with her classroom teaching.

"Learning to give reasons for making decisions has helped me in everyday life," she said, "when making deci­sions about school, family and friends."

The impact 4-H has on youths' abilities impressed her once again when she did her practice teaching in Pleasants County. 4-H members, especially the high school freshmen, were generally group leaders.

"The 4-H'ers," she said, "exhibited a tremendous amount of leadership."

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"I place this class ... " Each senior 4-H horse judging team member takes a turn at standing before a contest judge to describe how each of four horses in a class should be ranked and why each deserves its respective placement.

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Not to Decide is ... continued from page 11

Harvey feels indebted to 4-H for what 4-H in general and 4-H judging in particular have done for her and for others. She repays that debt by serving as a 4-H volunteer. The debt is one that many 4-H judging team members acknowledge.

Dr. Julia S. McCann, a Uoliversity of Georgia professor who is studying the benefits of collegiate judging programs, sums up teachers and students' estimations this way:

"Life after graduation has few written tests. But innumerable post-gradu­ation 'tests' require acute perception of a situation, sound decision-making skills, ability to communicate effec­tively, and the 'heart' or persever­ance to carry on in the face of adver­sity so that personal and professional goals may be attained. These are the tests that students become better prepared for if they have participated on a well-trained judging team." nd

VISION is published three times a year by the West Virginia University Extension Service.

Contributing writers: Joyce Bower Florita Montgomery Rachel B. Tompkins

Layout & Graphics: Hoye Walls

Printing: WVU Communications Services

Photo Credits: Bob Beverly, Charles Bower and Ed Petrosky

Rachel B.Tompkins Associate Provost for Extension and Economic Development

Meredith Manor students and staff held junior 4-H'ers, parents and volunteers' interest with horse care and grooming demonstrations. The shoeing demonstration was a favorite.

Programs and activities offered by the West Virginia University Cooperative Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, or handicap.

Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, West Virginia University and the United States Department of Agricul­ture, Cooperating. Rachel B. Tompkins, Director, Morgantown, West Virginia. Published in Furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30,1914.

Director, Cooperative Extension Service P.O. Box 6031, Knapp Hall

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Morgantown, WV

Permit No. 34

Morgantown, WV 26506-6031