Member Spotlights

Carson, Fresno County

Carson, Fowler 4-H Club, Fresno County

When Carson first noticed the flower arrangements at the Fresno Fair and asked about 4-H, little did she know that before long she would be arranging her own flowers and much, much more!

Today, Carson is involved in the ornamental horticulture, arts and crafts, clothing construction, food preservation, and food preparation projects. Clothing construction proved to be what Carson called, “a learning experience.”  She elaborates, “When someone says using slippery material is not a good idea for your first dress, you need to listen, because I had to learn the hard way!”  Apparently, she managed to create a great dress despite her fabric choice, as she won a gold medal at County Fashion Revue.

Though all her projects were fun, ornamental horticulture was a particularly successful project for Carson, especially considering it was her first year in the project!  Her succulent garden won first place at the Selma Raisin Festival and a blue ribbon at the 4-H Fair.  Despite initial hesitations – “My advisor told me, ‘Your future is in agriculture!’ and my mom and I laughed because we can’t even keep a potted plant alive!” – Carson decided to take on a challenging research project.  She tested how various amounts of fertilizer affected the growth of corn, an in-depth project that required her to keep records and take photos.  This experiment sparked her interest, and Carson says that she is now considering a career in agricultural law!

As to her future in 4-H, Carson is, “looking forward to participating as a junior leader for public speaking and attending LCORT [a 4-H leadership conference] to develop my leadership skills. ALOHA!”  Aloha Carson – and good luck!

Author: Emily Lane, State 4-H Office Student Assistant, erlane@ucdavis.edu