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4-H offers much more than farming
All4One, One4H! club focuses on inclusivity, engagement
By Sarah McCauley Sta Reporter
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FERNDALE — Mullane Harrington is the leader behind the All4One, One4H! club in Ferndale.
It’s a club that covers a wide range of interests, designed to allow kids to explore what interests them most.
Giving kids a chance to try new things and build their con dence.
e goal is inclusivity, Harrington said. Although she and her family were newer to the world of farming when they rst joined 4-H, the Harringtons felt welcomed by the local community.
Knowing how intimidating it can feel to get started, she wanted to create a group that felt welcoming and made it easy for anyone interested to learn about farming. Or really any interest.
Just as long as the kids are engaged in some-
Children at the annual Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden proudly show o their animals. But 4-H also o ers business, arts and crafts, even college-preparedness programs. Below, Ferndale’s Cassandra Statzel, John Statzel, and Lani Campbell show o their chickens they work with through the All4One, One4H! club. (Record file photo)
A Ltivates E E E S A S E
By Sarah McCauley Sta Reporter
WHATCOM — Images of kids at the Northwest Washington Fair proudly showing o their goat or chicken to the judges may come to mind for most people when they think of 4-H.
It’s true this is a large part of what kids in 4-H are doing.
But the program o ers oppor-
V Lve Evel Life L Lea E S I S Ills
tunities that cover a wide array of interests. 4-H o ers business, arts and crafts, even college-preparedness programs.
ink of any topic and there’s a good chance that 4-H has a club for that.
If there is no club matching the topic, there is always the option to create one.
Lynda Williams is the 4-H coordinator for Whatcom County, and even she admits she was unaware that 4-H has such a wide o ering of options before taking on her position. “A lot of people, when they think of 4-H, they zone in on the fair and the animals,” Williams said. “But we have programs for absolutely everything.” Williams is passionate about
