Biography
My passion for 4-H started many years ago. I grew up in Wallowa County, participating in 4-H for the nine years I was eligible. My projects were knitting with style revue, sheep, livestock judging, and leadership. I had my herd of sheep in addition to the ones my parents raised when we lived out at Promise. As I got older, my livestock judging skills expanded; I was part of the Wallowa County Livestock Judging Team for three years, placing at the top in the state for multiple years and having the honor of being on the Oregon State Livestock Judging Team in 1990 and competing in the National contest held at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky where I placed 26th in Sheep Judging.
I have been a 4-H volunteer for 17 years, filling many roles. I have been an Organizational and Project Leader since 2006 in Idaho and Oregon in Union and Wallowa Counties. My roles also included Union County Executive Council for five years (earning me a Meritorious Service Award) and Fair Superintendent for eight years at three fairs ( EOLS, UCF, and WCF) in two different species (alpacas and goats). I assisted in starting the Cloverbud Small Animal Show at Union County Fair and helped my daughter, Ellissa, build the small animal cage stands and purchase new cages for her Leadership Project.
In addition to being very active in 4-H over the years, I have a farm where my girls and I have raised goats (meat and dairy), alpacas, sheep, and chickens (meat and laying). I'm interested in agritourism and love to share my farm with others. I have five girls that have grown up with both 4-H and FFA as strong influences in their lives; two have become Ag Teachers/FFA advisors, one is on track to graduate with her Elementary Education degree in two years, and my twins just graduated from high school this spring.
I am very excited to be working with Union County 4-H and OSU Extension, this is where I had a lot of growth as a 4-H volunteer, and I look forward to continuing that growth!