The new 4-H year has come and 4-H members are signing up for another 4-H year. They are busy picking out what projects and activities they want to participate in. Many new members have joined 4-H and many have questions about which clubs to join. Freeborn County 4-H has 18 traditional 4-H clubs. I am going to highlight one of these 4-H clubs to give you a little more information about what 4-H members do on the club level and just how active the clubs can be within the county. For the third year in a row, Hartland 4-H Club has won the Club of the Year award for our county. A few highlights of the Hartland 4-H Club are:

Number of members: 62 members. Have a lot of members from Waseca and Steele Counties and have had members come up from Iowa. Many of the club members are not from Hartland but Albert Lea and other surrounding areas.

Number of screened volunteers: 10. Many of these have served on or are currently serving on livestock committee, county executive council, and been active helpers in getting the goat and llama project area started.

What they do as a club: Members try to do two fun things a year — either ice skating, swimming, bowling, rock climbing or sledding. They have done a summer picnic in the years past, but it has gotten harder as the club grows. They go caroling around the winter months. They help out wherever the community needs them.

Community Pride projects: Every year they plant flowers before Memorial Day in Hartland, go to the Hartland City Council and ask what they want the club to do. Members have done a lot of landscaping around town and have also worked at town fundraisers and benefits. They have also participated in recycling efforts during county fair. They have participated in Harvest Days in Hartland, where they have put on a petting zoo, done skits for the variety show, had kids games and helped in food stands.

Some fundraisers they have done as a club are: selling Herberger’s coupon books, having car washes and an Applebee’s breakfast fundraiser.

Favorite project areas: Sheep and horse and dog project areas. The biggest club enrollment is for goats and llamas. A lot of the kids living in town lease animals from people who live in the country.

When and where do they meet: The second Monday at Community Center in Hartland at 7 p.m.

Favorite thing at county fair as club: Hanging out with each other and enjoying each other’s company. They take part in everything that is available.

Other great things about the club: The club takes pride in their projects; this is demonstrated by the club winning the herdsmanship award this past year in the livestock area. The older kids are great and talk to the younger kids a lot and get them excited about participating in 4-H events. There is lots of enthusiasm in the club. 4-H is not cliquey like school can be.

Megan Thorson is a 4-H program assistant with the Freeborn County Extension Office.