The Niwot Nifties 4-H entries shine at the county fair

Formed in 1924, the Niwot Nifties is the oldest 4-H club that has been continuously running in Boulder County. The club meets monthly at the Boulder County Fairgrounds and in addition to fair project work, focuses on several community service projects within Niwot and Boulder County.

The club is made up of kids ranging in age from 8 to 18. This year the Niwot Nifties entered five general projects and all five were selected for the state fair.

The Nifties picked up about two dozen ribbons and awards at the 2023 BoCo Fair, including Reserve Grand Champion in Model Rocketry (Andrew Hudgins), Small Engines (Quintus Brenn), and 3 Grand Champion placements in filmmaking (Reese Duckworth), Painting and Printing (Lena Oliver), and Food and Nutrition (Chloe Hudgins) whose Palisade Peach Pie was sold at an online judge's choice auction.

Four members competed in Dog Obedience and Rally at different levels. Rally is a sport in which the dog and handler complete a course that has been designed by the rally judge. Caroline Bixler, Zoie Mortenson, Hazel Campbell-Beig, and Katrina Canfield showed dogs at several different levels.

In addition to presenting a project, members must also complete a record book that has been carefully kept through the year. For animals, the book includes health reports, feeding requirements, and training objectives. For general projects, options vary but often include records of items purchased to complete the project and a report on successes and challenges.

Club leader, Angela Hudgins, said, "4H provides a great opportunity for the kids to have fun while learning valuable life skills. Throughout the year they are challenged to keep accurate records, practice presentations and public speaking, and work through the financial aspect of each project, from true costs to potential ROI. The club is also kid-led, which means the members are the officers and are encouraged to vote on and execute our activities."

2023 County Fair Results are:

•Reese Duckworth, Champion Filmmaking 2208: Documentary Intermediate

•Chloe Hudgins, Grand Champion, Foods and Nutrition 3035: Double Crust Pie Int.

•Andrew Hudgins, Reserve Grand Champion Intermediate Model Rocketry Unit 3 Sr.

•Quintus Brenn, Reserve Grand Champion, Small Engines 1001: Crank It Up Unit 1 Jr.

•Lena Oliver, Champion Visual Arts 2502: Painting and Printing Int.

Dog Training Results:

•Dog Obedience 510: Pre-Beginner Novice OBED A Caroline Bixler 5th.

•Dog Obedience 511: Pre-Beginner Novice OBED B Zoie Mortenson 1st and 4th in Dog Rally 533: Rally Novice B.

•Dog Obedience 511: Pre-Beginner Novice OBED B Hazel Campbell-Beig 4th and 1st in Dog Obedience

•514: Novice OBED A, 5th in Dog Rally 536: Rally Advanced A. Dog Obedience 513: Beginner Novice OBED B

•Katrina Canfield 2nd and 3rd in Dog Rally 533: Rally Novice B.

If you are interested in joining the Niwot Nifties or learning more about the club, please reach out to [email protected] for more information.