In a year filled with diverse programs and individual projects, finding moments for our staff to collaborate on a collective initiative is a rarity. Again, this year, we successfully united various individual projects and programs under the umbrella of The Full Circle Project. The success of this endeavor was made possible through a carefully orchestrated step-by-step process. Join us as we unveil the journey that led to the success of this collaborative and impactful project.

Part 1 – The Jones County 4-H Chicken Project + 4-H Internship

The 4-H Chicken Project serves as an immersive educational experience, imparting fundamental production methods within the poultry industry. This comprehensive initiative empowers youth to delve into the realms of animal husbandry, livestock selection and evaluation, health management, and meat science.

Encompassing the exhibition poultry aspect, participants engage in breeding and raising birds with specific characteristics, fostering an understanding of egg production. Throughout this project, youth have the opportunity to:

Raise Chicks: Participants will experience the entire lifecycle, starting from raising chicks.

Educational Workshops: Engage in informative workshops designed to enhance their knowledge and skills.

Showmanship: Showcase their poultry at exhibitions, demonstrating their expertise and commitment.

Project Record Book: Complete a comprehensive project record book, documenting their journey and achievements.

Tailored for participants aged 5-18, this program offers a holistic learning experience, covering everything from late brooding to egg development and bird anatomy. The 4-H Chicken Project not only imparts practical skills but fosters a deep appreciation for the intricacies of poultry science.

Our high school 4-H members, armed with the insights gained from the chicken project, seamlessly transitioned into mentors for elementary students as part of an enriching embryology project. This initiative was thoughtfully integrated into our high school internship program, skillfully curated by our dedicated 4-H Agent, Samantha Bennett. Notably, some of the chickens raised during this endeavor have been earmarked for our office project this year.

Part 2 – Chicken Processing

 Our dedicated Area Specialized Poultry Agent, Margaret Ross, orchestrated a highly successful poultry processing day to skillfully handle the meat birds cultivated during the 4-H Chicken Project. The processed chickens, a testament to our commitment to community welfare, are generously donated to local food banks across various counties within the Southeast District. This special processing day extends an invitation to the public, offering an invaluable opportunity to learn the proper techniques of chicken processing and the correct utilization of the associated equipment.

Recognizing a burgeoning interest in poultry processing within Jones County, Margaret, through careful consideration prompted by Needs Assessments in the area, spearheaded an initiative to acquire a Mobile Poultry Processing Unit (MPU) for our office. This visionary effort culminated in the successful acquisition of an MPU, complete with essential components such as kill cones, a scalder, a dunker, and a plucker. Now, Jones County residents have the convenience of renting this MPU, enabling them to process their own chickens at their own pace. This initiative has garnered widespread success, with over 40 rentals recorded since its inception last year. Renters consistently express their satisfaction, noting the indispensable role the MPU plays in facilitating efficient bird processing.

Part 3 – The Jones County Food Drive

From October 2nd to November 1st, 2024, our community came together to collect food donations in support of Jones County. Thanks to our Jones County Manager, Kyle Smith, we also hosted a friendly competition between departments, where the department donating the most food would earn an extra 30 minutes for lunch. The focus of our drive was on essential Thanksgiving items, including canned vegetables, stuffing, brownie mixes, cranberry sauce, and more. A special thank you goes to Anna Falat, Teffiney Maready, and Jones County Senior Services for their unwavering support, which helped us not only meet but exceed our collection goal.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Jones County community, we accumulated a wealth of donated items. These, along with locally-sourced whole chickens from our Jones County 4-H Chicken Project, were meticulously packaged for distribution at our free From Seed to Share class on November 13th, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Any surplus donations found a meaningful purpose as they were shared with  The Filling Station in Pollocksville, NC. This effort aimed to support families in need within Jones County, NC.

Part 4  – From Seed To Share Class + Food Box Giveaway

We aimed for 25 participants and successfully signed up 18 interested residents from Jones County, with 14 actively taking part. Before starting the From Seed to Share class, our Area Specialized Poultry Agent, Margaret Ross, and Livestock Agent, Kristi Welke, shared information about where the chickens came from and explained how poultry processing works.

Next, our 4-H Agent, Samantha Bennett, talked about how Jones County 4-H helped raise the chickens for the 4-H Chicken Project. Our Family & Consumer Science Agent, Sarah Ware, covered important food safety tips. The class wrapped up with a discussion on Field Crop Production led by our County Extension Director & Field Crops Agent, Jacob Morgan.

The engagement from our attendees was exceptional. Every participant departed with newfound knowledge about our Jones County 4-H program, poultry processing, food safety practices, field crop production information, a fresh whole chicken, and a box of groceries.

To gauge the effectiveness of our session, we distributed a survey among our 14 attendees. Attendees expressed high satisfaction with both the class and the food box they received. In their feedback, many requested additional classes on topics like grinding wheat into flour, backyard gardening, and harvesting in time for the holidays. We also received valuable constructive feedback that we will take into account when planning next year’s office project.