By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

HAMILTON, Ohio — Julie Dalzell has seen many changes in 4-H during the 35 years she has been an Ohio State University extension educator.

Dalzell, who will be retiring this December or in January, started her career in Noble and Jefferson counties. For the last 25 years she has headed up the 4-H program in Butler County.

“The types of projects kids are taking in 4-H have changed,” she said. “While we still have our roots in agriculture, livestock and family consumer science, we’re seeing kids doing things involving science, robotics projects, now.”

Since Butler County has a large population with lots of subdivisions and cities, many 4-H kids now bring small animals to the county fair. Still, many are involved in livestock. At the 2010 Butler County Fair – Dalzell’s last as an extension educator – visitors still saw 300 hogs and 200 head of beef cattle.

“Goats have increased tremendously,” she said. “We had something like 385 goats registered this year. We still have a large horse population, about 250 horses. So we still have lots of animals.

“We’ve had a close working relationship between OSU extension 4-H and the fair board, and I think that helped too; working together and trying to make this a good fair for everybody. We have around 1,350 to 1,400 kids in 4-H; it’s been pretty steady with that number.”

Another change Dalzell noted in 4-H is the competition for kids’ time. When she started, kids were in 4-H or FFA.

“Now these kids are not only in 4-H and FFA and Scouts, but they are in band, sports, dance and they are in gymnastics,” Dalzell said. “And they travel farther. It used to be the highlight of the summer was going to camp and county fair. These kids are going to Europe. It’s a whole different world out there.”

Although funding has dried up with the current economy, Dalzell was grateful to the Butler County commissioners – they have been good to 4-H, she said.

She said she will continue to help out at the fair after retirement. She’ll also probably volunteer at a church or school “because that is something I need to do.

“I will miss the people,” she said. “People have been great. They have kept me going all of these years. The kids have been awesome, watching them grow up and go out and become these outstanding members of society, has been really cool.

“They come back; a lot of the kids from when I started 25 years ago are back with their kids now. That has been fun.”

Dalzell and her husband, Jim, have three daughters; the youngest is a senior at OSU. All three girls went through the 4-H program. A few years ago they presented their mom with a permanent bench at the fairgrounds, inscribed with her name.