With COVID safety measures in place, Orleans County 4-H members gathered in November for two annual in-person events – the Produced in New York silent cooking competition and Holiday Workshops.
Both programs were held in person in the Trolley Building and the Education Center on the 4-H Fairgrounds. “We strictly followed COVID safety protocol with distancing, hand sanitizing, and masks,” says Kristina Gabalski, 4-H Program Coordinator. “We had to make adjustments to the Produced in New York program, in particular. Gloves and masks had to be worn at all times; all recipes tasted by evaluators had to be prepared on-site; and we did not allow any additional sampling of the recipes.”
Both events had about a dozen youth participate. “Participation was lower than in a typical year,” Gabalski says, “but it worked well with COVID safety measures. Participants in the Holiday Workshop program were able to have materials provided to them in take-away kits if they did not feel comfortable participating in person.”
Produced in New York celebrates New York agriculture and provides an opportunity for youth to demonstrate their food preparation skills. “Recipes this year included Pumpkin Crunch Cobbler, Strawberry Buttermilk Cake, and Gluten-free Goulash,” Gabalski says. “Participants who earn the highest combined scores are eligible to participate in Produced in New York at the New York State Fair, which we hope will be held in late summer of 2021.”
Holiday Workshops are typically a lead-up to the annual Holiday Faire event on the first Saturday in December. “We were not able to hold Holiday Faire this year, but the Holiday Workshop event was easy to adapt with distancing and safety measures. Participants registered to complete up to four holiday-themed craft projects,” Gabalski explains. “Those projects typically are shown at the Holiday Faire event, but youth can save them in hopes of being able to show them at the 4-H Fair in July, or they can give them as gifts to friends and family now.”
Participants say they enjoyed both events. Sarah Mathes and Taylor Soule, both 15 years old and from Barre, each took part in Produced in New York and Holiday Workshops. “It was nice to be able to get out and do something,” they both said.
Provided information and photos
