Posted: April 20, 2023
Carson Riley, a 4-H member from Huntingdon County, was selected as a 2023 Georgia Boot Trailblazer — one of seven 4-H members in the country to earn this honor. The prize package contains a pair of Georgia Boots, a $200 gift card to a local feed and hardware store, and other Georgia Boot merchandise.
The contest provides an opportunity for exceptional 4-H members to showcase their project journeys with the Georgia Boot audience through social media channels, email, and the website. Georgia Boot will follow the 4-H'ers as they work on their projects and impact their communities throughout the year.
"I am not what most people think of as a traditional 4-H participant because I do not live on a farm, and I do not have animal science 4-H projects," Riley said. "Therefore, I have adapted to be a 4-H trailblazer in nontraditional ways."
Riley's 4-H projects include vegetable and flower gardening, sport fishing, wildlife conservation, riflery, soap-making, candle-making, crafts, grilling, archery, and other activities. In 2022, Riley earned the 4-H outstanding junior boy award for his age group at the county level. This was due to his dedication to the program, involvement in two clubs, and participation in multiple projects.
"I am making a name for myself by forging my own 4-H path as I climb the 4-H Clover Award ladder," he said.
Riley placed third in the state in the wildlife science division at the 2022 Pennsylvania 4-H wildlife and forestry educational field day, where teens could compete in knowledge and skills tests to qualify for national 4-H competitions.
"I would have loved to go to the national competition, but I was not old enough to participate," he said. He plans to compete again this year.
"I've noticed that Carson takes advantage of many opportunities that come his way," said Christine Corl, Penn State Extension 4-H youth development educator in Huntingdon County. "As a young person, he is discovering his potential and trying new things, and the supportive environment of 4-H is an ideal safety net for him."
Riley said he is most looking forward to his 4-H vegetable gardening project this year. "I am going to expand our garden, create a new garden, and partner with my neighbors to plant pumpkins in their field," he said. "My goal is to plant new varieties of vegetables that I have never grown before."
In the fall, Riley harvested pumpkin seeds to plant this spring in his new 4-H pumpkin patch. He collected, dried, and sorted approximately 100 varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds from his neighborhood. "I will enter the pumpkins I grow at my local county fair with my other vegetables," he said. "I hope to sell lots of pumpkins this fall."
For his trailblazer project, Riley will focus on the pumpkin harvest and provide progress updates and photos to Georgia Boot throughout the year.
Riley noted that 4-H helped improve his public speaking skills. "When you first show up to a meeting, they ask you to say your name into the microphone," he said. "I was absolutely terrified of doing that. But now I have no issue getting up and speaking in front of my club and groups of people. 4-H also helped me to become more mature and more involved in my community."
Riley's mother, Deb Riley, pointed out the prestige associated with 4-H. "Kids that come out of this program have great leadership qualities," she said. "I think that is going to be a great asset for him for his resume and college applications. It will automatically suggest that he is a mature and responsible leader. The program speaks for itself, but I’m proud that he is so involved, and it's really doing wonders for him."
Corl also praised Riley's achievement, as well as the dedication of the county's 4-H volunteers.
"It's fantastic that any of our Huntingdon kids have received national recognition, not only for our county program but also for themselves personally," she said. "This recognition can serve as a valuable addition to their resumes and as an experience builder for their future endeavors. It demonstrates not only the achievement of the students, but also the level of support they receive from the volunteers in our county. I'm proud to say that our program's success is largely due to the enthusiastic volunteers who support our kids."
Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth-development program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps young people develop knowledge and skills to become capable, caring, and contributing citizens. To find your local program, visit the Pennsylvania 4-H website.
