A group of local 4-H team members captured state honors in Forestry Judging and will go on to represent both Carter County and the State of Tennessee in the national competition.

The Carter County 4-H Forestry Judging Team captured top honors at the Tennessee State 4-H Forestry Judging contest held recently at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Members of the team are Kaci Ritchie, John Tapp, Haley Rankhorn, and Alayna Turbyfield.

“They are a hard-working group, that is one thing that stands out about them,” said Carter County 4-H Extension Agent Emily Barton. She said the students put in long hours and a lot of work preparing for the state competition.

Buddy Farmer, Bill Meredith, Keith Hart, and Jesse Carr served as the coaches for the team. Barton said several of the coaches have served with the program since the 1980s and one of the coaches competed in forestry judging while in 4-H and then decided to come back to serve as a coach for the next generation of students.

“4-H Forestry Judging team members learn to identify various Tennessee trees, identify forest insects and diseases, and wood samples,” Barton said. “They also learn to measure standing timber to determine the board feet of lumber.”

“In addition, they develop teamwork skills by working as a team to complete a forest site evaluation using a landowner scenario to determine the best use of forest resources,” Barton added.

In addition to the team capturing first place, team member Haley Rankhorn was recognized for individual achievement in the contest. Rankhorn scored as the 3rd highest individual in the competition.

The first place win qualifies the Carter County team to represent both their county and their state at the National 4-H Forestry Invitational competition, which will take place in West Virginia in July 2018. The last time a Carter County team won the state competition and went on to compete in nationals was about 10 years ago. Barton said the students were proud to bring the state title back to Carter County again.

“The team members would like to give a special thank you to their coaches, families, and donors who have contributed to their success and continue to support them as they prepare for the National 4-H Forestry Invitational,” Barton said.

According to Barton, taking part in 4-H judging teams and shows teaches youth life skills in areas such as ethical decision making, teamwork, responsibility, and communication as well as the knowledge they gain in their specific area.

For more information about Carter County 4-H and 4-H judging teams, contact the Carter County UT Extension Office at 423-542-1842 or e-mail Emily Barton at ebanks3@utk.edu.