4-Hers give the gift of trees

A couple of Adair County 4-H members had similar ideas for projects this year and were recognized for these projects recently at the Iowa State Fair.

Nodaway Valley eighth grader Harper Wright and Addison Brewer, 16, who attends Iowa Connections Academy online, each oversaw tree-planting projects in Greenfield to help restore the town’s tree canopy lost due to the 2024 tornado.

“I heard my grandpa (Greenfield Public Works Director Brian Hoadley) used to plant trees out here with my mom (Jessica), so I wanted to raise money to help out here,” Wright said at Lake Greenfield last Sunday. He raised funds through making twist donuts with his aunt Morgan Antisdel at Moe’s RBF. Through that money ensured that 18 trees could be planted at the lake, and his goal is to plant more.

“My mom, grandpa and I all helped,” Wright said. “We dug them first, put the trees in, laid it back out, spread mulch around them. We watered them every day, put posts in and snow fence around them so deer couldn’t get them.”

Wright is the son of Ross and Jessica Wright.

Brewer and her 4-H club, the Summit Superstars, took a slightly different approach. They sought out property owners who lost trees to see if they would like new trees planted and also planted trees at the fairgrounds and in Southside Park, with a grand total of more than 25 trees planted.

“We applied to get a $500 grant, and we got it. We used that money and money we had in our account,” Brewer said. “We planted them all in a day but had it planned for a few months.”

Trees were all purchased locally at Greenfield Home Store and More.

“I drive by here all the time and can say, ‘I planted that tree.’ It’s nice to be able to help as much as I could, even if it was just a tree,” Brewer said. “It’s a lot of work. You can’t just do everything in one day. To pull off a project like this takes a lot, actually.”

Brewer is the daughter of Jason and Melissa Brewer.

Several other 4-Hers brought home awards or ribbons from the Iowa State Fair. Results are as follows:

Taylor Rohrig, top 5 in $20 challenge

Luke Kading, participation award in sr. clothing selection

Paul Kading, excellence award in extemporaneous speaking

Paisley Jorgensen, participation award in Share-The Fun with a vocal solo

Karsi Skellenger, Seal of Merit in working exhibit called “Get Clipped”

Hayden Griffith, excellence award for working exhibit called “Busy Boards”

Carlita and Annie Rubio, excellence award for working exhibit on “Build-a-Bug”

Bailey Dickson, red ribbon for Stages of Corn tri-fold poster

Jaxson Carstens, white ribbon for large farm display

Chloe Ohms, blue ribbon for Have you “herd”? animal science project

Anna Herrick, blue ribbon for boat photo with black mat

Jack Herrick, blue ribbon for photo of architecture

Bailey Breheny, blue ribbon for black-matted photo of dog with a ball

Max Mensing, blue ribbon and Professional Photographers of Iowa Gallery Award for photo of pig in the rain

Kenzie Lilly, blue ribbon for photo of the Loess Hills

Mason Johnson, red ribbon for photo of California beaches

Melanie Kilborn, red ribbon for sunset painting on canvas

Kalvin Johnson, blue ribbon for large barn quilt

Sawyer Clinton, blue ribbon for mountain painting in wood frame

Chase Fecher blue ribbon for visual arts project called “Dorodango”

Anna Herrick, blue ribbon for green and white short dress, tan heels, gold jewelry and a write up

Max Mensing, blue ribbon for angel food cake

Carlita Rubio, blue ribbon for candy cane cookies

Mason Johnson, blue ribbon for chocolate chip gluten free cookies

Anna Herrick, red ribbon for sourdough basics trifold and black folder write up

Dylan Wallace, blue ribbon for wood seat

Addison Brewer, red ribbon for Giving Trees project, with awards from the Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship and Iowa Tree Farm

Jovie Denney, red ribbon for “My VFW Buddy Poppy Project”

Harper Wright, blue ribbon and Iowa Tree Farm Award for Greener Greenfield Lake project

Kenzie Lilly, seal of excellence for green “Lasso your Legacy” poster

Melanie Kilborn, seal of excellence for “Beyond Ready” 4-H poster with a rocket ship

Clinton Sawyer, blue ribbon for silver metal combine welding project

Mark Kilborn, blue ribbon for metal parrot welding project

Connor Beane, blue ribbon for tractor toolbox welding project

Davin Wallace, blue ribbon for wood box with removable lid and write up

Leah Brownlee, blue ribbon for Chevy tailgate wooden bench

Reid Steel, blue ribbon for green 3D printed clover with Adair County Fair

Livestock and horticulture awards from the area are as follows:

Collin Hoakison, purple and third place in market heifers

Alba Gillespie, purple ribbon in 7-9 grade barrel racing

Alba Gillespie, blue ribbon in 7-9 grade flags (modified pattern)

Alba Gillespie, blue ribbon in 7-9 grade pole bending

Bonifacio Rubio III, one purple and one blue, 1st and 2nd place in pumpkins

Carlita Rubio, red ribbon in squash, summer, zucchini, green

Bonifacio Rubio III, red ribbon in basil

Carlita Rubio, third place blue in dill

Bonifacio Rubio III, blue ribbon in jumbo vegetables

Bonifacio Rubio III, 2nd place purple in ornamentals

Carlita Rubio, red ribbon in peppers

Carlita Rubio, 3rd place red in tamatillos and tomatoes

Carlita Rubio, red in vegetable combinations

Lukas James, purple in market meat goat wethers

Davin Wallace, two blue ribbons in black face commercial ewes

Dylan Wallace, two blues in black-face market lambs

Kenzie Lilly, blue ribbon in Berkshire pigs

Hayden Griffith, blue ribbon in Duroc pigs

Taylor Rohrig, purple ribbon in Yorkshire pigs

Taylor Rohrig, blue ribbon in commercial gilts

Chloe Downing, blue ribbon in commercial gilts

Chasse Downing, purple ribbon in commercial gilts

Lukas James, blue ribbon in Berkshire pigs

Sofie Rardin, blue ribbon in crossbred market gilts

Lukas James, blue ribbin in crossbred market gilts

Chloe Downing, purple ribbon in crossbred market gilts

Sofie Rardin, blue ribbon in crossbred market barrows

Kenzie Lilly, blue ribbon in crossbred market barrows

Hayden Griffith, blue ribbon in crossbred market barrows

Lukas James, 1st place purple in crossbred market barrows

Chloe Downing, purple in crossbred market barrows

Chloe Downing, blue ribbon in crossbred market barrows

Taylor Rohrig, champion senior showmanship in swine

Nodaway Valley FFA results are as follows:

Blake Edwards, blue ribbon in purebred breeding gilt

Blake Edwards, blue ribbon in crossbred breeding gilt

Blake Edwards, blue ribbon in swine showmanship

Chloe Rardin, blue ribbon in crossbred market barrows

Ayden Goetz, blue ribbon in market wehters

Ayden Goetz, blue ribbon in carcass show

Jorja Holliday, two purples in Angus breeding classes

Jorja Holliday, blue ribbon in commercial breeding heifers