Mercer County 4-H Fair honors Burns with award

Marty and Tyler, operating as Team Running on EMpty, pull a goat cart around the Mercer County Fairgrounds. They are owned by Joan Davis of Cross Rock Farm. (Photo by Jane Primerano)

HOPEWELL — Longtime 4-H leader Christine Burns received the first ever “Head, Heart, Hands and Health” award from the Mercer County 4-H Fair on Saturday, July 30 at Howell Living History Farm.
Chad Ripberger, county 4-H agent, saluted Burns’ 18 years in Mercer County 4-H, starting when the eldest of her three sons started. “She was involved in a lot of kids’ lives,” said Ripberger, who has led the Clever Clovers small animal group ever since.
Ripberger said the award will now be given every year to a parent involved on the fair committee or in a leadership role. Opening ceremonies at the fair also included a presentation by Sumedha Sabbani, founder of the Robbinsville Innovators Club.
The club has a tent at the fair demonstrating technology projects. She explained how “the most important thing 4-H taught me is how important it is to give back to the community.”
In addition, Pete Watson, an operator of the farm, thanked the 4-Hers and visitors for coming and spoke about the importance of teaching people about taking care of animals, plants and the environment.
The tents at the fair were full of information. One of the most enthusiastic vendors was Renata Barnes of the Outdoor Equity Alliance and the Ojama Cooperative Farm Collective. Barnes enthusiastically introduces consumers to the people who produce their food, emphasizing the farmers who come from marginalized communities whether Black, Asian, Indigenous or from any other group.
Joan Healthy from the county Extension office Farm and Community Health Sciences division was also teaching visitors, especially children, about healthier eating.
The standard Mercer County Fair activities were there: pony rides, hay rides, archery, chances to pet 4-H animals and, of course, ice cream made on site.