By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Liberty 4-H'ers learn to be better consumers
4-H consumer skills
Liberty County 4-Hers who competed in an area Georgia 4-H Cotton Boll and Consumer Judging contest earlier this month in Lyons were junior team members Kaden and Landon Peyton, and senior team members Jonathan Adams, Nadia Crowley, Kelly Lachowsky and Sophia Rodriguez. - photo by Photo provided.

With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, the holiday shopping season has officially started.

And six Liberty County 4-H’ers recently attended contests to help them learn to make knowledgeable, rational decisions when buying goods and services.

The Georgia 4-H Cotton Boll and Consumer Judging contest helps 4-H’ers develop decision-making and evaluation skills, according to Liberty County 4-H leader Gypsy James. The contest is made up of two competition areas: judging classes and cotton promotion.

The 4-H members judge four classes of consumer items or services. Each class contains four similar items and has an accompanying situation statement. The statements describe a consumer and give the needs to be considered when he/she decides to buy something. Factors influencing these needs may include the person’s age, gender, available money, lifestyles, school or job status, preferences or other requirements that depend on the item given and the individual in the situation. This year, students evaluated bathrobes, sleeping bags, wearable technology and granola/breakfast bars.

The second part of the competition involves students learning about cotton as an agriculture commodity and promoting cotton through an original commercial or speech.

The contests were earlier this month. Liberty County 4-H’ers competed in an area contest in Lyons. Junior team members were Kaden and Landon Peyton. Senior team members were Jonathan Adams, Nadia Crowley, Kelly Lachowsky and Sophia Rodriguez. James coached both teams.

"It’s more than just saving money," she said. "It is about teaching these young people how to properly evaluate items and make sound decisions. Being able to stand in a department store and buy the best product for your requirements can benefit you throughout your life."

Liberty County 4-H offers a variety of educational and competitive events for youth in grades K-12. For more information, call 912-876-2133 or email uge3179@uga.edu.

The next judging team for 4-H youth will be poultry judging in the spring.

Sign up for our e-newsletters