Written and submitted by Mupu 4-H
Mupu 4-H is based in Santa Paula, but has members from all over the county.
Mupu’s biggest project is the swine project, with over 40 members raising a pig for the fair this year. The swine project members had a field trip to The Old Fashioned Country Butcher to learn how to make sausage. Each member brought 5 pounds of pork and did the sausage making, mixing, stuffing, and wrapping, themselves under the supervision of Kent Short.
Mupu also has sheep, market goats, and pygmy goats going to the fair. Mupu has award-winning rabbit and cavies projects. Mupu 4-H’ers have won gold medals with their cavies as well as in showmanship judging.
Cooking is also a very popular project with 3 different age groups. Members have learned how to make dinners, desserts, and appetizers. Of course the best part is eating everything at the end of each meeting.
For outdoor activities, the hiking project has been on many great hikes this year. A hike up to the Punch Bowls is always a great adventure. Parents and dogs are always welcome to join in the fun.
The gardening project is in full swing. They have been on field trips, and started their garden a few months ago. The presentation project had many members win gold.
Mupu 4-H members also do a lot of community service. Each meeting they collect donations for Heifer International. This year they collected enough money to donate a flock of ducks, a flock of geese, a flock of chicks, a trio of rabbits, and honeybees. Members participate each year in Relay for Life, walking for 24 hours to raise money for cancer research.
In September, members work on the Coastal Clean-up, and then go to Joe’s Crab Shack for lunch. Santa Paula Beautiful is another clean up day for Mupu where members are active in cleaning up trash in Fagan Park. In October, the club collects canned food for the Rotary Canned Food Drive.
Graduating Mupu 4-H seniors are eligible to apply for the Barbara Wilson-Mupu 4-H Scholarship. This year the winners were Ashleigh Clendening $800, Edward Lopez $700, and Charlotte Ellburg $700. Congratulations!
This article is part of our Featured Club Happenings series in our Ventura County 4-H Clover Lines newsletter. These newsletters and others produced by our office can be found on our website.
