The Middle Park 4-H program recently welcomed Lacy Stovner in her new position as the 4-H project coordinator.
Lacy is no stranger to the world of 4-H. She grew-up in a small town in Idaho and was active in horse 4-H. She honed her knowledge of horses in horse bowl and hippology (an Equine Veterinary and Management Knowledge Contest used in 4-H and FFA). She also competed in speech and presentation and showed market pigs.
As an adult, Lacy was hired as a 4-H coordinator in Adams County in Idaho where she organized and oversaw the 4-H program.
“I loved my job then and was excited to have the opportunity to get back into a similar position,” she says.
Lacy and her husband Luke moved to Kremmling last September. Luke had owned and operated a septic company, but wanted to relocate to Kremmling to begin a career with Alpine Motor Sports and VOHK Performance. VOHK is known world-wide for its contribution to the snowmobile industry and Luke was very excited to have the opportunity to work directly with Erik Woog.
Lacy was supportive of Luke and saw Kremmling as a place of interest and as a place they could build a life. Originally, she worked at Bank of the West, but responded to her love of 4-H when the Grand County position was posted.
In her new role, Lacy’s first project is to make sure classrooms throughout Grand County are ready for the annual embryology unit. Lacy will ensure that classrooms across the county who participate in the embryology unit will have fertilized eggs, incubators, and that the teachers will have the resources to teach the unit, and hopefully, it will end with students being able to watch chicks being hatched.
“I love it when kids learn. It is fascinating to watch them. We take it for granted as adults, but for them it’s all new,” she says.
In addition to being a classroom resource for the Grand County schools, Lacy hopes to be able to grow the 4-H program at the east end of the county and broaden how people view 4-H.
“Many people still have the misconception that 4-H is only for those who want to raise animals, but there are so many general projects that kids can take,” she says. “I hope to grow the program in a way that reaches a more diverse group, and to change the perceptions of what 4-H is for.”
Lacy also plans to use her background in 4-H to help grow the horse programs and expand the skill levels of young equestrians. “I want them to have the skills and foundation to be able to move forward to new challenges with confidence,” Lacy explained of her hopes to expand the horse program. In her horse 4-H project, Lacy competed in both western and English classes. She has a broad range of experiences – hunter jumper, dressage, western horsemanship, trail and showmanship. She also enjoyed the games and speed events and continues to barrel race as an adult.
“I am excited to be able to contribute to the Grand County 4-H Program. We strive to grow confident, capable, productive youth who will continue to contribute to their communities long after their 4-H years have ended,” Lacy says.
Travis Hoesli, CSU Extension office director, says, “We are excited to have Lacy join us. She has a strong background in 4-H and here knowledge and experience will be an asset to the position and our programs.”
The CSU Extension Office is located in Kremmling and the deadline for enrolling in 4-H is approaching. For more information, call 970-724-3436.
