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Eleven-year-old enthusiastic about 4-HNebraska Noah Spagnotti participates in plenty of activities as a member of Nance County 4-H clubs The Westerners and Hot Shots. And though he does so much, there's still many activities and projects available for him through 4-H. Spagnotti, 11, already takes part in cooking, knitting and livestock breeding, among other activities such as community service projects, through 4-H. "I just think 4-H is really fun," said Spagnotti, who lives outside of Fullerton. "You can learn lots of stuff." But Spagnotti said he had the most fun at a 4-H summer camp. While at the camp at Whispering Cedars near Genoa, he learned about birds, rode down water slides, helped produce plays and rode a zipline. "4-H is just so much fun because there is so much fun stuff to do," Spagnotti said. "I don't know why not to like 4-H." Spagnotti's mother, Linda Spagnotti, said 4-H has been a good influence on her son. She said that because 4-H isn't segregated by age, her son has gained confidence from working with those with different ages and interests. "It's a good teacher for how to get along with other people," Linda Spagnotti said. Sonya Glup, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension assistant in Boone, Nance and Merrick counties, said Spagnotti is always enthusiastic about 4-H. "He always has a smile on his face," Glup said. "He's just so energetic about what he's done." But from all 4-H has given him, Spagnotti has also given back. Spagnotti has been raising his own flock of Jacob sheep to show at his county fair in July. "I'm trying to bring them back to higher numbers," Spagnotti said. "They're an endangered breed." He said he discovered the type of sheep after knitting projects interested him in how yarn is made from wool, and he thought the animals were cool. His family had to go to South Dakota to find a starter flock of Jacob sheep. Also, Spagnotti and two of his brothers appeared on the cover of a Norfolk Daily News 4-H Week Special Edition. The boys were nominated for the article by Glup for having the best education presentation at the Nance County 4-H Presentations Contest. His presentation was about how to make a healthy snack. Glup said she has seen how much Spagnotti liked 4-H and especially the 4-H camp experience. Spagnotti is encouraging his four younger siblings to go to the camp when they're old enough. He also wants to be a counselor at the camp when he is old enough. "He is not afraid to try anything," Glup said. Linda Spagnotti said 4-H has a great diversity of projects that allows her son to explore whatever he desires. She said it helps that 4-H is organized well. "It's really a road map to success," she said. Glup said she agrees. "No matter where you live, 4-H has something to offer everybody," Glup said. "There's a wide range of projects for kids to take advantage of. I encourage kids to locally take a look at what we do." Nebraska 4-H and UNL Extension are part of the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. For more information about 4-H, contact a local UNL Extension office. 6/30/08 Date: 7/17/08
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