Breton Homewood is our newest Agent for Lake County Extension. Breton comes to us from Gainesville, Florida, where he completed his Master’s in Sustainable Development Practices. Through the course of obtaining his master’s, Breton did research on gender and nutrition with a grant from USAID in Honduras. Before the University of Florida, Breton was a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, serving as an agriculture extension agent in Paraguay, South America. Many of the family consumer science topics, like beekeeping, bread making, community building, and nutritional classes, were taught by Breton while he was in the Peace Corps. Breton lived and worked in a community of 100 people, in the cow-country part of Paraguay. Despite being from Florida, Breton has also lived for many years in Flagstaff, Arizona, and attended Northern Arizona University there. Breton’s many hobbies include, restoring a 1972 VW Beetle, woodworking project, painting, electronic building and programming, general mechanics, photography, permagardening, beekeeping, and cooking. Breton has already had a successful start here at Lake County facilitating our 4H cloverbuds in a pumpkin painting class. Future plans include beekeeping courses, auto mechanics workshops, bread baking classes, and backyard gardens.

Breton Homewood

Montana State University partners with Lake County and the United States Department of Agriculture to provide quality continuing education programs and services, literally bringing MSU to Lake County, and offering our residents everything the University has to offer through a satellite campus in Ronan. We respond to citizens and stakeholders by developing, implementing and evaluating educational programs that address local needs and issues. Extension agents are continually assessing and responding to educational needs identified by community residents, volunteers, stakeholder groups, representatives of organizations and agencies throughout the county. Supported by Montana State University, programming strengthens Lake County Extension’s goals and objectives that enhance agriculture, natural resource management, community economics, family and consumer science and our crown jewel, 4-H youth development.

Nowhere in Lake County is the influence of 4-H more evident than the Lake County Fair. “The skills and knowledge youth gain from participating in 4-H stay with them throughout their lives,” said Sjaan Vincent, Lake County Fair Board member and 4-H Leader. The dominate and ever-present staple of Lake County fair is the participation of 4-H youth from across the spectrum of backgrounds and age groups who work year-round to prepare projects for competitions that await them when the last lazy days of summer begin to slip away.

Interview Judging – 4-H members personally show and explain to judges what they have studied in their projects to complete the project requirements by visiting with the judge. Skills developed through this type of judging process include self-esteem, communication skills, thought process management and relationship building, as well as being a pleasurable way to share time with all the wonderful 4-H members in Lake County. 10 - Volunteers Helped design and implement the Interview Judging process at the 2019 Lake County fair. 40 – Adult volunteers were trained to be judges for the program 158 – 4H’ers were interview judged 328 – 4-H projects were seen by judges for the interviews

Lake County 4-H-er Kiara Sherman stitches on a wool coat she's making as sewing leader Michal Ann Stedje offers encouragemet and advice.

MSU Extension in Lake County partnered with Western Montana Stockmen’s Association to establish a “Heifer Scholarship” Program. 4-H members ages 10 – 16 are eligible to apply for a yearly heifer supplied by the Stockmen’s Association, to help these young people get involved in the cattle business. 4-H members enrolled in the Beef Breeding project are encouraged to apply, stating their background, available resources, intensions for continuing in the business, and identifying a mentor that can help them make it through the yearly cow production cycle. This program has proved to be a good partnership with MSU Extension Lake County, Western Montana Stockmen’s Association and the youth that are selected to receive heifers as a business scholarship. Inaugural year 2018 – One heifer was awarded Second year 2019 – Eight heifers were awarded 2020 - Fifteen heifers will be awarded to qualified 4-Her’s

Grace Elverud, left, Brooke Jackson, Madisyn Wills, Cloe Barron-Hoover, Brielle Zempel, coleton Sherman, and Kiara Sherman show their Western Montana Stockmen’s Association scholarship heifers at the Heifer Futurity at the 2019 Lake County Fair. Photo by Berl Tiskus

Developing youth leadership is an integral part of the county 4-H program. More than 15 4-H members actively participate in Lake County Ambassadors. Led by adult volunteer Judy Smith, these members are an essential ingredient in the planning and implementation of many 4-H activities, including events during the Fair, Winter Project Day, and the annual Achievement Day. These youth leaders attend 4-H Council meetings where they share their ideas and participate in decision and policy making. In addition, Lake County 4-H Ambassadors attended state programs: Ambassador Leadership Training State Recreation Lab State Congress

Lake County 4-Hers had a plethora of project workshops to choose from during the 2018-19 4-H year. Beginning woodworking, acrylic painting, oil painting, cooking, sewing, photography, fitting and showmanship for market animals as well as goats, cats, rabbits and poultry, Power Tools for Girls, cake decorating, horse, pencil drawing, weaving, and watercolor painting were some of the main workshops.