Maryland 4-H visit Wisconsin 4-H in exchange program
The group of 4-Hers posed for a smile on their adventures front row: David Degreenia (left), Joe Whittington, Matt Walz, Beth Bohringer and Kendra Jentz; middle row: Stephanie Groat, Lexi Solley, Sam Barlage, Bea Mumm and Shannon McCabe; back row: Lauren Yearous, Katelyn Zenz, Matt Reimer, Amber Patterson, Maura McCabe, Jenna Whittington and Tova Lindberg. (Submitted photos)
By Addison Mumm
Visiting a different part of America, some Maryland 4-Hers got a good taste of fresh cheese, the best milk and some Wisconsin adventures. Grant County 4-Hers hosted nine Marylanders for a week. On their week agenda in Wisconsin was tubing on the river, touring dairy farms, visiting Wisconsin Dells and, of course, a trip to Culver’s.
Each 4-H group signed up online for a few states they wished they could visit. The Wisconsin group emailed the Maryland group first. When each group agreed to visit the other, the dates were chosen, times were marked and schedules were created.
The Marylanders arrived in Wisconsin on June 23, in Milwaukee. The group traveled to Madison where they met up with the Grant County 4-Hers and took a stroll up and down State Street. From Madison, the Marylanders headed to Grant County to see their Wisconsin homes. The following day, they began their Wisconsin experience.
While the Marylanders enjoyed Wisconsin, the small town Wisconsin 4-Hers learned lifestyles of the urban, east coast residences and how they talk a little differently than we do.
“Stepping on the back of someone’s shoe is called ‘giving them a flat tire,’” said Bea Mumm, of the Blake’s Prairie Bombers 4-H group. “They couldn’t really say many of the cities and towns in Wisconsin. They also said fresh cheese curds were more like sweaty toes than squeaky cheese.”
The Wisconsin 4-Hers weren’t the only ones shocked by the different dialects and ways of speaking.
“I learned a lot about how [Wisconsinites] live and how they say words wrong,” said David Degreenia, who is from Maryland.
Some expectations as Lancaster Active American 4-H member Lauren Yearous explained were “cheeseheads and cows.” That is a pretty accurate assumption about Wisconsin. Yet, the Marylanders got a kick out of the rural lifestyle area residents live everyday.
“There’s a lot of farm land in Wisconsin and more city out here, in Maryland. I loved being in Wisconsin though. I was sad when I got home and did not have anything to do!” said Degreenia.
Considering the lack of farmland in the rural parts of Maryland, the 4-H members there have a different way of tending to and showing their animals.
“The way showing animals works is we own ours and [the Marylanders] lease theirs,” said Yearous.
Wisconsin kids use their animals for food or income, where as most of the Maryland kids just show their animals or have them for fun, said Lexi Solley, a Maryland 4-H member.
Many of the Marylanders enjoyed their time visiting many farms like Majestic View Dairy and Vesperman Farms, riding the ferry in Cassville, visiting the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, Iowa, and the mining museum in Platteville, enjoying the sun at Noah’s Ark and challenging themselves at 4 Mounds Ropes Course.
“I really enjoyed Wisconsin a lot more than I imagined. We had a lot of fun going on the high ropes course, walking down State Street, making splashes at Noah’s art and tubing down the Grant River,” said Jenna Whittington, Maryland 4-Her, said about her experience. “I made life-long friendships with such great people.”
The Grant County 4-H host members will travel to Maryland next summer. Many of the Maryland visitors cannot wait for the Wisconsinites to fly out to the east coast to live a week in their shoes and visit the sites in Maryland.
We hope to show the people the experience of living in a more populated area, said Sam Barlage, a Maryland 4-Her.
“We will show them how to eat crabs!” said Degreenia.
