By Cassie Dugan
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When many Carmelites hear the word Noblesville tossed into conversation, they smile and crack a joke about farming or agriculture. Some use words like “Nobletucky” to describe the community’s resemblance to agricultural Kentucky. However, despite its proximity to Noblesville, very few, if any people use the term “Carmeltucky” to describe Carmel. For this reason, sophomore Erin Vollmer sticks out from the crowd because of her long-term involvement in 4-H.

Vollmer, who is president of her local 4-H club, said, “(My group) is definitely on the smaller side. We have about 20 people or so.”

Groups are divided based on district. Vollmer’s group meets at Gray Friends Church and includes students from Carmel, Westfield and other neighboring cities. She said she thinks this may account for the small group number.

4-H is a large group of individuals who participate in various agriculturally-based activities. This involves participating in projects that are shown off at fairs such as the ones for county and state. 4-H also includes community service and leadership outings. The club also helps its members decide what they want to pursue as a career by letting them try and experience all categories of interests.

“It is unique because there is so much opportunity for whatever you want to do,” Vollmer said. “It helped me decide that I want to be a teacher, for example.”

Vollmer said that some projects she has participated in before include photography, food and animal projects.

Another reason Vollmer stands out in Carmel is because of her hobby, showing llamas.

“I have been showing llamas since my first year of being in 4-H (about eight years ago). Then I moved to a bigger group outside of 4-H,” Vollmer said.

At a 4-H llama show there are three different obstacle courses. Public relations include mirrors and “petters,” while field obstacles include jumping and weaving. The third obstacle requires the llama shower to be able to back up their llama and pick up its feet. Showers and their llamas are also judged on showmanship. Winners receive blue, red and white ribbons and are awarded through 10th place.

“Most people in our group are from Westfield and Noblesville where there are more farms,” Vollmer said.

Although Carmel has few farms or farming land today, Fran Rushing, AP Environmental Science teacher who teaches a unit about land use, said that Carmel once was very similar to Noblesville’s landscape.

“Within the past 10 years the population in Hamilton County has literally exploded. Because of that, the farming community is dwindling, especially in Carmel,” Rushing said. “Because Carmel is locked up and has just about filled up all its land, it’s not completely unusual that there are not many farms around anymore.”

According to www.ci.carmel.in.us, Quakers once inhabited this area, and Carmel was once completely agricultural. However, now because of the population boom and rapid growth of Carmel, that landscape has been pushed out of the way by newer, more modern consumer attractions.

“Whenever I’m talking about [4-H], people are like ‘what is that?’ I kind of don’t like saying it because no ones knows what it is, so I have to explain it,” Vollmer said. Having been a part of 4-H for eight years, and a part of mini 4-H, for three years, Vollmer has committed a great deal of time and effort to the group and activities. In her opinion, regardless of what may be the norm at CHS, 4-H has provided some of the best times of her life.

“Everyone is so nice there,” she said. “It teaches respect and responsibility, and that’s good stuff.”

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4-H BY THE NUMBERS

• Oct. 8: The date of the first annual 4-H National Youth Science Day
• 3000: The number of counties involved with the 4-H program
• The number of land grant universities in the United States in association with 4-H