CROSS COUNTY — Liberty Witcher of the Delta Ridge 4-H Club is the Cross County Farm Bureau’s 4-H Student of the Month for September. Liberty is the daughter of Kent and Stacy Witcher of Cherry Valley. She is a ninth-grade homeschool student and has been involved in 4-H for eight years.
During her time in 4-H, Liberty has held several offices. She currently serves as her club’s intermediate vice president and as the Cross County 4-H secretary. She is also a member of the inaugural class of Arkansas 4-H Intermediate youth. As part of the program, she attended Spring Training and The Bridge, an event for intermediate members.
Liberty’s 4-H projects include poultry science, food preservation, community service, and leadership. Earlier this year, she won first place at the Cross County Poultry BBQ Contest and second place at the Delta District Poultry BBQ Contest. At Delta District O-Rama, she placed first in the Crop and Weed Identification competition.
Liberty also served as captain of the “Cherry Valley Cooks” team for the Arkansas 4-H Food Challenge. Liberty and her teammates Eden Osgatharp, Esther Osgatharp, and Felicity Witcher won first place at both the district and state competitions. They were the first team from Cross County to win at either level.
Liberty is currently participating in the Arkansas 4-H Mission Extreme program. She applied and was selected for the program along with only 10 other youth from across the state. The program is a partnership with NASA. At each meeting, students learn about thriving in extreme environments and participate in a Zoom meeting with their NASA scientist mentor.
Liberty is also a member of the Arkansas 4-H Tech Changemakers team. As a member, she has attended numerous training sessions and led programs for both youth and adults. She has presented to 4-H clubs; at regional- and state-level Extension Homemakers events; at Arkansas Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers and Women’s Leadership conferences; and at the Arkansas State Fair.
Liberty is also actively involved with fairs across the state. She is a junior board member of the Three County Fair and recently earned several blue ribbons and Best of Show honors at the Cross County Fair. Earlier this month, Liberty guided second-grade students from Cross County Elementary and Wynne Primary through the indoor exhibits at the Cross County Fair. In the coming weeks, Liberty will attend the Northeast Arkansas District Fair and the Arkansas State Fair.
Outside of 4-H, Liberty is a member of Northeast Arkansas Christian Home Educators, where she serves on the yearbook staff. She also frequently volunteers at the Hickory Ridge Food Pantry. Each year, Liberty joins a group that sings Christmas carols at nursing homes, Wynne City Hall, the Cross County Sheriff’s Office, the Cross County Courthouse, the Wynne Fire Department, and various businesses throughout the county. She attends Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church in Wynne, where she is an active member.
