Morrisville--Holly Ferris has been named the new University of Vermont (UVM) Extension 4-H educator for Caledonia and Lamoille Counties. She will be based in the UVM Extension Office in Morrisville.

Ferris comes to the job with more than 25 years' experience in 4-H as a member, leader and volunteer. In addition to serving as the 4-H educator for two counties, she is the Vermont 4-H Shooting Sports Program coordinator and works with FIRST Robotics in Vermont, a robotic and engineering program run in collaboration with the UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.

The New Jersey native grew up in a 4-H family, belonging to a wide variety of clubs including dairy, sheep, home economics, clowning, boating, martial arts and community service. As a 4-H'er, she attended numerous state and regional events, as well as National 4-H Conference, Citizenship Washington Focus, National Dairy Conference, National Dairy Judging and National 4-H Congress in Chicago.

Ferris was a member of a 4-H exchange club and part of the Somerset County 4-H exchange program, traveling to a dozen states and staying with 4-H host families to learn about 4-H in different parts of the country. Her family also hosted international students through 4-H international exchange programs.

The 4-H educator has been active in Lamoille County 4-H for the past 13 years as a parent and leader of the Lamoille Localvores 4-H Club. Through 4-H, she met her husband, Tim, who was a member of a 4-H herpetology club. They both served as camp counselors at Lindley G. Cook 4-H Camp in Branchville, New Jersey, and were married at the camp.

Ferris holds a bachelor's of science degree in biology from Elizabethtown College with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine and an associate's degree in applied science in veterinary technology from Bel-Rea Institute, Denver. She also studied visual arts and environmental studies at Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education in Cheltenham, England.

In addition to her new job with UVM Extension, Ferris is a co-owner with Tim of Wandering Roots, a pick-your-own blueberry farm in Fletcher. She is a Cambridge Conservation commissioner, Peter Krush Nature Preserve steering committee member and an advisory board member of The Farm Between, Sterling College's teaching farm and nursery.  

Ferris can be reached at holly.ferris@uvm.edu or (802) 888-4972.