This last week, my family participated in the Lewis and Clark County Fair.
I am impressed each year with the time and effort 4-H participants invest in their projects and the pride they take when they share their hard work with other 4-H’ers and the general public.
My two children have been active in 4-H for the past five years, which really involves the entire family.
I volunteer my time for a variety of projects that our family and club are involved in, which is time well spent, even though a bit overwhelming during “fair time.”
During the past few years, I have spent more time watching the interactions between 4-H’ers and others and have come to a few conclusions. There are many projects, but I would like to focus on the livestock portion of this program. In my observations, youth enjoy taking care of their animals (although there is some prodding from parents) and showing them off to the fair visitors. People enjoy learning about their animals and gaining a better understanding of the work that is involved to get those animals to market. This is a great asset for agriculture. These young people, whether they continue to be involved in agriculture or not, are great spokespeople and have reached out to many in the community to show animal care is number one. While these young people may only have a few animals, it is reflective of everyday life for ranchers and work involved to produce a great product. Along with sharing their experience, these young participants also gain an understanding of agriculture. Whatever path these youth take, this experience will last a lifetime.