Supporting Local 4-H and FFA is an Investment in the Future of Ag
In the spring, the state is busy thinking ahead to the growing season and production year. The calves and lambs hitting the ground are the market crop for this fall and the replacement females for next year.
Seed catalogs arrive in the mail and greenhouses go up in parking lots of hardware stores. Equipment for haying and irrigating are dusted off and necessary repairs are made.
A lot of the focus is on the future.
The future of
Wyoming agriculture
Likewise, in Extension offices and high school ag classrooms around the state, young agriculturalists are getting their livestock projects lined out, participating in Youth Quality Assurance training and making plans for other skill-based projects they will exhibit at their county fairs.
Many of these young people will spend their summers working on their family operations to help produce the food, fiber and fuel that drive our local economies.
These youth are the future.
Local 4-H clubs and FFA chapters teach young people in Wyoming communities the value of caring for natural resources on which the nation’s agriculture industry depends, and the activities of these youth development programs would not be possible without ongoing support from local community volunteers and sponsors.
In 2024, Wyoming 4-H had 1,228 certified, screened adult volunteers; 787 five- to seven-year-old “clover buds” and 7,186 active members ages eight to 18.
Each level of membership is supported by generous volunteers and sponsors.
Ways to support
There are many ways to support local 4-H or FFA programs, and they are not all financial in nature.
Fly-Fisherman Allen Gardner once wrote, “Passion that isn’t shared with others is wasted.”
Wyoming 4-H and FFA take a similar approach.
A 4-H program is only as strong as the volunteers and leaders who buy in and help facilitate programs. The 4-H program relies on the expertise of volunteer leaders to support youth development across a wide range of official project areas and programs.
Have a passion for shooting sports, a green thumb, experience with dog obedience or a background raising high-quality livestock?
Volunteers make all the difference in supporting the future of Wyoming agriculture. Some of the greatest support Johnson County 4-H has received has been through volunteers on committees that do the things nobody sees.
Dedicated community members can be found stuffing envelopes, prepping awards for the fair, scoring record books, sitting in on scholarship interviews and in many other ways requiring little to no expertise. The only requirement is someone who cares.
Contact a local University of Wyoming (UW) Extension office to see what volunteer opportunities are available.
To view locations and contact information for UW Extension offices, visit bit.ly/uwe-county.
If time or expertise are limiting, consider financial support. Many Wyoming 4-H and FFA programs offer opportunities to sponsor awards for the county fair to assist with purchasing supplies for specific project areas or to help with scholarship funds.
Although it varies from community to community, a nonprofit organization often formally supports local 4-H or FFA groups. Donations to the local “4-H Advisory Council” or “Friends of the FFA” might have associated tax benefits. Work with a financial advisor to determine eligibility. Every contribution helps.
Many volunteers go above and beyond in other ways unique to their specific community.
Property owners outside of city limits with a little extra room can host livestock or gardening projects for youth who live in town and don’t have access to adequate facilities.
This is especially important for building practical knowledge and understanding in students who are new to agriculture. What better way to teach a young person where their food comes from than to help them grow a tomato in the corner of a vegetable garden or to dedicate an open pen or two to some 4-H steers or lambs?
Benefits and opportunities
Youth in Wyoming 4-H and the Wyoming FFA Association have significant advantages which they have garnered without realizing through their years in the programs.
Not only are youth in these two organizations learning and honing skills in their specific interest areas, but these two agricultural organizations paint much larger pictures in youth development.
This includes networking, because the youth in these programs interact with adult volunteers and passionate people from an array of industries, the extensive network which can be built for a young adult is incredible and civic engagement, as youth in these organizations learn both the impact of community service and servant leadership.
Both organizations understand creating a better life for others, as well as themselves.
Other developmental outcomes 4-H and FFA youth gain compared to those who are not active in similar programs include growing personal standards, social competence, personal responsibility, contribution, purpose, being open to challenges, wellbeing and a sense of belonging.
Beyond this, individuals who complete the 4-H and FFA programs through their senior year in high school increase their scholarship opportunities. Their employment skills are greatly enhanced, and this group is shown to be those who have the most ongoing civic participation.
This is good news for Wyoming agriculturalists. Youth in 4-H and FFA are the next generation of the state’s industry leaders and government officials, and their participation in these programs builds genuine connections to the Wyoming agricultural and business communities.
In this way, an investment in the youth is an investment in Wyoming’s future. What is planted this year by supporting local youth development programs will reap benefits for many years into the future.
Micah Most is the UW Extension agriculture and natural resources educator serving north-central Wyoming and Bryce McKenzie is the 4-H youth development educator serving Johnson County. They can be reached at mmost@uwyo.edu or bmckenz7@uwyo.edu, respectively.
