In the spring, Wyoming residents are 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 the parking lots of hardware stores. Equipment for haying and irrigating is dusted off and necessary repairs are made. A lot of the focus is on the future.
Wyoming youth are 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 the 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 the young people in our communities the value of caring for the natural resources on which our nation’s agriculture depends. 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 5- to 7-year-old “Clover Buds,” and 7,186 active members ages 8 to 18. Each level of membership is supported by generous volunteers and sponsors.
Ways to support local youth development programs
There are many ways to support your local 4-H or FFA program, and they are not all financial in nature. Fly-fisherman Allen Gardner once wrote, “Passion that isn’t shared with others is wasted. That’s why I teach every one of the people who come…” 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. Do you have a passion for shooting sports, a green thumb, experience with dog obedience, or a background raising high-quality livestock? 4-H relies on the expertise of volunteer leaders with expertise in these areas and others to support youth development across a wide range of official project areas and programs.
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 that nobody sees. Dedicated community members can be found stuffing envelopes, prepping awards for the fair, scoring record books, sitting in on scholarship interviews, and supporting Wyoming youth in many other ways that require little to no expertise. The only requirement is someone who cares.
Contact your local UW Extension office to see what volunteer opportunities are available in your area. To view the locations and contact information for UW Extension offices, visit https://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 the local 4-H or FFA groups. Donations to the local 4-H Advisory Council or Friends of the FFA group 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 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 your vegetable garden or to dedicate an open pen or two to some 4-H steers or lambs?
Benefits and opportunities from participation in 4-H and FFA
Through their years in the programs, youth in Wyoming 4-H and the Wyoming FFA Association have significant advantages that they may have developed without even realizing. Not only are youth in these two organizations learning and honing skills in their specific interest areas, but these two agricultural organizations also paint much larger pictures in youth development.
Key advantages include networking and civic engagement. Because the youth in these programs interact with adult volunteers and passionate people from an array of industries, the extensive network that can be built for a young adult is incredible. Youth in these organizations also learn the impact of community service and servant leadership. Both organizations understand creating a better life for others, as well as for themselves. Other developmental outcomes that 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 these benefits, individuals who complete the 4-H and FFA programs through their senior year in high school also increase their scholarship opportunities. Their employment skills are greatly enhanced, and this group has also been shown to have the most ongoing civic participation.
This is good news for Wyoming agriculturalists. Youth in 4-H and FFA are the next generation of our 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 our own future. What is planted this year by supporting local youth development programs will reap benefits for many years into the future.
From University of Wyoming Extension, Micah Most is the 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.
