For the Love of 4-H

4-H has been a passion in our family going back at least 3 generations. 4-H is a program that teaches children, ages 5-18, life skills such as responsibility, quality animal assurance, public speaking, strong morals and values.

Showing livestock is a big responsibility. Our animals rely on us to survive, we are responsible for feeding, watering and grooming them daily. This isn’t just a summer job it is a year round job. Most of the time our animals eat before we eat. To us they are not just animals they are family.

Each animal species is different and has to be trained, groomed, and shown differently. Showmanship is judged on the showman and how they connect with and show their animal. The more hours put in working with your animal the better the connection and the better showman you become. Many think this is the most important part of livestock showing. My son’s favorite species to show is cattle. Here is a video you can watch to learn more about cattle showmanship.

https://youtu.be/u0Y_zgSuXoE

My daughter Addison’s love is her horses. She has no fear and loves to go fast. Her dream is to join the rodeo circuit and become a rodeo queen! She is well on her way!

Our youngest daughter, Kailyn loves to show sheep and hogs. She has a wonderful passion for animals and wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. One of her most memorable moments this 4-H season was observing an autopsy of a ewe who died after giving birth. Not for the faint of heart, for her it has only enhanced her passion of becoming a vet.

4-H isn’t just about livestock. Another part of 4-H are the static exhibits. My kids each sew clothing, fashion modeling, enter baking exhibits and even repurpose furniture projects.

The final piece of 4-H is community service. Our club participates in several community service projects in and around our community. They have packed meals for The Kids Against Hunger Foundation and Catholic Social Services Open Table Program. They also cook and serve meals annually for the Good SAM Jamboree.

To learn more about the 4-H program in your area please visit http://www.4-h.org