3 Reasons to Support Youth Agriculture Programs
By: Kaylin Burr
We’ve all probably been around or heard about those “unruly” kids or young adults. The ones that sleep away the day and have their faces buried in their phones. However, there are a select group of kids that are the complete opposite. Those who are involved with youth agriculture programs, like 4-H and FFA, tend to stray away from this typical stereotype. Here are 3 reasons we think it’s important to support them.
Opportunities
Kids in these programs are provided with numerous opportunities to build skills such as leadership, communication, responsibility, time-management, and sportsmanship. Not only are these important skills needed in everyday life, but ones that may not be taught at the same level in school. On top of basic life skills, 4-H and FFA provides an environment for networking, career exploration and even national and international travel. These opportunities aren’t limited to solely benefiting the individual youth either. Many chapters and clubs make it a priority to give back to the community through volunteering and fundraisers. These charitable acts serve as a great lesson on the importance of supporting those in need. Youth agriculture programs like these need companies and individuals willing to help provide youth with these opportunities. Whether sponsoring ribbons, trophies, plaques or even buying a kid’s market animal from the livestock auction, your support is preparing these kids for the future.
Your helpful deed won’t go unnoticed either. The importance of gratitude and thank you notes are ingrained in the participating youth right away. After seeing your name on ribbons, plaques, trophies, and places around the fair, they’ll remember the opportunities you gave them. They’ll view your company with great respect and may even use the services that you provide. Parents, family members, current customers, and prospects are all watching from the sidelines; who doesn’t appreciate a company who is investing in not only the youth but our community?
You’re making a difference
If you feel like you’re just tossing money to these organizations so some kid can have a trophy, you’re not. The experiences, relationships, and skills found in these organizations will be utilized for years to come. You can’t put a price on the smile of a member whose hard work has paid off or the excitement of watching a kid walk into the show ring for the first time.
Your support is helping build the next generation of agriculturists. They will be faced with the daunting task of continuing to connect consumers and the ag industry; which will still be an issue as society gets further separated from the farm. The smallest contributions really do make a difference for kids and the future success of the agriculture industry.
Future employees
If you’ve ever been inside a show barn or house of a 4-H/FFA member you’ll notice a plethora of projects and career based competition materials around. Records will need to be taken, deadlines need to be reached, write-ups for projects need to be written, and livestock needs tended to. Keep in mind, these kids also have school, extracurricular activities, and competitions to attend. Sounds a little bit like a full-time job, right? Kids in these programs learn leadership and soft skills early on. These real world, job-like experiences are giving these kids a leg up on their peers when it comes to entry into the workforce. Plus, as they look to start their careers, they’ll remember the support you provided them during their childhood and how your company continues to support organizations they still believe in. Most likely they’ll be an employee you can trust to go the ‘extra mile.’
Whether your company is big or small, agriculturally based or not, or you’re just a person who wants to contribute, an investment into these kids is something you won’t regret. Investing in youth agriculture programs today is unlocking the industries potential for tomorrow.