Gould and Yeager honored as outstanding 4-H agriculture volunteer
Print
EmailRick Gould and Kevin Yeager of St. Joseph County was among five Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recipients honored in 2024.
Rick Gould and Kevin Yeager of St. Joseph County was among five Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recipients honored on Sept. 21 during the Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration. The event was hosted by Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan 4-H Foundation in East Lansing.
The award recognizes the outstanding youth education and leadership development achievements of Michigan 4-H volunteers in the beef cattle; dairy cattle; goats; horses; horticulture, crops and soils; poultry; rabbits; sheep; swine; and veterinary science project areas. Honorees receive $1,000 grants they can use for training, to buy supplies or curriculum, or to enhance local or statewide programming.
Anyone in the St. Joseph County 4-H swine project area who has questions knows who to ask: two-year volunteer Gould and 36-year volunteer Yeager. This dynamic duo collaborates to support 4-H’ers in St. Joseph County’s 4-H swine project. Whether they’re helping a 4-H’er find their next fair project animal, helping another increase the growth rate of their pig, or teaching a third about proper swine care, Gould and Yeager make learning fun and get 4-H’ers excited about raising hogs.
To promote the swine industry, Gould and Yeager take time to teach young people in several settings, including the Burr Oak 4-H Club, the Rolling Clovers 4-H Club, and countywide meetings. They cover many swine industry topics such as feeding and caring for hogs, meat cuts, swine body parts, pig breeds, showmanship, and animal selection. They embody the 4-H pledge in their efforts, sharing their knowledge with 4-H’ers (head), truly caring about 4-H’ers and their hogs (heart), giving their time and talents to help 4-H’ers (hands), and teaching 4-H’ers about animal nutrition (health).
“My greatest reward is seeing the kids excel not only at the county level but at the state level as well,” said Yeager. “Being able to see them gain confidence in themselves as they progress through the years to the end of their 4-H experience. They have then returned as leaders themselves!”
Beyond exemplifying excellent leadership skills themselves, Gould and Yeager also help the 4-H’es they work with become young leaders. They encourage members to apply for 4-H State Awards and to engage in other new and exciting opportunities. Thanks to Gould and Yeager’s mentoring, many 4-H’ers in the swine project have in turn learned to help others and take on additional responsibilities for the project. These far-reaching effects, which started with Gould and Yeager’s service, will benefit the community for many years to come.
“It is so rewarding when you see the kids use something you taught them in the showring and then they come out of the ring with that big smile, knowing they did great,” said Gould.
The other 2024 recipients of the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Awards are Donna Budd of Wayne County, Charity Hackett of Berrien County, Angela of Washtenaw County and Mandy Rogers of Washtenaw County. The award is supported by an endowment with the Michigan 4-H Foundation that was established by Michigan Farm Bureau. To learn more about the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award and awardees visit https://mi4hfdtn.org/4-h-emerald-awards/michigan-farm-bureau-4-h-excellence-in-agriculture-award/.
Other honorees recognized at the 2024 Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration included partners receiving the Michigan 4-H Citation Award, inductees into the 2024 class of the 4-H Emerald Clover Society, volunteers awarded the Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards, 50-year 4-H volunteers, winners of the MSU 4-H Scholarship, and retiring 4-H staff.
The Michigan 4-H Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that supports Michigan 4-H Youth Development. For more information about the Michigan 4-H Foundation, visit www.mi4hfdtn.org. Michigan 4-H Youth Development is the youth-serving program of MSU Extension. Nearly 135,000 youth are involved in 4-H with the support of 8,000 adult volunteers. For more information about Michigan 4-H, visit www.4h.msue.msu.edu.
