4-H and FFA Provide Exceptional Opportunities for Wisconsin’s Youth
In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Responsibility, leadership, hard work and the importance of agriculture are the cornerstones of Wisconsin’s 4-H and FFA organizations.
Blue and Gold
FFA helps build leaders of its members, students ranging in age from 12 to 21. For anyone involved, the iconic blue corduroy FFA jacket immediately conjures images of livestock shows, extemporaneous speeches and greenhouses lined with plant projects. The 252 chapters across the state of Wisconsin strive to develop youth through agriculture education.
Waupun Area Junior/Senior High School FFA helps students learn through hands-on activities.
“FFA provides students with an amazing number of opportunities that range from career to leadership development events, travel and being able to work with a diverse population of people,” says Tari Costello, agricultural educator and FFA advisor at Waupun Area Junior/Senior High School.
See more: Wisconsin Ag Connects Producers to Processors
Growing the Next Generation
At Waupun, more than 400 students are involved in the FFA chapter, though only 30% of those live on farms. The program’s facilities include two greenhouses, animal and aquaponics labs, a farm-to-table classroom, agriculture mechanics shop, school forest and more. At Waupun, students are involved in dairy production, fiber and oil crop production, and more.
FFA allows students to learn, compete and be recognized on a state and national level. It also opens the door for large-scale leadership as an officer. Even if a student isn’t interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, FFA can help them gain useful skills.
“They become better informed about where their food and fiber comes from and the importance of supporting the ag industry,” says Cheryl Zimmerman, the state’s FFA executive director.
Living to Serve
Wisconsin members are committed to embodying the line of the FFA motto, “living to serve,” by giving back to their communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Waupun FFA members sold “Agriculture Strong” signs and were able to donate more than $80,000 worth of food to those in need.
“For me, the most important skills they gain through this program are leadership and community service,” Costello says. “In FFA, they learn that they can make a difference.”
Making the Best Better
4-H shares the tenets of agriculture, leadership, life skills and preparing young people for the future. Unlike FFA, 4-H members can join Cloverbuds at the age of 5 and become full members at the age of 9. Despite aging out of the program at 18, many members remain involved through adulthood.
“4-H is a lifespan program,” says Jill Jorgensen, Wisconsin 4-H youth development outreach specialist. “Everyone is able to find their spark inside and outside of agriculture.”
Megan Salentine is one of those 4-H members who found her niche when her mom got her involved at a very early age.
“4-H means everything to me,” Salentine says. “It has led me to some of the most important people in my life and taught me the life lessons I will carry with me throughout all of life’s challenges.”
Salentine has been an active member of the Kewaunee County 4-H, and she is the president of the Pilsen Skylighters 4-H club. She helps her club with service projects and the county fair and is involved with the county’s dairy and swine projects, cake decorating, quilting and sewing projects. She has had the opportunity to participate in 4-H on a national level at the National 4-H Congress where she serves on the National 4-H Congress Design Team to help plan next year’s event.
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“Just attending National 4-H Congress can be considered as the highlight of one’s 4-H career,” Salentine says. “I attended in 2021 and can completely agree. Now that I get to help plan it, I am proud and excited.”
4-H members learn teamwork, cooperation and perseverance in their clubs and projects.
“We often talk about the 4-H projects being the catalysts to build those needed life skills they will use to find and keep a job,” Jorgensen says. “We want to help young people thrive and become productive, not only in their life now, but good citizens in their community and preparing for their future education and career.”