By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor
Members of the Texas 4-H Council recently visited Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) headquarters to talk with organization’s staff and exchange ideas on engaging youth in agriculture.
The young leaders said it can be difficult to talk about agricultural issues when so many of their peers have a disconnect from farms and ranches.
But partnerships between organizations like TFB and 4-H can help change that.
“We’re really focused on strengthening and growing our partnership with youth organizations,” TFB Director of Organization Whit Weems said. “We want to ensure we are engaging with students on every level, not only to help them learn where and how their food and fiber are grown, but also to have the confidence and ability to share that knowledge with other young people.”
The meeting kicked off with an overview of TFB’s mission and purpose. The visitors then heard from TFB staff on topics such as successful communication strategies, forming effective partnerships, grassroots policy development, the effect of governmental policies regarding agriculture and how those affect our daily lives as farmers and consumers.
“We talked about emerging issues in agriculture, the importance of getting involved in agricultural advocacy, TFB scholarships and our youth programs and really just anything the students wanted to hear more about,” Weems said.
After the TFB briefing, Council members shared their views on issues and challenges facing their generation and how 4-H has shaped them into better advocates and leaders.
“Through 4-H, you can meet so many different types of people,” Kara Pinkerton, a Smith County 4-H member, said. “4-H is an outlet for anybody and everybody. There are programs in everything from fashion to cooking to showing livestock, and livestock is something that I’m passionate about. That’s something 4-H has inspired me to do—find other people’s passions and help them embrace that.”
Connecting a passion for agriculture to a wider audience is imperative, Hidalgo County 4-H member Cooper Ford said. And participating in 4-H has given him the skills to do that.
“I think one of the best things we can do is just advocating for who we are, believing in ourselves and sharing the true message of what we do and why we do it with the general public,” he said. “It’s been a real honor to wear the green jacket and represent so many amazing individuals from across the state of Texas, and it’s been a great experience to build connections and learn new things.”
Weems said the interaction, dialogue and exchange of ideas between TFB staff and future leaders are important for agriculture to remain sustainable and to help shape TFB’s organizational outreach goals moving forward.
“Our meeting with 4-H gave the kids a chance to learn more about TFB, but it also gave us the opportunity to hear from them about what’s going on with young people and the issues and challenges they see day-to-day,” he said. “We use what we learn to direct our future actions and maybe change some things up to be more effective, so it’s great to hear directly from that audience.”