Getting young people to retain or develop an interest in some aspect of agriculture is a major thrust of our programming in Boyd County. This is done through various programs throughout the year, such as Kids Day at the Fair and 4-H Farm Field Day.
However the program that had the largest participation jump this year is the 4-H and Youth Livestock Show Program at the Boyd County fair. The number of entries this year jumped to 51 from 14 last year.
I know numbers alone do not show the impact made on these young people, but comments from their parents do. Many parents have noted how their child has become more responsible in other aspects of their lives due to the livestock project.
Comments have also been made as to how the participants seemed to have developed a more mature attitude toward money, such as saving to purchase an animal for next year, or budgeting to buy food for the animal. These life skills being learned will serve these children well as they grow into contributing adult members of our community and society.