Tennessee 4-H Foundation News Archives

Alumni Reunion Meets Volunteer Jam

4-H transcends generations, and the Tennessee 4-H Alumni and Friends Reunion serves as proof. The 2023 annual event, held in March at the Wilson County Expo Center in Lebanon, honored National 4-H Congress delegates from 1973, 1983 and 1993 and presented Martha Jo Tolley this year’s 4-H Alumni Leadership Award. Tolley is a professor emeritus and a former state 4-H leader who now serves on the Tennessee 4-H Foundation board. Trousdale County Mayor Jack McCall, a former 4-H participant and longtime program

Hannah Lewis2023-08-29T09:03:46-05:00

UT System President Randy Boyd Is a Friend of 4-H

Before becoming president of the University of Tennessee (UT) System, Randy Boyd was familiar with 4-H but didn’t have a true grasp of the breadth and size of the state’s program or its impact on Tennessee youth. “When I became president, I made a commitment to visit all Extension offices across the state’s 95 counties and got to visit with the 4-H leader at each one,” Boyd says. “I became fascinated with all the incredible programs 4-H offered.” Agriculture Is Just the

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T12:25:59-05:00

Tennessee 4-H Roundup Celebrates a Centennial

Celebrations for the long-awaited 100th Tennessee 4-H Roundup and All-Star Conference are taking place at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus July 17-21, 2023. This year’s event is centered around the theme “Encourage, Empower, Embrace,” with a focus on the Centennial Celebration and recognition of past Roundups with festive décor and an exciting schedule to honor the past and build excitement for the future of Tennessee 4-H. The Roundup Planning Committee has been working tirelessly to ensure the event and all the

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T12:25:32-05:00

Attend the 4-H Picnic at the Fair

On Aug. 22, 2022, the Tennessee 4-H Foundation hosted the inaugural Picnic at the Fair in conjunction with the Wilson County Fair – Tennessee State Fair. This unique event was created to bring the 4-H community together for a fun day at the fair while also raising funds for 4-H camp and educational conference scholarships. Over 350 guests attended and helped to raise over $35,000, which provided each county in the state with a camp scholarship to award to a deserving 4-H

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T12:30:56-05:00

Officers Elected at the 76th Annual 4-H Congress

At the 76th Annual Tennessee 4-H Congress in March 2023, delegates from across the state cast their votes for this year’s new officers. As the premiere citizenship event for freshmen and sophomores, Congress is a valuable learning experience for students interested in politics and beyond. The new officers are Governor MaeLee Williamson, Speaker of the House Alex Snodgrass and Speaker of the Senate Grace Huff. At Congress, the officers had a chance to meet with students from across the state. Delegates were

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T12:35:02-05:00

Meet 4-H Alumnus Josh Webber

For Josh Webber, Chief Operating Officer of Property and Casualty Operations at Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, 4-H was a gateway to travel, friendships and a steady professional career. Early Influences “I was a nontraditional 4-H candidate,” Webber says. Growing up in Cookeville, Webber didn’t have an agricultural background. It was through a close friend from a farming family that he started to take an interest in agriculture. Then, in 7th grade, Webber entered an essay contest sponsored by the Tennessee Arabian

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T12:31:19-05:00

Discover 4-H Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are integral to all parts of Tennessee’s 4-H program – from county to regional and state events, and in all 29 program areas. “Adults often think working with youth will be difficult and require lots of time. Some may even think youth won’t be interested in what they have to offer. However, it is quite the opposite,” says Tonya G. Bain, Western Region Extension area specialist. 4-H focuses on life skills from livestock to leadership, community service to communication and fashion

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T12:40:51-05:00

4-H Members Learn Lifelong Skills at the Fair

In Tennessee, 4-H and the fair are synonymous with summer, from Ferris wheels and funnel cakes to 4-H members highlighting their skills and keeping everything running smoothly. In 2021, the Wilson County Fair and the Tennessee State Fair joined their efforts to make one outstanding fair called the Wilson County Fair - Tennessee State Fair. Combining two fairs offers growth opportunities and steps up the competition. All county fair participants are asked to bring their winning entries from the prior year to

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T15:50:30-05:00

4-H Programs Continued Through Covid

In 2020, for the 111,000 4-H’ers across 95 counties in Tennessee, the COVID-19 pandemic left an impact that changed how the organization operated in the 2020-21 year – and will continue to operate moving forward. Emily Barton has been a 4-H Extension agent for six years in both Carter and Hawkins counties and, before that, was a member in grade school. She says 4-H helped her break out of her shell and find a group where she felt comfortable being herself. When

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T15:22:38-05:00

Katie Collins is a Role Model for All 4-H’ers

Katie Collins has lived in the same house in Charlotte, Tennessee, since the day she was born. She grew up surrounded by 800 acres as part of a century farm family. The Daniels Dairy farm, started by her mother’s side of the family, has been in operation for over 100 years and manages about 200 cows. Some of their land is also used for soybeans and corn. Collins loves being outside among the animals, riding her four-wheeler, and spending time with friends

Hannah Lewis2023-07-18T15:15:00-05:00