4-H changed my life

By Duncan Murrell
Posted Friday, March 23, 2007

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Pittsboro, NC - I want to chime in about 4-H. My participation in 4-H, from elementary school age into college, quite literally changed my life, and also brought my family closer together. My sister was just as involved, and both my parents were leaders. I had dozens of projects and, as a suburban kid, not a single animal except for our dog.

However, I learned an enormous amount about agriculture, livestock breeds and characteristics (through judging programs), and rural life because most of my friends were fellow 4-H'ers who lived on farms. 4- H gave me the opportunity to travel the country, and for some of my friends, the world. I also learned about photography and, most importantly for me now, writing. 4-H is an unusual organization in that the members are held responsible for directing their projects and clubs; I know this fostered independence in me.

I've always loved that the very first line of the 4-H pledge is, "I pledge my head to clearer thinking." We desperately need people -- including children -- who can think clearly about this county, the challenges facing agriculture and rural America, and what we can do to get past our squabbles and do something constructive and tangible.

If there's one thing about 4-H that makes it unique, it's this: 4- H'ers do things. They make things, they raise things, they create things, they fix things. A 4-H slogan I remember is Learn By Doing; the 4-H'ers I knew were the type of people who got things done, whether it was setting up a horse show or cleaning streams.