Youth Development (Sierra County)

At the request the 4-H advisory committee the agent has continually hosted educational trainings and competition for County, District, and State 4-H competitions. Youth have participated in these trainings to better educate themselves on livestock evaluation, horticulture, insect identification, wool evaluation, crops identification, and rangeland plants. Over 40 youth have annual participated and gained knowledge in their respective areas. In the livestock competitions youth have continually increased their knowledge and skill with hands-on trainings that evaluate livestock animals for market and breeding traits that are desirable in the livestock industry. Youth have increased their knowledge as much as 50% according to score results at competitions and gained knowledge about livestock anatomy and physiology, breed characteristics, management, marketing, and public speaking through presentations. A senior age youth that continually participated in the program will usually obtain scholarships to college and universities and develop a mastery level of knowledge in their respective competitions. During 2007 two graduating seniors received scholarships to universities and are participating in competitions nation wide. These programs offer a valuable skill level that will assist these youth in a related agricultural career later in life and develops critical decision making skills that are essential for success.

Only two percent of the U.S. population currently deals on the regular bases with agriculture and many youth in Sierra County do not know where there food comes from. In an effort to educate youth in Sierra county of the importance of their food supply the agricultural community along with leadership from the agent have banned together to create an annual Agricultural day for community youth. The impact that this program offers to Sierra County youth is the basic understanding of the different aspects of Sierra County agriculture such as wool production, honey production, the importance of insects and their control, farm production, cattle and dairy production, the grocery industry, as well nitch markets in Sierra County. This year over 400 youth attended Ag. Day and gained knowledge of the over whelming ties that agriculture plays in society. Youth were presented a presentation on each agricultural entity and the role that the industry plays. Youth returned to their schools and discussed what they had learned. According to the teachers 95% of the youth understood that with out agriculture and farmland people would not be able to feed themselves. 65% of the youth also pointed out the different industries that were presented and how they are linked to one another. Several stated that they would like to have a career in agriculture.

Jason Lamb has signed on to support Youth Development within Sierra County.