Muskegon County volunteer is model 4-H leader

Muskegon County volunteer is model 4-H leader

Muskegon County volunteer is model 4-H leader

Muskegon County volunteer is model 4-H leader

Muskegon County volunteer is model 4-H leader

Geraldine Eadie earns 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award

GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 2, 2008 — Practically nothing is off limits for the young people advised by Ravenna 4-H club leader Geraldine Eadie. If city kids want to exhibit livestock at the county fair she makes it happen. If club members want more in-depth study of a particular subject she makes that happen, too.

Her can-do attitude makes Eadie a model 4-H leader and a deserving candidate of the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award from the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) and Michigan 4-H Youth Development. Eadie, of Conklin, received the award Dec. 2 at the MFB 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids.

Now in its second year, the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes outstanding achievements of Michigan 4-H volunteers who have exhibited excellence in youth education and leadership development in the areas of 4-H beef cattle; dairy cattle; goats; horses; horticulture, crops and soils; poultry; rabbits; sheep; swine; and veterinary science. A panel of judges representing 4-H and Michigan’s agriculture industry selected Eadie from nominations submitted by 4-H staff and Farm Bureau members.

As the 2008 award winner, Eadie received a $1,000 grant that can be put toward volunteer training, the purchase of supplies or curriculum materials, or the enhancement of local or statewide 4-H programming. In addition, she will be honored a second time in March at the 2009 Agriculture and Natural Resources Week at Michigan State University.

In nominating Eadie for the award, Muskegon County Farm Bureau Vice President Margret Link highlighted Eadie’s active involvement in 4-H over the past 35 years and her “passion for farming and ability for instilling that passion for agriculture in others.”

Nowhere is this more evident than in Eadie’s work with the Ravenna Livestock 4-H Club and Muskegon County Fair. Eadie has enabled dozens of non-farm youth to show cattle at local and state livestock shows. Some of these youth have gone on to pursue careers in agriculture; one even started a dairy farm. Others have pursued different career paths, but “all have a deeper understanding of the importance of the agriculture industry,” said Link.

Eadie’s “the sky’s the limit” style continues outside the show ring. For instance, she holds standard 4-H meetings once a month to teach youth leadership skills, such as how to run a meeting. But if students express interest in learning more about a certain topic, she hosts weekly meetings to explore these areas in more detail. According to Link, “these small groups give the members more knowledge and attention.”

Under Eadie’s leadership, youth also learn the importance of public service. Her club annually assembles and delivers fruit baskets to area nursing homes. Other club projects over the years have included building a handicap accessible ramp for a community member.

In addition, Eadie leads the Muskegon County Farm Bureau’s six-week after-school agricultural education program for inner-city youth. The program, which she developed in coordination with the Muskegon County 4-H agent, delivers interactive, hands-on lessons covering livestock, plants, soils, trees and agricultural food products.

“Geraldine Eadie has all the qualities that the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award is meant to represent,” said Lori Chamberlain, manager of the MFB Young Farmer Department. “It’s obvious that her local community values her a great deal. With this award, we have a chance to let the rest of the state know all the wonderful things she’s doing to transform today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders.”

The 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award is the product of a campaign led by MFB and the Michigan 4-H Foundation to establish an endowment to honor and reward exceptional 4-H leaders. Once the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Endowment is fully funded, the partners intend to annually select and present up to five award winners and grants.

MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.

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Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Young Farmer Department Manager Lori Chamberlain at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.

Geraldine Eadie earns 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award

GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 2, 2008 — Practically nothing is off limits for the young people advised by Ravenna 4-H club leader Geraldine Eadie. If city kids want to exhibit livestock at the county fair she makes it happen. If club members want more in-depth study of a particular subject she makes that happen, too.

Her can-do attitude makes Eadie a model 4-H leader and a deserving candidate of the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award from the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) and Michigan 4-H Youth Development. Eadie, of Conklin, received the award Dec. 2 at the MFB 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids.

Now in its second year, the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes outstanding achievements of Michigan 4-H volunteers who have exhibited excellence in youth education and leadership development in the areas of 4-H beef cattle; dairy cattle; goats; horses; horticulture, crops and soils; poultry; rabbits; sheep; swine; and veterinary science. A panel of judges representing 4-H and Michigan’s agriculture industry selected Eadie from nominations submitted by 4-H staff and Farm Bureau members.

As the 2008 award winner, Eadie received a $1,000 grant that can be put toward volunteer training, the purchase of supplies or curriculum materials, or the enhancement of local or statewide 4-H programming. In addition, she will be honored a second time in March at the 2009 Agriculture and Natural Resources Week at Michigan State University.

In nominating Eadie for the award, Muskegon County Farm Bureau Vice President Margret Link highlighted Eadie’s active involvement in 4-H over the past 35 years and her “passion for farming and ability for instilling that passion for agriculture in others.”

Nowhere is this more evident than in Eadie’s work with the Ravenna Livestock 4-H Club and Muskegon County Fair. Eadie has enabled dozens of non-farm youth to show cattle at local and state livestock shows. Some of these youth have gone on to pursue careers in agriculture; one even started a dairy farm. Others have pursued different career paths, but “all have a deeper understanding of the importance of the agriculture industry,” said Link.

Eadie’s “the sky’s the limit” style continues outside the show ring. For instance, she holds standard 4-H meetings once a month to teach youth leadership skills, such as how to run a meeting. But if students express interest in learning more about a certain topic, she hosts weekly meetings to explore these areas in more detail. According to Link, “these small groups give the members more knowledge and attention.”

Under Eadie’s leadership, youth also learn the importance of public service. Her club annually assembles and delivers fruit baskets to area nursing homes. Other club projects over the years have included building a handicap accessible ramp for a community member.

In addition, Eadie leads the Muskegon County Farm Bureau’s six-week after-school agricultural education program for inner-city youth. The program, which she developed in coordination with the Muskegon County 4-H agent, delivers interactive, hands-on lessons covering livestock, plants, soils, trees and agricultural food products.

“Geraldine Eadie has all the qualities that the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award is meant to represent,” said Lori Chamberlain, manager of the MFB Young Farmer Department. “It’s obvious that her local community values her a great deal. With this award, we have a chance to let the rest of the state know all the wonderful things she’s doing to transform today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders.”

The 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award is the product of a campaign led by MFB and the Michigan 4-H Foundation to establish an endowment to honor and reward exceptional 4-H leaders. Once the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Endowment is fully funded, the partners intend to annually select and present up to five award winners and grants.

MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.

-30-

Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Young Farmer Department Manager Lori Chamberlain at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.

Geraldine Eadie earns 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award

GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 2, 2008 — Practically nothing is off limits for the young people advised by Ravenna 4-H club leader Geraldine Eadie. If city kids want to exhibit livestock at the county fair she makes it happen. If club members want more in-depth study of a particular subject she makes that happen, too.

Her can-do attitude makes Eadie a model 4-H leader and a deserving candidate of the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award from the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) and Michigan 4-H Youth Development. Eadie, of Conklin, received the award Dec. 2 at the MFB 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids.

Now in its second year, the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes outstanding achievements of Michigan 4-H volunteers who have exhibited excellence in youth education and leadership development in the areas of 4-H beef cattle; dairy cattle; goats; horses; horticulture, crops and soils; poultry; rabbits; sheep; swine; and veterinary science. A panel of judges representing 4-H and Michigan’s agriculture industry selected Eadie from nominations submitted by 4-H staff and Farm Bureau members.

As the 2008 award winner, Eadie received a $1,000 grant that can be put toward volunteer training, the purchase of supplies or curriculum materials, or the enhancement of local or statewide 4-H programming. In addition, she will be honored a second time in March at the 2009 Agriculture and Natural Resources Week at Michigan State University.

In nominating Eadie for the award, Muskegon County Farm Bureau Vice President Margret Link highlighted Eadie’s active involvement in 4-H over the past 35 years and her “passion for farming and ability for instilling that passion for agriculture in others.”

Nowhere is this more evident than in Eadie’s work with the Ravenna Livestock 4-H Club and Muskegon County Fair. Eadie has enabled dozens of non-farm youth to show cattle at local and state livestock shows. Some of these youth have gone on to pursue careers in agriculture; one even started a dairy farm. Others have pursued different career paths, but “all have a deeper understanding of the importance of the agriculture industry,” said Link.

Eadie’s “the sky’s the limit” style continues outside the show ring. For instance, she holds standard 4-H meetings once a month to teach youth leadership skills, such as how to run a meeting. But if students express interest in learning more about a certain topic, she hosts weekly meetings to explore these areas in more detail. According to Link, “these small groups give the members more knowledge and attention.”

Under Eadie’s leadership, youth also learn the importance of public service. Her club annually assembles and delivers fruit baskets to area nursing homes. Other club projects over the years have included building a handicap accessible ramp for a community member.

In addition, Eadie leads the Muskegon County Farm Bureau’s six-week after-school agricultural education program for inner-city youth. The program, which she developed in coordination with the Muskegon County 4-H agent, delivers interactive, hands-on lessons covering livestock, plants, soils, trees and agricultural food products.

“Geraldine Eadie has all the qualities that the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award is meant to represent,” said Lori Chamberlain, manager of the MFB Young Farmer Department. “It’s obvious that her local community values her a great deal. With this award, we have a chance to let the rest of the state know all the wonderful things she’s doing to transform today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders.”

The 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award is the product of a campaign led by MFB and the Michigan 4-H Foundation to establish an endowment to honor and reward exceptional 4-H leaders. Once the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Endowment is fully funded, the partners intend to annually select and present up to five award winners and grants.

MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.

-30-

Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Young Farmer Department Manager Lori Chamberlain at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.