“The skills they’ve learned, the work ethic, doing chores, taking care of animals have set them up to be successful adults. This is why we do what we do through 4-H and FFA – try to raise kids with those skill sets.”

“Public speaking is scary; I get it, but you have to do it, and in this family, you will learn to do it well.” I found these words tumbling out of my mouth following my 10-year-old daughter’s 4-H meeting. 

Building skills for a lifetime with an emphasis on teamwork, a trip to Toronto in November for the TD 4-H Classic begins with dedicated volunteers such as Bobbi-Jo Uhr.

As a young female farmer in her late 20s with a bachelor's degree in biology, public speaking seems like it is just part of who I am. Growing up in the era that I did, and as a student in the science field, it seemed as if multiple times throughout the year, I was speaking in one of my classes or giving a talk on a science project.

Beyond the Ring to youth who show livestock is similar to what PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association) is to rodeo.