4-H'er wants to pass on knowledge he's learned
Summer is busy for everyone, but especially for those involved with Pennsylvania’s 109 county and community fairs.
Here in Butler County, anticipation and excitement fills the air with fairs coming in July and August.
What most people don’t know about, however, is the work that goes into the preparation for these events. From getting the grounds ready to receive thousands of fairgoers, to the work of the young men and women preparing their 4-H projects to be displayed in front of the whole county, it’s really a year-round venture.
This summer, one 4-H’er is taking his involvement at the fair a step further. Jacob Kennedy, 17, belongs to three 4-H clubs and is going above and beyond just sharing his hard work and progress with the public.
Armed with the ambition to share his knowledge with others, Jake will be the barn manager for the petting zoo hosted by Butler County 4-H at the county fair. With the expectation that people will leave with more knowledge about animals and agriculture than they came in with, Jake wants to help be a part of the learning experience in our community.
His decision to apply for the position came from his years of volunteering at the petting zoo, being persistent and “always on time for a barn shift,” along with his passion for animals.
With his work ethic, Jake said “I didn’t want to just sit around. I wanted to do something,” while giving back to the organization from which he’s benefited.
In his role of barn manager, Jake is planning ahead for all situations, especially those that come to caring for the animals. He will draw from his experience raising cattle, sheep and hogs on his family farm, recognizing that this hands-on petting zoo experience may be exciting for the visitors, but can be overwhelming to the animals.
As much as Jake wants visitors to learn about the animals and how they contribute to our society, he also wants visitors to consider that they are living creatures that should be respected.
Overall though, he said, “I just want people to go there, learn and have fun, and these animals are all for the public to enjoy.”
Jake’s responsibilities include keeping the animals safe, cool, clean and fed. Because of his life-long experience working with animals, he is prepared to care for the ducklings, lambs, goats, cattle, rabbits and guinea pigs that will take up residence in the petting zoo.
Jake, who is the son of John and Valarie Kennedy of Valencia, will be a senior at Mars High School in the fall where he is in the band and tech education and plays baseball. His 4-H leadership roles include serving as president of the Butler Livestock club, treasurer of the B&B Dairy Judging Club, and secretary of the Youth Council.
Jake also is gearing up for the Butler Farm Show in August where he will exhibit his lambs, dairy cow, pigs and steers.
He said “showing is something I love and probably always will do,” which is a mentality that he shares with many other 4-H’ers. They love what they do and love to help folks learn about their animals.
Jake believes that 4-H is an organization that helps the community, and is taking advantage of that by teaching and setting an example for others. Even after he ages out of 4-H, he said he would like to stay involved and is thinking of becoming a volunteer leader.
He wants to pass on his passion and experience to those around him. Jake hopes to provide the public with an eye-opening experience and insight into a part of the agricultural life.
Butler County 4-H is part of the nation’s largest non-formal youth development organization that provides its members, ages 8 to 19, the opportunity to learn by doing through a variety of hands-on projects.
The county has nearly 30 4-H clubs with more than 330 members who focus on small and large animal projects as well as sewing and baking, shooting sports and robotics, among other things.
For information about 4-H, contact Jean Kummer at the Extension office at 724-287-4761.
Rebecca Masterson is a former Butler County 4-H Youth Council member who is studying journalism at Shippensburg University.
