Local Youth and Businesses Donate Livestock to Saline Area Social Services from the Washtenaw County 4-H Youth Show

The Washtenaw County 4-H Youth Show is a great opportunity for youth to learn responsibility and hard work but it’s also a way for youth, families, and local businesses to give back to our community.

The 4-H Poultry Community Service Project allows youth to not only raise poultry for the Youth Show, but also to give it back to the community. 4-H youth who raise any poultry market project for the Youth Show have the option to enter them into a market class or donate them to the food bank. Youth can also participate and donate them even if they are not entered in a market class. This year, six turkeys and three chickens were purchased by the Washtenaw County 4-H Small Animal Committee and then raised by Wilton Odum, Colter Groves, and William Rogers of the Saline 4-H Farmers 4-H Club and Sydnee Short of S & L Bauernhof 4-H Club. After the Youth Show, these birds were donated to the Saline Area Social Services.

Buyers can also donate animals purchased at the Washtenaw County 4-H Livestock Auction. This year, Varsity Ford purchased two steers from Lyla Naebeck and Lincoln Naebeck of the Country Expressions 4-H Club and donated these back to Saline Area Social Services.

If you are interested in purchasing animals next year to donate to a local food bank, mark your calendar for the 2024 Washtenaw County 4-H Youth Show at the end of July. If you know a youth ages 5-19 years old interested in joining 4-H, our new program year begins on September 15th. You can call our office at 734-997-1678 or contact Amy Harris, 4-H Program Coordinator, at harr1976@msu.edu or Jenny Speyer, 4-H Program Instructor, at speyerje@msu.edu.