For young people across America, many leadership lessons start with a project, an animal, a summer camp or a first walk into the show ring. Local 4-H programs and county fairs give those experiences a place to both be experienced, and for some, grow into lifelong passions.
As a long-time and avid supporter of 4-H programs and county fairs across their territory, Farm Credit Mid-America invests in a number local programs and facilities that help young people learn by doing. That support reflects the customer-owned cooperative’s commitment to growing the next generation of agricultural leaders and further their purpose of securing the future of rural communities and agriculture®.
Building Places for Hands-On Learning
Across their six-state territory including Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee, local community investments support the practical spaces young people use.
Impact can be seen both big and small, for both dollars committed and the livestock and number of residents they impact. Charitable giving made by the Association’s Local Community Investment Program throughout summer 2026 included new rabbit cages, sheep pens, lamb pens, concrete barn flooring, bleachers, cattle barn improvements and a swine show penning system.
As working parts of a fair or 4-H program, these investments help local organizations maintain places where participants can prepare, compete and learn year after year. “The impact of donations like these to a local county fair extends far beyond monetary value. It helps preserve rich legacy and longstanding traditions our fairs,” shared Justin Siefker, collateral analyst and at Van Wert County Fair Board Member. “For generations, families have gathered at the fair, creating lasting memories and passing down a passion for agriculture.”
Supporting Experiences That Build Confidence
Facility investments are only part of the story. Local support also helped fund 4-H camps, junior leader programs, livestock judging, skillathons, educational events and chapter activities across the customer-owned cooperative’s territory.
In the Natural State of Arkansas, investments reached a number of local 4-H programs. In the Hoosier State of Indiana, support included 4-H camp and junior leader opportunities. In Tennessee, local investments supported a variety of different opportunities including camps, livestock judging and numerous fair-based activities.
By empowering young people in 4-H with leadership skills, real-world experiences, and a commitment to service, we’re helping prepare a generation that’s not only ready for the future, but ready to shape it.
These experiences ask young people to take responsibility, solve problems and work alongside others. The result is clear and a true showcase of investing in rural American communities: practical learning is essential and something that can stay with participants well beyond the event.
Keeping County Traditions Strong
For generations of fair goers, local county fairs have provided a place to learn, grow and explore what the agricultural community around them has to offer. They give families a place to see the work behind the food they eat and the farmers who work to provide for their local communities, and sometimes, a regional and national reach.
For many of us at Farm Credit Mid-America, the county fair is where we grew up and developed a sense of pride for the agricultural community. Pouring back into those programs and events is a full-circle moment.
The next generation of agricultural is able to take center stage at county fairs. By participating in a number of public facing efforts like livestock showing, they’re able to showcase skills they’ve built and the hard work and dedication invested throughout the year.
Michaela Peters, Farm Credit Mid-America Account Specialist, shared, “we know the affect experiences like these can have on somebody’s life. It’s impactful since we build our own communities and get to be a part of something larger.”
Through investments in fair facilities and local programs, the communities Farm Credit Mid-America serves have a space for to care for those many fair traditions and keep them instilled for the next generation.
Local Support With a Long View
Farm Credit Mid-America’s support of 4-H and county fairs is rooted in a simple idea: young people need real places to practice leadership, build skills and see a future in agriculture. From a bird’s eye view, the customer-owned cooperative’s Community Investment Program showcases a commitment to growing the leaders of tomorrow through youth investments in rural and urban communities, collegiate scholarships, on-campus programming and farm and financial readiness training and support.
By investing in the local organizations who provide these offerings, along with specific 4-H programs and county fairs, the cooperative is investing in and strengthening both who and what comes next.
Learn more about Farm Credit Mid-America’s commitment to growing the next generation of agriculture.
