Ag Tag Program Can Make a Difference in Our County's Youth

Ag Tag voluntary $10 donation benefits 4-H

Kentucky 4-H is one of the most important and influential youth programs in our state and our county. Across Kentucky over 238,000 youth ages 9 to 19 learn about leadership, citizenship and life skills in “learn-by-doing” experiences such as communications and public speaking, through agriculture projects like livestock judging, science projects with robotics, 4-H camp, Teen Conference, and many other 4-H programs and activities.

Here in McLean County, 640 youth belong to 4-H and are active in programs and activities such as Livestock Judging, Shooting Sports, Cooking Club, Horticulture Judging, Public Speaking and Land/Soils Judging.  These 4-H programs provide opportunities to our youth and train the next generation of leaders for Kentucky’s communities.

Many of today’s farmers learned valuable lessons while growing up as members of 4-H.  Now there is an easy way farmers can help support the 4-H program that is so valuable to our community, our county and most importantly, our youth.

As you renew your farm license plates at the county clerk’s office, please make the voluntary $10 donation, a third of which goes directly to support 4-H programs and activities. I wanted to remind you now about the program since farm license plates are renewed in March.

The Ag Tag Voluntary Donation Program is supported by Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer. The money raised by the program is evenly split between Kentucky 4-H, Kentucky FFA, and Kentucky Proud, which promotes agricultural products raised, grown or processed in Kentucky by Kentuckians.

                                                          

Last year, the Kentucky 4-H statewide share totaled $160,895.06. The Kentucky 4-H Foundation splits the donations between the county where the funds originated and the 4-H Foundation.

Half of the donations support programs right here in our county, making this a great opportunity for local 4-H councils, clubs and members to increase financial support for their programs. Last year, 4-H received $470 from the Ag Tag Program.

The other half of the donations used by the 4-H Foundation will support state level programs that many of our 4-H members participate in and furthers their positive experiences and opportunities for advanced leadership, citizenship, and life-skills development.

Making your voluntary $10 donation is an excellent opportunity for our agricultural community to support the youth of our community and help fund the programs that can make a lasting difference in their lives. Kentucky 4-H gives Kentucky’s young people the chance to participate in constructive, educational and fun activities that teach them the value of hard work, discipline and participation.

Kentucky 4-H youth are doing the right thing by breaking through obstacles while pushing our country, our state and our county forward by making a measurable difference right where they live.

Kentucky 4-H has been given a tremendous opportunity by Commissioner Comer to raise significant funds to support 4-H.  But the scale of this success will be up to all of us in the 4-H family and how we promote and encourage our friends, alumni, and communities to step up and support 4-H through the voluntary donation.

Please remember to make your voluntary $10 donation when renewing your farm license plates in March. It will make a difference in the lives of our youth.