4-H Emerald Clover Society

Alfred W. Harwood

Class Year: 2004

County: Washtenaw

Title: Partner, Pinckney Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Jeep, Inc.

“My 4-H scholarship encouraged me to further my education at Michigan State University.…My education opened doors for a professional career.…Although my life’s work was not in agriculture, my roots were never lost. My appreciation for youth agriculture programs and sustainable agriculture still is in my soul.”

Bio:
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

In 1983, Al Harwood bought into the Pinckney Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, Jeep dealership, where he worked until retiring in 1996. Prior to his car dealership career, he was the Washtenaw County 4-H agent for three summers, a sales representative for Hoover Ball and Bearing, and general manager of five plants at Pittsfield Products. Throughout his career, Harwood has been very active in his community. He helped organize the first Elks group in Livingston County, served the organization in several leadership roles and remains a member. He coached Little League baseball and T-ball, was an active PTO, band and athletic supporter for the local school, and was an active member of the Pinckney Chamber of Commerce and the Fowlerville Agricultural Society. Harwood is a well-known breeder of Suffolk sheep and a past president of the Michigan Suffolk Sheep Breeders Association (MSSBA). He purchased his current farm in 1975 and takes pride in supporting and making sure that youth have a positive experience in sheep programs. Harwood was a Livingston County 4-H volunteer for 10 years, coached the county’s 4-H livestock judging team and served on the statewide 4-H livestock programming committee for several years. In 1998, along with his wife and sister, he created a Washtenaw County 4-H scholarship program in memory of his parents through the Michigan 4-H Foundation. Harwood has been honored with the Livingston County 4-H Service Award, the 1998 MSSBA Purebred Sheep Breeder Award, and several other state and national sheep awards.