Rick Gould & Kevin Yeager

Anyone in the St. Joseph County 4-H swine project area who has questions knows who to ask: two-year volunteer Rick Gould and 36-year volunteer Kevin Yeager. This dynamic duo collaborates to support 4-H’ers in St. Joseph County’s 4-H swine project. Whether they’re helping a 4-H’er find their next fair project animal, helping another increase the growth rate of their pig, or teaching a third about proper swine care, Gould and Yeager make learning fun and get 4-H’ers excited about raising hogs.

To promote the swine industry, Gould and Yeager take time to teach young people in several settings, including the Burr Oak 4-H Club, the Rolling Clovers 4-H Club, and countywide meetings. They cover many swine industry topics such as feeding and caring for hogs, meat cuts, swine body parts, pig breeds, showmanship, and animal selection. They embody the 4-H pledge in their efforts, sharing their knowledge with 4-H’ers (head), truly caring about 4-H’ers and their hogs (heart), giving their time and talents to help 4-H’ers (hands), and teaching 4-H’ers about animal nutrition (health).

Beyond exemplifying excellent leadership skills themselves, Gould and Yeager also help the 4-H’es they work with become young leaders. They encourage members to apply for 4-H State Awards and to engage in other new and exciting opportunities. Thanks to Gould and Yeager’s mentoring, many 4-H’ers in the swine project have in turn learned to help others and take on additional responsibilities for the project. These far-reaching effects, which started with Gould and Yeager’s service, will benefit the community for many years to come.