4-H Exchange Program Promotes Nationwide Agriculturally-based Exposure

Local 4-H youth are hard at work as part of a nationwide effort to educate and expose organization members from other states to the agricultural foundations of Routt County.

And, in turn, Routt County 4-H members are learning more about their peers in other areas of the nation.

The program, called the “4-H Exchange”, features Shari Yeager as the Routt County leader and coordinator. 

Yeager has lived in the Yampa Valley for her entire life. Her ranch, the Bar Lazy L, is located between Steamboat Springs and Clark and has been in the family for six generations as the family homestead. 

She has been in the 4-H program since she was five. She has never missed a Routt County Fair in her 44 years of being involved with it. Working alongside her siblings, she came to love everything that came with agriculture and the people who sustain it. 

“I started with exchange when I was 12 years old,” said Yeager. “As a member, my mom and my dad were the exchange leaders before I got into the exchange with my older brother and sister.” 

Eventually, her father stepped back and her mother took on leadership of the organization. Shari participated in four different exchanges before going to college. When she returned to the family ranch, she rekindled the organization by following in her mother and father’s footsteps as the head of the 4-H exchange.

“I picked it back up and have been doing it since 2003 as the leader,” she stated.

The 4-H exchange is an extension program of 4-H and has a two year commitment for participating youth. The nationwide program has county affiliates. Those affiliates seek to create connections with other counties throughout the United States by either traveling to, or hosting, other groups. Students were matched with host families with consideration to finding another 4-H youth who holds similar interests, and “likes and dislikes”, to the visiting student.

The overall goal is to expose participants to the agricultural base, and ways of life, in other parts of the United States.  

The youth who are part of the program fundraise extensively to minimize the out-of-pocket expenses to guardians and parents.

The Routt County 4-H trip for 2024 was destined for Wayne County, New York. Located on the eastern edge of Rochester and on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, it offered a stark contrast to the Yampa Valley. Next year, the 4-H Exchange members of Wayne County will come to stay with host families in Routt County.

Other destinations for the Routt County 4-H Exchange program have included Illinois, Florida, California, Washington, Tennessee, Michigan, Minnesota, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. As the 

Routt County members travel the country, they learn to appreciate the Yampa Valley more, particularly the fact that it cools off at night, has a low level of humidity, and offers more scenery than heavily forested regions of the United States. Those who visit Routt County have moments of amazement as well, including marveling at the lack of street lights in the vast distances between communities. 

The week-long trip is an exposure to the agricultural foundation of the host region including how the 4-H program is different, how animals and crops are raised, and how different agricultural ways of life mesh together. There are fun, recreational parts of the trip as well. The overall goal, however, is to push youth out of their “comfort box”. 

Timothy Bedell, 18, was born and raised in Steamboat Springs. Since the age of 8, he has been involved with the Routt County 4-H program after he “accidentally” joined one summer when he sat with his 4-H friends at the fair. They marked his name down as participating the following year and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Despite his unintentional membership, Bedell calls the exchange program “a really great experience”. 

“You learn how to appreciate the things you have and how to open your mind to a lot of other new things,” said Bedell.

The program holds a high level of meaning for participants and its leaders, as well. 

“When we stay with other families, each kid is learning a little bit about themselves,” said Yeager. “Most of these kids are 13 to 18 years old, so it’s about getting them to think outside their box.”

The result is an immense level of personal growth for the participants while also being exposed to a different way of life. That growth, however, is two-fold as the students who visit other families will the following year have to play host themselves, presenting yet another experiential opportunity for growth as they learn how to expose other 4-H Exchange members to their lives, family dynamics, and the agricultural roots of the Yampa Valley.

In August, Steamboat Locals’ writer John Camponeschi will be presenting you a four-part series of stories about Routt County organizations and educators that promote the importance of our local ranching and agriculture heritage.

This series of stories is proudly presented to you by Jon Wade and The Steamboat Group as a continuation of their commitment to “Keep Steamboat Special” by supporting non-profits and events that promote adventure and the active Steamboat lifestyle! You can also support our local Ag Producers and Programs simply by making a request on the Steamboat Locals Choice for Music. For every song request made in the month of August, The Steamboat Group will donate $2 to Community Ag Alliance, up to $500 total!