Each year, we purchase animals at our local county fair 4-H auctions. We donate the resulting meat products to local food pantries to provide fresh protein options for families in the community who are experiencing food insecurity.
Berrien County Youth Fair
We bought three pigs and donated 569 pounds of pork products to the Berrien Community Foundation in Saint Joseph and the Salvation Army in Niles.
Cass County Fair
We bought two pigs and donated 363 pounds of pork products to Marcellus Food Pantry, Church of God Food Pantry in Vandalia, Our Lady of the Lake in Edwardsburg, Helping Hands in Cassopolis, and Action Ministries in Dowagiac.
Lenawee County Fair
We bought three pigs and donated 437 pounds of pork products to Daily Bread of Lenawee and Share the Warmth in Adrian.
St. Joseph County Grange Fair
We bought two pigs and donated approximately 392 pounds of pork products to Mendon Food Pantry and White Pigeon Food Pantry.
Van Buren Youth Fair
We bought three pigs and donated 437 pounds of pork products to Eleanor’s Pantry in Paw Paw, Wings of God Transitional Home in Paw Paw, Cooperating Ministries Food Pantry in Hartford, and Decatur Human Services Food Pantry.
Why MEC Buys 4-H Animals
4-H gives local kids an opportunity to develop life skills they may not have a chance to learn through school, including:
- Budgeting: Anticipating costs and saving for the animal’s future needs.
- Supply Management: Keeping an up-to-date inventory of supplies, including obtaining more when stock gets low.
- Caretaking: Planning nutritious diets, looking for signs of illness, administering medicine, and developing compassion by considering and meeting the needs of another living being.
The material benefits of 4-H are important, too. Kids often use the money from selling their animal to:
- Purchase their next 4-H animal, reinforcing what they’ve learned by participating again.
- Build their college fund, giving them a greater opportunity for higher education.
Additionally, 4-H can build a strong sense of community. A study by Tufts University found that 4-H participants were:
- Nearly 4x more likely to make contributions to their communities.
- About 2x more likely to be civically active.
- Nearly 2x more likely to make healthy choices.
- About 2x more likely to participate in extracurricular science, engineering, and computer technology programs.
Our vision at MEC is to build vibrant, relevant, sustainable rural communities. To us, 4-H is a major investment in the future of our local youth and the families who live here.
