Davison County looks to retool 4-H program adviser role, take more local control

Marcus Traxler, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
·3 min read

Apr. 11—MITCHELL — Davison County leaders are taking a new approach to administering 4-H, with hopes of giving its local youth development programs a shot in the arm.

The Davison County Commission met recently with two administrators from South Dakota State University Extension, as the county attempts to hire a new program adviser for its local 4-H programs. But that new adviser will be a Davison County employee, as the county hopes to have more of a say in the success of 4-H locally.

Davison County Commission Chairman Randy Reider said the county wasn't satisfied with the return the county was getting on its investment. He said previously, the amount of work being done by the program adviser was about 75% for SDSU Extension and about 25% for county 4-H programming.

"It wasn't doing our local 4-H programming the amount of justice it deserved," Reider said. "As county commissioners, we're all alarmed at how much it has declined in terms of participation numbers."

The county will transition to what SDSU Extension terms as "Option Z," in that it will be without a full-time 4-H Program Adviser. According to SDSU Extension 4-H County Operations and Professional Development Program Manager Oakley Perry, "there is a lower level of 4-H programs that are allowed to occur within the county at that point." Perry made the comments during a county commission meeting on April 2 in Mitchell.

The county approved a new memorandum of understanding with SDSU in February. The new leader will be a part-time employee, and the SDSU Extension will continue to make sure employees follow its program requirements.

Despite the changing arrangement, county leaders remain bullish on 4-H's future and growing the programs and its offerings.

"We need someone whose main goal is going to be helping grow 4-H programs and participation in Davison County," Reider said. "We want to have kids that have different interests. We're not going to be afraid to look around and create programs that can fit a young person's interests. We're looking at this as something that will continue to evolve and grow."

The county has been without a permanent adviser since October 2023, when previous adviser Caroline Hansen left to take a job with the South Dakota FFA Association and be program manager for the South Dakota Career and Technical Student Organizations in Watertown.

Previously, Davison County and Hanson County shared a 4-H adviser. Reider said Hanson County won't be a part of the future arrangement because it has decided to go in another direction.

In 2023, Davison County had roughly 150 4-H members on its rolls between ages 8-18, plus another dozen Cloverbuds, which are members ages 5-7. Over the years, a smaller share of that number has been "farm kids," or those who grow up around traditional agriculture.

Other "Option Z" counties have sought to maintain the traditional components of the 4-H program, said Hilary Risner, who is program manager and regional youth educator for SDSU Extension. Those events include Achievement Days, Youth in Action and various animal shows.

With that, there's been growth in animal shows such as with dogs, chickens and horses, along with 4-H shooting sports. Reider said he'd like to explore potential new programming around horticulture and greenhouses.

In terms of a new employee, Reider said the position received 12 applications and they're interviewing a number of individuals about the job over the last week.