AMES, Iowa – The overpowering noise of nearby construction during the ending rally was about the only complaint heard among 4-H'ers, adults and staff alike when the seventh annual Iowa 4-H Legislative Day concluded March 26 at the Iowa State Capitol.

Close to 200 youth and adults from across Iowa gathered at the Historical Building around 7 a.m. for an omelet breakfast sponsored by the Iowa Egg Council and spent the day touring the Capitol and Supreme Court, visiting with their legislators and learning more about how to become active and involved citizens in their communities.

Some enjoyed the free day from their usual school routine, while others were drawn by the topics.

“I came because I was interested in the workshop about college costs,” said Clarke County 4-H'er Acacia Stonehocker. “I am planning on following my dad’s dream and going into forensics, so I have 15 years of school ahead of me to pay for.” Hamilton County 4-H'ers also enjoyed the workshop led by Deb Hall on poverty and nutrition, the topic that was chosen by their county.

“I’m glad they (the county) chose the workshop they did. It was interesting to learn how many are in poverty,” said 4-H'er Rachel Steig. The group of four youth and two adults agreed that learning about the statistics and causes of poverty was eye-opening, and the game mixed in was a big plus.

“I thought they did an excellent job talking about the assumptions and causes of poverty,” said adult chaperone Donna Ryherd. “We also played jeopardy, which was a lot of fun.”

In addition to workshops, some participants had the opportunity to listen to a presentation on leadership opportunities for them beyond the county level.  Allie Ford and Amy Peyton displayed their suit coat and skirt attire required for their current job as Iowa pages and visited with students about their position. They encouraged 4-H'ers to think about the opportunity and honor for their junior or senior year of high school.

“Because it is my senior year of high school, there are a lot of sacrifices I have to make – not playing soccer, driving five hours between home and Des Moines, missing a lot of senior events at my school – but this has been such a great opportunity,” Ford said. “It is going to make us more aware of our government and will help us vote in the future.”

Also, Ashley Fitzgerald represented Iowa Agriculture Development Authority and informed students of a summer conference designed to improve their professional skills. 4-H alumni Kevin Peyton and Jon Kempf, both extremely active at all levels of the organization, helped the youth brainstorm various opportunities beyond local and county levels. State 4-H council, state tech team, state conference, Citizen Washington Focus, national conference and national congress were only some of the opportunities mentioned.

“Filling out the applications and doing the interviews is going to help in so many ways, and it’s the reason I feel I can give a good interview now,” said Kevin Peyton. Siblings Kevin and Amy Peyton encouraged 4-H'ers to bring their experiences full-circle and think about applying for the Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student award, which both have received.

To conclude the day, the youth and adults gathered outside the Capitol for an ending rally led by Iowa’s Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Karey Claghorn. While the jackhammer noise in the background drowned out parts of her speech, Claghorn had a challenge for 4-H'ers to take home with them.

“We have so many opportunities with the increase of technology to tell the 4-H story, so do it,” she said. “Tell the agricultural story to those who don’t understand, because it needs to continue.”

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