Giving opportunities to kids to raise dairy cattle who otherwise don’t live on a farm is the goal of the Indiana 4-H Dairy Leasing Program, which is set up through Purdue Extension—4-H Youth Development. That’s why one Indiana dairy producer decided to participate in the program.
“I think it’s up to each individual family to contribute to their communities and that’s that’s really what we’re after we’re just trying to help build the community,” says Charlie Carter of Carterly Farm—which is located near Thorntown in Boone County.
He says that passion for helping build his community is what led him to want to teach kids about raising dairy cattle.
“About 25 years ago is our kids were ‘aging out’ so to speak from the 4-H program. We were hearing from other kids and other parents that they would like a chance to show an animal, but they don’t have any place to put it,” says Carter. “We worked with our local 4-H and Purdue Extension agent for Boone County, set up some guidelines for leasing, and that first year we had about three kids.”
Carter says the program on his farm this past summer has grown to 42 kids.
“The kids and their parents sign up for the 4-H program in the winter,” according to Carter. “Then, typically on the last Saturday of April, we have them come out to the farm and they select their animals. When school is out in May, they start coming out to the farm and they’ll spend anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour-and-a-half each time with their animals. Those kids start learning how to brush them and fit them. the animals of course stay here at the farm that way we know the animals are being well taken care of as the kids train them through the summer.”
Carter says the program goes beyond teaching kids the importance of raising dairy cattle.
“The kids learn a great amount—not only about animal care, but we try to encourage them and to teach them that hard work pays off. The kids also learn about perseverance, integrity, and when the going gets tough, you just keep on going because it’s not always easy, as anybody that’s worked with animals knows. Those animals can be a little challenging at times, so you just have to stay with it,” says Carter.
Click below to hear the interview with Charlie Carter and his daughter Kelly McKinnon of Carterly Farms—as part of “The Dairy Download Podcast” presented by American Dairy Association Indiana.
