The University of California’s 4-H program, a youth development initiative that has operated since 1914, continues to play a significant role in preparing young people for careers in agriculture and community leadership across the state. Administered by UC and other land-grant universities, 4-H engages children ages 5 to 18 in activities related to agriculture, livestock, food production, and civic service.
Tracy Schohr, a UC Cooperative Extension advisor working with ranchers in Plumas, Sierra, and Butte counties, credits her involvement in 4-H as foundational to her career. “Everything you do in 4-H has some element of a team putting together an activity, or a fundraiser,” Schohr says. “You learn about agriculture and the community you live in, but you also have leadership opportunities, like planning community service or leading a meeting using parliamentary procedure from a very young age.”
Schohr’s experience raising cattle through 4-H gave her practical knowledge about genetics and local food systems while also exposing her to broader issues faced by livestock producers. After earning degrees at California State University, Chico and UC Davis, she now works on research and outreach efforts that support sustainable farming practices. She notes the value of Cooperative Extension: “Cooperative Extension takes the science and knowledge that is developed at the university and puts it in the hands of the people on the ground,” Schohr says. “And it’s not just research from the University of California, we’re pulling in research from all across the nation to help land managers, farmers, and ranchers in California address the challenges they face, while conducting research in our own local communities, too.”
UC Cooperative Extension operates statewide with advisors and educators providing support throughout all 58 counties. The program contributes to California’s position as the leading agricultural state—a status reflected by $61.2 billion in agricultural revenue recorded for 2024 (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/statistics/).
Schohr is currently involved with addressing challenges posed by gray wolves returning to Northern California after an absence of eighty years. Her work includes collaborating with ranchers affected by wolf predation as well as coordinating with wildlife agencies. She also played roles during wildfire emergencies such as assisting operations during the Dixie Fire.
“Extension is really about being boundary spanning,” Schohr says. “We can work with different people in different places to try to find that common ground by bringing in economics, natural resources and social sciences, while tying in research and trying to find a solution that can balance all of these challenges that are happening out in the environment.”
Ariel Rivers is another example of how participation in 4-H can shape future leaders. Raised on a ranch near Livermore, Rivers began managing sheep at age nine through her local 4-H club. She describes her early experience: “I felt like I could control them better than a giant steer, you know? I basically became a little sheep entrepreneur.” Her time with 4-H led her toward higher education—first at UC Davis studying hydrology and soils due to water shortages on her family property—and later earning a Ph.D. from Penn State.
Rivers now works for the National Association of Conservation Districts supporting conservation advocacy nationwide while based in California. She highlights ongoing divides between urban populations and rural agricultural communities: “Growing up in the Bay Area, you see millions of people…on one side of the hill…and then…the other side…it’s all agricultural land. I realized we need more conversations about what’s happening in these different places — there can’t be this dichotomy of urban versus rural.”
She adds: “For those of us connected to farming or ranching…that’s 2% of the population now…So we have a lot of challenges…I work with farmers and ranchers to think about how to improve their operations…there’s a lot of jobs that just don’t get filled because people don’t know they exist.” Rivers sees programs like 4-H as critical pathways for raising awareness about agricultural careers.
Both Schohr’s and Rivers’ stories underscore how UC-administered programs such as 4-H continue fostering leadership skills among youth who go on to contribute significantly within California’s agricultural sector.
