In this video shot at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair Poultry Show, youth from across Minnesota talk about what it's like to raise and show chickens, pigeons and doves, ducks and other birds. University of Minnesota Extension 4-H volunteer Mark Otto, a 2021 4-H service award recipient, explains how youth development and life skills are at the root of 4-H in this and every other type of 4-H project.
Otto received a 4-H service award for his leadership, dedication and commitment in the poultry project in Wright County, guiding 4-H'ers in poultry knowledge and showmanship. He is the coach for the Wright County poultry knowledge bowl team, having taken youth to the National 4-H Poultry contest. He has also been instrumental in partnerships with sponsors.
An advocate for youth, youth voice and youth leadership, Otto says, "I believe adults should be persistent in support of building youth capacity and in putting them on a trajectory for success, whatever that looks like and in every context." He has been active in 4-H "since I was in the womb" as the eighth of 10 children, as a MN State 4-H Ambassador and in the development of 4-H clubs on military bases for more than 20 years.