This is Behind the Clover: Real 4-H Talk with Real 4-H Pros. A look at 4-H from the perspectives of 4-H professionals from Illinois and beyond with your hosts, Henry Craft, Amy Henschen, and me, Ryan Littlejohn. Welcome to another episode of Behind the Clover. I'm Ryan, and I'm here with my cohosts, Amy and Henry. We're back for more conversations with Illinois 4-H staff.
Ryan Littlejohn: 00:46Today, we're continuing our youth leadership series by talking with Katie Turkal, the 4-H program coordinator in Jasper County. We'll give her a more formal intro in a bit, but first, we invite her to participate in our spitball round. So what's going on in your lives, guys? We haven't recorded in a while. Amy, what has been going on in your life?
Amy Henschen: 01:08Guys, it's performance appraisal time, and I hate it. I hate it. I may have asked for an extension. I'm getting my self appraisal in because I'm just having a struggle bus with it. It's really hard to pick, like, what were the big things I did this year that I'm proud of and that should go on here.
Amy Henschen: 01:27I get in existential crises thinking about it. And so I'm overthinking. I think Henry can probably relate to overthinking. We're we're on team overthinker. I keep being like, I work on it for, like, twenty minutes, get stressed out, and then I'm like, I'll go back to that later.
Amy Henschen: 01:43So I'm really gonna finish it today, y'all. It's gonna happen. But that's been stressing me out. But we I just had a big data party, so I've been deep in data. The senior survey is kinda closing up for the year, and we're looking at getting this new survey together for national that we do every spring.
Amy Henschen: 02:00So I've been looking at old data and, like, kinda getting ready for the new year for some of these things, and it's been really interesting. And I've been really focused on retention data. So that's been kind of interesting to try to figure out, like, who where do we have drops? Where do kids leave? And, like, also, like, what what counties keep kids, and, like, what what's the magic that's happening in those counties?
Amy Henschen: 02:22What factors might be contributing to that? So it's been kinda fun to look at. Like, I kinda like looking at data and trying to make connections and solve problems. So I've just been, like, nerding out, but also stressing out. So that's been me, which is not none of that is fun to anyone else, but that's, like, a reality check on what my life's like right now.
Amy Henschen: 02:37Ryan, what about you? What have you been up to?
Ryan Littlejohn: 02:39I have returned back to the office full time earlier than expected, but I just had to come back. I I was like, I need to go back to work. I I enjoyed having my child in my arms all day sleeping.
Amy Henschen: 02:54Okay so that is news, though. Like, you this is the first time you're back. So what has happened between recording our last episode and right now, Ryan? What big thing has happened?
Ryan Littlejohn: 03:04So my wife and I had a baby two weeks early.
Amy Henschen: 03:08Woo hoo.
Ryan Littlejohn: 03:09Which was great, but it's another February baby. So, I mean, February, I'm just convinced, is the best month to have a birthday. I've been at home with them, enjoying every moment of it, but I needed to come back to work because I was sick and tired of going to work for my wife's grandpa on the farm every single day because he knew I was home.
Amy Henschen: 03:33Well, congratulations. We're so excited.
Katie Turkal: 03:37Congratulations.
Ryan Littlejohn: 03:39Thanks.
Henry Craft: 03:40Also, I'm pretty sure Ryan's in the the think about it club too, though. Let's be honest. So sitting at home thinking about all the things he needs to do to prep for, you know, basically everything, I'm sure that was eating you up a little bit.
Ryan Littlejohn: 03:55Katie, what's going on in your life?
Katie Turkal: 03:58So right now, we are pretty busy with school programming. We do quite a few school programs in Jasper County and also planning for a really big event, the 4-H Mini Lock In. And this year, we are in the I'm prepping for after the school ends, doing a workshop series, a workshop camp series at the end of the school year that is going to be just pretty a pretty big undertaking for that close to fair time. I've been called crazy by someone, but, you know, that's I feel like that's another thing with Extension people is we we have to have a little touch of crazy in us to try new things. So that's what what we're doing right now and or what I'm doing right now.
Katie Turkal: 04:48And then just also probably like a lot of other people in my position, fair is moving toward the front of my brain a little bit more and more each day, so starting to think fair time also. And I personally love fair time, so that's not a scary thing for me. I'm excited for it. But I'm not quite ready for it yet. I I also love my school programs and been a really great year with several grades, so it's been a lot of fun.
Henry Craft: 05:18As long as only one person calls you crazy, it's just an opinion. Yes. That's that's I'm going with. Very good. Well, I'll go.
Henry Craft: 05:30I mean, I too am in the throes of school programming, but I feel like, I feel like I go under for about February to March. So, you know, Food Challenge was a big deal. I've got a couple of those happening right now. So Illinois Food Challenge for those of you that don't know that. And had a great experience.
Henry Craft: 05:54We've got a long time partner that is retiring this year, and so that was kind of bittersweet just to recognize her and all the work she's done in partnership with 4-H . So, very good stuff. Excited for the busyness to kind of taper off a bit. But in my, you know, busy busy school programming season, I also decided I'd be ambitious and do some awards and workshop applications. And by golly, that made that was, like, right to the edge of, capacity.
Henry Craft: 06:33So, I, I think I've I've taken it about as far as I can go, and now I know my limits. Right? So there we go. We'll just fight that toxic trait and and know exactly where our boundaries are. But, no.
Henry Craft: 06:47It's been it's been exciting. Lots of good stuff going on. Lots of planning. Still working with a homeschool group to do some cooking. And so that's been really fun.
Henry Craft: 06:57But yeah. And then, personally, we just had a huge storm, and there was a tree in my backyard, y'all, that I have been so cheap and not wanting to cut it down. And I was blessed with a natural disaster of that tree falling down from the roots all by itself. My neighbor is not upset with me at all. I am 100% positive.
Henry Craft: 07:22But now I can reach it and cut it down or cut it into pieces. So
Amy Henschen: 07:27I wanna interject here because I wanna remind all of us this at every level. It because Henry Henry just alluded to this. It is a if you're an an educator or a state person, we have this national association that their awards stuff is in this, like, late winter, early spring. And, like, man, it takes more time than you think to take a pause and schedule some time to write up to one, acknowledge, I did something award worthy. Right?
Amy Henschen: 07:55Like, my work is good, and I should apply. And just to, like, make the time to do it. So but this is me saying, like, I know personally too, like, I was just a person who, like, either one, didn't feel like my stuff was good enough. Right? Or two, was just like, it's just that's just time.
Amy Henschen: 08:13But I'm telling you, like, y'all, taking advantage of those award opportunities, you are worthy, and you should just put some time on your calendar, maybe a little more than you think you'd need, add an hour or two. But do those because I know those Extension awards, Illinois Extension awards, will come out this summer. And, like, you should throw your hat in the ring or other awards that come up because you can get recognition. Sometimes there's, like, a cash money. Sometimes you get a cool plaque.
Amy Henschen: 08:43But it it feels really good when you win one. I know sometimes I, like, eye roll at the idea of an award, but then when you get the award, it kinda feels pretty great. So just this is me saying, I also was stressed out and down to the the wire on getting a few in for some things that I've worked on this last year that I was proud of, mostly team stuff, including this podcast. We submitted something for this podcast. But it it, I think it it did also make me writing it made me, like, re feel, like, energized about the podcast and about the what we're doing here and, like, excited about it, which I needed because we haven't recorded in a while because Ryan was out.
Amy Henschen: 09:19So that's just this is just me saying, you do good work, person who's listening. Something you do is award worthy. Even if you don't think it, ask your peers because sometimes your peers are the ones who can help you identify what it is because you're so like, I always do that. So just, like, just think about applying for something, whether it's an Extension award or association award or something else because we do awesome work here in Illinois. We get we get some national recognition and like, 4-H gets a lot of recognition in Extension because we do good good stuff.
Amy Henschen: 09:48So that's just me. Soapbox, done.
Henry Craft: 09:51To change gears slightly, we've got a question of the day. And, Katie, you are on the spot for this one, and I'm gonna pose it to you. And I am so intrigued to know, What was your least favorite food as a child, and do you still hate it? Or did your taste buds change and you love it? What do you think?
Katie Turkal: 10:14Oh, I like that question. Hands down, onions. Absolutely despised onions as a kid. My mom would get mad because if she made Sloppy Joes or something and cut the onions up super tiny, I would still try to pick the onions out. Half the time I couldn't, but but I would try.
Katie Turkal: 10:33And now as I've aged, my taste buds have changed. I do like onions now, cooked onions, but I do not like raw onions. I'm still kind of picky about it. I don't like onions in a potato salad, and I don't like raw onions on a burger, but I like cooked onions and things. So maybe they'll still change in the future, but as of right now, just cooked onions.
Henry Craft: 10:57Is it the size? Does the size of the onion, is it texture, is it taste? What is it?
Katie Turkal: 11:02I think it's mainly the texture of it, the the crunch. And then also a little bit of the taste of it, but I've grown to like the onion flavor. Of course, she could use onion powder and I was fine with that. But if there is an onion in it, it was it just couldn't be had. That was trash meal at that time.
Katie Turkal: 11:20So but now, I actually yeah. Overall, I pretty much like it. Maybe the texture of the raw onion is what gets me now.
Henry Craft: 11:31Mine is cumin, like, as a spice. So I I've it's taken a long time for me to determine that it was was the spice cumin. But I always associated that flavor with chili. So to this day, I am like the bummer at all parties in the fall and winter because I am not a chili fan. It doesn't matter.
Henry Craft: 11:56Like, I thought it was beans. I don't know if it was the beans and meat mixture, like too much protein. I don't know what was going on. But my parents put a copious amount of cumin in every single batch of chili that they ever made, and now I know that is what it is. So it wasn't onions for me, but, man, cumin.
Henry Craft: 12:18And I...
Amy Henschen: 12:18So you still don't have a taste for this. No taste for cumin
Henry Craft: 12:20Hate it.
Henry Craft: 12:22In fact, I teach foods programs, and I have to admit to kids, like, listen. Herbs and spices, but I hate cumin. And they're like, what's wrong with you? You don't like chili? And it's true.
Henry Craft: 12:35I do not. So that's mine.
Ryan Littlejohn: 12:37I don't think I've ever used cumin in chili. I think I've just only used chili powder.
Amy Henschen: 12:43Oh, cumin's a go to for my chili. So, Henry, I guess, more for me.
Henry Craft: 12:47Yeah. I mean, you can have it.
Ryan Littlejohn: 12:50Well, mine is cottage cheese. As a kid, I hated cottage cheese. I don't know why. I just couldn't stand it. Now I just can't get enough of it.
Ryan Littlejohn: 13:02I eat cottage cheese all the time, which is a great thing because it's really good in protein for you. We had that conversation with me and my office support. She only likes cold cottage cheese. She doesn't like cottage cheese and, like, lasagna or anything like that, like, warmed up. She doesn't like that.
Ryan Littlejohn: 13:18But we found it has, like, 11 grams of protein and half a cup of cottage cheese. Like, that's that's our go to in my house if we want something snacky. Amy, what about you?
Amy Henschen: 13:31Okay. I struggle on this question because mine is more I I had terrible taste as a kid, and now I hopefully I hopefully eat better. So mine was more like, I wanted the chicken finger or the fish stick. I didn't want I had zero interest in, like, an actual fillet of fish or a like, a chicken breast or a you know, like, I need this in a format that is as processed as possible. That was me as a kid.
Amy Henschen: 14:04And I was, like, also preferably slathered in ketchup. And then at some point, I discovered mustard, and then I was like, my life changed. And I was like, one, ketchup is inferior, and I don't need it in anything. And two, maybe things don't need to be breaded and covered in things. Condiments make things better.
Amy Henschen: 14:27Sauces make things better. So yeah. Like, so mine is just more of a you know, I just kinda had a direct trajectory change. And now I unless ketchup is mixed with mayonnaise, like a mayo chup, I might dip a fry in that, but I have no interest in ketchup in my life anymore. And I very rarely am eating any breaded products because I'm a vegetarian.
Amy Henschen: 14:51But sometimes, we'll get some stuff. But yeah. So that's kinda my my food change over the years.
Henry Craft: 14:58Just a good nineties kid. I mean
Amy Henschen: 15:00Yeah. My and I see my niece do it now, though, and I'm like, oh god. She's me. And I try to be like, no. You can try the you don't have to it's okay.
Amy Henschen: 15:10We don't eat 17 ketchup packets, and she's, like, slathering it on there. And I'm like, oh, this was me. It's horrifying to watch a mini version of yourself do that. And you're like, ugh. Yeah.
Amy Henschen: 15:21If you do the lesson on how much sugar is in ketchup, you get depressed. It's not a good a good reveal like how much protein is in cottage cheese. Good reveal. How much sugar in ketchup? Less good of a reveal.
Amy Henschen: 15:33So alright. Well, I love that question. That was some fun. But let's get down to it. Let's get to know Katie.
Amy Henschen: 15:38So Katie Turkal is from Jasper County and now lives near the farm where she grew up, raising her three children, 12 year old twin daughters, and a seven year old son. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new places, and caring for their animals. With over fifteen years with Illinois Extension, Katie has served as the Jasper County Extension Program Coordinator for more than eight years. Returning to her home county has been one of the most rewarding decisions of her career, allowing her to make a meaningful impact on local youth through 4-H and school based programs. She takes pride in introducing innovative Extension initiatives and is grateful for the strong community support for 4-H in Jasper County, from schools and businesses to the general public.
Amy Henschen: 16:20Welcome, Katie. We're so excited you're here.
Katie Turkal: 16:23Thank you for having me.
Amy Henschen: 16:25Well we want to know, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and like how did you find and come to work for Extension and 4-H?
Katie Turkal: 16:34Yes, so I started off I was working in Mattoon as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens, and I moved to Toledo, Illinois, which is in Cumberland County. And they had a job opening for a 4-H program coordinator to which I applied. And at the time, I didn't have everything that I needed, so they started me off as extra help. And I worked as extra help for a few years, and then eventually, I was moved to the 4-H program coordinator position. And I loved Cumberland County.
Katie Turkal: 17:06I worked there for seven years in Cumberland. And it was just kind of the right time a job opening came open in Jasper, so I got to move to Jasper County, which like you said, I this is my home county, so it just was a right time, right place, and it worked out really well.
Amy Henschen: 17:26So Katie, did you know about 4-H before you, like, applied for the job?
Katie Turkal: 17:32Yes. Yeah. I actually grew up in 4-H . My mom was a 4-H leader for a while, and she's actually she still helps out at the fair. She's I kind of designate her as my food the food stand superintendent.
Katie Turkal: 17:48It's a unofficial title, but she's the one that gets it. And so she is really the reason why I started in 4-H . I know I had family before me, my grandma, and I think even my great grandma was in 4-H , so it's definitely been in my blood for a long time. And 4-H was really where I found my niche, where I I grew and I just I loved the program as a kid, and luckily, Connie Elliott was a 4-H program coordinator in Jasper at the time, and she was fantastic, and she really kind of guided me in a certain direction in my life, and I'll forever be grateful because I I really have a love for the program, not only as a kid, but now as as an adult too.
Amy Henschen: 18:37Man, Katie, I hope don't you hope? Like, man, someday some kid's gonna talk about their 4-H experience, and they're gonna mention me. Well, you just mentioned your, you know, your coordinator. Think that that's, like, so cool. And I also love you totally roped in your family, and that's, like, a classic classic 4-H position thing to do.
Amy Henschen: 18:58It's like, guess what? You've just volunteered to be this at the show or this event. Good work. You gotta put those family members to work.
Katie Turkal: 19:07Yes. That's right.
Ryan Littlejohn: 19:09So, Katie, we know you have three kids, and I know you have talked about them with me, and they keep you on your toes. So and you have a very crazy work schedule with all your programs and everything that you do. So how do you like to spend your free time and decompress from your job?
Katie Turkal: 19:29That is a very good question. I, I do keep pretty busy, and and that's a good thing. And, speaking about my kids, it's really fun, especially whenever they become the age to where you can share some of those experiences with them and they are at different workshops or programs. Or maybe if I go into the school, they I see them in one of the classes, and that's a lot of fun. But to actually get home and just spend time with them at home and kind of take work off my brain, which I think for anyone in this position, it's kind of hard to get work off your brain completely just because a lot of things tie into it.
Katie Turkal: 20:11But whenever I go home, do like to try to spend a lot of time with my kids and then, of course, at our family farm. My parents I should have given a shout out to my dad too. He he was superintendent of rabbits forever, and then he still helps on some committees. But really spending time with family is how I decompress and friends. I've got a good group of friends here that we go do fun things, whether it's four wheeler riding or I'll take my kids horseback riding if we're able to.
Katie Turkal: 20:44And then, like I said, the the animals on the farm, I just get enjoyment from being around animals in general, so getting to share that experience with my kids is probably the biggest thing. If you asked my kids, they would probably say I watch Judge Judy and that's how I decompress because she is on if I have free time, she's blaring in the background. I might not know what she's even talking about, but she is usually on somewhere.
Amy Henschen: 21:12I love that background comfort show. Just like, you know, it's just on, and you can kinda check-in and check out. You understand the beats, so it's like, you know, you can look away for a while and come back and kinda piece together the information you missed. Love it so much. That's important to have one of those, I think.
Henry Craft: 21:31I was just gonna throw it out an observation. We've had quite a few people that kinda grew up on livestock or, row crop farms, and I think it's so interesting to hear farm kids who turned adult say that working, doing chores is a relaxed time. Because having not been a farm kid, like and even seeing my own kids and how they, you know, fight to feed our chickens or whatever, they're like, I don't wanna do it. I think it's so interesting how that appreciation of work and the transition becomes a relaxation for a lot of people. I just think it's, such an intrigue.
Henry Craft: 22:13I don't know if anybody's got a comment on that, but that was really, like, as you said that, I think that's interesting. Because Megan Pierson said the same thing. Right? When she was on, she was like, yeah. I love going to do chores.
Henry Craft: 22:25It's a relaxation for me. I'm like, okay. That's funny. Alright. Well well, that sounds pretty interesting.
Henry Craft: 22:33I I'm I like to hear how people decompress because it's always good to add to our repertoire. So if you need some, you know, if cleaning the house isn't quite relaxing, find a farmer friend and go clean out their horse stalls or something, know. It'll be good. Alright. But next question.
Henry Craft: 22:50So, Katie, what what weird thing do you have nostalgia for? This was a challenging question for me. I'm not gonna lie. So, whoever wrote it, I I'm really intrigued. But, yeah, what is the weird nostalgia?
Katie Turkal: 23:10That's another good one. I will say, overall nineties, anything nineties, I really enjoy. It was just the best decade. It it really was. So they had wonderful music.
Katie Turkal: 23:23The toys were fun. The technology wasn't near as advanced, so I think we had to come up with other ideas and other things to do. And it just it of course, that was my childhood. So that was a lot of fun. I love the nineties.
Katie Turkal: 23:37But if I had to pick a more specific thing, just a very simple a slinky. I remember we had an upstairs, and so we would run the Slinky down the stairs over and over again. Between that and an Atari that my dad had, an old school Atari, and my sister would convince me that it was fun to blow up in the the little scuba diving ship and that I should do it and it would be the best thing ever and then it would be her turn for way too long. So but that's still it it was still fun even though I was not a very smart little kid. So
Ryan Littlejohn: 24:11My parents, k, they that was, like, their high school, college age time. K? And I came right after that. And all the things that they had, like, all the cool toys and things and video games that they had, k, I grew up with. So I can appreciate that, Katie.
Ryan Littlejohn: 24:28I just wanted to say, I can appreciate the nineties things.
Henry Craft: 24:33But do you have one to add? Okay. Alright. Yeah. I'm just making sure you're gonna add one.
Ryan Littlejohn: 24:38My nostalgia here. K? Growing up, every summer, we went to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. And my parents I mean, that was just, our family trip that we knew for sure we would take. My nostalgia is smelling the asphalt sidewalks of the park, like, leading up to it.
Ryan Littlejohn: 24:54Just that smell, anytime I smell asphalt, I'm like, oh, takes me back. I absolutely love it. Even to this day, like, I just gotta have have that smell. Someone should make a candle of asphalt. That's just my opinion.
Amy Henschen: 25:06I bet you that exists. I bet you that exists. I think it's interesting that it's like that you're hitting out a sense because I think mine is a different sense, and it sounds. And it's like Katie talked about I'm also a mostly nineties kid. Was born in the eighties, but, like, you know, my childhood was mostly in the nineties.
Amy Henschen: 25:21So, like, I have this so much nostalgia for some of those sounds that are very specifically of the nineties that you don't hear anymore, like a dial up modem dialing up. Like, yeah, I hear that, and I flood it floods positive memories and frustrating memories because, like, this is so slow in my brain. And then there's, like, little the theme song to the nineties X men cartoon. It's a banger, y'all. If that comes on, I am just like a bundle of joy, and they remixed it and used it in the new X men '97 cartoon.
Amy Henschen: 25:54And you guys, I was like a wall of emotion, pool of puddle of emotion listening to that, just being like, oh, so many memories of watching this after rushing home from school to watch this show. And I was like, why am I getting emotional about this cartoon from the nineties about mutants? I'm crazy. But, yeah, it's just funny how those sounds or sights or smells can, like, draw you back to some memories.
Katie Turkal: 26:18So I love that you said that because have you seen on Disney Plus where they have, like, the old I don't know if you have Disney Plus, but they have, like, the old X Men and the old I'll watch it. Duck Tales with my kids. They are watching Duck Tales.
Amy Henschen: 26:32Woooo-ooo. So That also has a banger theme song.
Katie Turkal: 26:35Yes. And I'll sing it, my son will eventually go, mom, that's enough.
Amy Henschen: 26:38You don't have to sing it between every episode. So I do love, like, that's a not skip, you know, like, on streaming now. Like, sorry, guys. We're not skipping the Duck Tales theme song, Tailspin, Darkwing Duck. Like, those are all nope.
Amy Henschen: 26:51No skipping. No skipping allowed.
Henry Craft: 26:53I'm so glad you guys did that because it got me jump started. So for me, it's nineties country. Like, we would always drive to my grandparents' house, and it was an hour and a half from my house to their house. And my dad would always play the classics. And that was classics then, so we're talking, like, old school now.
Henry Craft: 27:19But, yeah, that is one thing for me. But also, I don't do as I say, not as I do, kids. But when I was I grew up in a tiny little town, and the only fun thing that we would do on a semi regular basis was walk down the railroad tracks. We went to literally just walk the railroad tracks down probably two miles to a creek. And that was, like, that was that was my childhood.
Henry Craft: 27:50I didn't realize how close I was to a good country song until I really put all that together. But, yeah, actually, that's a nostalgia for me.
Amy Henschen: 28:00Well, I hope we've encouraged someone else to, like, dig up their nostalgia sound or song or as they're all thinking we got them thinking now. They're like, oh, I'm gonna go bring up that nineties country playlist. I might go bring up some Garth Brooks. My roommate in ...I was not a country kid I'm from the suburbs. Got introduced to Garth Brooks in college, and everyone was like, how do you not know who this is?
Amy Henschen: 28:21I'm like, that's pretty good. So I also like me some Garth Brooks. So cool. Well, I love we like to ask some fun questions. We also like to ask some questions about, like, this is our standard one.
Amy Henschen: 28:32Katie, do you have a favorite story or or experience from your time working for Illinois 4-H? And it can be specific or just general. Like, I like when...
Katie Turkal: 28:42So I really like fair time, I have to say. I feel like a kid saying that because if you ask any of my 4-H kids, what's your favorite part about the 4-H program? 90% of them are going to say the fair. And I just have to agree with them. But even going beyond that, I would say over the last few years since I've been in the schools more, it's having kids run up to me.
Katie Turkal: 29:06And I don't know why it just makes me so happy, but they'll say, oh, that's the 4-H lady, or they'll come up and they're they'll give me a hug or something. And I think I really love fair. That's probably my favorite time of year, but then just the kids realizing that, hey. I I did something fun that they enjoyed, and they, you know, they that makes me a fun person to them. So they when I'm you know, my kids, I'm like, you know, they're they don't really feel the same way, but all the time.
Katie Turkal: 29:34But, you know, right now in the other other children's eyes, I'm I'm okay. I'm pretty cool right now. So it's a lot of fun just having kids that you can tell they've enjoyed what has been brought into the school, and that that's what's fun to me.
Amy Henschen: 29:53And, man, don't we need that? Especially, like, I try to, like when I'm having that, like, gratefulness moment of just, like, I made this kid's day, or they think I'm cool. I wish I could, like, bottle that and keep it in a jar, and then on a day when I'm not having a good day, just, like, you know, take a hit. Oh, that would be a good mistake. Of that, like, memory of, no.
Amy Henschen: 30:14I matter, and I make a difference in this kid. You know, I'm I'm a positive adult in this kid's life. I wish I wish we could because some days, you know, we need that. So that's so great that you have that opportunity with, like and you're doing so much that you probably get that more often than some people who are doing less programming in schools or with clubs. So that's super cool.
Ryan Littlejohn: 30:33So, Katie, over the time in your county, you've really built up your federation program. Can you tell us what the 4-H federation program is and what sorts of experiences that kids in your county have?
Katie Turkal: 30:47Federation, especially in our county, our 4-H federation is a club that focuses on leadership training, decision making, county event planning, and some socialization for the youth as well. And in our county so I keep saying our county because federations can vary from county to county. They can be younger or they can look they can be made up a little bit differently, but in Jasper County, they are in ninth grade and above. And they are really the ones that plan most of our bigger events or help assist with our bigger events. So, like, we have the 4-H mini lock in, that's one of our really big events coming up, and the federation members are planning all of it from designing the t shirt to deciding what games we have and the food.
Katie Turkal: 31:38They chose the the time frame for which it's, you know, held and the location where it's going to be held. So they really do a lot of the planning, and then they also have a budget they have to follow. They only have so much money in their account and they like to do other things besides just the mini lock in, so they have to budget how much they're going to spend on this event. And that's I would say that's one of our biggest ones. They also help with school programs.
Katie Turkal: 32:08They help at the fair. They help with any kind of workshops. I have a great group of team leaders that are willing to put forth the effort and the time to help with those programs.
Amy Henschen: 32:21Thanks for joining us for this episode of Behind the Clover. Join us next time as we continue our conversation with Katie about youth leadership and her federation program.