The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Mitch Hoyer

Name: Mitch Hoyer

Current Position: 4-H Youth Development Program Specialist

Major Responsibilities: Policy and Risk Management and Educational Design and Delivery.

Hometown: Latimer, Iowa. 4-H Member for 9 years.

Education: Two B.S. degrees from Iowa State University in Animal Science and Agricultural Education. Completing Masters Degree at Iowa State in Agricultural Education and Studies in 2011.

Past Work Experiences: High School agriculture teacher/FFA advisor in Sac City, Iowa (1981-1986). Seed Sales Specialist in Cenex/Land ‘O Lakes (1986-1989). Iowa State Extension (1989 – Current).

Hobbies: Attending ISU sports and cultural events, golf, reading, gardening. Trying to become a better cook, have lots to learn, enjoy experimenting with new “rubs” for meat cuts. But compared to the people on the TV show “America’s Worst Cooks, I could be the next Emeril.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To do whatever I can to promote Program Policy.

When I first started talking with Mitch he told me that his first job was working on the farm walking rows of soybeans pulling and cutting the weeds. This is when I realized that Mitch has grown up around agriculture his whole life and has made a living out of showing and teaching people about what he knows and has learned as well.

Mitch primarily works in planning and preparing for the state fair in the summer. There are a lot of people involved in working to make the state fair exhibits building ready to go and Mitch even hires two interns to help him make sure everything gets done and runs smoothly. One big responsibility he has is to select judges for the competitions and to get about 200 volunteers to help. Volunteers are key to making the 4-H events at the state fair happen. Mitch says, “The Ultimate goal at the state fair is to give young people another opportunity to showcase their talents and what they are doing in the 4-H program. It’s really a great thing!”

Another duty Mitch has is to run the Risk Management program. Risk management is not about risk avoidance but about assessing potential hazards. He educates staff and leaders to ensure all the right steps will be taken in case of an emergency. The goal here is to implement safe programs for young people and create a safe and healthy environment.

What does 4-H mean to Mitch? It means opportunity for young people to learn, discover, and grow into productive citizens.