Laux honored as outstanding 4-H agriculture volunteer
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EmailJennifer Laux of Saginaw County is among six Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recipients honored in 2025.
Jennifer Laux, of Saginaw County, is among six outstanding 4-H volunteers honored with the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award in 2025. This award recognizes the outstanding achievements of Michigan 4-H volunteers or groups that have exhibited excellence in 4-H youth education and leadership development in the areas of beef cattle; dairy cattle; goats; horses; horticulture, crops and soils; poultry; rabbits; sheep; swine; and veterinary science project areas.
Laux is a highly involved member of the Saginaw County 4-H community, leading the Saginaw County Fair Livestock Exhibitor Group and the Frankenmuth Area Patriots 4-H Club. She takes great care to ensure every youth, no matter how new or how experienced, knows the essentials: how to pick out an animal, how to monitor weight gain, and how to train an animal for show. Laux routinely offers showmanship clinics, hands-on trainings on tagging and vaccinations, and support on buyer’s letters, record books and more.
As a 4-H leader, Laux also knows the importance of service and has married her love of agriculture to serving the community. She engages Frankenmuth Patriots 4-H members in bringing their projects to schools, retirement homes, businesses and community events to teach them about their animals. Laux also started a “seed library” at her local library, providing free seeds to those in the community who want to start a garden, as well as information and resources about growing the seeds.
“My greatest reward is watching kids become genuinely enthusiastic about livestock and agriculture,” said Laux. “It’s incredibly fulfilling to stand beside them as they navigate hard and often frustrating situations. I’ve learned that if adults step to the side and allow youth to take the lead, rather than smoothing the path ahead, they grow in ways we could never imagine. I believe in the power of agriculture—not just as an industry, but as a way of life—and I love being able to help cultivate that same passion in the next generation.”
As she strives to build the next generation, Laux seeks out ways for older club members to take on leadership roles or try new things. Whether it’s supporting them as they fill out an award application or learning to bake a pie, Laux finds a way to grow and advance members’ knowledge and skills, while also cultivating their social, emotional, academic or career development success.
MFB 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award honorees are recognized by both Michigan 4-H and MFB. Each receives a $1,000 grant, funded by the MFB 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Endowment at the Michigan 4-H Foundation. Awardees use the grants to help support a 4-H agricultural program of their choosing, or for volunteer training, supplies or curricula to enhance 4-H programming locally and statewide. Honorees will also receive a personalized recognition memento.
Other recipients of the MFB 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Awards in 2025 are Brigitte Grobbel of Clinton County, Genevieve Hecht of Tuscola County, Michelle Holladay of Oceana County, and Tyler Labadie and Garrett Thompson of Barry County. To learn more about the MFB 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award and honorees, visit https://mi4hfdtn.org/4-h-emerald-awards/michigan-farm-bureau-4-h-excellence-in-agriculture-award/.
