The constant sounds of oinks and moos provide the soundtrack to the daily routine of sophomore Dean Tranas, a 4-H member. 4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health, and is a national agriculture program run on independent farms for kids from 5-to-18-years-old. Run through over 100 public universities, members have found a second home by engaging in farm responsibilities, Tranas said.

Wagner Farm, one of the last working dairy farms in Cook County, has 4-H members practice farm chores such as cleaning pens and feeding animals, Tranas said. Members receive animals and train them until the Lake County Fair, occurring this year from July 26 through Aug. 2, for various amounts of prize money, junior Lily Pollina, 4-H Treasurer, said. Since joining at 13-years-old, working with pigs has been Pollina’s favorite part of 4-H, she said.

“The most interesting thing I’ve learned through 4-H is that pigs are very much like dogs,” Pollina said. “They’re thought of as dumb, messy animals, but they’re one of the most intelligent animals in the world.”

When Tranas first heard about 4-H in fourth grade, he imagined it as frolicking through a field with lambs, however this was not the case, he said. Nonetheless, Tranas found a new love for agriculture that has shaped his future goals, he said.

“I’ve always been interested in science, but working at the farm has made me consider agriculture or animals as a job,” Tranas said. “I’ve shifted towards veterinary medicine or being an agricultural veterinarian. Working with animals is an interesting field that no one really gets access to where we live. It’s given me such a different perspective.”

Beyond influencing future careers, 4-H has also driven senior Lindsey Bycraft to pursue agriculture in her Science Independent Research Study (SIRS) class. In her class, Bycraft conducted an experiment focused on the effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on corn, later presented at the regional level of the Illinois Junior Academy of Science on March 7, Bycraft said. Through this, she realized that she wanted to pursue agroecology, the application of ecology to agricultural systems, and dairy science in college, Bycraft said.

“I care about the environmental impacts of agriculture, connecting urban and rural communities to educate people on where their food comes from, and having more productive conversations about agricultural issues with consumers and producers,” Bycraft said.

Even with all of its benefits, farming tends to get a bad reputation in urban areas, Tranas said. It is often seen as not having depth, but the reality is far different, Tranas added. Everything in agriculture has a reason behind it, Tranas explained.

“People don’t understand how technical farming is,” Tranas said “There’s a reason why it’s one of the pillars of our society. There’s so much science and engineering behind it. It’s really amazing to be a part of this huge machine of agriculture.”