Every year, Iowa counties nominate volunteers, community leaders, and Extension staff members who have exemplified outstanding service and dedication to the 4-H youth program in their county. Only one individual or couple per county can be nominated each year. This year’s Wright County nominee is Mike Marshall.
Marshall is a Wright County native who lives on his family’s Century Farm by Lake Cornelia. When he was young, Marshall said he enjoyed 4-H as a member of the Grant Growers club. He showed pigs and remembers the days of playing 4-H softball against other clubs in the county.
After graduating from Clarion High School, Marshall became an influential community member as he worked at North Central Co-op for 40-plus years. He took pride in his work and pride in providing area farmers with the best service around. He eventually took over the family farm in the early 90s.
Marshall continues to provide leadership to others while enjoying retirement. He was a 4-H leader for his local club in the 80s. In the years since, he continued to work for the benefit of youth and the community. He is a member of the Wright County Extension Council.
The Hall of Fame nominee also is active when it comes to the Wright County Fair every year. He helps with the livestock in varying capacities. Marshall assists in the pig ring and weighing livestock beforehand.
Perhaps more than any other activity, Marshall is known in Wright County for the support and involvement with 4-Hers that show bottle calves. Every year, he houses several calves at his farm that will eventually make it to the county fair. From start to finish, he involves young people and gives them the opportunity to show bottle calves which would not be possible without him.
Marshall welcomes kids and families to his farm for these activities. “I think it teaches the kids responsibility and good teamwork,” he said. “They take turns doing the chores at my place and doing the tasks like washing and walking the calves.” He noted that some kids who have had calves at his farm now have children themselves who have animals out there.
4-H leader and mom Jenny Smith describes how instrumental Marshall has been to her daughter showing animals. “My daughter Ashlynn has been showing bottle calves since kindergarten. If it wasn’t for Mike, she would have never had this opportunity.” Smith went on to say that Marshall also helped Ashlynn with showing a market steer the last few years out of the county. “The opportunities that Mike has given Ashlynn has more importantly sparked an interest in her to have a desire to pursue Animal Science in the future. As a parent and a 4-H leader myself that makes me extremely proud.”
Smith went on to say that Marshall’s volunteerism and support for youth goes way beyond just her daughter. “He would do anything for kids. If he had a kid show up at his barn and said they wanted to start showing chickens, he would figure out a way to make it happen. It has never been about the money, who you are, or where you live. Mike Marshall’s barn door is always open to kids who have an interest in showing.”
This past year, Marshall was given the Wright County 4-H Alumni Award. (He was nominated by Smith). The award is for individuals who have shown outstanding volunteerism in their communities and a strong commitment to the Iowa 4-H program on a local level. Marshall was recognized for this award because of his exemplary leadership in Wright County and his support of kids that show bottle calves.
“He is overall an outstanding Wright County Community member and instills core values to the youth he works with” said county officials who conferred the award to Marshall. “He is truly an inspiration to the Wright County 4-H Family.”
As part of this year’s class of inductees to the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame, Marshall will get to take part in a ceremony at the State Fair and be recognized.
For his part, Marshall is pretty humble about all the attention. “I’m not really a person who likes the spotlight,” he said. However, he does enjoy working with youth and see it pay off for them. “Every year I get to see the kids have fun and watching that is just great.”
Marshall might be hesitant to boast about himself, but on the eve of being named to the 4-H Hall of Fame, others certainly recognize his contributions to that program and the community. “Mike is teaching core values to kids and those are the kind of values we cherish in 4H but most importantly in individuals,” Smith emphasized. “How lucky we are as community members to have such a passionate and dedicated individual to the future of Wright County 4H.”
