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When city-dwelling journalist Kiera Butler visits a county fair for the first time, she is captivated by the white-uniformed members of the 4-H club and their perfectly groomed animals. She sets off on a search for a real 4-Her, a hypothetical wholesome youth whom she imagines wearing cowboy boots and living on a ranch. Along the way, she meets five teenage 4-Hers from diverse backgrounds and gets to know them as they prepare to compete at the fair. Butlers on-the-ground account of the teens concerns with their goats, pigs, sheep, proms, and SAT scores is interwoven with a fascinating history of the century-old 4-H club as it solicits corporate donations from top agribusiness firms such as DuPont, Monsanto, and Cargill. Her quest takes her from Californias cities and suburbs all the way to Ghana, where she investigates 4-Hs unprecedented push to expand its programs in the developing worldand the corporate partnership that is supporting this expansion.



About the Author

Kiera Butler

Kiera's work through the Climate Desk collaboration has been published in the Atlantic's CityLab, Wired.com, Slate, and Grist. Kiera lives in Oakland, California. Her favorite ride at the county fair is the Matterhorn. (You guys ready to go ... backwards!? )



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