Article written by 4-Her Meradeth Whitley
When the Union County UT 4-H Extension office called and asked if I would like to be the June Dairy Month Chairperson, my first question was, “What is that?” I did not know anything about June Dairy Month, and I knew very little about dairy.

My name is Meradeth Whitley, I am twelve years old and live in Union County. Three years ago I joined the Smoky Mountain Homeschool 4-H Club which is led by Bill and Debby Morgan. Since then, I have experienced and learned so much. I have learned how to sew, how to raise chickens—I have five of my own now— how to grill meat, how to identify common trees in Tennessee, how to be a good public speaker, and so much more. For three years in a row, I have had the privilege to win first place in the public speaking contest for Union County. This past year, my 4-H club packed boxes for Operation Christmas Child. We baked two huge crates of yummy goodies and delivered them to our men and women who serve at the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Maynardville Police Department. In June, I attended the yearly 4-H fashion conference in Pigeon Forge and also took part in our 4-H club hamburger grilling contest. I have learned so much and have been a part of so many things since my first club meeting three years ago.

So, when my mom and I got the call from our extension office asking if I would be the June Dairy Month Chairperson, I said, “Let’s do it!” My mother added, "Think of all the things you will learn!”. Boy, was she right. Not only have I had the chance to meet so many new people in Union County, but I have also learned about the incredible benefits of eating and drinking dairy foods. I have visited the Mayfield Dairy in Athens, Tennessee, and will visit some of our local dairies in the next two weeks. The most important thing I have learned is the incredible benefits that dairy foods bring to our bodies. I have presented this information to our seniors at the Union County Senior Center, read and talked to our local children at the Maynardville Library, and displayed this information to visitors at the Union County Health Department. Finally, I was able to spend a whole day at the Union County Farmers Market presenting to all ages about the benefits and rewards of dairy foods. What a rewarding experience this was to spread this incredible information.

I am so glad that I said, “Yes!” to being the June Dairy Month Chairperson for Union County. I would like to encourage everyone to learn more about dairy foods, to learn more about being healthy, and to invest more of their time into the people of our community.

For more information about the benefits of dairy foods and to learn more about joining a 4-H club in Union County, contact the UT Extension office at (865) 992-8038.