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Growing together: Georgia’s youngest certified farmer partners with Fort Valley State University

by Latasha Ford

Posted on Apr 21, 2022

From left, Dr. Ralph Noble, dean of Fort Valley State University’s College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology; Woodie Hughes Jr., assistant Extension administrator state 4-H program leader for FVSU’s Cooperative Extension Program; Quentin and Ursula Johnson; Kendall Rae Johnson; and Sammy White, FVSU’s Cooperative Extension Program 4-H Healthy Living mentor consultant.

From left, Dr. Ralph Noble, dean of Fort Valley State University’s College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology; Woodie Hughes Jr., assistant Extension administrator state 4-H program leader for FVSU’s Cooperative Extension Program; Quentin and Ursula Johnson; Kendall Rae Johnson; and Sammy White, FVSU’s Cooperative Extension Program 4-H Healthy Living mentor consultant.

Six-year-old Kendall Rae Johnson, member of Fort Valley State University’s Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program, received recognition as the youngest certified farmer in Georgia, including Georgia Ag Hero of the Year, on March 23 at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Quentin and Ursula Johnson, parents of Kendall, were joined by Dr. Ralph Noble, dean of Fort Valley State University’s College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology; Sammy White, FVSU’s Cooperative Extension Program 4-H Healthy Living mentor consultant; and Woodie Hughes Jr., assistant Extension administrator state 4-H program leader. This event took place during the National Week of Agriculture.

In addition to Kendall’s state recognition on Ag Hero Day, she and Noble are working with the Nickelodeon nationwide television channel on a special Fort Valley State Historically Black 1890 Land-Grant University “4-H Grows” mission to educate millions of children on the value of agriculture. Nickelodeon will air a segment about Kendall and Noble’s work on the importance of agriculture, healthy habits and growing the next generation of farmers on April 27.

Nickelodeon reporter Rory Wu interviews Kendall about her collaboration with Fort Valley State University and the importance of agriculture.

Nickelodeon reporter Rory Wu interviews Kendall about her collaboration with Fort Valley State University and the importance of agriculture.

Wu interviews Noble at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta about growing the next generation of farmers.

Wu interviews Noble at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta about growing the next generation of farmers.

The pinnacle of their work will be celebrated during the Fort Valley State University Kendall Rae’s Green Heart 4-H Charter ceremony on Earth Day, April 22, in Atlanta. This event will also officially launch the first-ever Fort Valley State University Cooperative Extension 4-H Urban Program in history.

The program starts promptly at noon and will be live streamed on the Fort Valley State University’s College of Agriculture Facebook page at https://fb.me/e/1DB8AjTFg.

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  • FVSU Agriculture College