USDEC’s CEO, Krysta Harden, Talks About Her Passion for Youth and 4-H

According to Krysta Harden, President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), the next generation coming back to U.S. dairy farms includes smart, well-educated, talented young adults that are looking for life balance.

“They have a different philosophy about the world,” she says. “They see the globe as being smaller, they’ve traveled more, they've interacted more, and they see their place as leaders in the world in a different way.”

Harden says she is excited about the future of dairy for many reasons, but especially with the young leaders that are wanting to come back to the family dairy farm.

“They’re going to be drivers of this industry. They are going to have us front and center and they're going to be contributing to a better-nourished world, which means it'll be a more peaceful world,” she says.

Harden is passionate about the youth in agriculture and says being part of a solution to food scarcity is something we all should be proud of.

“What can you do that matters more than have to feed someone, nourish someone,” Harden says. “What paycheck is going to be more rewarding than one that actually keeps people alive and nourishes them and helps them grow?”

Love for 4-H

The leader of USDEC’s passion for agriculture runs deep, but so does her passion for 4-H. Harden’s deeply rooted pedigree for 4-H started when she was young. She now serves as the chair of National 4-H Council’s Board of Trustees.

“We didn’t have an option [to not be in 4-H.] Mama and Daddy made those decisions for us early and thank goodness they did,” she says.

Harden shares that 4-H is about positive youth development.

“4-H is really giving each individual child a place to flourish,” she says. “For me, it was showing horses and steers and I did leadership things, too.”

Harden says 4-H is a place for every kid and shares that the makeshift of the 4-H program has changed over the decades, with more than half now coming from suburban and urban areas. Today, across the U.S., nearly 6 million young people are enrolled in 4-H.

Harden shares that 4-H is about helping produce good citizens and providing the tools that youth need to help manage life problems.

“To me, this is what 4-H is all about and I just love it,” she says. “We must help equip them best with making good decisions and to be good leaders and good citizens of our country and world.”

Harden’s enthusiasm for 4-H gives her reason to be optimistic about the future. She shares that the life lessons taught from 4-H stick with you regardless of what life path you take.

“These lessons are drilled into you and really it helps build good adults,” she says.

Harden says that adults need to take note from today’s youth and be more engaged and take some time to educate and talk about dairy to others in the community.

“Because the world wants to know and the best-measured messengers in the world are dairy farmers. It's just no comparison,” she says. “I have a passion and a commitment, but I'm the daughter of peanut farmers.”

The leadership roles from a young age help propel leadership roles in adulthood and Harden says never take for granted the difference dairy farmers make.

“The role you play and your role in the community,” Harden says. “I thank you for what you do.”