Carmen G. Burgos, Extension Specialist
Elaine Lovelace, Fayette County
”I love working with 4-H kids and I have seen what 4-H can do for our youth. My grandson Wyatt is one of the 4-H success stories I have seen!”
Elaine Lovelace has enjoyed providing experiences for 4-H members in Fayette County for the last 20 years. However, her involvement with 4-H extends back to when she was a youth in Lauderdale County. As a youth, Elaine was in the Poultry and Bread Baking projects. She always won the corn bread baking contest at her school and won the county contest twice! Elaine says, “Maybe that’s why my grandsons always want me to bake corn bread when they come over.”
Elaine gives leadership to the Rossville Christian Academy High School 4-H club, which involves 30—40 youth each year. Club members are involved in a variety of projects, with an emphasis on service in the community. Club members help with the annual Fayette County 5th grade Farm Fest and an additional two service projects each year. The fall service project is helping cleanup public areas in Moscow and flowerbeds around City Hall. In the spring, club members identify an elderly couple or person, and trim bushes, pickup limbs and complete any needed yard work.
The Lovelace family raise Shorthorn cattle and are active in the Tennessee Shorthorn Association. When they found out they were having a grandson they started planning for him to show cattle. Once they started down that path, it lead to getting involved with 4-H. Elaine says, “I love working with my 4- H agent. I think we have a good working relationship. I have worked with several agents in my 20 years, and I have learned a lot from them. I hope maybe that they have learned something from me.”
Elaine has served on the Fayette County Ag Committee, the State 4-H Volunteer Leader Committee, the Extension Advisory Committee and the Fayette County Farm Bureau Women’s Board. Elaine has received the Charline Hamilton Powell Leader Recognition award and the Brooks-Jaycock Outstanding Volunteer Leader award for the Western Region.
Elaine’s final remarks about volunteering for 4-H:
“Working with 4-H has been a learning experience for me. I have learned so many things myself from many of the projects that the kids participate in. I have been able to answer so many questions from people about 4- H and tell them about the wonderful benefits that 4-H has to offer. It has been such a blessing in our lives and has involved my whole family since I enlist and draft them to help with so many things.”
