Tennessee 4-H students say helping others is greatest reward

Just minutes from downtown Knoxville sits a half-acre known as Beardsley Farm.

"We're here to teach people in the city how to grow food," Farm Manager Ben Epperson says. "We have a barn, a green house, chickens, we harvest eggs, and honey."

During the summer they grow tomatoes, peppers, beans, okra, squash, cucumbers, blueberries, and melons. The urban demonstration farm and community garden, thrives off of volunteers like 18-year-old Elizabeth Henry.

"I like helping people when I can," she says.

Elizabeth came all the way from the Nashville area with a group of her 4-H peers. She's been in the program since fourth grade.

"You learn how to be a better person by helping others, and you learn skills that will help you go far in the world," she says. "You have fun, but you know you're actually giving something back while helping yourself too."

Every year 4-H has a summer roundup where all of the students in Tennessee come together for one big service project. At the farm they're helping spruce up a new butterfly garden.

"These young people worked all year long in their local county 4-H clubs doing projects and doing service learning activities," Tennessee 4-H spokesperson Justin Crowe says.

Working projects together with hundreds of other 4-H students just adds to the joy the students get from volunteering.

"It's just like hanging with people and you still get to help people," 4-H student Alex Johnson says. "Like right now, we're sitting here talking, having fun, but at the same time we're painting a bench for the park."

The students don't mind getting their hands dirty, because just like every other project they know there is always a reward.

"Once this is un-weeded and everything starts growing, butterflies will be able to nourish and will be able to live their lives," Elizabeth says. "Then the community will be able to take part in it, so it will be all worth it in the end."

Tennessee's 4-H program has more than 300,000 students, and gives out about $80,000 in scholarships each year.