“Raise:  What 4-H Teaches 7 Million Kids and How its Lessons Could Change Food and Farmer Forever” is self-described in its synopsis as: 

When city-dwelling journalist Kiera Butler visits a county fair for the first time, she is captivated by the white-uniformed members of the 4-H club and their perfectly groomed animals. She sets off on a search for a “real” 4-H’er, a hypothetical wholesome youth whom she imagines wearing cowboy boots and living on a ranch. Along the way, she meets five teenage 4-H’ers from diverse backgrounds and gets to know them as they prepare to compete at the fair. Butler’s on-the-ground account of the teens’ concerns with their goats, pigs, sheep, proms, and SAT scores is interwoven with a fascinating history of the century-old 4-H club as it solicits corporate donations from top agribusiness firms such as DuPont, Monsanto, and Cargill. Her quest takes her from California’s cities and suburbs all the way to Ghana, where she investigates 4-H’s unprecedented push to expand its programs in the developing world—and the corporate partnership that is supporting this expansion.

FOREWARNING:  While I plan to very soon, I have not yet read this book!

I suspect if you peruse this work it will surprise you, maybe delight you, and also downright make you angry (based on the reviews I’ve read).  Bottomline- I think it shares one woman’s view on our organization through her lens, which speaks to a certain population, and we need to be aware of that view.

Have you read it?  Will you read it?  Share your comments below!