October 15, 2021
2021 National 4-H Hall of Fame inducts Daryl Buchholz, former Associate Director for K-State Research and Extension
WASHINGTON, DC (October 12) – Daryl Buchholz of Manhattan, Kansas will be inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on October 12 for his lifetime achievements and contributions to 4-H Youth Development.
Honored by Kansas State University and the Kansas 4-H Youth Development Program, Buchholz was one of 20 people inducted during the ceremony held at the Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
Please join the K-State community in celebrating Dr. Daryl Buchholz for his induction into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on Wednesday October 20 at 10:00 am in the K-State Student Union Courtyard. Dr. Buchholz joins 14 other Kansans in receiving this honor. Refreshments are sponsored by the Kansas State 4-H Youth Development Office
The National 4-H Hall of Fame honorees are nominated by their home states, National 4-H Council; the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP); or the Division of Youth and 4-H, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) based upon their exceptional leadership at the local, state, national and international levels.
“We are proud to honor and recognize the outstanding individuals who are the Class of 2021 Laureates for the National 4-H Hall of Fame. These individuals have touched the lives of many people, from 4-H staff and colleagues to thousands of 4-H volunteers and members throughout the nation," said Jeannette Rea Keywood, chair of the National 4-H Hall of Fame.
Growing up on the plains of South Dakota, Daryl Buchholz’s family was grounded in faith for guidance and direction and Cooperative Extension for education and learning. His parents encouraged membership with the Belmont Baby Beef 4-H club to enhance his learning experience. As a young person, Daryl’s father embedded the value of a college education and encouraged him to pursue the opportunity. When Daryl graduated from high school, he headed to South Dakota State University, where he became the family’s first college graduate earning a degree in agronomy.
Encouraged by Extension faculty, Daryl completed his master’s degree at Oklahoma State University followed by a PhD at Kansas State University in soil fertility. Daryl began his Extension career in 1980 at the University of Missouri. In 1992, Daryl joined Kansas State University as the Assistant Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Community Development. While directing the agriculture section, Daryl served 18 months as the Interim 4-H Youth Development Program Leader, before being named to the top leadership position as K-State Research and Extension (KSRE) Associate Director in 2004. In this position, Daryl provided leadership for the day-to-day operations of the Kansas Cooperative Extension Service, including overseeing a program that included a workforce of 250 Extension agents, 120 faculty, and more than 500 support staff with an annual budget exceeding $50 million.
A visionary leader in financial sustainability for the Kansas 4-H Department, Daryl directed the state and area 4-H specialists to create a new stream of non-taxpayer funding to increase operating funds for continuity and continuance of educational programming. Departmental operating funds had been flat since the early 1990s. Under his watchful eye, the specialists created a system to generate new operating funds for more than 30 annual Kansas 4-H events, activities, and programs. Since 2004, this fund has raised more than $700,000 new dollars to sustain the Department of Kansas 4-H Youth Development in their goal to deliver innovative experiential educational programming for the 75,000+ Kansas youth participating in state events, activities, hands-on trainings and educational programs.
Daryl’s vision and wisdom led to his selection as the Chair of the Extension Committee on Policy (ECOP), a national leadership committee of the Cooperative Extension Section (CES) of the Association of Public and Land-grant universities (APLU) Board of Agricultural Assembly. As the governing committee of CES, ECOP works with policy setting, negotiating agreements, defining appropriate roles, establishing program direction, and evaluating program impact at the national level. One of its purposes is to strengthen organizational operations which includes national 4-H programming. Under Daryl’s leadership, ECOP discussed at length the roles and responsibilities of USDA, ECOP, National 4-H Council and land-grant universities for program delivery. As a result of this foundational, multi-agency agreement, roles and responsibilities were identified for each party with respect to the 4-H Youth Development Program with the goal to combine coordination, collaboration, and cooperation to enhance management and communication to reach the 6.5 million 4-H youth across the nation.
Always known for asking the “why” question, Daryl remained strategic in his vision as a leader guiding Extension agents and specialists in their planning process by encouraging programming to be relevant, sustainable, and educational. Daryl excelled through collaborative pathways to strengthen Extension by developing multi-state programming and training; expanding the understanding of diversity by leading a faculty team on a study tour; and encouraging interdisciplinary programing for extending Extension’s educational base. He earned ESP’s Ruby; Diversity/Multicultural Team, Meritorious and International Service Awards.
Daryl says, “Extension isn’t about agriculture, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, or community development, it’s about changing people, communities and society in ways to lift them up to a better place, and to do it in ways that it becomes their own solutions!”
Since retiring in 2017, Daryl has remained active in the Manhattan community serving as secretary for the Manhattan Sunflower Lions Club, providing guidance at Peace Lutheran Church and golfing with his buddies.
The honorees will be presented with a National 4-H Hall of Fame medallion, plaque, and memory book during the ceremony.
About the National 4-H Hall of Fame
In 2002, the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA), National 4-H Council and National 4-H Headquarters at the USDA/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) created the National 4-H Hall of Fame during 4-H’s centennial year. The National 4-H Hall of Fame was established to recognize 4-H volunteers, financial supporters, staff, and pioneers who made major impacts within the 4-H movement at the local, state and national levels for over the past 100 years. Biographies and more information about inductees can be found on the National 4-H Hall of Fame website at http://www.4-H-hof.com/
About the 4-H Youth Development Program
4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization, serving more than 6 million young people across America annually with research-based programs in leadership, citizenship, communication, and life skills. For more than 100 years, 4-H has connected the science, engineering, and technology innovations of land-grant universities to local youth and families. 4-H National Headquarters at NIFA, USDA provides programmatic leadership for the 4-H Youth Development Program. 4-H programs are offered in every county in the United States. More information about 4-H can be located at the national 4-H website at http://www.4-h.org