Photo: William Rogers with his Jr Homemaker of the Year Awards and his submissions – metal tractor, canned items, sketch. Photo by Sue Kelch

Meet William Rogers, son of David and Mandy Rogers. He will be a Senior at Saline High School (SHS) this fall and is very active in 4H, Future Farmers of America (FFA), and the Saline Community Fair. Last year, he won the 2023 Saline Fair Junior Homemaker Award. 

Now, perhaps you are thinking you might want to compete for the Homemaker Award (Juniors ages 7 – 18 and Seniors ages 19 and up).   Maybe showcase your famous banana bread, or you could knit up a sweater or two. Piece of cake, right? 

Not so fast. The application criteria state that applicants must submit items in at least four categories:  Sewing, Quilting, Knitting, Needlework, Crocheting, Baked Goods, Canning, Fine Arts, Folk Arts, Photography, and Floriculture. When they stipulate “Homemaker,” they mean it. 

Now let’s see a show of hands:  how many of you can find your way around the kitchen, design a floral arrangement from your own garden, grow your own fruits and vegetables and can them, weld a lawn ornament (not from a kit), draw a reasonable sketch, AND take a nice photograph and frame it. Still confident you can compete? Suffice it to say, these awards are well deserved. 

And by the way, the Homemaker Award is open to anyone wanting to practice and showcase their skills, and William is the first young man to win the Junior Homemaker award.

I got a chance to sit down and speak with William (his neighbors fondly call him “Farmer Bill”) and his parents. Without a doubt, William’s accolades are impressive, and it is evident he loves being involved and raising animals.

William volunteers for the Washtenaw County 4-H Fair and serves as a mentor, teaching other kids how to show their animals. He also holds many officer positions in 4-H, including President of the Saline 4-H Farmers 4-H Club, the Washtenaw County 4-H Small Animal Committee, and the Washtenaw County 4-H Junior Livestock and Dairy Club. He is also President of the Saline FFA Chapter and Michigan’s FFA Region 2. 

In addition, for the past two years, he has served as a fair ambassador at the Saline Community Fair, earning money for college. And you may have seen the “Country Bumpkins Pumpkins” stand around Saline as William and his friend Henry grow and sell pumpkins. 

I asked William what he thinks is the best part of growing up in a rural environment. He responded, “Learning responsibility by raising my own animals and growing my own food. And by being surrounded by people in my community that feel agriculture is important like I do. Being in nature and working outside is important to me. It also makes me more connected to nature and I can do things like fishing and hunting.”

Noting that William has served as a mentor, I asked William who has inspired him. “Mr. Mellor – recently retired Agricultural Science SHS teacher – inspired me and many others by introducing us to FFA, showing us how agriculture can be interesting, and that there are so many opportunities in the field.”

“I look up to my dad who runs his own machine shop and has provided me with the tools on how to make metal craft items while doing welding. I also look up to Nathan Girbach, who is successful in the agricultural industry and taught me how to work on tractors and what to feed my animals.” 

William’s mom adds, “As parents, we wanted to teach him many different things so he can be well-rounded and have many skills.”

So, what inspired William to compete for the Junior Homemaker of the Year Award?   “I have always been involved in the fair and wanted to represent the fair in a positive way, and I was encouraged to apply by community members.” 

What is William’s advice for those interested in applying for the Homemaker Award?    “You should try,” he encourages. “Do your best on your projects and try to make a variety of items for the fair. Also, volunteer and keep active in your community.”

Finally, I asked William about his future plans. “I plan on applying to Michigan State University and studying agriculture to prepare myself for a future in the agriculture industry.”

We wish you all the best in your future endeavors, William. And while you make it look easy, you have inspired me and perhaps others to compete for the Homemaker of the Year Award – if for nothing more than the pride and joy of being a homemaker.

For more information on the Saline Community Fair, visit their website at www.salinefair.org. For more information on the Homemaker of the Year Awards, go to the Forms and Downloads link: www.salinefair.org/forms-and-downloads/. The local Chelsea and Manchester Fairs also offer Homemaker awards; you can view their information separately.

For more information on Washtenaw County 4H, visit their website at www.canr.msu.edu/washtenaw/washtenaw_county_4_h/

For more information on the Future Farmers of America, visit their website at www.ffa.org