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Brandi Murley, who has traveled to Africa multiple times, posted this picture on her Facebook page in 2016, showing her with a host family.

ROCKWELL CITY — It’s one thing to say that 4‒H empowers young people to become confident leaders who work well with others, endure challenges and stick with a job until it gets done. It’s another to see how this plays out in real life.

It’s clearly reflected in the accomplishments of Brandi Murley, a Rockwell City native who was inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during an awards ceremony at the 2022 Iowa State Fair.

During her career, Murley has served as an agribusiness volunteer with the Peace Corps and has provided assistance to address the South Sudanese refugee crisis.

Murley began to understand the farm-to-fork connection and the importance of community service early on, thanks to her involvement in the Center Willing Workers 4-H Club, her blue-ribbon baking entries at the Calhoun County Exposition and her leadership roles in the Rockwell City-Lytton FFA chapter.

She also learned the importance of agriculture and food production from her father, Duane, a well-known farm broadcaster who works at the radio station in Fort Dodge. ”

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Duane and Darcy Murley, center, accept Brandi's award at the 2022 Iowa State Fair for her induction into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.

“I like experimenting in the kitchen,” said Murley, who did an interview with Farm News when she was a 21-year-old senior majoring in ag leadership at South Dakota State University (SDSU). “I also like to travel and learn about food in other cultures.”

Helping others,

from Iowa to Africa

Murley joined 4-H in fifth grade and began a journey that helped her connect with the wider world. Through the years, she participated in numerous 4-H projects, including horticulture, cooking and citizenship. 4-H inspired her to keep learning about a wide range of topics.

Murley’s 4-H experiences included nine years as a club member, four years as a County Youth Council member, and two years as a Northwest Iowa Council member. As both a club member and council member, she assisted with and led many workshops and youth activities.

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Brandi Murley credits the leadership skills she gained through 4-H with helping her become a confident public speaker who embraces a spirit of creativity, community service and a willingness to guide fellow volunteers.

4-H Day with the state Legislature was one of her most memorable experiences.

The communication and leadership skills Murley learned in 4-H helped build her confidence and motivated her to challenge herself. Following her 2011 graduation from Rockwell City-Lytton High School, she traveled in France for two weeks with her high school French class. As a college undergraduate, she participated in a 12-day South American study trip to Argentina and Uruguay in 2015 with her fellow SDSU ag majors.

Murley’s 4-H experiences also opened up internship, career and volunteer opportunities.

During high school, Murley worked as a staff member in the 4-H Building at the Iowa State Fair, which led to a job as an ISU Extension summer program assistant while she was in college.

Since Murley wanted to be involved in Iowa 4-H after she graduated from high school, she became a certified 4-H judge and judged at various county fairs across northwest Iowa. She also served as an evaluator for Iowa 4-H Project Awards.

During college, Murley pursued a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education, communication, and leadership, with the goal of returning to Extension as an employee.

For three years, she served as an agribusiness volunteer in the Peace Corps. With the agricultural knowledge and leadership skills Murley gained from 4-H and college, she was deployed to post-conflict Uganda for two years with an international organization, teaching out-of-school youth about agricultural practices. Her third year was spent as a communications and knowledge management volunteer responding to the South Sudanese refugee crisis.

Murley credits the leadership skills she gained through 4-H with helping her become a confident public speaker who embraces a spirit of creativity, community service and a willingness to guide fellow volunteers.

These skills became critical during her three years in Uganda, where donors were consistently looking for people to help design innovative programs to address the region’s social problems.

Leaders like Murley, especially those who are inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame, highlight how 4-H remains a relevant, positive organization that helps young Iowans find their passion.

The Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame was initiated in 2002 to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of 4-H. Each year, counties across Iowa select inductees for their exceptional work in contributing to the lives of 4-H members and the overall 4-H program.

“We are honored to recognize these special individuals, for their advocacy and dedication to the Iowa 4-H program,” said Iowa 4-H Foundation Executive Director Emily Saveraid.