From the Show Ring to the Lending Desk: How 4-H Shaped My Passion for Agriculture

By Samantha Otten
Ag-Commercial Lender at Farmers and Merchants Bank

Every summer when the fairgrounds fill with the smell of sawdust and the hum of anticipation, I’m reminded just how much 4-H shaped the person I am today.

Before I was an Ag Lender at Farmers and Merchants, I was a kid with a bucket in one hand and whip in the other—learning, growing, and finding my place in agriculture through 4-H.

Where It All Began

I started showing livestock at the Warren County Fair when I was 9. I was able to try many different projects and meet new people. I moved to Benton County Fair about three years later to complete my 10 years in 4-H in swine and poultry. I didn’t fully understand then how much the 4-H organization would shape my confidence and future career path.

Through record books, project deadlines, and livestock care, I learned lessons about hard work, responsibility, and the deep satisfaction of watching a goal become a reality.

More Than Just Projects

What stands out now, years later, isn’t the ribbons or the banners—it is the people.

It was the project leaders that spent their weekends setting up the fair. The family who showed up to watch the livestock shows. And the local businesses that showed to support the auction. It was that sense of community that gave me a lasting appreciation for rural life.

I saw firsthand how local banks, seed companies, and co-ops supported 4-H —not just with sponsorships but with genuine encouragement. That made an impression on me from a young age.

Why I Chose Ag Lending

Today, I work with farmers and agribusiness owners who remind me of the people I grew up around—resilient, resourceful, and incredibly dedicated.

I chose Ag & Commercial lending because it allows me to stay connected to the world I love. I get to sit across from families planning to buy their first piece of land, or operations looking to expand, and help them financially make it happen.

Every day, I’m grateful that my background in 4-H gave me the foundation to understand their world—not just the numbers, but the deep-rooted values behind them.

Giving Back to the Next Generation

Now, I get to show up at the fair in a different way: as a supporter. Whether I’m bidding in the auction, chatting with young exhibitors, or simply cheering them on, it’s a full-circle moment every time.

I want every 4-H kid to know that those early mornings and barn chores matter. They’re learning more than they know—and maybe, just maybe, planting the seed for a future they haven’t imagined yet.

4-H gave me roots in agriculture. Banking gave me the opportunity to help others grow in it.
And I’m proud to bring both of those things to my community every single day.

Sam Otten
Ag Lender
NMLS #2643165

Farmers and Merchants Bank
Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

NMLS #718145
published on 06/17/2025