Micah Holcombe has been involved in 4-H for practically her whole life. She was a 4-H’er for 10 years starting out when she was nine. She became a Texas A&M AgriLife extension agent concentrating on 4-H programs and she even met her husband Andy through 4-H.
Just last month she was awarded AgriLife’s Superior Service Award.
“The Superior Service Award (county extension agent category) recognizes the programming accomplishments of agents and their efforts in providing quality educational opportunities for the clientele in their respective counties. The details in Micah’s application exemplifies the body of work of CEA’s that are recognized with this award,” said Donald W. Kelm, who is the district extension administrator for AgriLife. “Micah’s application focused on her programming efforts in Family and Community Health and 4-H Youth Development in Milam County and the impact it had on her clientele.”
One of her successful programs that led to the award was Play Streets Programming.
“Rural communities lack important opportunities for safe physical activity for youth. In 2017, Micah Holcombe received a $6,000 grant for Milam County to conduct the first Play Streets program implemented in a rural area,” according to her award application. “The target audience was low-income families with limited opportunity to provide the children safe places to play and learn about physical activity. To maximize the program impact, Micah partnered with Feeders of the Lambs who provides free lunch meals during the summer. The event was conducted at the Elementary playground but also expanded to local community events.”
Over three years with 12 events, Holcombe reached 1,123 people and got favorable comments from participants.
“Play Streets made me feel happy…and safe…it was super fun,” one wrote.
“Just being a healthy environment for the kids and just being supervised and having something free for them to do, especially in the summertime,” an adult wrote.
Colleagues also offered praise for Holcombe’s dedication to the work of AgriLife,
“Micah and I began working together approximately six years ago and have leaned on each other for advice, rule clarifications and knowledge many times, as well as partnered in training our Milam County Youth and have hosted her to educate my team of Sanitarians and me on the Certified Food Managers Course. Micah brings loads of enthusiasm, knowledge, personality and compassion to the table daily to assist in making our youth, our families and our communities a healthier, safer and better place,” wrote DJ Jirasek, the consumer health protection manager of the department of State Health Services, Public Health Region 7. “Micah had a unique way
“Micah had a unique way of empowering leaders to take on leadership roles to further the mission of 4-H in Bell County. She had very successful fundraising events that were primarily leader lead. Though not directly involved with the 4-H livestock project areas, she was a team player and fully supported the other agents and that sector of the program involved in showing livestock,” said Lyle Zoeller, Bell County extension agent for agriculture.
Four H volunteers also had kind words for Holcombe’s work on projects for children.
“Micah touches every age group in our county in one way or another. Micah is a hands-on member of our community and we are fortunate to have her as an example of what it means to be a part of something larger than yourself.” Elizabeth Miller, a volunteer for the Gause 4-H Club.
Holcombe has been in Milam County since 2014. “I started on my birthday Dec. 1, 2014,” she said. “I followed my mother-in-law, then my aunt by marriage as the agent here.
She graduated from Texas Tech, holding both bachelor and masters degrees.
She has worked for Agri-Life her whole career, first as an agent for Briscoe and Hall counties, then as one in Bell County.
“I wanted to concentrate on 4-H is why I went to Bell County,” she said. Here in Milam County
Here in Milam County she is the agent for family and community health which includes 4-H. And 4-H remains high on
And 4-H remains high on her priority list. Her oldest son is in 4-H and her twins are Cloverbuds, a group for younger children.
“Four-H has taught me life skills that I can use and teach others so that they can become better citizens and leaders in their communities,” she said.
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