Deanna Cunfer of Lehighton received the J. Ira Coble Award during the recent Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.

The award goes to one outstanding 4-H Beef Club Leader from the state, and highlights the leadership and care they take to educate children about raising and showing beef cattle.

Cunfer is a longtime Carbon County 4-H volunteer who was recently recognized at the county level for her work.

She served for 30 years as a 4-H volunteer with the 4-H Livestock Club. Her role as a beef leader and volunteer helped grow and develop the program and the overall agriculture community.

Christi Powell, Carbon County 4-H Livestock Club volunteer and organizational leader, nominated Cunfer for the award.

“Deanna’s contributions to the Carbon County 4-H Beef (and overall livestock) Program always revolved around a heavy educational aspect with personal experience to back it up,” Powell wrote in a recommendation letter to the awards committee. “Deanna was always eager to research and encourage local 4-H funding to obtain the latest and greatest Nasco livestock learning tools, as well as she was always innovative in finding and creating her own educational activities and coordinating other local agricultural and beef demonstrations/educational speakers.”

Beyond the 4-H Livestock club, Cunfer also served volunteered at the Carbon County Fair, Carbon County 4-H development committee, and Schuylkill-Carbon Farm Bureau.

Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth development program of the United States Department of Agriculture that helps young people develop knowledge and skills to become capable, caring, and contributing citizens. To find a local program, visit the Penn State Extension website at extension.psu.edu/4-H.