Posted on August 31, 2026 at 2:18 PM by Anna Egan
Cheryl Larsen has been a 4-H fixture in West Pottawattamie County almost all of her life. She showed livestock through the Hazel Dell Challengers 4-H Club alongside her four siblings before raising her own children in the club.
Along the way, Cheryl mentored and brought several "urban" 4-H youth who were living in town into the club and offered guidance in showing cattle, sheep, chickens and even market turkeys. Cheryl always believed there should be no barriers to participating in showing 4-H livestock and wanted to ensure all youth had the opportunity to grow through livestock showing. She helped youth by offering a place to keep their animals and showed them basic husbandry, fitting, and nutrition.
Cheryl's involvement with West Pottawattamie 4-H goes well beyond her children and grandchildren participating in the club and fair. She has been an organizational leader, project leader, and assistant leader in the Hazel Dell Challengers 4-H club for over 20 years.
Cheryl’s philosophy, first and foremost, is educating the youth about what they are passionate about in the 4-H project areas, whether it be cattle, swine, photography or visual arts. Cheryl was always ready and excited to teach the 4-H youth new things!
West Pottawattamie is honored to have Cheryl Larsen as our 2026 Hall of Fame Inductee. She is the picture of what a caring adult looks like in the 4-H program. We applaud her inclusiveness, integrity, and imagination when it comes to spreading the 4-H word in the county. She truly is a gem to West Pott. 4-H!
Categories: 2026, Pottawattamie (West)
