LaCross named outstanding 4-H alumnus
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EmailLeelanau County 4-H alumnus Benjamin LaCross, of Lake Leelanau, was among nine 4-H alumni inducted into the 2026 class of the Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society at a ceremony on Oct. 3.
Leelanau County 4-H alumnus Benjamin LaCross, of Lake Leelanau, is among nine 4-H alumni inducted into the 2026 class of the Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society. LaCross was recognized on Oct. 3 during the Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration hosted by Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan 4-H Foundation at the MSU University Club in Lansing.
The Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society honors former Michigan 4-H members whose professional leadership and community service reflect the ultimate outcome of 4-H membership – extraordinary use of an individual’s head, heart, hands and health to make communities, the country and the world better places in which to live. This recognition is provided by Michigan 4-H Youth Development with support from the Michigan 4-H Foundation.
LaCross’ steady leadership has helped to strengthen Michigan agriculture at the local, state and national levels. A second-generation fruit farmer, LaCross owns and operates an 850-acre operation with his wife, children and parents, growing cherries and plums. In late 2024, LaCross was elected as the 17th president of Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB), adding to his extensive service to MFB and the agriculture sector.
Locally, LaCross belongs to the Northwest Michigan Farm Bureau and has served on his county Farm Bureau's Membership and Policy Development Committees. At the state level, LaCross served four years on MFB’s Young Farmer Program Committee, including two as its chair. In 2011, he became the district 9 representative on the MFB Board of Directors, serving in this role until his election as president.
Nationally, LaCross was appointed to a two-year term in 2010 on the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, where he served one year as chair. In January 2025, LaCross was selected by AFBF delegates to represent the 12-state Midwest region on the organization’s board of directors.
“4-H helped me grow and mature as a young person,” said LaCross. “In the role that I'm in now, I'm so grateful that I had the 4-H experience that I did. I know firsthand how important 4-H is in communities and to our youth.”
Growing up, LaCross was a 10-year Leelanau County 4-H member who participated in the sheep project. He attended various state 4-H events, including 4-H Exploration Days, and credits 4-H and MSU Extension programs with shaping his early leadership development and helping to lay the groundwork for his career in agriculture.
Outside his MFB and AFBF roles, LaCross has also served on the Michigan Cherry Committee; Michigan's 21st Century Infrastructure Commission under former Governor Rick Synder; the Leelanau County Horticultural Society; the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce and more. He has been honored as one of the “40 under 40 Most Influential Leaders” by the Grand Traverse Business News and the “40 Under 40 Next Generation Leaders” by Fruit Grower News, as well as receiving the Distinguished Service Award from the Cherry Marketing Institute.
Also inducted into the 4-H Emerald Clover Society Class of 2026 were: Dalen W. Agnew, Williamston; Beverly K. Ferris Hain, Jenison; Elizabeth A. Manwell, Canton; State Rep. Gerald A. Neyer, Shepherd; Judith K. Paulsen, Hartland; Jackie A. Rider, Durand; Roxanne S. Turner, Fowlerville; and Emma J. Young, Detroit. Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society members are inducted every two years. The inaugural class of 62 members was inducted in 2002. For more information on the 4 H Emerald Clover Society and its members, visit www.mi4hfdtn.org/ecs.
Other honorees recognized at the 2026 Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration included partners receiving the 2026 Michigan 4-H Citation Award, volunteers awarded the 2025 and 2026 Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards, volunteers awarded the 2025 and 2026 Michigan Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture Awards, 50-year 4-H volunteers recognized in 2025 and 2026, winners of the 2025 and 2026 MSU 4-H Scholarship, and 4-H staff retiring since 2024. To make a donation in tribute of LaCross or another awardee, visit https://mi4hfdtn.org/memorial-tribute-gifts/.
