The number of youth that actively live on a dairy farm grows smaller each year as the number of dairy farms decreases.  To address this issue many years ago the 4-H Dairy Non-ownership project was developed to allow the youth who do not live on a dairy farm to lease a dairy calf.  Instead of the youth having to make a large financial investment in an animal they have the opportunity to lease the animal from a local dairy farm.  This year 12 different youth have leased animals that they have shown at district 4-H and FFA dairy shows and they plan to exhibit at the Kentucky State in August.  These 12 youth would otherwise not be able to participate in dairy shows without this program.  The youth work with the animals to learn good animal husbandry practices, develop a sense of belonging and increase their responsibilities by taking care of an animal.  These are valuable life skills that can be used by the youth throughout their lives.  The dairy farmers are helping to grow future leaders who understand the dairy industry and can be advocates for dairy in the future.  There have even been a couple of instances where the youth have gone on to purchase their own animals to show.  A few of the past participants have developed a passion for the dairy industry that has encouraged them to even pursue careers in agriculture.