State Rep. Perry Buck looked over a room full of young faces Monday morning in the old Supreme Court chambers, between the 4-H members’ debates about such current bills as limits on texting and driving.

“I see so many leaders in this room,” said the lawmaker from Windsor, the wife of U.S. Rep. Ken Buck. “I hope you will all consider running for office one day, and I look forward to campaigning for you.”

Behind the lobbying of state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg of Sterling, Monday officially was declared 4-H Day across Colorado to honor the organization that promotes leadership and agriculture in equal doses.

“I credit 4-H for getting me where I am today, because of the leadership skills I learned as a youth – learning how to run a meeting, how to be responsible about my projects, how speak, all those things that come with being a 4-H member,” Sonnenberg said in Senate President Kevin Grantham’s office Monday morning.

He said recognizing it at the state level is also about recognizing how the organization has evolved.

“Twenty years ago I would have told you it was a way for ag to reach out to urban and help educate urban,” said Sonnenberg, the only full-time farmer in the legislature. “But now we have so much urban 4-H where they’re all working together.”

Sonnenberg is a member of the Colorado 4-H Hall of Fame and spoke at the organization’s Leadership Development Conference in Denver Saturday night.