4-H Clubs foster agricultural wisdom
Displays at the fair are culmination of months-long effort
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| RYAN PREWITT PHOTO -- James Wheeler, 13, of St. Paul brushes his Angus steer. Livestock is one of about 50 project categories 4-H members can choose to participate in for the St. Charles County Fair. |
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Surprisingly, the dead animal sold for $750.
"She literally was out there with nothing to show," said Kayla's mother, Debbie. "She held a towel and she looked sad, and it worked."The two still laugh at the story.
Lucky for Kayla, 4-H programs aren't only about showing a project on the big day. They're also about the hard work in between. Just walk through the 4-H exhibition area of the fairgrounds at Rotary Park in Wentzville and ask.
Club members will describe different breeds of poultry, how to groom a rabbit or what to keep in mind when showing a steer. They decorate cakes, take photographs and build furniture. Come judging day, they'll personally speak with each judge, describing choices they made and exactly what they learned.
Perhaps that's why it's no surprise the benefits of the program are catching on. This year, county-wide 4-H membership increased to more than 530 participants ages 5 to 18, marking the first time the number exceeded 500 in more than 20 years. Members now can choose from more than 50 projects, ranging from livestock to robotics. Children and teenagers perform community service and win scholarships. They learn responsibility, confidence and leadership.
So why do so few St. Charles County residents know what 4-H is all about?
One problem could be the large, urban area people live in, said John Nickler, 4-H specialist for the county. Today, children can participate in dozens of sports teams and youth organizations, he said; many people don't even know 4-H exists, though the program has been established for more than 100 years.
However, 4-H traditionally was known as a rural, agricultural program. In the early 1900s, Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act, creating the Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The measure included an agricultural program for rural youth, which also served as a way to introduce new agricultural discoveries to adults in farming communities. Originally the program - which became known as 4-H years later - was divided into male and female clubs; boys studied crops and girls focused more on tomatoes, vegetables and home economics, Nickler said. Different programs have been developed as society has changed, he said, but many fail to realize the clubs are for more than farm boys and girls.
Nickler works for the University of Missouri Extension, which administers the St. Charles County 4-H program. But, as he is its only paid employee in the county, 230 volunteers pick up the slack. These volunteers, often parents, take on the roles of club leaders, projects leaders, judges and more for the county's 13 4-H Clubs and 10 Clover Kid programs, which are open to children ages 5 to 7. Each club has meetings and activities each month. All perform some sort of community service, such as adopting highways, donating to food pantries or ringing the bell for the Salvation Army during the holiday season. Members can also attend camps, conferences and various awards events meant to recognize their achievements. At the beginning of the year, members can select an area to compete in or project to make for the St. Charles County Fair, and then meet with those project leaders throughout the year. For example, 10-year-old Emily Brinkmann attended five meetings during the year to learn about grooming and handling rabbits before showing her own rabbits at the fair the past two years.
Those classes and hard work pay off, too. Last year, Brinkmann sold her market rabbit for $332, which went right into her savings account. Samantha Besselman, 18, bought her first car with the money she made showing steer for eight years. Pohlmann, 17, said her 4-H education on animals will help her in the future when she studies to become a veterinarian.
These classes and the style of judging at the fair are a key element of 4-H: having youth and adults work together, Nickler said. But most importantly, he said, the fair gives club members a chance to show off their work and be recognized. He often sees children grow up and pursue careers in the same fields they study in 4-H. Many of those adults are still involved in the program today, whether their children are now in a 4-H Club, or they simply serve as volunteers.
It's those very success stories that help Nickler to know 4-H continues to make a positive impact.
"It's a real blessing to know 4-H at least touched a small part of their lives," he said. "If it wasn't a good program, they wouldn't be in it. They'd have been gone and we would have dried up long ago."
History
Four-H programs began in the early 1900s, after Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act. University extension services were established, as well as agricultural programs for rural youth. These programs also introduced new agricultural discoveries to adults in farming communities. They became known as 4-H clubs in the 1920s. Missouri 4-H is sponsored by the University of Missouri Extension in partnership with Lincoln University Extension and state, federal and county government in each Missouri county. Nationally, 4-H is part of the Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Did you know?
> The 4-H emblem is a green four-leaf clover with a white "H" on each clover leaf. The four H's stand for head, heart, hands and health.
> One out of every 10 Missourians between the ages of 5 and 18 participated in a 4-H program in 2007.
> Of the program's 104,157 participants in 2007, more than 28,000 belonged to a 4-H Club, more than 17,000 participated in 4-H special-interest programs and more than 58,000 participated in 4-H school programs.
> Twenty percent of 4-H participants live on farms, 41 percent are from towns with a population of less than 10,000, 22 percent are from cities and towns with a population between 10,000 and 50,000, 9 percent are from suburbs larger than 50,000 and 8 percent are from cities larger than 50,000.
> More than 11,000 teens and adults volunteer for the 4-H program in Missouri. In 2007, their time was valued at $38.2 million.
> 4-H encourages participation by the entire family, in order to learn more about each other and appreciate each other's strengths and talents. Youth enroll as 4-H members, and other family members help out as group leaders, projects leaders, meeting helpers or transportation aides.
Get involved
To join the 4-H program or become a volunteer, call John Nickler at 636-970-3000.
