Join the Club

’Twas the night before the county fair, and all through the house, no one was resting. Record books were being checked. Show clothes were being located. Projects needed one final touch. Water bottles, folding chairs, extension cords, snacks, grooming supplies, and countless items that someone was certain had already been packed were spread across every available surface. In the barn, hutches, garage, and driveway, animals were being fed, watered, groomed, and checked one more

“Agricultural education teaches more than how things grow. It helps young people understand responsibility, stewardship, innovation, and their role in sustaining a community.” ~Dr. Catherine V. Addor Walk through an agricultural barn at a county fair, and you will see far more than animals waiting to be shown. You will see young people checking water, cleaning pens, answering questions, solving problems, and caring for something that depends on them. You will see patience dev

“I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.” That is how every 4-H meeting begins. Most people think 4-H is about animals and county fairs. They picture green clover pins, show rings, and ribbons clipped proudly onto stall doors. They imagine livestock and livestock only. Those moments exist. They matter. They are part of the story. They are

This week, as my daughter shows her rabbits as part of 4-H at the county fair, I am reminded of the unique and essential role...