Learning By Doing - 4-H

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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.

It has been more than 35 years now since I was a member of 4-H and though I sometimes forget important dates, appointments, and even what I ate the previous day, I can still recite the 4-H Pledge that is posted above.  Odd how that works.  I'm not sure how it works in other places, but around here, 4-H is administered by the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service and exists to provide youth with "life skills that enable participants to become positive, productive, capable and compassionate members of their communities."

Benjamin is involved with his Homeschool 4-H club in activities.  They attend meetings that an Extension Agent facilitates that helps them work toward those goals.  Just recently he built a working lamp out of a soft drink can.  He also takes part in "Shooting Sports" where they go to a range and practice target shooting with a .22 rifle and a .20 gauge shotgun.  

A recent Agriculture Day was held at the Jeff Davis Fairgrounds in which all elementary school students in the Parish were bused in and had an opportunity to become more familiar with agriculture.  Tricia and Benjamin were in charge of the Dairy Booth and had a milk cow there to demonstrate how to milk a cow and educate the kids on where milk comes from.  Before they gave the presentation, they asked kids what products come from a cow.  Believe it or not, these were some of the answers given:

• Eggs
• Orange Juice
• Moth Balls

I'm not making that up.  One student asked if brown cows give chocolate milk.  I can almost understand that, but moth balls?  I think this experience underscores the 'urbanization' we're seeing where people are distanced from their food.  Our Parish is a rural parish.  The largest 'city' has just south of 12,000 people.  If our 'country kids' don't know where their food comes from, what in the world is going on in the major metropolitan areas?  4-H is attempting to do something about that in educating students.

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Aside from growing up on a farm, 4-H played a role in giving me a love for agriculture.  I remember showing sheep at livestock shows, going door to door selling seeds for a 4-H fundraiser, giving a demonstration on how to clean a shotgun at 4-H Demonstration Day (Yes, we actually brought guns to school), attending 4-H Camp at Camp Grant-Walker in Pollock, Louisiana, taking tests on Weed identification and Seed identification at Achievement Day and being on the Livestock Judging Team.

Benjamin showing his calf

I tip my hat to the extension agents (Mrs. Monceaux & Mr. Martin) that took the time to teach me and those that continue to do so with my son (Mrs. Myers) and the next generation. In a highly industrialized and consumerist-based economy, it is critical that we re-introduce people to the land, the animals, the crops, and the work ethic and values that built our great country.  

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