Revised 1997 May 27
I am seeking the aid of former teachers and students to make this report historically accurate. Some details are likely to change.

Claude Eddleman Farm (1939-1958)

The 4-H Clubs

All farm kids in the United States have heard of 4-H Clubs, but our foreign friends may not know. Here is an introduction. The clubs are an agricultural extension activity of each states agricultural college. They used to be just for farm kids, but now they are doing good work in towns and some cities. Four-H clubs offer many kids their first contact with biological science as well as good instruction in every aspect of farming and homemaking. Find a kid who had done a top notch job in 4-H and you have found a top-notch kid. Club members meet a couple times per week during the summer at the home of one of the members for lessons and demostrations usaully presented by the kids themselves. The kids learn useful facts and skills and also leadership and public speaking and it seems easy because they usually talk about their own projects. Each member has one or more projects. Projects include home gardening, baking, canning, sewing, insect collecting, dairy, beef or other animal projects. The greater part of the work is done at home studying project materials furnished by the state college. Today many of the projects have a strong science component.

Awards of trips, ribbons, cash prizes, and public recognition in local newspapers make the projects worthwhile and many kids enroll in a large number of projects after they gain a few years of experience. I enjoyed 4-H because it gave me information about our home garden, orcharding, and conservation that I had no access to otherwise. Our parents gave us plenty of time off from farmwork so we could do a good job on our projects. They never coached us or helped us, but some how provided an optimum environment for all of us won more than our statistical share of ribbons each year.

To be continued

to be continued.

to be continued.

Suggestions, corrections, and comments are appreciated: Contact Harold Eddleman indbio@disknet.com