Soo Line: Life Lessons Learned at the 4-H & FFA Fair

By Soo Greiman  

Long, long ago I was a kid. Being part of a second-generation 4-H farm family growing up in Orange Township south of Waterloo, by the time I was 10 it was automatically assumed I’d join 4-H. Hey, I couldn’t wait!

At that time, it was standard practice for girls to join a girls’ 4-H club. Consequently, I first became a member of the Orange Buds Club, a few years later became an Orange Petal, and in my final five years as a 4-H’er, bloomed into a member of the incredible Orange Blossoms Club.

Back in the ‘60s, of course, gender rules persisted. If a girl wanted to take livestock projects, she was required to join the boys’ 4-H club in her township. For me, no problem. Since I didn’t want to waste a minute sewing handkerchief blouses, making cherry pies or refinishing furniture, I jumped at the chance to join the boys’ club and became an Orange Booster.

I loved what the 4-H organization stood for, along with all it had to offer, and stayed with it as long as I could—for nine years of my life.

After marrying a former Iowa 4-H boy, we hoped our children would join the organization we had benefited from. They sure did. Our trio of farm kids wholeheartedly embraced the 4-H program and made many friends. When each reached high school and discovered they could take vocational agriculture classes that allowed them to join Hudson’s FFA chapter, they jumped at the chance.

As a parent, I was over-the-moon happy to see how they dedicated themselves in 4-H, working with horses, cattle, hogs and sheep, while also participating in foods, furniture refinishing and leadership projects. The success they earned with those projects turned out to be both amazing and rewarding.

These days, I’m a 4-H grandma, glad to be able to help my grandkids just a bit with their foods and horse projects. Last week, I got to sit in a comfortable lawn chair and watch the Black Hawk County 4-H & FFA Fair unfold in front of me.

Everyone there—both man and beast—appreciated the exceptionally nice weather, as well as how well the fair was run. In fact, all across Iowa in June and July, county fairs are known for their livestock shows, static (non-animal) projects, presentations, working exhibits and wonderful fare at the food stands.

Behind the scenes, each fair’s success is made possible by people who volunteer countless hours to ensure the shows and events run smoothly. I witnessed once again how Black Hawk County has, for many years, been blessed with dedicated fair board members who make it all happen.

Young people in 4-H and FFA rely on county fairs to exhibit livestock or conference with judges about their non-livestock projects. Other than their families, not many people get to see all the life lessons learned and the hard work 4-H and FFA members, ages 6 to 21, put into their projects. As I watched the competitions play out while taking photos for the Hudson Herald, I was reminded of just how much work those projects require.

Many life lessons learned by 4-H members and FFA students are forged through experience, including learning that some years you don’t take home blue ribbons or glowing comments from the judge. You win some. You lose some.
Lessons in heartache and loss also become part of the journey. Kids learn that loss is a part of life. You cry, you grieve and you keep going. They discover there are no shortcuts with their projects. You develop a work ethic and a sense of responsibility that isn’t optional. What you gain in character from lessons like these stays with you for life.

From where I sat, I was happy to watch kids build friendships, feel a connection to 4-H and see the value of their efforts, no matter what color ribbon they received.
Iowa’s 4-H and FFA county fairs really do teach life’s greatest lessons, and the evidence backs that up. Both organizations create learning experiences that few other youth programs can match.

It was that way for my mom and dad in the 1940s, for me in the ’60s, and it continues today for our grandkids.

Congratulations, 4-H and FFA. You’re still raising kids in some of the very best ways.

***Coming Soon:
The Hudson Herald’’s Black Hawk County Fair Commemorative Issue