4-H Finds Life Off the Farm

When boys and girls in local 4-H clubs show off their painstakingly raised and groomed farm animals later this month at the Del Mar Fair, they will be taking part in a tradition that has been carried on since 4-H first made its way to San Diego County in 1915.

The 4-H organization, a curiosity to many urban dwellers, might seem to the casual fair-goer a staid holdover from a bygone era of life on the farm. But, in a low-key comeback, the once just-rural organization is proving itself to be relevant to modern community and family needs.

From Valley Center to Encinitas and from Carlsbad to Julian, thousands of North County youths from 9 to 19 years old are participating in diverse 4-H projects--things like rocket science, computers, engineering, nutrition, photography, communications and graphic arts.

Boys and girls work side by side on projects, whether it is learning to sew or mastering the principles of engineering. The goals of the organization are simple: Getting kids involved in hands-on projects that promote a sense of self-worth.

After a slump in participation in the early 1980s, 4-H in San Diego has been growing over the last five years. Today, there are about 13,000 participants throughout the county, many of those in North County. About 1,200 adult volunteers donate their time to work with the youths. There may be a variety of reasons why 4-H fell out of favor--anything from TV programming to the rapid growth of cities--but, when the dust settled, many discovered that the organization provided a good framework for interaction between adults and children. Its egalitarian approach of mixing people by their interests--not their sex or religious or political affiliation--has struck a chord with a new generation.

Vista parent Linda Richards said that 4-H has provided an opportunity for her three children to learn and socialize. None of her children have worked with farm animals in 4-H, but two have become excellent tailors and one has learned about making rockets.

“I just shake my head when one of my kids comes home and says, ‘Hey, Mom, we were playing with explosives today,’ ” Richards said, laughing.

“This day and age, there is not a lot of agriculture for future farmers in this area. We are more business-oriented. We thought these activities would help prepare the children for the business world.”

“I feel more confident,” 12-year-old David Richards said. “I used to not be able to shoot for things as easily as I can now. In the last meeting, I tried to run for an office on the board, but I didn’t make it. I’ll try again next year.”

David, who has won awards for his sewing talent, may make a run at high fashion when he grows up, although he is also working with small engines and rocketry. He hopes to continue with 4-H until age 19.

According to his mother, David, who is dyslexic, has grown by “leaps and bounds” over the past year. She credits 4-H.

“They get a really good solid form of self-worth through all this,” Linda Richards said. “They feel like they can conquer all the bad stuff that’s out there in the world.”

Rural traditions remain an important component of 4-H, which was founded by Congress in 1914 to help educate rural youth and keep them abreast of modern farming methods.

But the organization--based on the cornerstones of head, heart, hands and health--has followed the nation’s population to urban settings.

In most cases, 4-H is a fairly straightforward effort to get kids interested in a particular subject together with adults who can teach them about it. Individual clubs come and go with the interests of volunteer leaders and members. Involvement does not necessarily mean a continuous commitment.

The clubs are supported by the University of California, San Diego County and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The county supplies office space, telephones, staff cars and some financing. The University of California staffs the program through its Extension Service, and is the conduit through which USDA funds reach the program in San Diego.

Although 4-H clubs primarily serve those between the ages of 9 and 19, so-called mini-4-H clubs accommodate the younger siblings of members. There also are some special-needs members, who are much older.

“Promoting an environment that builds self-esteem, and practicing things that build competency help counteract problems that young people face,” said Steve Dasher, a 4-H youth development adviser. “I think children, whether urban or suburban or rural, face the same problems but they are much more intense in urban areas.”

In fact, some projects, such as Neighborhood Watch programs, are aimed directly at urban youth. Others deal with drug abuse prevention and teach children where to find necessary social resources.

As it has sought new ways to include as many youths as possible, the organization has grown in the county. The cost for joining is only $3--a fee used to insure members and volunteers--although participants may incur some costs for materials used in their projects. Unlike many other youth programs, such as a scout troop, anybody can join. No particular set of beliefs is necessary.

“We do not discriminate on any basis for children to participate,” Dasher said. “We also incorporate programs decided by the young people who participate, whereas in other groups, the programs are run by the organization.”

New 4-H members are recruited through schools, libraries and civic organizations.

If potential 4-H leaders can articulate what the children will learn and how they will be learning it, the program attempts to accommodate them, according to Diane Wallace, San Diego County director for the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, which runs 4-H.

Being open to new learning experiences is a strategy geared toward the urban setting in which most children grow up. The goal, Wallace said, is to teach the basic 4-H tenets of leadership, responsibility and teamwork.

Wallace, Dasher and North County adult group leaders cite the influence of adult volunteers and strengthened ties within families in the growth of the organization. Dasher believes this emphasis on the family--entire families are encouraged to become involved in member projects--has helped bring new life to 4-H.

Even as interest in the organization is on the upswing, however, the budget cutting that has found its way to other public organizations is poised to visit 4-H.

About 12% of the county extension office’s budget comes from the county of San Diego. About 20% comes from the USDA. The rest comes from the University of California.

According to Wallace, her office, and its 4-H component, will be forced to accept an 8% to 10% cut in county funds, and a still-unknown decrease in funding from the university. “I don’t know exactly what that means,” she said, “but I am fearful that if budgets continue to erode, we will have to find a different way of delivering the program.”

When a child joins a 4-H club, he or she begins working on a group or individual project.

Each member is asked to carefully track each activity in a record book or by alternative methods, such as drawings or videos. This book, designed to chart accomplishment, will accompany them throughout their 4-H career. Some former members have used these records in conjunction with resumes when job hunting.

Members also are invited to take part in local, regional and statewide competitions. Some members attend leadership conferences at UC Davis, and a few go on to national meetings in Washington.

Gabriella Nanci, a 4-H leader at the age of 17, thinks the members in her group have learned they can have a real impact on the world beyond their neighborhood.

Nanci, a Valley Center college student, conducts genetic research into rare and endangered livestock. Her 4-H members help with displays and give lectures to schools on such rare breeds as Dexter cattle, an ancient species from the British Isles.

They learn that, while Holsteins eat 70 pounds of grass and 2 pounds of grain per day to make 7 or 8 gallons of milk, the Dexters eat about 20 pounds of hay and give about 4 gallons of milk. In other words, they are more efficient and may wind up saving part of the planet from deforestation or erosion because they need less grazing land.

“We see it in the context of a worldwide conservation effort,” Nanci said. “This is something we can do a small part to help. I want them to have a better comprehension that they can do something about a conservation issue, and that has excited a lot of our members.”

Over the past 20 years, 4-H members in San Diego County have raised more than 600 dogs for Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc., a nonprofit company based in San Rafael.

Fallbrook’s Jean Combs has been raising the dogs and teaching children to raise them for 22 years. According to Combs, raising a guide dog is no simple task. Children must keep excellent records on the dog. They must attend two meetings a month with other caretakers for training advice and updates. And, the children must follow a manual on how to train the animals.

Dogs must be accustomed to public transportation, cars and the street environment. They must be taught how to live inside a home without ripping into slippers or scratching chairs. They also must be taught basic commands. Then comes the most difficult task of all, giving the dogs back to Guide Dogs for advanced guide training.

“The kids get a great feeling of self-satisfaction,” Combs said. “They have done something that most people never do. They get to give the dog away at the graduation ceremony (at the conclusion of guide training in San Rafael), and they get to meet the person who finally gets the dog.”

“This is just one of the neatest programs for kids going, period. It teaches kids to get help, then to give back.”

Escondido’s Mary Hillebrecht, 35, spent 10 years in 4-H and believes the experience has been a key to her success today. She runs a small farm and organizes farmers markets throughout San Diego.

“4-H gives you all the necessary skills for what you do later,” she said. “The leadership qualities are important for whatever you do in life. It goes across the board. I have three 4-Hers working for me today and I keep running into 4-H alumni all over the place. They have the can-do attitude. . . . I got a chance to make mistakes when I was a kid and to learn from them way ahead of when it was really important. I have seen a lot of adult managers make serious mistakes because they have never done it before. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you come from. That kind of thing is very important.”

Wallace believes that’s exactly why 4-H has branched out far beyond sending animals to the county fair. It’s also why 4-H has extended itself to children with physical and mental disabilities, children of migrant workers and latchkey children who spend a lot of time alone at home.

Everybody, she said, can use a better self-image, more confidence and leadership skills--qualities that don’t require acres of fertile land.

4-H Projects: From Canning to Carburetors

To join 4-H or to become a volunteer, call the 4-H office at 694-2864. The office will explain how to reach 4-H leaders in your area.

Here is a sampling of 4-H project descriptions:

Food preservation: Learn to can fruits and vegetables, make jams, jellies, pickles and relishes, dry jerky and fruit leather and freeze both fresh and prepared foods.

Horses and ponies: Learn to care for, feed and ride a horse or pony. The animal may be either owned or leased. Handicapped riding, and learning about horses and ponies without access to one are offered in some areas.

Consumer education: For those interested in learning how to make wise purchases. Members will learn how to recognize needs, wants and resources, to set priorities, to weigh alternatives and to make informed choices.

Wildlife: Learn about wildlife, its habitat and value to the ecosystem and economics. Includes the conservation of wildlife.

Small engines: Learn about the care and use of 2-cycle and 4-cycle gasoline and diesel engines in home, farm and recreational situations--from lawn and garden equipment to boats and motorcycles.

Climatology: Learn about climate and its affect on people and the environment. Learn to gather weather data.

Automotive: Learn safety in the care and use of the automobile. May include maintenance and repairs, cost and responsibilities of car ownership, and driving skills.

Swine: Learn about the care and management of swine. Members may raise animals for market or breeding. Ownership is preferable; opportunities also available for non-owners.