Around the Farm

Lessons from the 4-H Barn

This was our kids’ first year participating in the DeKalb County 4-H livestock fair. Turns out, raising a market lamb is about a whole lot more than the show ring.
As soon as we pulled into the fairgrounds, countless memories from my own 4-H days came flooding back: The smell of the barns. The nervous energy before showmanship. The particular kind of tired that comes from a week spent on the fairgrounds. Wash rack shenanigans.

I hadn’t thought about my own 4-H days in years but seeing it now through the lens of a parent, I realized how much of who I am today was quietly built in those barns. As I reflect on our experience, I’m reminded of the 4-H pledge:

My head to clearer thinking: The kids learned responsibility through chores twice a day, every day. No exceptions and no days off. That lamb needed feed, water and a clean pen whether my kid felt like it or not, and I watched responsibility take root in a way no chore chart at home has ever quite managed. Alongside that came real animal handling skills: learning to read a lamb’s body language, to be calm but alert, to lead with patience and work at it every day.

My heart to greater loyalty: Auction day was an incredible show of community support. I watched the kids’ hard work translate into a sale and saw them beaming with pride. But the best part for me was walking them over to shake their buyer’s hand. That handshake is a small gesture, but it carries a lot of weight: gratitude, pride, and the recognition of a community who supports your hard work.

My hands to larger service: When nerves threatened to take over in the show ring, it was the older 4-H kids in our club who stepped in to steady a halter or offer a quiet word of advice. Leading by example, those kids showed up for a family they barely knew simply because that’s what you do.

During our shift at the concession stand, the kids counted change and greeted strangers with a smile, quietly learning what it means to give your hands to something bigger than yourself.

My health to better living: From a club meeting demonstration to standing in front of the judge and showcasing months of work, I watched confidence build one small, brave moment at a time.
Going into an unfamiliar situation with the confidence to figure it out is a learned skill, and one that will serve their community well someday.

Watching these kids move through their first year of 4-H, I can see the full shape of that pledge they recite at every meeting: head, heart, hands, and health – all tucked inside the simple act of raising a lamb.

Those fairgrounds have a way of teaching lessons no classroom can.

Above: Violet and her cousin, Owen in the showring.

Above: My daughter Violet and I soaking up the memories of her first 4-H Fair experience!

Rosie (Sanderson) Trump farms with her family in Clare where they raise grain and livestock. She also has a career in ag marketing/communications. Rosie and her husband Corey have two children, Violet and Calvin.