Family Farm Friday #59: Fired Up

"I'm not aware of any youth program anywhere that contributes more to the training for future leadership and to give constructive activity to young people than 4-H." - Joseph "Joe" Robbie

It takes a lot to get me fired up. I don't mean like the funny-haha kind of fired up when I start talking fast and loud and using my hands a lot or give "the look." See below.
I mean the deep down, to the core, pissed off. Well, this article did it.

It claims that 4-H and FFA are detrimental to America because they "desensitize" kids to the killing of animals. The author believes that because kids raise animals to be shown and sold at the fair, and these animals are eventually killed, that the 4-H and FFA members are somehow cold-blooded. Here's a quote: "it's a calculated system for turning the youth of America into cold, unfeeling animal killers."

Give me a minute to try and pull my blood pressure down from off the ceiling. I grew up in 4-H and FFA. It started when I was 9 years old and didn't end until they kicked me out when I turned 20. Little Brother and I raised and showed sheep, pigs and steers. And every year, we sold them at the fair. And let me just tell you, that was hands down the experience that I value the most of anything I've done in my life. I'll tell you what 4-H and FFA turns kids into, and that's successful, hardworking, responsible adults.

4-H and FFA teach kids to take care of animals.

The idea that you become desensitized and don't care about the animals that you raise in 4-H and FFA is just the opposite of the truth. You learn how, what and how much to feed. You learn what diseases to watch out for, what they look like when they happen, and how to treat them. You learn to groom and fit the animals so that their skin and hair (or wool as the case may be) is in the best possible condition. You figure out how to teach them to lead on a halter and how to set up in the show ring. I cannot think of any better way to teach kids to take care of animals than having them spend literally HOURS doing so every day for 10 years of their lives.

4-H and FFA teach kids that death is a part of life.

Now, the author is correct that the market animals raised and shown at the fair eventually do end up being slaughtered. (Mind you that kids also show animals that can be used for breeding---several of the ewe lambs that we showed ended up back in our heard and still live on the farm today having more babies.) But the fact is that death is a part of life. When you grown up on a farm, you learn that early. You know that you are raising animals for meat consumption. You also deal with animals that never live that long--baby bottle lambs die, horses break their legs, dogs have to be put down. And when this happens, it's sad and terrible, but it's a part of life.

The kids who are selling the animals at the fair are excited about their accomplishment of winning at the shows, but I promise you, they are always a little bit sad to see that animal go down the road. After any sale at a fair, I guarantee you that there will be kids crying as they say goodbye to the animals that they just sold. Guaranteed.

4-H and FFA provide invaluable experiences.

When my "city" friends (I use that term loosely as I mean the kids who grew up in the "Village of Logan") spent their summers at the lake or out drinking and partying with their friends, we spent our summers at the barn. Learning how to take care of our animals. I'd say that on average, we were at the barn at least 3 hours a day. And when I say we, I mean my whole family--my parents, my brother and I. Together.

And I'm going to leave aside the other benefits for another day....the public speaking skills, the critical thinking and analyzation that helped me graduate first in my class from law school, the opportunity to travel all over the country for judging contests, the scholarship money that put me through college, the lifelong friendships that I make from people across the whole state, the relationships you have with adults like FFA advisors and other parents who become like your own second family.....you get the idea. So before you by into articles by people who seem to have no idea what actually goes on in these programs, please do your homework. Talk to people who participated in 4-H and in FFA. (Talk to me....or talk to some of my friends who grew up in these programs and blog about them as well...like Robyn or Crystal or Stacy or Micah). I will guarantee you that you will see the positive impacts that these organizations had on these people.

Feel free to ask me any questions about my experiences. I promise you that I would not get this fired up if it was not something I believed in so strongly.