Tractors Downtown Before The Parade Are Common

Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair

The Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair began in 1950 and the focus is on youth, just like Kiwanis. 4H is part of the UC extension program and nowadays a great way for kids to enter the UC system at 9 years old. Back in the 50s and 60s a lot of kids were tied to family farms and there was a need for them to work there and miss out on part of the school year due to the farm.

Here in Healdsburg we used to delay the first day of school so the kids could pick prunes. Some kids were better at school and some learned life’s lessons on the farm. 4H was a great way to level the playing field and still is. When my daughter began looking at colleges the counselor asked why she wanted to go to college and what her goals were. She was able to say that she had already been part of the University of California system since age 9 and wanted to continue.

4H | Building Tomorrows Leaders Today

For those of you not familiar with the 4H system I will give you a brief overview. When the school year begins the 4H kids begin attending their monthly meetings and also their project meetings. A project can be raising chickens, rabbits, steers, dairy replacement cows (a two year project) dog training, veterinarian assistant etc.. The annual cycle of 4H for a lot of kids culminates at our local fair. A years’ worth of work all on the line for this huge weekend.

Kids that have a livestock project purchase the animals as babies. Let’s use chickens for an example. The baby chicks are usually purchased at Western Farm. You can fit two of them into your hand. The kid buys their chicks and at the same time opens a charge account at the store. They purchase all their food their on credit and when they sell their animals at the fair they pay back their creditor. You can see the power of the program in that they can honestly say that at age 9 they owned their own small business. They have to keep detailed records of costs, health and eventually profits. Some of my 4H kids graduated high school with $30,000 in the bank. A 4.3 GPA and a full ride scholarship to a UC school.

I got into this because one day my buddy Dave Lewer’s told me, “Robert, you will never feel closer to god than sitting on the cold floor of the barn on Christmas morning right after your kids animal has given birth and the whole family is sitting there seeing the miracle of life together. BTW, several years later I found myself with my kids sitting in our chicken coop experiencing just that.

Why I Love Our Community

This past year I took my doggie Otis to our local vet that I know through 4H. It is always great to get caught up with him. This past year he pawned me off on a new vet that had joined his office. I felt slighted and the new vet asked if I remembered meeting her before. I told her the name was familiar but I was not placing it. She told me that I had been a 4H leader when she was deciding what to do with her life and would not be a veterinarian if it had not been for all of us that helped her get there. WOW.

I have a life time of memories from our fair. I expect nothing less this year. Thanks for listening.

Bob Santucci is a local Realtor, community builder, Kiwanian and past Chamber Ambassador of the Year. Bob is all about helping folks out and sharing his community