For the Record...: Enterprise Earners 4-H Club

4-H club work started in rural Iowa and eventually spread throughout the world. Its creation was begun by some educators who believed that learning could be more effective if young people could “learn by doing” as compared to learning from a book.

4-H made its way to Jackson County in the late 40’s. Neither Esther nor Tom was in 4-H club work when they were young. Esther had helped Hazel Hauge as a 4-H leader of the Alpha 4-H Progressive Club. Esther’s brothers, Art and Gordon, were members of this 4-H club.
Tommy was taking piano lessons from a neighbor girl, Madge Olson. She was an energetic young girl and was the founder of the Enterprise Earners 4-H club.

Tommy was the first to join followed by Kent. Monthly meetings were held in the old Enterprise Town Hall. Their leader was Mrs. Anderson, a very talented person. Kathy and Marita joined the year that they were turning 10 years of age.
Tommy and Kent’s first project was chickens. When Esther got her baby chickens they were mostly pullets—future egg layers—but also included some free baby roosters. Mom and Dad gave Tommy and Kent each five roosters to show at the County Fair.
At the monthly 4-H meeting at the Enterprise Town Hall, 4-Hers were to give demonstrations. This is where the 4-Her became the teacher and the rest of the 4-Hers and parents were the learners/observers.

It was at the November meeting when Tommy (age 11) with his trusty assistant, Kent (age 9) decided to give a demonstration on “Debeaking Chickens”. Debeaking - is where you trim the top beak of the chicken’s mouth and was done to keep the chickens from picking on each other. This was done with a small electric devise that had a red hot button on it. You caught the chicken, held it tightly, put your finger in the chicken’s mouth to hold its tongue back, and briefly held the top beak on the red hot button. This was no more painful then trimming your fingernail. Tommy and Kent took a couple of chickens to the 4-H meeting in a burlap bag with a twine to tie it shut. With the flapping of the wings, the squawking of the chickens, the smell of the burning beaks---let’s just say we had the undivided attention of everyone in the town hall that evening!

Our next 4-H project was pigs. This really wasn’t very interesting. This was followed by the beef steer project. This was a project where a 75 pound kid was expected to have complete control of a 1,000 pound plus animal or risk being criticized by many adults for not doing a very good job on your project.

After lots of work training our 4-H beef steers at the farm, it was time to take them to the county fair. Ray Dorschner, a neighbor, stopped by with his big livestock “semi” and hauled our steers along with others in the neighborhood to the Jackson County fairgrounds. While unloading the animals, Mark Dorschner’s steer bolted and was running around the county fairgrounds loose. We chased it but couldn’t catch it. But, we were in luck, as the rodeo was at the fairgrounds and was going to perform that day. We walked over and asked the rodeo cowboys if they could help. “Sure”, they said. They couldn’t catch the beef steer either. Eventually the steer got tired and was caught and lead back to the 4-H beef barn.

It was sheep that eventually became the main 4-H project for the Ringkob family. We began with some western ewes that gave us some lambs that weren’t very good. Kent remembers showing lambs at the county fair outdoors. The judge had a group of blue ribbon lambs, a group of red ribbon lambs, and a group of white ribbon lambs, and after that a gap—and Kent and his lamb!! (Not good)

With much improved breeding (Hampshire sheep) and a lot of hard work, our family did much better. We had several champions at the county fair, a grand champion for the State of Minnesota, and a first place showing in a class at the International Livestock Show in Chicago.

Esther was always supportive of all the kids’ 4-H projects. She also helped out by serving lunch at the monthly 4-H meetings, working at the food stand at the county fair, and by hosting project meetings at their home, etc.

Enterprise Club tour (1958)

Other important elements of 4-H were the club tours where we visited all the members homes and saw their 4-H projects. 4-H softball was very important too. The annual 4-H Play Day attracted hundreds of kids and their families by having many kinds of games for the 4-H youth to participate in. 

When we were in 4-H the county extension staff consisted of Ray Palmby, Bob Leary, and Audrey Tolzmann. Our family knew these people well and they were very influential in our lives. When Kathy and Marita became more active in 4-H, Esther stepped up her level of involvement. She hosted food project meetings in her home. She was also helped her daughters with their sewing projects.
-Kent

4-H Pledge
I pledge my head to clear thinking
My heart to greater loyalty
My hands to larger service
And my health to better living
For my home, my club, my community, my country and my world.