The History of 4-H in Nevada

Smith-Lever Act, 1914

• Federal legislation establishes Extension as a federal-state-county partnership, administered through land-grant institutions

Smith-Lever Act, 1914

• Mission: To diffuse useful and practical information in agriculture and home economics

Extension’s 1st Employee

• In 1914, Norma Davis begins homemaking and 4-H youth education in Nevada, clocking more than 6,000 miles her first year!

Boys and Girls Clubs

• When he was young, longtime Elko agent Mark Menke and his brother Blaine exhibited blue-ribbon 4-H poultry at the first State Fair in Fallon in 1914

Boys and Girls Clubs

• The first yearly reports were recorded in 1915

• Nevada had 829 4-H members, and 169 completed their projects

Boys and Girls Clubs• By 1916, the four-leaf

clover was well known

• Ag agents and home demonstrators worked in Lyon, Washoe, Elko, Douglas and Clark Counties

1st Ag Agent in the North

• Joe Wilson (far left) serves in Central and Northern Nevada until 1946

• He conducts youth projects in cattle, horses and sheep that attract attention throughout the West

1st Ag Agent in the South• In 1916, Carl Vinson begins youth, horticulture and

agriculture education, supervising boys and girls clubs, horticulture work and farm demonstrations

4-H During World War I• Nine counties have ag, home demonstration or county

club agents, emphasizing increased food production

4-H During World War I

• Youth grow fresh fruits and vegetables for canning and to improve health in the home

4-H During World War I• Extension agents reach one of every five people in

Nevada with youth and livestock programs, and education to improve sanitary conditions in the home

Farm Bureau Begins Work With Extension

• Partnership with the Farm Bureau was formalized by 1919 Nevada Legislature, which adopted the one-mil tax

4-H During the Twenties

• Youth enrollment soars as Extension education enters public schools

• County agents devote a third of their time to Boys and Girls Club work

4-H During the Twenties

• 4-H youth were active in livestock, clothing and home economics

• Ag production expands cattle to 500,000, and sheep numbers reach 1,000,000

4-H During the Twenties

• Many children were dangerously underweight… education focuses on good nutrition for youth

4-H in the Thirties

• During the Depression, home demonstration agents step up efforts to improve nutrition in low-income families

• 4-H work begins to include leadership opportunities and community service

4-H in the Thirties

• 4-H numbers were down, but many youth sold their animals at California livestock shows, bringing home thousands of dollars to help local economies

Annual 4-H Camp

• 4-H youth first held camp at the University farm south of Reno, then later on campus in Mackay Field

• A third of the state’s members attended, each paying $2.50!

Permanent 4-H Camp

• Tom Buckman, Extension Assistant Director, negotiates with the Park and Rabe families -- Douglas County property owners -- and the Farm Bureau for a 4-H Camp

Permanent 4-H Camp• In 1938, this valuable strip of land (shown here in

yellow) became University property and a permanent camp site at Lake Tahoe

4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe

First Junior Livestock Show

• In 1939, the 1st annual Nevada Junior Livestock Show was held in Reno

4-H During World War II

• Extension named official agency of education for farmers and homemakers

• Program priorities shift toward national security

Education During World War II• 4-H Clubs, such as this one in Douglas County, join

in the war effort…One club brought in enough scrap iron to build four tanks for the Armed Forces!

4-H During World War II

• The 1942 4-H newsletter reported on the wartime efforts

• Churchill County “Happy Harmonizers” collected materials, and clubs prepared members to serve their country

4-H During World War II

• In the “Food for Freedom” effort, victory gardens increased by 50%

• 4-H club projects are related to food production and conservation

Post-War 4-H

• The post-war period saw growth in 4-H membership and agriculture production

Post-War 4-H

• Agronomist Kirk Day serves in Humboldt County from 1947 to 1976

• He brings electricity to ranchers, upgrades irrigation systems, promotes seed production and vaccinates calves

4-H in Humboldt County• Kirk Day starts 4-H clubs in Paradise Valley,

Winnemucca, McDermitt and Orovada

4-H in the Fifties

• Douglas County’s Marlana Neddenriep, exhibits the Grand Champion Beef at the California Hereford Show in 1952

4-H in the Fifties

• Ferrin Bunker serves as Las Vegas agent from 1958 to 1976

• As a former 4-H member, he develops the youth programs, as well as horticulture and family education

4-H in the Sixties

• Educator Gail Munk serves Extension for three decades

• He emphasizes youth and agriculture programs, including alfalfa seed varieties for export

4-H in the Seventies

4-H membership continues to grow in the 70’s, and 4-H Camp was an opportunity to develop leadership

4-H in the Eighties• The 1982 Western Region 4-H Leadership Conference

was an opportunity for education and some fun too

4-H in the Eighties

• Livestock Specialist Ron Torell educates youth and ranchers to produce a healthier product for consumers

4-H in the Eighties

• 4-H Stayin’ Alive, an urban Las Vegas latchkey program, has more than 3,500 youth participants

4-H in the Eighties

• Youth educator Marilyn Smith (left), with longtime rural administrator Gerri Lunsford, begins to reach out to youth at risk

4-H in the Eighties

• Marilyn Smith develops the 1st Project MAGIC juvenile offender program in Elko in 1989

4-H in the Nineties

• In 1993, the University Board of Regents recognizes Cooperative Extension as a separate college

4-H in the Nineties

• In 1998, Karen Hinton is appointed Dean and Director of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

• Extension begins to operate as a separate college

4-H in the 21st Century

• Cooperative Extension’s 4-H youth programs help the university fulfill its traditional land-grant mission of outreach to communities

4-H in the 21st Century• The 4-H After School Club helps Washoe County

youth learn skills that will last a lifetime

4-H in the 21st Century• 4-H club activities are diverse – youth shown here in

Las Vegas separate the DNA of an onion as part of the Field of Genes curriculum

4-H in the 21st Century

• Youth development extends to families as well

• Family education includes parenting, anger management and literacy skills

4-H in the 21st Century• 4-H animal projects are alive and well, with youth

learning responsibility and speaking skills as they present and show their projects

4-H in the 21st Century• Through the Centennial activities, Nevada youth

decided their future was to get involved in the political process and community service

Pathways to the Future

• 4-H remains vital as Cooperative Extension continues to prepare youth for the challenges of the future