The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-07-30
fields of endeavor for the Farm Bur

In 1918, eight hundred and ninety
boys and girls took part in this work
with the Farm Bureau. Enrollments
were distributed over the following
projects: dairy calf, garden and can
ming, corn, pigs, and potato.
The dairy calf project was one of
. the successful projects of the year,
the members of this project raising
group of forty of the finest calves
! in Blue Earth county. A member OF
this project won the state champion
ship for Blue Earth county.
The garden and canning club was
one of the very popular clubs espec-
tally during the war. Over seventy
! five acres of land were cultivated in
! 1918 and 10000 jars of products
canned by boys and girls in this work.
Forty-six demonstration teams were
trained in the county that year and
the winning Blue Earth County team
won first place at the Minnesota state
state fair at Sioux City, Iowa, bring
ing added fame to Blue Earth county.
The boys in the corn project aver
aged fifty-five bushels per acre with
a total crop value of $500. Samples
/ were sent to the state fair where the
{ boys took second place on corn club
exhibits. About seventy boys and
girls Joined the potato project, the
highest yield being 470 blu. per acre.
There were fifty boys and girls inter-
ested in the raising of pigs. This
made one Of the finest showings in
the state and demonstrated the value
of good feed and care for pigs.
During 1918 the county club Agent
conducted eighty seven demonstra-
tons for boys and girls and attended
1913 other club meetings. More than
600 home visits to club members were
made in addition to cooperating with
the regular Farm Bureau work.
In 1919 approximately 1900 boys
and girls were reached by the Farm
Bureau in this work 300of them doing
real club work while the others helped
in some way or other. The following
projects were taken up: pig, dairy
calf, baby beef, garden, canning bread
making, poultry, and corn. In the
bread work which was a new project
for last year, seventy five girls took
part and baked a total of 2,160 loaves
OF bread. Ten bread teams were
trained for demonstration work and
the Blue Earth County team won the
championship for Southern Mimi and
later for the entire state of Minnesota
at the State Fair last fall which
speaks we'll for the character of work
done here.
of the popular clubs with ATS boys and
girls in the work, making a profit of
$1,000. 100 boys and girls took up
the canning and put up 10,154 jars of
products with profit of $2O35.
Twelve teams We're trained in this
work, the winning team representing
Blue Earth county at the state fair
last fall in a credible manner
! The poultry work also proved pop
q
raised a total of 1900 fowls Many
young people took part in this project
that were unable to go into other live
stock work. The dairy calf work was
more successful in 1919 than ever be-
fore. The interest and competition
was keen and again Blue Earth Coun-
; ty won the championship from the en-
tire state of Minnesota. The corn
club was again carried on with Blue
Earth county leading the state in this
work and winning the championship
for Southern Minnesota.
One of the new projects Of the year
was the beef calf contest with twelve
contestants. This was one of the
smaller projects but great interest
was taken in the work. The three
best calves and their owners were
sent to st. Paul in November where
they made fine showing.
The pig club proved to be one of the
most successful Of the year with TWEEN
ty boys and girls engaged in the work.
SO well was the work done that a
Blue Earth county boy won the cham
pionship for the state of Minnesota
and as a result he has become an ex-
pert pig feeder and raiser. This year
this boy will exhibit his pigs in the
open class at the State Fair in com
petition with the breeders of the state.
During 1919 the county club agent
put 40 demonstrations Of various
sorts with boys and girls and met with
14O other clubs meetings while 500
home visits were made to boys and
girls. Cooperation was also given
with the general Farm Bureau work
both in the office and in the field.
For the present year enrollments
In most projects has greatly increased
The projects fostered by the Farm
Bureau this year are as follows
breadmaking with 10 enrolled, sew
ing with fifty, gardening 300, pig
! seventy, poultry thirty six, dairy
calf thirty, baby beef fifteen, canning
mot completely, and dairy judging
mot complete). A large number of
others have been reached and are be.
ing helpd and worked with by the
county club agent but are not club
members.
4 During the past two years the coun
ty club agent has worked up and su l.
pervised the junior departments al
both the Garden City and the Manka
to fairs. At both fairs this depart
ment has become one of the biggest
and best departments at the tairs
Through the boys and girls club work
ITO boys and girls have been sent on
education trips during the past two
years as reward for excellence OF
work and this policy will be contin
ued and additional trips offered this
year. approximately 600 other prizes
nave been awarded in similar way
The work during 1920 gives promise
of greater results than ever before.
Better interest is being displayed
both on the part of old and young and
the indications are that a higher
quality of work will be the result.
blue Earth county is leading the
state in this line of extension work
and is receiving the credit for giving
its farm boys and girls a chance u
see the opportunities existing at home
and on the farm. The splendid CO.
operation of the office of the county
superintendent of schools is aiding
the work greatly. In this way a great
forward step in being taken in Blue
Earth county.
| Miscellaneous Activities-Help has
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