Monday, September 16, 2013

Alan's Second Year of 4-H Club Work
1953


My Baby Beef Project.  This picture was taken on Jan 15, 1953


If I recall correctly, I demonstrated how to wire an
electric motor so that it would spin in the opposite
direction.  You can see my Brother David to my
immediate right and to the right of him is my  Sister
Thelma.

Please click on the picture and you will be able to read the
information contained in the Newspaper article.  The photographer
for the Dubuque, Iowa Newspaper just happened to be there
as My Brother David and I waited to get our Baby Beef Projects
signed in for the Competition at the Clayton County Fair.  I named my steer "Ike"
and my brother named his Baby Beef heifer "Mamie."  You can
quickly ascertain who was our President at this time.


I will now post My 4-H Story for 1953 as I wrote it:

    My name is Alan Thiese.  I live on a farm near Guttenberg, Iowa.  This is my second in 4-H.  

    This year my project was a baby beef.  This project started November 1, 1952.  I bought it from my uncle.  It weighted 400 lbs.

    On December 28, I dehorned him, with the help of my dad.  On the third of Jan. my steer was tatooed and measured.  
     I named my steer "Ike," after the President.
    At the April Meeting I entered a hog judging contest.
    At about this time I sent 10 soil samples of dirt a teaspoon each to a lab., to be tested for organitizns.
    At the next meeting I took a bag of Pfiesters 52 seed corn.
    At the June meeting our club received a flash camera which we ordered a meeting before.  We also made last minute preperations for our tour.
    On the day of Jun 14 I washed up my steer for the tour.
    A week after the tour I bought a leather halter for the fair.
    At the next meeting I sent in my entry fees.
    At the next meeting 2 days before the fair we talked about showing and fitting our exhibits and made last preperations for our stand at the fair.
    Finally the day of the fair Aug 7-10 came.  
    I took my project to the fair.  I got a red ribbon.  I did not sell him.  I later sold him to my dad, who in turned used him to fill our locker.
    Among the things I learned are:
        how to take care of and handle a baby beef.

I will also quote the financial summary as I recorded it in my 4-H record book:

    Net Sale of all animals:                                 $212.50
    Value of premiums won:                                     3.50
    Total income from project:                                                    $216.00

    Cost of all animals at start:                              100.00
    Feed Cost:                                                     107.27
    Other expenses:                                                  3.06
    Total expenses:                                                                     $210.33

Net return from project:                                                             $5.67

I should note that at the start of the project I had estimated that I would sell the project for the sum of $336.00 with a Net Return from project estimated to be:  $116.99.  I did not do very well on estimating the cost of feed for this Baby Beef when I estimated a total of $45.91.  As I reflect back on my 4-H Club Project work as a young Iowa Farm Boy I can now state that the motto of "Learn By Doing" is very significant.  

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