The Teal Family showing dairy cattle at the North American International Livestock Expo in Louisville.
For many Tennessee 4-H’ers, the organization has been a family tradition for generations. The children compete in making cookies, projects and events, as their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents before them did. Read on to meet two 4-H families who have passed on the love of the organization to their children.
Teal Family in Coffee County
In Coffee County, AJ Teal comes from a long line of proud farmers and 4-H’ers.
“My dad showed cows with 4-H when he was younger, and my mom was involved in 4-H on the home economics side,” Teal says. “My three kids have all been involved since they were in the fourth grade.”
The Teal Family at Tennessee 4-H Roundup
Teal believes his grandparents were also 4-H members, considering his family’s dairy farm goes back four generations. Teal raises corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, dairy cattle and also does custom harvesting.
See more: Family Footsteps Lead to 4-H Leadership Roles
As the youngest of three, Teal was exposed to 4-H projects way before fourth grade.
“When my brother and sister started doing 4-H activities, I went along, too, way before I was old enough to be considered a 4-H’er,” Teal says. “Growing up on a row crop and dairy farm, we showed cows. It is in my blood, and now my three kids show them, too.”
Caroline Teal at the Animal Science Youth All Star award program.
Teal’s oldest son, Blake, is a freshman at the University of Tennessee, Martin, studying farm and ranch management, with plans to farm with his dad after graduating. Teal’s daughter, Caroline, is in the 11th grade, and his youngest son, Beau, is in the eighth grade, and both are very involved in many areas of 4-H.
“I like to brag that all three of my kids started showing cows back when they were in diapers,” Teal says.
See more: 4-H’ers Shine in the Show Ring in the Youth Animal Science All Star program
In addition to helping his kids with their 4-H projects, Teal and his wife, Valerie, created the Coffee Country Dairy Club, which leases dairy cattle to a few 4-H’ers every year.
“We had extra registered heifers, so we invited five kids who didn’t have the opportunity to exhibit their own livestock to show them,” Teal says. “As long as they’re willing to do the work, we’ll help them. It helps build a community.”
Coffee County Dairy Club
Elliott Family in Robertson County
“Our roots run deep in Tennessee agriculture and 4-H,” shares Robert B. Elliott in Robertson County. Elliott is proud that his daughters are the fourth generation of 4-H members in his family, a tradition that began in the 1920s with his grandfather, Robert Elliott, after whom he is named.
Robert Elliott with his father, William, and brother, Will.
Elliott says one of the earliest pictures of his grandfather shows him at around 12 years old, when he was honored as the best 4-H Tobacco Club member in the county. A legacy the Elliott family has honored for over a century, based on 4-H’s hands-on learning and development for agricultural and animal sciences.
See more: Discover Tennessee 4-H Alumni’s New 4-H’ers Under 40 Program
Elliott’s family has lived in the southwest corner of Robertson County for eight generations, and today his father, uncle and cousin run the farm full-time, where they raise dark and air-cured tobacco, operate six greenhouses with tobacco transplants, run a grass hay operation and maintain a registered Angus cattle herd.
Robert Elliott was an active 4-H’er, showing livestock.
Starting in fourth grade, Elliott fondly remembers his first 4-H project, a Beef Project, where he learned about the different parts of a cow, various beef cuts, management and prepared cows for livestock shows.
Now, his daughters, Meredith and Bailey, are carrying on the family tradition of caring for animals and learning lifelong skills in 4-H. Fifth grader Meredith takes care of two steers for her 4-H project, with help from her little sister, Bailey, who is excited to begin 4-H when she enters fourth grade.
Robert Elliott’s daughters, Meredith and Bailey, work their steers for upcoming shows.
“Meredith has already tackled a few contests, a speech, a demonstration and cared for two 4-H Beef Project steers this past year through the Clarksville Area Better Beef Show and Sale,” Ellior says. “Even after a year, we can see the boost in her confidence and ability to organize her schedule and value her responsibilities.”
4-H Projects Helping Farms
Elliott and Teal agree that the skills they learned in 4-H continue to help them in their farm operations today.
“As I reflect on my 4-H career, I can attribute a lot of my growth and development as a student, leader, husband and now father to the lessons and skills I learned through the 4-H program,” Elliot says. “4-H helped me develop a strong network of friends and leaders across this nation; it ties so many of us together in agriculture and beyond.”
See more: The Tennessee 4-H Alumni and Friends Reunion is Fun for All Ages
William Elliott, Robert’s father, teaches his granddaughter, Meredith, about farming.
Teal adds that the friendships, atmosphere and skills he learned in 4-H have stuck with him, especially the opportunities to develop his public speaking skills. But he jokingly admits that his children may be better at public speaking than he is now.
“It’s surprising how much you learn from 4-H cow shows,” Teal says. “The commitment, work ethic, community and patience you can learn from exhibiting animals is something that stays with you for a lifetime.”