By Julia Train
The Atlantic County 4-H is celebrating its 75th fair on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 9 and 10.
The two-day event has been a summer tradition since 1948 and is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year. It features music, rides, awards, contests, crafts, animals and performances by the different 4-H clubs, such as the Twirlybirds baton twirlers, Clover Cloggers and Tae Kwon Do.
The national 4-H nonprofit itself is over 100 years old and is America’s largest youth development organization.
Atlantic County 4-H Clubs offer youth in grades K–12 the opportunity to learn about life skills such as livestock and poultry management, public speaking, cooking and sewing, STEM activities and martial arts.
Those who teach the clubs and classes are volunteers, many of whom have been a member in the past and want to give back.
“I just love what I do. I’ve been twirling the baton my whole life…I love teaching the kids,” said Joni Grunow, treasurer of the 4-H Fair Association.
Grunow was a member for nine years before becoming a leader and volunteer, which she has been for 49 years. As a member, she was a part of the Rip & Sew club, youth council and Twirlybirds baton twirling, which her mom taught.
She also raised chickens and rabbits to show at the fairs. Livestock are shown at the fairs to teach children about both the business aspect of farming and raising animals.
Grunow was given yearbooks by Frances Hagel, who was leader of the Cologne Busy Bees for almost 70 years, before passing away in 2019.
“She had saved them and she gave them to me before she passed… she wanted them to go to somebody that was a true 4-H-er,” said Grunow.
For the fair’s 75th anniversary, Grunow and the other leaders used the yearbooks to write a blurb about its history for this year’s yearbook, which is always given out at the fair.
Atlantic County 4-H history
Atlantic County 4-H was started around the year 1930 and the Atlantic County 4-H Fair Association was organized and incorporated on June 28, 1946, although there are yearbooks on file spanning from 1948 to today.
The 1948 yearbook states that the fair that year was held in what’s now the Duberson School and the 4-H office was located in the Atlantic County Surrogate’s Office. At the time, 4-H was mostly home economics and gardening.
In the 1950 yearbook, it states the 4-H Fair was held at the Pomona Amusement Hall.
The next year, it was held at the Pomona Fairgrounds and remained there until 1957, when the Atlantic County 4-H Fair Association purchased 20 acres in Hamilton and Galloway townships.
In 1958, 12 acres were cleared to construct sanitary facilities, a 4-H Office, a refreshment stand and the power supply house and well in order to have the first 4-H Fair held at the fairgrounds at the current location.
Improvements made throughout the years
In 1960, a 35-by-100-foot livestock barn was added.
In May the following year, there was a groundbreaking event for the new multi-purpose building at the fairgrounds.
The building is named after David C. Wood, who took the job of 4-H extension agent in Atlantic County in 1948. He held the role for 30 years, during which he brought 4-H to the county and created several programs, encouraging youth to take leadership roles.
Wood also founded the first County 4-H Queen Contest in 1950. He passed away on June 24, 2012.
A 35-by-40-foot addition to the main youth center, which included the kitchen and meeting room, was completed in early 1965.
In 1972, a boys workshop wing was added.
In the spring of 1986, the refreshment stand was torn down and replaced with a new refreshment building, completed in the summer of 1987.
In 2021, two roadway signs were installed through an Eagle Scout project.
