Larry Kidder tells the story of the changing nature of agriculture that led to changes in rural life in the early 20th century. Changing opportunities in in local towns and cities, combined with a focus on celebrating rural life and finding ways to make farming a viable lifestyle, led to the creation of educational opportunities for all ages and especially the young. The 4-H programs that we know today grew out of that movement. Larry discusses the Pleasant Valley Calf Club and its community-wide, summer agricultural fairs, which were held at the rural schoolhouse in the center of the Valley during the 1920s. Today, the Mercer County 4-H Fair is held in central Pleasant Valley near where those early Calf Club Fairs were held.

​William L. (Larry) Kidder has been a volunteer at the Howell Living History Farm part of the Mercer County Park System, in Hopewell, New Jersey where he has served as an historian, interpreter, and draft horse teamster. He is an avid member of the Association for Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM). Larry is the author of five books focusing on the American Revolution in the Mercer County region and is active in historical societies in Ewing (past president), Hopewell (also a past president), and Lawrence townships. Visit his website, wlkidderhistorian.com.

Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum, and the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library. Space is limited. Registration required. Register at the following link: History of the Mercer Co. 4-H Fair. Register for the online presentation via Zoom: Mercer Co. 4-H.