WINFIELD TOWNSHIP — Eldon and Garrett, the Black brothers of Howard City, took their first foray into 4-H by showing a calf at the Dairyland Picnic Guernsey Show in 1953.
Four generations of the Black family of Winfield Township includes, front row sitting from left, brothers Michael, 8, and Joe, 12, and their cousin Andrew, 8; center row kneeling from left, Carl and Jordan; back row standing from left, wife and husband Julie and Garrett Jr., Garrett Jr’s mother Phyllis (who was married to the late Garrett Black Sr.), Grace (who was married to the late Eldon Black), and Grace’s daughter-in-law and son, Lisa and John. Not pictured is Amber, who co-owns the family farm with her brother, Carl, and their cousin, John. — Daily News/Elisabeth Waldon
They took first place, besting other 4-Hers from Coral, Greenville, Lakeview, Owosso and St. Johns.
Four generations later, the Black family continues to remain active in 4-H as part of the Winfield Hustlers Club, the oldest continuously operating 4-H club in Montcalm County. Created in 1953 — the same year the Black brothers joined 4-H — the club is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year.
The Black family continues to raise dairy cows at Pine Hills Dairy, their Winfield Township farm which dates back to 1868. Siblings Amber and Carl Black and their cousin John Black co-own the farm, which is home to approximately 700 cows and 1,000 feed acres of alfalfa, corn and soybeans. A white and green farmhouse up on a hill oversees the sprawling farmland at Amble and Yankee Roads just north of M-46.
Joe Black, 12, works with a Holstein cow on the Black family farm in Winfield Township to prepare for this week’s Montcalm County 4-H Fair. Joe’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather also participated in 4-H.
Eldon and Grace Black had three children, John Black, Elvern Black and Laura Paavola. All three were 4-Hers and John was even named 4-Her of the Year in 1982, the same year he graduated from Lakeview High School. He primarily showed cows in 4-H, but he also participated in crop projects, crafts, tractor driving competition, beef, swine and leadership.
John married Lisa and their son Jordan was also a 4-Her who now works at the family farm full-time alongside his father. And now Andrew, 8, the son of Jordan Black and Serena Jenkins, is participating in his first fair week as a Cloverbud.
“It was a big deal for me,” John recalled of 4-H. “I grew up a farm kid, doing chores all the time, so to have that social outlet and travel, it was great. I met other kids from all around the county and they developed into lifelong friends. The experience of being away from home, staying at the fair for a week and taking care of your animals, it’s great for building leadership and responsibility and having fun. It’s great for the youth.”
“We’ve been in 4-H for a lot of years,” added Grace who enjoys helping her grandchildren and great-grandchildren learn about farming. “It is great for leadership. It helps you feel more free to speak in public. It teaches them how to work too.”
Andrew Black, 8, helps his father, Jordan Black, try to move a stubborn Holstein calf on the Black family farm in Winfield Township. This is Andrew’s first year participating in the Montcalm County 4-H Fair as a Cloverbud. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather also participated in 4-H.
Garrett and Phyllis Black had two children, Garrett Jr. and Angie, both of whom were in 4-H. Garrett Jr. is the father of Carl and Amber, both of whom were also in 4-H, and Carl is the father of Joe, 12, and Michael 8, both of whom already have a few fairs under their belt.
The 4-H Fair has not only kept the Black family together, it’s also helped expand the family. Garrett Jr. met his future wife Julie in a horse barn at the fair (“We always warned him to stay away from those girls in the horse barn,” joked Phyllis), while Elvern also met his future wife Kristin at the fair. Kristin is now a leader of the Winfield Hustlers.
Eldon Black retired from farming in 1988. He died in 1996 at the age of 60. His brother Garrett retired the same year his brother died. Known for playing Santa Claus in Lakeview and giving rides with his horses during Halloween, Garrett died in 2010.
The two brothers would be proud to see the traditions they loved — from family to farming to 4-H — going strong generations later.
Andrew, currently the youngest 4-Her in the family, is probably a lot like Eldon and Garrett when they were boys. His first year in 4-H, he enjoyed learning from friends how to show a pig and helping out with community projects, such as picking up trash along M-46 and cleaning up Amble Park.
The 8-year-old’s least favorite thing about 4-H so far?
“Filling out his record book,” laughed his grandfather, John.
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