4-H A Way of Life for Naples Family

For third-generation cattle ranch owners, the Woods family of Naples have been so entwined with 4-H it's difficult to conceive that one could exist without the other.

Not only have all five of Bert and Liz Woods' daughters been deeply involved in the 4-H beef project; while helping run a 240-acre cattle ranch with 200 head of mother cows, Liz has been the 4-H organizational leader in both Boundary and Bonner counties for years, and her father was part of the one of the first 4-H clubs in north Idaho.

But the Woods family wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's a way of life for us," said Liz. "Both Bert and I have grown up around cattle and 4-H, and for the girls it was a natural progression. They've all developed a strong interest without being pushed into it. For us as a family, it's about tradition."

That "tradition" has not only made the Woods' Pine Tree Ranch - which started in 1945 - one of the oldest operating cattle ranches in the region; the family's involvement each year with the Boundary County Fair is a connection that may never lose its grip.

Erica Woods showing her heifer at the Boundary County Fair.

From participating with the birthing and tagging of calves to showing heifers and steers at the fair, the Woods family and 4-H go hand-in-hand.

For 10-year-old Erica Woods, 4-H means everything.

In her second year of the 4-H beef project, she has chosen a calf whose growth she'll chart, documenting statistics in her 4-H books before showing it at the fair. She'll go through the rigors of having her animal judged, while judges test her on her knowledge of the animal, its behavior and how well it has been groomed.

She'll also attend regular monthly 4-H meetings from November to August with 16 others in the beef project. Additionally, each member presents a demonstration for their project.

Kate Woods tagging her steer for the Boundary County Fair.

It's something her sister, Kate, 12 - now in her fifth year as a 4-H member - also grew up with, along with gaining confidence to talk before a crowd.

"I learned how to be a public speaker by presenting demonstrations of 4-H projects," said Kate, who is raising a 1,150-pound steer she calls Prince Charming. "I've been around cattle since I was a child, and it's our way of life. It's something that I want to carry on."