Mucking stalls, measuring feed and slinging hay.
That's life instruction 4-H style - Jan and Alan Levin swear by it.
The Tucson couple now watch with pride as their grandchildren learn responsibility and time management the same way they did: by caring for animals.
Beginning Thursday at the Pima County Fair, the family will again enjoy many longstanding traditions and, undoubtedly, add more ribbons to a collection that spans five generations.
There's special significance this year, as the Levins and other enthusiasts celebrate the fair's 100th anniversary.
The first fair was held in October 1911 at Elysian Grove, an amusement park located where Carrillo Elementary School is now, at 440 S. Main Ave.
Agriculture, livestock, home industries, horse racing and bronco busting - including two female competitors - were part of the first fair, according to the Southwest Fair Commission.
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The first 4-H exhibits were included around 1929, said Marvin Selke, a Southwestern Fair Commission board member. But the organization's history here is not clearly documented.
Around the time the fair opened at its current southeast-side location in 1972, 4-H programs shifted to include more urban children and teens, Selke said. Non-farm exhibits were introduced.
Jan and Alan Levin moved to Tucson in 1969, and were surprised to find more than a bit of their rural Kansas in the Sonoran Desert.
"We saw an ad about the Pima County Fair and decided to go out and check it out," said Alan, the third of five generations of 4-Hers. They were amazed at the active 4-H clubs and became involved. Their oldest, Mike, didn't gravitate toward raising animals but his younger siblings did.
Alan, 64, said his father and uncle, both long-time farmers, used to visit Tucson and help the Levin children prepare the steers to show. Jan's father, Albert Rust, also enjoyed visiting.
"He came out to see my children show steers but just didn't live to see the grandchildren," she said.
Jan, 62, grew up on a Kansas farm where her parents raised wheat as well as Angus and Simmental cattle. She remembers cleaning stalls and feeding animals on cold Kansas mornings.
"It taught me a lot of lessons that my children and grandchildren continue to learn, about time management and responsibility," she said. "The first year that one of my grandchildren walked into that ring, I was just overcome with emotion. It was just amazing to be there and to see that."
Curt Peters, a 4-H agent with Pima County Cooperative Extension, said about 600 exhibitors are expected this year, with about 1,500 exhibits ranging from farm animals to cooking to painting.
There are roughly 40 clubs in Pima County, Peters said. Children ages 5-8 are called Clover Buds. Children ages 9 and up can continue to take part until age 19.
The Levins live near the Rincon Mountains on a 17-acre property that includes horses, steers and chickens. Their three children and several of their eight grandchildren are often there, caring for the animals and preparing for 4-H projects.
The Levins' youngest child, Matt Levin, 36, has five children. Three are old enough to participate in 4-H.
Matt said he enjoyed doing chores when he was a child and loved visiting his grandparents in Kansas in the summer. When he was 10, he received his first 4-H steer.
"The people you deal with, whether at the county fair or the shows or any of the events, they're just good people," he said. "They have good morals and values."
Son Mike Levin, 41, got involved with other 4-H activities.
"The nice thing about 4-H is that it doesn't have to be just about animal projects," he said. "There's something for everyone."
His 14-year-old son, Daniel, will show a steer for the first time this year.
"Every day after school I go to my grandma's house to work with him," Daniel Levin said. "Some days I walk him and some days I wash him. Every day they get fed in the morning and at night. It is a lot of work, but he is turning out to be a great steer."
The Levins' second child, Laura Levin, remembers when her mother first brought up 4-H to her. At the time, the only animal Laura had was a dog and so, for the first few years, she showed the family pet. After that, there were rabbits and then she "went on to every other animal."
"That was my after-school activity with my friends," said Laura, 38. "Even today, my son shows with the kids of people I used to show with."
Zak Levin, 17, said 4-H is "a huge part of my life."
"I love showing animals because nothing beats the feeling of stepping into a show ring, and the intensity of competition," he said. "I also love the fact that when you leave the show ring, you always win because you have learned something that you can improve on."
Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 806-7754 or pmachelor@azstarnet.com
