UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUR E EXTENSION SERVICE •• DIVISION OF COOPERATIVE EXTENSION HOME DEMONSTRATION EXHIBITS at the THIRD TRIENNIAL CONFERENCE of the ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD Washington, D. C., June 1936 M ISCE l t ANCQUS EXTENSION PUBLICATION N UMBE R 3 Z DISTRIBUTION.--A copy of this publication has been sent to each extension director, and to each agricultural-college library and experiment- station library. August 1936. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates i . . * * > * ' • . * https://archive.org/defails/homedemonstratioOOunse Descriptive Notes on Exhibits Prepared by Florence L. Hall Senior Horae Economist, Eastern States FOREWORD Approximately 6,000 rural women from the United States and 23 foreign countries attended the Third Triennial Confer¬ ence of the Associated Country Women of the World, held in Washington, D. C., in June 1936. In the Federal Auditorium, where many of the conference sessions were held, exhibits of home demonstration work were on display throughout the week. There were eight exhibits, each arranged by a different State, and each featuring a specific piece of work carried on in that State. Taken altogether, these exhibits gave a well-rounded picture of various phases of home¬ making education going on among rural women under the direction of the Extension Service. A feature of one conference session devoted to Home Demon¬ stration Work in the United States was a tour of the exhibit booths. During this tour demonstrations in each booth provided action and added human interest. For instance, father, mother, and two children were "at home" in the Living Room Exhibit - reading, knitting, occupied with hobbies; in the School-Lunch Exhibit booth boys and girls were eating their noon meal; cus¬ tomers and sellers were in action in the booth on Farm Women's Markets. A home demonstration agent in each booth explained to visitors the way the project on exhibit is carried on "back home" by women enrolled in home demonstration work. In each booth there was a display of literature published by the State extension service relative to the project on ex¬ hibit . These pictures with descriptive notes appearing in this publication have been assembled with the idea that they may offer suggestions to extension workers who prepare exhibits on home demonstration work. 900-36 1 2 BEAUTIFYING HOME GROUNDS (Arranged By West Virginia Extension Service) In this exhibit were several enlarged pictures of "before and after" scenes of West Virginia homes.* Captions on the left wall told this story of "The Transition of a West Virginia Farm Home": First abode. Remodeled. Honeysuckle and hydrangea make an effective planting. An arbor for shade and foundation plantings relieve the barrenness. On the rear wall were two sets of pictures from real life with these legends: High foundations need plantings for relief. Shrubs and lattice improve appearance. Porches on stilts are unattractive. t Again lattice and shrubs correct the fault. Throughout the week, a balopticon supplied "motion" for this booth. Twenty slides showed improvements made over a period of years in the grounds of a number of farm homes of West Virginia. On the table a model "farmstead group" showed a typical layout of farm buildings. The layout is one of four illustrated in Farmers' Bulletin no. 1132, Planning the Farmstead, which may be obtained upon application to the Division of Publications, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. This bulletin dis¬ cusses the general principles involved in planning the arrange¬ ment of farmstead building. *The rectangular grillwork showing in several of the pictures is part of the air-conditioning system of the Federal Auditorium and has nothing to do with the exhibits. 900-36 3 4 % HOME IMPROVEMENT - LIVING ROOM (Arranged by New York Extension Service.) "The family living room arranged for comfort, conven¬ ience, and cheer of each member of the family" was the key¬ note of this display. The comfort of each family member is considered in this attractive living room - an easy chair, good light, and convenient side table for father with his book and pipe; and for mother with her knitting a comfortable seat on a good- looking, green, made-over davenport; a low chair for young daughter near the toy shelves, and good light for her to work at making marionettes; a comfortable chair and good light for the schoolboy at tne table with his books or stamp col¬ lection. The cream-colored home-made bookshelves, the plain dark rug, the colorful draperies and accessories, the ex¬ cellent lighting - all contribute to the livableness of this living room. One of the legends read, "The extension housing pro¬ gram in New York State has stimulated the enjoyment of arts and skills, has afforded the opportunity for creative ex¬ pression, and has fostered family unity." 900-36 5 sUHiiil 6 CLOTHING (Arranged by New Hampshire Extension Service.) This display showed that in farm homes today thrift in clothing is as necessary as in olden times, hut it takes a different form. Two rooms were shown. The colonial set¬ ting with the spinning wheel indicated that early-American homemakers spun the yarn, wove the cloth, and sewed hy hand. The second room pictured the modern farm homemaker. She sews in the home, hut she uses a sewing machine, a dress form, a foundation pattern. The 4-H daughter did not make a patchwork quilt or a sampler, as did her colonial sister, hut she was working on a dress for herself - part of her work in a 4-H clothing cluh. The legends for this exhibit were: In Colonial Times Spinning wheels and antiques are attractive, hut colonial mothers spent all winter spinning yarn, weaving cloth, and sewing hy hand to make clothes for their families. Children learned to sew on patchwork. Costumes were made hy hand. Fashion dolls used before patterns. The family spun the yarn. In Modern Times Today mills make cloth, and modern women turn out garments in a few hours. Home demonstration agents help them to learn to select, remodel, construct, and care for the family’s clothing efficiently. 900-36 7 8 CHILD DEVELOPMENT (Arranged "by Michigan Extension Service.) The theme of this exhibit was "Help your child to help himself", and the simple furnishings, many of them home-made, were planned to meet the needs of the young child in the home. Convenient, low toy shelves illustrated the idea that the child can care for his own toys. Garden equipment—rake, shovel, and hoe in small sizes hanging on low pegs—showed that the 3- or 4-year old can tend his own garden, if he has the right tools. A small dining table and chair carried out the idea that the child can serve himself. A low washstand made from an orange crate, with a low mirror and convenient rack for towels showed how he can wash himself. There was a place for the child to hang up his own clothes, a low rod with small clothes hangers. Above this wardrobe was a set of cubbyholes—one for each child marked with his name and large enough to hold books, cap, and galoshes. On the rear wall of the booth was the family bulletin board with a section marked out for each family member, so that messages for them could be pinned on. For instance, for mother was this note in a boyish scrawl, "Have gone swimming with Spud. —Bob." For father was this message, "The County Agent called about the Soil Conservation meeting." Legends used in various parts of this display were: He can do chores and share in family life. He can care for his toys. He can tend his own garden. He can hang up his own clothing. He can serve himself. He can wash himself. 900-36 9 10 A COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE _ THE SCHOOL LUNCH (Arranged by New Jersey Extension Service.) Members of home demonstration clubs often sponsor some community enterprise, such as child-health clinics or beautification of public grounds. Many home demonstration workers are actively interested in hot school-lunch projects for boys and girls. This exhibit showed a school lunch set up in a rural school in New Jersey, where 35 children bring cold lunches from home. Local organi¬ zations have donated money and labor for kitchen equipment for this school, which is set up in the cloakroom and used by the boys and girls in pre¬ paring one warm dish each day to supplement the lunch brought from home. Enlarged photographs on the left wall told the story as follows: Franklin Grove School. Half of the cloakroom used for kitchen. Our turn to sit at the party table. Lunch is served. Ready to lunch. Listed on the blackboard on the rear wall were the menus for the week and the tasks assigned to the various children. At the left of the blackboard, posters gave this information: Community Organizations Cooperating: Board of Education, 4-H Clubs, Red Cross, Blair Academy - Private school for Boys, Blairstown Chamber of Commerce, Parents of School Children, Home Demon¬ stration Agent in Warren County. How We Work at the Franklin Grove School 1. We plan meals a week ahead and decide what to buy and what to bring from home. 2. We clean vegetables or make other preparation before school or at recess. 3. We heat water at 10:30. 4. We start to cook as soon as necessary. (Cooks often do arithmetic at home so as not to get behind in their work.) 5. Children wash hands at 11:50 (with heated water). 6. We set trays at 11:55. 7. Helpers set tables, place mats, nankins, spoons, and water cups. 8. We unpack lunches and put boxes out of sight. 9. We say grace and serve the food. 900-36 11 12 HOME MANAGEMENT - KITCHENS (Arranged "by Ohio Extension Service.) This exhibit showed convenient arrangement of kitchen equip¬ ment by featuring three centers: The planning desk, the clean-up unit, the food-preparation unit. At each of these places was a flasher - a red light at the planning desk, a blue one at the sink, a white one at the cabinet. These lights, timed so that they came on one at a time, stayed on long enough for the placard to be read. On the planning desk and shelf above were recipe books, ac¬ count books, calendar, a clock, small filing case, pads, pencils, a pen, and ink. The placard read: Family Planning Unit We plan meals. We record family business. We have family council. The table at the left was set for breakfast. Near the sink with double drain board was a storage closet for dishes and utensils. The convenient table on wheels could be easily moved around the kitchen. The three stools in front of the sink showed how a person may comfortably work at surfaces of dif¬ ferent levels regardless of her height. The placard over the sink read: Clean-Up Unit We dispose of waste readily. We clean food and dishes thoroughly. We use water freely. At the right side of the booth were the kitchen cabinet, refrigerator, and utility cabinet. The placard read: Food-Preparation Unit Our storage is convenient. Our equipment is efficient. Our work conditions are comfortable. 900-36 13 I FOODS AND NUTRITION - = PLANNED YEARLY FOOD SUPPLY FOR THE FARM FAMILY Foods FwtOir t&Xt-Ctt «#*3 tf$x t&MKK&S Mnk m o*> f. : iyTT£R<*«&'* i UsA# K?AT. £&*i wti.iifey eess *tOl<*. Cxfcftg.l StCAV //MiS 111 r a r ii Bl ill i ii 1111 ii / IT’S A S 12,000 ENTERPRISE TO FEED A FARM FAMILY WHILE RAISING A SON AND DAUGHTER TO THE AGE OF SELF-SUPPORT J 14 FOODS AND NUTRITION (Arranged "by Virginia Extension Service.) The "Planned yearly food supply for the farm family" was the theme of this exhibit, with the actual food shown for one person for 1 year. On the hack wall was a list of the requirements for the so-called "moderate- cost adequate diet." This list was flanked on each side hy four shelves which held jars of fruits, vegetables, and meats recommended for the use of one person per year in the Virginia canning budget. Visitors to the booth were amazed that a diet based on health needs includes 525 pounds of vegetables and 75 gallons of milk for one person for 1 year, and exclaimed over the beauty and variety of the colorful canned products. On tables at the left side of the booth were set up four "Winter meals from the planned food supply." These meals illustrated the fact that breakfast, dinner, supper, and the school lunch, which meet the re¬ quirements of health, economy, and attractiveness, can be prepared during the winter months when a yearly food supply plan for production and preservation has been carried out. An attractive poster, with colored cut-outs, entitled, "Check your daily meals for these foods", gave these suggestions, briefed from the food-selection score card with which extension workers are so familiar: MILK - , ' Children . . . . 1^- pints - 1 quart. Adults.1 pint. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 5 SERVINGS AT LEAST - 1 raw fruit, vegetable, or canned tomatoes. 1 green-colored vegetable. Potatoes may be used as 1 serving. WHOLE-GRAIN PRODUCTS. EGGS, CHEESE, MEAT, FISH, DRIED BEANS, or PEAS - 2 servings of any two. TOTAL LIQUID .... 1-J- pints or more. On the right wall a chart featured this idea: "It’s a $12,000 enterprise to feed a farm family while raising a son and daughter to the age of self-support." This chart showed that if purchased at retail prices (as of September 1934), an adequate moderate-cost diet for the father over a period of 22 years would total $4,100; mother, $3,700; feeding the son in the family from birth to 18 years would cost $2,200; and feeding the daugh¬ ter for 18 years would cost $2,000. Five colored bromides, showing the farm garden, orchard, family cow and chickens, meat animals, and a bona-fide farm family with its canning and storage budget, were grouped about the "$12,000 enterprise" chart, in¬ dicating that the farm family that plans ahead and works together can cut cash expenditures to a low figure, if the homemaker takes advantage of her knowledge of food values and of modern techniques in preserving and canning. 900-36 15 16 FARM WOMEN'S MARKETS (Arranged by Maryland Extension Service.) In this exhibit was a show case brought from a nearby Maryland market which is operated by farm women. The glass case protected the cakes, breads, meats, and cottage cheese. The hinged shelf held bunched vegetables and boxes of berries. Canned fruits, vegetables, jellies, and jams were displayed on top of the cases. Milk, cream, and butter were in the refrigerator. Flowers and large baskets of vegetables were on the stand at the right. A buyer with her basket discussed the recipe for raspberry jam, which the farm woman offered for sale. The poster over the show case gave the Market Rules Sellers are members of home ) demonstration erou-os ( ) ( Principal source of income ) is from farm. ( ) Only women sell on market. ( ) Each sells her own products. ( ) ( \ ) Prices are set by executive ( board. ) Perishable products are not returned for the second sales day. Quality of products is checked by extension service. Sellers are dressed in white. Sellers are responsible for neatness and sanitation of stands. Sellers follow and obey by¬ laws of organization. On the right wall was a score card used by extension workers to help the market sellers keep their products consistently up to a high standard. Score Card Butter Cakes Bread Outside: ) Outside: Size.10 ( Size ;.5 Shape.5 ) Shape.10 Crust.10 ( Crust.10 ) Inside: ( Inside: Texture .... 15 ) Texture .... 15 Grain.15 ( Grain.15 Color.10 ) Color.10 ( Flavor. 35 ) Flavor . 35 100 ( 100 900-36 17