A. Melfred Roragen: Rising Dairy Farmer

Polk County boasted a strong 4-H program in the 1930s, particularly in dairy calf projects. Melfred Roragen began his participation in the 4-H dairy calf club in 1928 at the age of 13. Rudolph M. Stolen, the county's Agricultural Extension Service Agent, gave the following profile of Melfred's achievements in his annual reports.

Melfred was a member of the East Polk dairy jugding team which participated in the judging contest at the State Fair.

In 1935 Melfred was honored with the Minneapolis Journal award as outstanding 4-H dairy calf club member for Polk County. He won a trip to the National Dairy Show in St. Louis, Missouri that year for taking the top prize with his calf at the Polk County Fair in Fertile, Minnesota. Like many 4-H members, Melford saw the club as an opportunity to learn and lay the groundwork for a future in farming. He was a member of the county's 4-H dairy judging team at the State Fair, served as a Junior leader, and served as president of the Fertile 4-H club. Read the full article.

Melfred ended nine years of 4-H participation in 1936. That year he exhibited dairy calves in the first, second, and third-year classes at the Fertile and Fosston Fairs in Polk County.