Steve and Carol Vinton Inducted In Iowa 4-H Hall Of Fame

For Carol Vinton, it’s the honor of a lifetime.

On Aug. 18, the last day of the Iowa State Fair, the longtime Mills County resident and her late husband Steve were formally inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall Of Fame.

“It’s such an honor,” she said. “You always hear of families getting this honor of Hall of Fame and it really hits you when you are now the one receiving this.

“It makes me very proud and it makes me very proud that my girls are following because they’re now (4-H) leaders and our grandchildren are following the same path.”

Carol Vinton has been involved in 4-H practically her entire life. As an 8-year-old growing up in Shelby County, she joined the “girls only” Fairview Funksters 4-H Club, where she became an officer and was not only involved in sewing and cooking, traditional female activities, but also with helping her brother with his cows, something that was frowned upon for girls at the time. Steve Vinton was a Mills County native and a member of the Jolly Juniors 4-H Club as a youth. He joined the club  to learn how to raise pigs and had many mentors as a child.

Later in life, after they had married, Steve and Carol were living in Mills County when their daughters Stephanie and Amy became old enough to join 4-H. Stephanie started in the Mills County Prize Winners club and when Amy turned 9, they joined the Country Cousins together. The Vintons showed hogs and cattle, participated in communications events and had many projects advance to the state fair. Meanwhile, their parents had taken on active 4-H leadership roles.

Steve and Carol Vinton were longtime leaders of the Country Cousins and Carol served for served several years on both the Mills County Extension Council and Mills County Fair Board. It was during their time as leaders of the Country Cousins that the Vintons started their annual tradition of hosting school children at their farm to introduce “city kids” to agriculture and educate the children about the importance of farmers.

“When we started our farm tours, I was the leader of the Country Cousins and we had hayrack parties,” Carol Vinton said. “Every year, we just go more and more involved and now we’re up to 1,500 first graders that come to the farm. It’s just amazing how many learn about agriculture and learn why we need farmers.”

The reaction of the children to seeing and touching the animals kept the Vintons inspired to continue hosting the farm day and providing animals for the county fair petting zoo long after their daughters had grown into adults.

“When I can help teach the youth, that’s my love,” Carol said. “And Steve, that was his passion, also. He just had a funny way of always teaching the kids about his birds or his different animals that we always have.”

Steve raised hogs for 45 years before passing away in July 2023. Carol, who serves on the Mills County Board Of Supervisors, continues to serve as a 4-H communications judge  at the state fair and at county fairs across southwest Iowa, something she’s been doing for over a decade.