It was always in my blood...

Not exactly fourth grade, but in high school I raised and sold many pigs. In my junior year, I sold at least 10 that I raised on contract for individuals. At one time I had over 50 including my breeding and show stock. This was quite smelly, particularly since we really did not have a farm, only a few acres.

I have not raised pigs or any other animals for meat ever since. However, my very good friend is the head of her trade organization and raises Beefalo for her family's direct marketing operation. They have outlets in Seattle and do other types of farm to consumer marketing. She was a city girl from B.C. until just a few years ago.

I also had a little cash sideline business early in High School exercising and training horses which could have grown, but for having my hands full with the pigs.

I used to make and sell Barbie Doll clothes (and horse statue blankets, halters, etc.). This was in elementary school...!

When I was a 6th grader, I got my first paper route. Actually I stood outside a grocery store and sold papers to people coming in and out of the store. I wasn't old enough to have a delivery route. I figured out that it was cheaper for people to buy from me than to have it delivered to their home. I also showed them that buying from me, they would get their paper earlier. I could deliver 3 to 5 papers per location so I was able to delive 100+ papers per day. I then hired my little sister to stand on the corner and sell papers. I lost my job because several paper boys complained because they were loosing customers to me.

When I was in 5th & 6th grades, I used to write little one-act plays and get my little brother and my friends to act in them. In addition to being the playwright, I was the director, stage manager, prop guy and advertising person -- and the finance guy too, since we put on these mesmerizing productions in my basement, and we charged a dime to get in. My biggest hit was a murder mystery in which my brother played the detective (wearing our father's hat and carrying a toy gun) -- the "hook" in this play came at the denoument when the detective surprised everyone by identifying someone in the audience as the murderer, a different person each time we put on the play. It would have been even more effective if my brother could have done it without laughing.

Love this thread!

As early as age 11, I began "babysitting" (i.e., watching kids at family gatherings with plenty of adults around) for $.50/hour. My rates rapidly increased, and I had a thriving babysitting/nannying business all the way through high school and college.

Meanwhile, as an even younger child, I quickly realized we lived on one of the steepest hils in town...because I grew up in a tourist destination, I roped my younger siblings into helping me with a lemonade stand. The never-ending stream of cyclists trying to conquer that hill were easy prey! lol

I was home this weekend visiting the folks, and we drove by a 6 year old kid with a lemonade stand...I made my dad turn around and stop by so we could support that budding entrepreneur!

Looking forward to more stories,

Valerie