Hastings Member Lands Dream Job Thanks to 4-H!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by 4-H Ontario Communications

By Ryan Metivier

Growing up, Ashley Baker always knew she wanted to join 4-H, as her aunt was a member of the Dairy Club, where she’d let Ashley lead her project heifer and she helped her dad milk at her grandfather’s dairy farm. At 10 years old, Ashley joined the Hastings 4-H Association in the Dairy Club for herself. Little did she know that years later the decision would lead to numerous accomplishments for herself and her family, as well as a career in politics.

The Baker Family at the 2012 Awards Night

“Through 4-H I have met most of my closest friends,” said Baker. “4-H has taught me dedication, perseverance and given me an undying drive to succeed. I’ve learned how to handle ups and downs through my 11 years in 4-H.”

After two years in the Dairy Club with a dairy calf, Ashley made the switch to the Beef Club, which she says has proven to be the best decision of her life.

Here, she’s had tremendous success in the show-ring, exhibiting beef cattle with her family, where in 2012 they were recognized through the Canadian Charolais Association as having exhibited the National High Point Female, Reserve High Point Male, High Point Bull Calf and for having been the 2012 overall National Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor. Her efforts in 4-H have been recognized through the Outstanding Senior 4-H Member Award, Overall Showman and Champion Heifer Awards, as well as many others at the club and county level.

Since 2004, when Baker joined the Beef Club, Megan Burnside, the coordinator of volunteer support for Region 3, 4-H, has seen her grow as a leader and person, saying she thrived in the 4-H environment from day one and has never looked back.

“Ashley is a tremendously driven, passionate young woman,” she added. “When she sets a goal, this young lady puts every amount of effort she can into accomplishing it.”

It was through an event with the Beef Club, at the Hastings County Cattlemen Association’s AGM in Madoc, where she was fortunate enough to meet the MPP for Prince Edward-Hastings, Todd Smith. Upon the urging of a family friend to ask for a placement that she needed to complete her law clerk program at Fleming College, Baker spoke to Smith, and the wheels were set in motion.

“Todd’s reaction after I had asked him was, ‘sure, would you like to work out of the Belleville or Queen’s Park office,” said Baker.

The placement, which involved splitting her time between the constituent office in Belleville working on files and drafting letters and emails, and the Queen’s Park office in Toronto drafting correspondence and writing speeches, helped her to develop a love of politics.

“I spent much time in Toronto learning about politics in general and meeting and interacting with many of the provincial members of parliament,” said Baker. “Through my time with Todd I have grown an incredible amount as a person. I have met many people from many different walks of life and I love it.”

MPP Todd Smith and Ashley Baker

“Ashley has been a wonderful addition to my legislative team at Queen’s Park and my constituency staff in the Prince Edward-Hastings riding,” said Smith. “Her first-hand knowledge of issues facing our agricultural sector is a tremendous asset to my office.”

The dedication Baker showed during her placement, didn’t go unnoticed. She was recently offered a part-time position with Smith, immediately following her graduation from Fleming.

“I was ecstatic,” she said. “It’s nice to know that the hard work I put in at placement was recognized. I definitely see myself working in politics, and this job is a great way to get involved.”

Burnside believes Baker’s strong work ethic has been a huge benefit to Hastings 4-H, and will serve her well in the future.

“She shows dedication and commitment that are unparalleled within her peer group and a sense of maturity beyond her years,” said Burnside. “These characteristics make her an invaluable part of our local association, and also a fabulous role model for younger members. Always energetic and full of enthusiasm, there is no doubt that Ashley found a place to call home within the 4-H program.”

Ashley and Gucci at the Jr. Beef Expo in London in March. (Photo by Kaitlyn O'Neill).

Norfolk 4-H Rabbit Club

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Nikki Kross

As promised, this week on 4-H Folklore we have Ariana’s story about her experience at the Norfolk 4-H Rabbit Club. Ariana learned tons about rabbits, and so did I from reading her story!
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Norfolk 4-H Rabbit Club
By Ariana Tersteege

Norfolk 4-H Rabbit Club is run by Wendy Lamb at her farm in Lindoch, ON. It is an agility/showmanship club for rabbits. We are taught how to properly do rabbit agility, showing of rabbits, grooming and cleaning rabbits and the welfare of rabbits. We have a club meeting once a month on a Thursday.

For agility, Wendy teaches us how to get our rabbits to go over jumps, through tunnels, and weave through pegs. She also teaches us how to keep our rabbits healthy. She has taught me that I must clean their cages once a week and feed them every day. She has also taught me which vegetables I can and cannot feed them. For example, I have learned that you cannot feed them anything from the cabbage family because it will create gas and rabbits are unable to release gas. Also it is good to treat your bunny to only a small amount of fruits and vegetables a day.

Wendy has also taught us about many breeds of rabbits, such as Holland Lop, Netherland Dwarf, Lionhead, and Flemish Giant. I have also learned many different colourings of rabbits such as blue chinchilla, otter, agouti, black steel, tortoiseshell, broken, Californian, castor, cinnamon, chocolate, cream, fawn, pearl, grey, lilac, orange, red, sable, sandy, seal, self group, shaded group, ticking, tortoise, and many more. During that process I have learned that my rabbit is a blue Holland Lop.

I have learned how to show my rabbit and about showmanship. We must bathe our rabbits, groom them, and trim their toe nails before showing them. If we accidently cut one of their nails too far, we have been taught to put the nail in baking soda to stop the bleeding. I have learned that you have to wear proper showing clothes and for showing a rabbit you have to wear a white top and black pants. To start the proper showing process, you must introduce yourself and your rabbit to the judge. To show you rabbit you have to describe each side of the rabbit, features and the condition they are in. For example: “My rabbit’s ears are nice and clean and free of debris. It is also not tattooed”. To end the showing, you repeat your introduction. You must also thank your judge or judges. I have also learned that you are judged out of a hundred points. Wendy’s daughter, Chrissy, has helped a lot of the members with their showmanship.

Wendy makes sure we do public speaking at every meeting. She makes it fun and easy to do. Wendy makes the club fun, yet we learn a lot about our rabbits and what to do with them. I think she is a very good leader because she knows the topic and she makes the club fun to attend. I have learned everything I know about rabbits from her. She is a good role model because she is a kind person and loves animals.

Ariana is a junior Norfolk 4-H member. She has been in 4-H for two years and has already completed 10 projects including Pie Please, Archery and Goat.

Oh, the Lessons You’ll Learn

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Nikki Kross

The Amber Underwood Memorial News Competition >, supported by the Amber Underwood Memorial Endowment Fund, is an opportunity for 4-H members to showcase their writing and journalism skills. Members create a 500 word essay that shares a 4-H program/event, 4-H success story, current agricultural or rural community concern, or perhaps a stimulating conversation with a community leader.

The caliber of pieces that comes through the door was outstanding! 4-H Ontario definitely has some fantastic writers in our midst. This year, the senior winner for the competition was Jackie Shaw, and the junior winner was Ariana Tersteege. Both members wrote great stories sharing their experience in 4-H clubs and what it taught them.

This week I would like to share Jackie’s winning entry. Stay tuned next week to read Ariana’s story!

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Oh The Lesson’s You’ll Learn
By Jackie Shaw

The motto of 4-H is “Learn to do by Doing” however, I have realized that there are so many more lessons to learn by participating in the 4-H program. I was a member of the Damascus Woodworking Club this past spring and in one meeting there were a multitude of life lessons to be acquired.

The first lesson that I learned was that of teamwork. During this meeting club members were constructing birdhouses. There was only one nail-gun and both my younger sister and I needed to nail the shingles to our houses. We realized that if we worked together we could get the job done in a fraction of the time as we could have if we had worked individually. While one of us positioned the shingle on our roof the other would nail their shingle on and hand over the nail gun. This example of teamwork saved us time.

Overcoming my fears was lesson number two. At first I was very apprehensive about using the power saws to cut the wood for my birdhouse. However, after one of the leaders, Janice Walsh, reminded me of the 4-H motto I decided to give it a try—slowly. When I realized that I did not cut off any fingers I began to feel more comfortable around the tools and by the end of the meeting I was using them with ease.

The third lesson learned was that it is okay to ask for help when you need it. I was having a lot of trouble using the drill press to make an entry hole for the birdhouse. At first I did not want to ask for help because I thought I would be able to figure it out on my own. A younger member, however, saw my plight and offered his help. After I accepted, I realized that without his help I probably would not have been able to complete the task. Sometimes in life we don’t ask for assistance when we need it; this experience reminded me that asking for help is not a bad thing.

The final lesson to be learned was that it is important to be involved in the local community. The birdhouses that were constructed during the meeting were placed on the Arthur Walking Trail. This meant that not only would the birds be able to appreciate out efforts, but the whole community would be able to see the birdhouses when walking on the trail.

Overall, in the two hours of this meeting I was shown that one can learn many things that will be useful in a multitude of situations in life. From the benefits of teamwork, to asking for help when we need it, and having a sense of community spirit, 4-H has taught valuable lessons not only to the members of the Damascus Woodworking Club, but also to thousands of members worldwide. The most important lesson that will stay with me for the rest of my life however is that everyone can “Learn to do by Doing”.

Jackie Shaw is a senior Wellington 4-H member. Jackie has completed over 30 projects including Sewing, Pizza and Scrapbooking.

Five Nations Beef Alliance Conference

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Nikki Kross

This week I’d like to share an article written by Ontario 4-H Council Director, Kim McCaw. Recently, Kim had the opportunity to attend the Five Nations Beef Alliance conference. Kim was one of three ranchers representing Canada at this event. She was selected through the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) program which is a mentorship program that provides youth ages 18–35 with industry-specific training through a combination of formal and informal opportunities to learn from existing beef cattle industry leaders. Read on to learn more about the CYL and her experience at the conference. If you’re interested in applying for the CYL more information can be found here >
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Five Nations Beef Alliance Conference
By Kim McCaw

The Five Nations Beef Alliance (FNBA) conference was hosted by Canada and held in British Columbia in 2012. This conference provides an opportunity to cultivate international relationships between young leaders of the beef industry and build awareness of common goals that adhere to science-based standards.

The FNBA is a private entity which includes the national organizations representing beef cattle producers in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States. In addition, a group of 15 young ranchers from the five nations were actively participating in the sessions. The three young ranchers representing Canada at this event were Sheldon Kyle, Jake Meyer and myself who were selected through the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) program to participate in the Five Nations Beef Alliance Young Ranchers Program. The CYL program is a mentorship program that provides youth ages 18–35 with industry-specific training through a combination of formal and informal opportunities to learn from existing beef cattle industry leaders. The youth accepted into this program participate in provincial, national, and international high level discussions and events that define the direction and future of the Canadian cattle and beef industry.

FNBA conference delegates in Banff

The FNBA conference was kicked off with farm tours in British Columbia. These tours included ranches, feedlots, vineyards, and historical landmarks. The tour concluded in Banff, Alberta where the conference’s meetings and discussions were held.

One of the places of the stops on the tour that I found most interesting was the Douglas Lake Ranch, which is the largest Canadian ranch. They have 3500 Hereford cows and 2500 Black Angus crossed Simmental cows plus calves. In total the ranch had approximately 12,000 animals and consisted of 500,000 acres, which is approximately 41 acres per cattle beast.

Industry tours during the FNBA conference

Another stop was Southern Plus Feedlot. Southern Plus Feedlot is located at the northern tip of the Sonoran desert whose dry, temperate climate is ideal for housing and feeding cattle. The cattle are fed the finest quality hay, barley and corn grown on the sunny benchland of the South Okanagan along with pulp from wine grapes. Cattle respond to stress and these are truly “contented cows” because of the excellent conditions they experience throughout their lives. The staff at Southern Plus are highly trained in the welfare of animals and the cattle are always handled humanely and with kindness. The cattle are processed in British Columbia at modern facilities resulting in the high quality beef products, Okanagan’s Finest Angus Beef.

Quilchena Hotel is home to the Quilchena Cattle Company, which was established in the 1870s. The Company runs 4000 head of cattle over a mix of pasture, range and forage crops. The link between the ranch and hotel is strong–most of the hotel’s excellent trail-riding horses are retired ranch horses from the Quilchena Cattle Company and sometimes you’ll meet one of the cowboys from the ranch in the Quilchena saloon or coffee shop.

The Quilchena farm has approximately 1,000 acres of forage crops, mainly alfalfa, producing 2,200 tonnes of hay and 5,400 tonnes of silage making the ranch completely self-sufficient in terms of feed supply. The forages are harvested from early June to early September.

The next stop for the FNBA tour was Tinhorn Creek Winery in Oliver BC. An interesting quote that our group heard on the topic of sustainability from the winery was: “We are stewards of the land and our relationships with them; people rely on us for their livelihoods and trust us to keep them safe; we must reduce our production of carbon; and conserve the use of water, preserving the integrity of our watersheds.”

Taking in the scenery in BC

Once our group reached Banff, we settled in for two days of discussions and meetings between the leaders of the beef industry in the member nations. The FNBA conference program was most interesting with an array of discussions on important topics concerning the beef cattle industry such as global strategies on foot and mouth disease (FMD) control, animal welfare and trade, and sustainable beef production.

One of the key things that I learned at the FNBA Conference is that the opportunities and challenges that we’re facing in the agriculture industry are almost universal from top to bottom. It is so important to have young educated leaders helping to resolve these challenges and seize these opportunities for the future of the beef industry. In time, consumers will likely recognize the crucial role producers have in the sustainability of our land and the importance of feeding our growing world population.

Attending the FNBA Conference provided me with an opportunity to network and share ideas with delegates from other countries about the opportunities and challenges in the global beef industry. I was able to learn new skills and knowledge and at the same time establish new friendships and networks.

Kim McCaw is a 4-H volunteer and member of the Ontario 4-H Council Board of Directors. As a 4-H leader, she volunteers her time assisting members with showing beef cattle at local fairs. She enjoys working with and watching youth improve their leadership skills through self-development and enjoys seeing them make a difference in their community.

A Fantastic First Year With 4-H

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Robyn Cox

Hello Everyone! My name is Robyn Cox and I’m the Communications Intern for 4-H Ontario. I’m a recent graduate of The University of Western Ontario’s Media and the Public Interest program and am looking forward to keeping you posted about the happenings at 4-H Ontario. Last week I got the opportunity to talk to Hallie Hulton, a young lady who just experienced her first year in a 4-H Horse Club. Talking to Hallie was a lot of fun. She was happy to share with me some of the great experiences she had with the club this year and it was inspiring to hear about the learning opportunities she took advantage of through 4-H.
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A Fantastic First Year with 4-H
By Robyn Cox

Hallie Hulton is an articulate and energetic 10-year-old who just completed her first year in a 4-H club. Growing up on a horse farm, it is no surprise that Hallie wanted to participate in the Frontenac Horse Club this year. In her first year, Hallie has proven her showmanship prowess by racking up a number of winning marks with her beautiful horse, Lady. These include the Grand Champion Novice at the Metcalfe Regional Fair and the Frontenac Show, where she also garnered the award for Reserve Grand Champion overall.

Hallie and Lady proudly display their achievements

For Hallie it was the perfect timing to join the Horse Club; a mare on her farm had just given birth to a colt and her cousin, Kevin Hulton, was coaching the club alongside fellow volunteers Kathy Townsend and Marsha Pearse. Her background with horses made Hallie a great help to the friends she met in the club and the club gave her a golden opportunity to exercise her teamwork capabilities.

Hallie’s passion for animals is evident. Not only does she care for Lady but she also helps out with the six other horses, the family dog, and the five cats on the farm. As she puts it, “I love watching them grow up.”

Hallie’s pride and excitement shines through when she talks about all the different things she learned in the club: showmanship, feeding, care, and riding. While Hallie knew many of these things already her skill set and confidence grew with the club considerably. Also, her willingness to research at home and read books on horses allowed her to get the most out of her 4-H experience.

She is excited for another year in the club but in the meantime she continues to “Learn To Do By Doing”, in true 4-H fashion.

2011 W. Garfield Weston Foundation 4-H International Exchange

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Nikki Kross

The following post comes from 4-H alumnus Gordon Alblas. In 2011, Gordon was selected as the Garfield Weston 4-H International Exchange recipient from Ontario. The W. Garfield Weston Foundation 4-H International Exchange is a unique opportunity to learn more about agriculture and resources around the world, represent 4-H in Canada, and gain new friendships and experiences that will last a lifetime.

Funded by the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, the exchange sends 4-H delegates to various locations around the world, such as the United Kingdom, Korea and Taiwan, where they participate in a reciprocal host-family exchange for up to eight weeks in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Thanks to Gordon for sharing his exchange story!
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An Opportunity of a Lifetime
By Gordon Alblas

Gordon hard at work in the Wales country side

Thirty eight days and 2500 pictures my United Kingdom exchange was truly amazing. In the summer of 2011 W. Garfield Weston Foundation exchange had six delegates from all across Canada participating. I was honoured to be Ontario’s delegate to the UK; what a true experience of a lifetime.

At the start of the trip of the Canadian delegates met in Toronto for an orientation meeting and to give us an opportunity to meet with the Weston foundation, our sponsor. After a jam packed day of introductions and then touring in Toronto it was time to be UK bound for the three of us. Our plane left at 6:30pm our time and landed 6:30am their time so we missed a night of sleep and we still had three hours of waiting and then four hours on a bus to get to our final destination. Needless to say we where all a little tired by the time we were picked up at the bus station in Coventry.

In Coventry we got to meet some other exchangees from Europe. We spent two days together before we were sent off to our first hosts. During the two days together we had the opportunity to tour the Warwick Castel, it is truly amazing the history in this country and the Warwick Castel is no exception to that. It was a great opportunity to see how people lived hundreds of years ago.

After the Young Farmers’ national meeting we were all “delivered” to our first hosts. The rest of the stay in the UK was all with different hosts individually. The longest that I stayed with one host family was one week, and the shortest time was one day. This gave a great opportunity to see a lot of the country in the best way possible, experiencing life through the lives of the people themselves. There is no better way to see a country then by the people that live there. The hosts that I stayed with were great, they all worked very hard to get me around to see all sorts of agriculture activities happening in their area. Almost every day of the 38 days that I was in the UK I was touring a different farm or helping out on a farm. I found this to be the best part of the trip, being able to interact with the UK farmers and learn all I could about farming in the UK. From all of the tours I had, each one taught me new things that I can take back to my farm at home to improve my farm at home.

The best part of the trip was that the hosts planned out the stay while I was with them. Most of the time I did not know what I was doing the next day or sometimes not even the day of, but to just go with the flow and not get too concerned made the trip a great success. I worked on farms one day, toured sites like Cambridge College the next, and was taking in amazing views of the Wales country side on another.

The Young Farmers in the UK is similar to both 4-H and Junior Farmers here in Canada. This was a great way to meet young people starting out farming in the UK and to learn about the challenges and opportunities that they face. I also found that there are a lot more young farmers with their own operations there then there is here in Ontario. This was a great encouragement for me being a young farmer starting out in Ontario because they have many of the same challenges to face as I do here starting out.

Last but certainly not least, are the many friends I made in the UK . Thanks to modern technology, it is possible to keep in contact with far away friends and to exchange different farming ideas. I am new to the sheep industry so the knowledge and pointers that some of the sheep farmers gave me are an invaluable resource.

The W. Garfield Weston Foundation exchange was truly an opportunity of a lifetime. I had an amazing time and learned a lot about the way of life in another culture. I was able to see and experience many new things during my stay in the UK. This was a great way to broaden my horizons not only in agriculture but also in the history of the land.

Gordon Alblas is a current 4-H alumnus. Gordon was a 4-H member for 12 years completely 63 projects including dairy, farm machinery and field crops. Gordon was also a youth leader for the Hamilton Wentworth Dairy Club.
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4-H Ontario’s Alumni program is funded through a Promotional Partnership with Hyland Seeds, including the position of 4-H Ontario’s Coordinator, Alumni Services. Hyland Seeds is passionate about agriculture and believes in supporting the people who are deeply rooted in the agricultural industry; dedication to 4-H is proof of this commitment. Thank you Hyland Seeds!

An Amazing Display of 4-H Pride

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Nikki Kross

O, the month of November, such a marvelous time to celebrate 4-H pride. With 4-H Month and National “Show Your 4-H Colours Day”, there is no shortage of opportunities to sport some green and scream your love for 4-H from the mountain tops, figuratively speaking of course.

This past month, 4-H love was buzzing all across the province. 4-H member Victoria Kyle from Brant and her friend Elizabeth Bruce from Oxford put a 4-H spin on the University of Guelph’s tradition of painting the cannon in the center of campus. On November 7, they fully decorated the cannon in 4-H green for “Show Your 4-H Colours Day”.

The University of Guelph cannon in 4-H green

Sudbury 4-H also got their green on with a 4-H Month celebration party featuring a custom made Dairy Queen ice cream cake. They would like to extend a big thanks to Dairy Queen, J.J. and Tina Anderson for donating the cake.

Sudbury 4-H’rs celebrate with a custom made DQ cake

In the 4-H Ontario provincial office, Executive Director Wraychel Horne was rocking some edgy green hair to show her 4-H pride.

Wraychel Horne sports green hair for 4-H Month

Wraychel sported green highlights for the entire month of November. You can read more about the story behind the hair here >. And, of course, the 4-H Ontario staff all rocked their green on “Show Your 4-H Colours Day”.

4-H Ontario staff showing their 4-H pride

On a national level, on November 7, adorned in green, the Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz declared November 7 as National 4-H Day. He was quoted on Farms.com saying “We have a long history of supporting 4-H clubs across Canada and I am proud to show my 4-H pride today and every day. I encourage every Canadian to support Canada’s youth by wearing green this November 7.”

What a great month for 4-H! It was amazing to see 4-H’rs across the country unite to collectively show their 4-H pride.

The Lasting Effects of a 4-H Experience

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Robyn Cox

Hello Everyone! My name is Robyn Cox and I’m the new Communications Intern for 4-H Ontario working on a volunteer contract. I’m a recent graduate of the University of Western Ontario’s Media in the Public Interest program and I am really excited to keep you updated about the happenings at 4-H Ontario. It’s amazing to hear about the great experiences and abilities people have gained through their participation with 4-H. Last week I had the opportunity to catch up with a 4-H alumnus, Doug Osborn, and he told me a bit about his history with 4-H.
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The Lasting Effects of a 4-H Experience
By Robyn Cox

Doug Osborn is an individual who is truly admired for his community involvement and leadership skills. A devoted father with a son and daughter in their early twenties, Doug works as a leading Millwright and has volunteered for various community efforts, including being a Scout leader and a Tai Chi instructor. But for Doug it all started with 4-H.

From ages twelve to eighteen Doug participated in various 4-H clubs in Huron County, including Dairy, Beef, Farm Safety, Farm Machinery, Field Crops, and Gardening clubs. His whole family participated in 4-H; his mother was a volunteer leader throughout her life and his siblings participated in various clubs as well. His experience goes back to a time when there were only two sections in the gardening category of clubs: homemaking and agricultural. Nowadays there are a plethora of different types of gardening clubs including ones directed towards plant-life in the home, plant-life in the yard, plant-life in the field, and even landscaping.

Doug has a lot of great memories from his time with 4-H. One of his fondest memories is of his Dairy Club doing a display using barn board as the background and presenting it at the Western Fair. Shortly thereafter barn board backgrounds became all the rage in 4-H project displays.

In his opinion, 4-H has had a positive lasting effect on him because of the skills he was able to develop as a leader and a communicator. As a club member he was able to hone those abilities through leadership camps, youth leader programs, and youth exchanges. Later on, he further developed those skills as the volunteer leader of a Financial Fitness Club.

A lot of things have changed about 4-H over the years but some very important things remain the same. As he puts it, “4-H will always have a lot to offer individuals in terms of developing interpersonal skills that they will consistently use throughout their lives.” Doug is proud of his accomplishments with 4-H and feels that “it’s a great way to develop usable life skills” no matter where you’re from or what kinds of clubs you’re involved in.
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4-H Ontario’s Alumni program is funded through a Promotional Partnership with Hyland Seeds, including the position of 4-H Ontario’s Coordinator, Alumni Services. Hyland Seeds is passionate about agriculture and believes in supporting the people who are deeply rooted in the agricultural industry; dedication to 4-H is proof of this commitment. Thank you Hyland Seeds!

Russel Dickout’s 4-H Story

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Nikki Kross

There are many service clubs and organizations who generously support 4-H Ontario year after year. We often don’t hear about these amazing contributions so I was thrilled to read Russel Dickout’s story which mentioned the Ingersoll Kiwanis Club. This Club has been sponsoring the 4-H Calf Dairy Club since 1941; that’s an amazing 71 years of support! These local clubs and organizations make it possible to provide 4-H’rs with unique Club opportunities such as field trips or Club materials. Thank you to Russel for sharing his story. It’s wonderful to see first hand accounts of how the supporters of 4-H have influenced the 4-H experience. And, of course, it’s always fantastic to read each individual 4-H story.
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A Never Ending Passion for 4-H
By Russel Dickout

My interest in 4-H started in 1937 when my older brother first became involved. I could not understand why I wasn’t allowed to join also. At that time, because of limited resources only one member from one family was allowed to participate. By the time I reach 12 years old, either the rules had been changed, or my father had enough influence to get me accepted, so, in 1941, I was on my way. At that time, the only Club in the area was a Dairy Calf Club, which was my interest. This Club was sponsored by the Ingersoll Kiwanis Club. After seventy years, this Club is still the sponsor of this Calf Club, an amazing record for a non farm organization consisting of urban people, store owners, industrialists, doctors and lawyers. Don Mackenzie, a recent graduate of O.A.C. and chemist at the local fertilizer plant, and Grant Small, an insurance agent, were the main organizers. The highlight of the 4-H year was the award banquet in November when we were entertained to a dinner and received our cash awards.

I spent eight years in the Club and never missed a meeting. I also served as President one year and was a high aggregate score winner my last two years.

I became involved in Ontario Junior Farmers, so for a few years I got away from 4-H but I took on the role of Assistant Club Leader in the late 1950′s and assisted the Kiwanians who were still leading the Club. I resigned in 1972 before our oldest daughter was old enough to join. I had seen some problems in other Clubs where the Leaders had children as Members of their Clubs, and by the I had three good young Alumni who could take over the Club and carry it into the future.

Our four children all spent eight years al Club Members and enjoyed the work and education the activity supplied. Our girls moved on in life but always cherished the experience. The girls took several homemaking Clubs as their mother had, and our son, in order to completed 24 Clubs, took some of the life skills Clubs. Our son was also treasurer of the Oxford County 4-H Association. While in this role, he instigated the Battery Blitz campaign which raised a considerable amount of money for Oxford County 4-H Association.

During this time, I did a considerable amount of judging both of 4-H and open shows around western Ontario. The young people who had graduated from the 4-H program excelled in the show ring.

A few years ago, my granddaughter who lived in the city had an opportunity to join the Bond’s Corner Dairy Calf Club and enjoyed the experience. I still try to take in as many shows as I can so my interest in showing and 4-H is very much still there.
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4-H Ontario’s Alumni program is funded through a Promotional Partnership with Hyland Seeds, including the position of 4-H Ontario’s Coordinator, Alumni Services. Hyland Seeds is passionate about agriculture and believes in supporting the people who are deeply rooted in the agricultural industry; dedication to 4-H is proof of this commitment. Thank you Hyland Seeds!

An Experience of a Lifetime

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Nikki Kross

The 4-H Ontario Ambassador program provides youth with advanced level training in leadership, citizenship, communications and public relations. Ambassadors channel their energy and 4-H experiences into recruiting new Members and sharing the 4-H story. They attend 4-H events across the province, as well as other community events, to promote the 4-H program. The summer is a very busy time for 4-H Ambassadors. There is ample opportunity for them to attend events and continue to build skills that they are able to use now, and in their future.

4-H Ontario Ambassador, Samantha Klaver, was kind enough to take the time to share her experience as a 4-H Ontario Ambassador so far. Read on to see what a day in the life of a 4-H Ontario Ambassador is like.

Thank you to GROWMARK Inc., and UPI Energy LP for sponsoring the 4-H Ontario Ambassador program.
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Summer 2012: An Experience of a Lifetime as a 4-H Ontario Ambassador
By Samantha Klaver, 4-H Ontario Ambassador

As a 4-H Ontario Ambassador hailing from Region 5, I am pretty central to a lot of places. This was perfect for a summer with so much potential. As the summer months approached and the Ambassador requests rolled in, I quickly became excited for the opportunities that I was fortunate enough to have the privilege to attend.

Welcoming the 2012 Ambassadors at the Ambassador reception

The summer had some common themes-fun, friends, education, sightseeing, and excitement! It did not matter what event I attended, where I went, who (if anyone) I was with, when the event was; these common themes were very evident. This is certainly one of the benefits of being a 4-H Ontario Ambassador!

As always, attending a 4-H Ontario Ambassador event, I know it is safe to say on behalf of my fellow Ambassadors, that there was never a shortage of learning on our adventures. From my perspective, attending events hosted by our program sponsors, GROWMARK Inc. and UPI Energy LP were likely the events that I learned the most information. Although we have had numerous chances to learn about our program sponsors, there is nothing like going out and experiencing their businesses first hand. I found the sponsors very interesting and could relate to them, as I work in the agribusiness industry. Even though I currently work in that industry, my fellow Ambassadors, really appreciated the tours and events because it allowed them to see what working in the agribusiness industry is like, which in the end, can help them decide if they would ultimately like to work in the agriculture field. I also gained a new appreciation for GROWMARK Inc. and UPI Energy LP, as they are so large, yet are strong supporters of the 4-H Ambassador program.

4-H Ontario Ambassadors on the Ambassador Sponsor Tour

The most important characteristic to remember to always take with you on your adventures is an open mind. It is important to go to events with the willingness to do whatever, and always follow, “Never let any opportunity pass you by.” This enhances your experiences, provides more opportunities, allows you to venture to ideas and areas only imaginable! Not only that, it makes your time spent at that event, area or region so much more enjoyable. It also takes you to new heights, taking you that much farther down your journey as a 4-H Ambassador and a person in general. It is also important to take the characteristic of being “easy going” with you as well. There are times when things happen beyond your control and your contact person’s control, and it is important to not get worked up, be understanding and “go with the flow.” No matter how much training and preparation 4-H Ontario completed with you, there will always be that small element of unknown in your role, and these qualities and characteristics will help you be so much more successful.

Some of the greatest gifts for being a 4-H Ontario Ambassador are those that are not tangible. They are often overlooked, yet are so important in today’s society. Sometimes, these skills can be taken for granted. Figure out what I am describing? Some of the most valuable gifts you receive as a 4-H Ontario Ambassador are the development of your public speaking skills, confidence and ability to network and draw connections. These skills and qualities may sound a little scary, and not as exciting as touring across the province, but they enhance you as a person. They assist you in standing out above the rest when it comes to job interviews and any role you partake in. These skills and qualities are crucial in our ever so fast, changing society. After a year as a 4-H Ontario Ambassador, these gifts will be evident to everyone around you, and something to be cherished for a lifetime.

(l-r) Samantha Klaver and Victoria Kyle at the Ontario 4-H Foundation Golf West Tournament

During the summer months, I attended events in a variety of areas. I started my summer off with attending the Sponsor Tour. I was very excited for this event and enjoyed it very much! I appreciated visiting GROWMARK Inc., UPI Energy LP and FS Partner locations, while catching up with my fellow Ambassadors and learning about the GROWMARK Interns summer experiences.

I also attended some local events. I assisted and spoke at the Perth County Judging Competition. This was the perfect opportunity to speak to members of all ages about the Ambassador program. A few weeks later, I attended the Perth County Go For The Gold competition. At this event, I adjudicated games for the preliminary rounds. Not long after that, I travelled to Region 4, where I was one of the score keepers for the Go For The Gold Competition. The summer kept rolling as I attended the Mitchell Agricultural Society’s Fall Fair opening ceremonies. I spoke about how I got to be an Ambassador, and my experiences so far. These were the events I partook in the summer months, but have also had the honour of attending the Ontario 4-H Foundation Golf Tournament in Guelph, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus’ Spring Expo, Discover 4-H Fun in Region 4, UPI Rendezvous and Chatham-Kent 4-H Achievement Day. Some of these events I attended with all or some of the other Ambassadors, and the remainder, I attended alone. So far, it has been the perfect amount of variation.

Samantha attending a local event

As you can see, each of the events I have attended are all very different, and unique in their own way to say the least. With this being said, it is hard to pick a favourite memory because I can name at least one thing that I enjoyed or remember from each of the events I have attended. Whether it is meeting Emerson Drive at the UPI Rendezvous, learning how to show a rabbit at the Chatham-Kent 4-H Achievement Day, being super excited to share my experiences as an Ambassador at the Mitchell Fair, raising money for 4-H at the Golf Tournament’s Putting Contest, learning that Haldimand County 4-H has two Go For The Gold competitions, one for junior and senior 4-H members or learning that FS Partners in Ayr has over 1,000 customers. These are just some of the keys experiences or facts I have gained from being a 4-H Ambassador. I have had a fantastic summer and look forward to what the fall has to offer as I know there are so many more exciting things to discover beyond the horizon!

Samantha Klaver is a 4-H Ontario Member, as well a 4-H Ontario Ambassador. Starting her 4-H career ten years ago, Samantha has been a very active Member, completing more than 60 club projects and attending 4-H opportunities such as Provincial 4-H Leadership Camp, Careermania and Go For The Gold to name a few. Samantha is very active within her home community of Seaforth as she is a director on the Seaforth Agricultural Society and a Provincial Director for Huron County Junior Farmers.