The News Spreader October 2015
A summer to REMEMBER, and a fall of great new opportunities with
4-H
LEADERSHIP FOR TOMORROW THROUGH LEARNING TODAY
For the 7th consecutive year, 4-H members and friends joined together at Harrison House on Macdonald Campus for this annual event. The get together on September 15 was an opportunity to meet other 4-H’ers living in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue during their post-secondary education and to come see the provincial office. This event brought out about 30 4-H’ers again this year including 4 members of 4-H Ontario, 3 from AJRQ, and 3 friends. Members introduced themselves to the group and discussed upcoming activities and upcoming meetings for the MAC JAC 4-H Club. Any 4-H’ers on campus interested in volunteering are more than welcome to join us at the provincial office whenever you’ve got time to spare; have a snack, find out the latest news, and help 4-H.
Back-To-School
AGM Quebec 4-H Association
Annual General Meeting
November 21, 2015 - Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Registration Fee: $50 - Deadline: Nov. 1, 2015
Open to Members, Leaders, and friends of 4-H Participate in the AGM, other meetings, and brain storming sessions during the day. Enjoy member presentations about 4-H activities at club, provincial, national, and international levels in the late afternoon, then join us for banquet with 4-H’ers from across the province in the evening. Awards for Top 10 Judges of the Year, Most Community Involvement, Most Improved Club, Best Public Speaker, and Leadership. Honour volunteers celebrating major milestone anniversaries. Special Guest Speaker: Donna Bridge, long time volunteer leader with 4-H Ontario, current Canadian 4-H Council President ..
Watch for details coming soon via email or contact office@quebec4-h.com for more information.
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Quebec 4-H News Spreader
Thanks to national 4-H partner FCC for its support to Quebec 4-H and AGM.
October 2015
The News Spreader QUEBEC 4-H 21,111 Lakeshore Road Macdonald Campus Harrison House 3-04 Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9 Phone: 514-398-8738 Fax: 514-398-8652 www.quebec4-h.com PRESIDENT Sarah Enright
On the cover: 1
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agliaison@quebec4-h.com
OFFICE & COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT office@quebec4-h.com
3—Junior Campers observing the bees at the Miellerie Lune de Miel
In this Issue
Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 senright14@ubishops.ca Page 7 Page 8-9 VICE-PRESIDENT Page 10 Matthew Burns Page 11 matthew.burns99@hotmail.com Page 12 Page 13 EXECUTIVE Page 14 DIRECTOR Page 15 Lorelei Muller Page 16 executivedirector@quebec4-h.com AGRICULTURAL LIAISON Chelsea Daniel
4-H members and their livestock compete in Fairs across the province: 1– Poultry projects at Ayer’s Cliff Fair 2- Peewee Beef Showmanship at Cookshire Fair 4- Cameron Burns and Wyatt Johnston at Cookshire Fair
Quebec-Alberta 4-H Exchange Club News: Howick & Hatley Summer Junior Camp Clipping in Columbia Upcoming Events and Opportunities Online Auction / Township Fairs News from AJRQ and FRAQ Youth Ag Summit Tractor Safety Featured Member, Sarah Enright Junior Junction Show Your 4-H Colours / Science Fair
Quebec 4-H Motto: Leadership tomorrow through learning today. Canadian 4-H Motto: Learn to do by doing. I Pledge My Head to clearer thinking My Heart to greater loyalty My Hands to larger service My Health to better living For my club, my community and my country.
Thank you to our Partners. October 2015
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
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Club News
To read about the Ormstown group’s trip to Alberta, look for Emma Hooker’s report on page 5 of the August News Spreader (available at www.quebec4-h/resources). Register your club for a 2016 exchange by visiting www.4-hcanada.ca/programs-and-events/national-programs/
By Kelsey Bryson, Ormstown 4-H On August 5th, ten members and two chaperones of the Winfield and District 4-H Beef Clubs flew out from Buck Lake, Alberta to join ten members and two chaperones of our Ormstown 4-H Club for the Quebec-Alberta 4-H Exchange, hosted by Youth Exchanges Canada (YEC). We had our chance to fly out to their community where they showed us a great time, and now it was our turn. On the first day of the exchange, we had a couple of drivers pick up the members from Alberta at the airport, where they were brought to our 4-H leader, Janice Barr's, home for a fun barbecue. Everybody missed each other and we all had a great time introducing our twins to our families. On the second day, we went on a farm tour. We went to the Bryson’s giant pumpkin farm, where the 4-H'ers got to have fun smashing up a giant pumpkin and learning about how to grow those giants. Next, we went to Erskine’s dairy farm, where they taught us all about their business and what it took to have a dairy farm. After ,we went to Faille’s blueberry orchard, where they let us pick some blueberries which were delicious! Last, we went to Blair’s Apple Orchard and Maple Syrup Production. They gave us a huge bag of apples so that the 4-H'ers would have a yummy snack on some of the days! In the evening, we had a 'Welcome to Quebec' square dance. There were many people from Ormstown and even Howick 4-H who joined us, and we all had a great time dancing and showing the Albertans how we square dance! The next day we went to Droulers site, where we learned all about the Iroquois village and their way of life. In the evening, we all went down to Montreal for 3 hours of Skytag, where we jumped our hearts away. Day 4 was our free day, where most of us headed over to Huntingdon Fair and enjoyed the rides, games and where we watched one of our exchange members show her calf. At night, we all headed over to Millie Duncan's home for a tasty barbecue with grillades and a pool party and some late night games! The next morning, we all canoed our way down the Chatêauguay River to the Battle of Chatêauguay Museum. We all enjoyed a picnic lunch with some birthday cake, as it was Emmy Desrosier’s birthday! After that we had some free time to relax, and we headed over to D'arbre en arbre for some zip lining and obstacle courses. We stayed there until 11 pm!
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Our next day was a bus ride to Montreal! We spent the day touring the city by metro, starting off at the Basilique Notre Dame, then to the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, the Olympic Tower, and in the evening we all enjoyed a haunted tour of old Montreal. We had a special treat of a street performer, who included some of our exchange members in his show, giving us all a laugh! It was a late night! Luckily we got to sleep in the next morning. We went to the Beauharnois hydro station at 11:15, and went bowling in Huntingdon in the afternoon. On August 12th, we went to Ottawa by bus. First, we had a tour of the Parliament from Mathieu Rouleau, a local Howick 4-H'er. We went and toured around the war museum, which had a special limited time gladiator’s exhibition. We had a couple hours to do some shopping. Some people went to the Byward Market, while others just stayed at the mall. We all enjoyed a beautiful light show at the Parliament building! There were fireworks, and then a light show with a bit of history in it! In the end, it was absolutely beautiful. The next day was a free day, so we had a chance to catch up on some sleep! Most of us went over to Kathleen Mueller’s house and enjoyed relaxing in the pool and playing hide and seek in the dark. After our free day, we went to Calypso water park. We included some local 4-H'ers from our club and the bus was full! Once we got there, the skies were all grey! That just meant the lines would be much smaller and we'd be able to go on more slides! At one point it started to rain and thunder with some lightning, but after that passed we were allowed back on the slides to enjoy the rest of our day! The last day was the hardest of all. We went the Beth and Blake Hooker’s home for a goodbye barbeque. Even though it was a hard day, it was also fun. Steve Knox brought us a dunk tank and we all had our turns throwing balls to the target to dunk our twins and our friends! There were other fun activities that Beth had organized, and the time just flew by! Most of us went on the bus with our Alberta friends to the airport. There were tears everywhere! Almost everybody was crying while we said our goodbyes! I've had many good memories, but this 4-H Exchange had to be one of my favorites. I'll never forget the friends I've made and the laughter we shared. If you ever get the change to go on an exchange, make sure you do! You will NOT regret it! Lastly, I'd like to thank Janice Barr for organizing this exchange! She's done so much to make it all possible! She helped us without any gain for herself, and we were all grateful for that!
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
October 2015
Club News On behalf of the Hatley 4-H club, we would like to thank our wonderful community for making this year’s Turkey Auction at the Ayer’s Cliff Fair another great success. In all, seven 4-H members donated a turkey to be auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Children’s Wish Foundation. We would like to personally thank the following members and the buyers for their support. The grand total raised was $3000.00.
4-H Member Shelby Drew and buyer Caleb Anderson. 4-H Member Kristen Wilson and buyer Cargill Meat Solutions. The Turkey has been donated to Sunnyside Elementary Christmas Dinner. 4-H Members Beatrice and Laurier Gilbert, and buyer Hugo Desjardins. 4-H member Liam Huckins and buyer Jason Morse. 4-H Member Zachary Dolloff and buyers, Phil Dolloff and Alex Dougherty. 4-H Member Wyatt Johnston and buyers The Dairy Exhibitors at Ayers Cliff Fair. The turkey has been donated to the Beulah United Church Christmas Baskets for needy families. 4-H Member Alice Cox and buyers from Team JBL.
Howick 4-H Achievement Day By Lindsay Gruer
On Sunday, August 30th, the Howick 4-H Club held its annual Achievement Day at Terrace Bank Farms. It was a day for its members to showcase their vegetables, flowers, handicrafts, calves, and heifers. The weather was beautiful and the club hosted visitors and family members to a lunch. There was a large turnout of younger children from the community that participated in the Pee-Wee calf class. The smiles on their faces proved that they had a great time. Thank you to all of our sponsors and support of our community.
A special thanks to our Auctioneer Brian Curtis and his spotters Dale Salisbury, Jason Smith and Shane Coates. You guys put on quite the show! Thank you all for the support of our endeavour to give back to our community and the children in it.
We would like to thank and congratulate Doug Lang and Lynn Bryson for volunteering within the 4-H community at Havelock Fair over the past 30 years! October 2015
What great stuff has your club been doing this summer and fall? Send your news and photos to office@quebec4-h.com before November 15 for consideration for the December News Spreader. Quebec 4-H News Spreader
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Provincial News By: Melanie Gedeon, Public Relations Assistant
Summer Junior Camp
On August 9th, 23 4-H’ers from clubs as far away as Shawville, Lachute, and Ormstown made their way to Camp Kinagalawi in the Eastern Townships, where they were joined by members from Hatley and Richmond for the annual Quebec 4-H Summer Junior Camp. This year, the theme was Bugs, Bugs, Bugs, which got the 9 to 12 year olds participating in activities and games related to the creepy crawlies. However, it wasn’t just all fun and games! Campers participated in a variety of activities that helped expand their knowledge of bugs, insects, and arthropods, as well as most importantly, learn about their necessary roles in nature. Camp started on a beautiful, hot day. 4-H’ers were divided up into their tent groups and tasked with setting up their sleeping quarters for the duration of the camp. While most campers seemed familiar with setting up tents, for members who had not yet the experience it was also an example of how they “Learned To Do By Doing”. Campers took advantage of the first two days of beautiful weather, playing many exciting and fun games outside like red rover and capture the flag. They also enjoyed the sunshine by climbing trees, exploring the area, as well as swimming, kayaking, and playing in the lake. The four-day event also had Juniors making tie dye t-shirts, searching for bugs, acting out skits, and their favourite activity of all: chores! Campers showed off communication skills and a good work ethic by helping to clean up, make meals, plan games, and help set up the campfire. In all seriousness, the activity that these young 4-H’ers really seemed to enjoy was our field trip to Miellerie Lune de Miel where we learned lots of interesting facts about bees. When asking Juniors about the most interesting fact they learned at camp, the majority responded with learning about bees, specifically, bee Pass the Ball Faster drones and queen bees. After the presentation and the bee-keeping demonstration, that unfortunately had to be cut short due to the weather, the campers made their way to the gift shop where they purchased gifts and snacks for their families, as well as themselves! Unfortunately, the weather was uncooperative for the last two days of camp with heavy rains and strong winds. The campers were complete troopers as they stayed inside to play lots of different games together as well as doing arts and crafts. They also demonstrated a lot of patience and understanding that they couldn’t run around and play outside and still had a wonderful time. Plus, one of the most popular games was during our indoor campfire called “Three spiders sat on a web”. Get to Know You Pile Up
The last day was bittersweet for the campers as they were excited to go home, but sad that camp had ended. As the parents came one by one, the chaperones felt happy with their camp experiences. The best way to summarize it was as volunteer quartermaster Linus Tucker said: “It’s a lot of work, but where else can you belly laugh like that”.
Chaperone Kathy Taylor tries to figure out “What Bug Am I?” 6
Thanks to national 4-H partner Syngenta for its support of the “Proud to Bee a 4-H’er” campaign and to Summer Junior Camp 2015.
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
October 2015
Member News By: Matthew Burns In April of this year, I was approached by Ayrshire Canada to travel to Colombia and clip Ayrshires for a breeder at their National show. I was hesitant, partly because I would have to miss Rally, but I knew it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. So on July 12th, I started my travels. I arrived in Colombia midday on the 13th and was greeted by my host (and Ayrshire Colombia President), Felipe Calderon. Felipe has travelled the world to visit Ayrshire breeders everywhere and he has a vast knowledge of the breed, I think he knew more about our Canadian Ayrshire families than I did. Our first stop of the day was to visit the show in Bogota and see the cows that were already there, along with the display and sales booth setup by Ayrshire Colombia. We then went to one of Felipe’s many restaurants to have lunch, I assumed that since it was 4pm that this “lunch” was actually supper, but I learned by experience that lunch was never before 2pm and supper wasn’t before 8pm. We finished the day by travelling to Felipe’s main farm (he has 2) near Facatativá. The farm’s name is El Trébol and has about 40 cows in milk. I spent my next 3 days there clipping the heifers that would be taken to the show later that week. Most of the time, there wasn’t anyone at the farm that could talk English and I couldn’t talk Spanish, but we were still able to show each other what we liked and disliked about each heifer that we worked with. On Thursday, I left the farm and travelled back to the show grounds. Since the cows had already been clipped, I was free to tour around all the booths. I had never seen such a large place filled with kiosks with everything from milker companies (like Delaval) to pet shops selling pets. There were 8 buildings with kiosks and another huge building with animals and show rings. It took me all day Friday just to see all the kiosks. That afternoon, the judge for the show arrived, it was Dave Bergeron from Hammond, Ontario. For the next 2 days, we continued to tour around the show and to watch the Holstein and Jersey heifer shows on Sunday. On Monday it was the big day, I was up early since I had over 20 head to prepare for the show. It was the most animals I have ever clipped for a show, but it turned out quite well. We had the Reserve Champion Bull, the Honourable Mention Heifer under 1 year, the Honourable Mention Yearling Heifer, Honourable Mention Cow, and Grand Champion Cow. This lead to the big finale for the weekend, where I was asked to show the Champion Cow in the Supreme Championship. I had a lot of fun and learned many new things on this trip. I know it never would have happened if I had not been a 4-H member because it is through 4-H that I have learned how to clip and fit animals as well as how to show. I hope that everyone who aspires to a trip like this one, takes every opportunity they are given in 4-H to further their skills and learn something new. Matthew Burns, Quebec 4-H Vice-President, was the first youth featured in the “Leaders de Demain” section of the new “Progressive Dairyman en français” launched in September 2015.
CIBC 4-H Post Secondary Scholarship 2015 Congratulations to Véronique Brisson, Ormstown 4-H Club President, who was one of this year’s recipients. Véronique is starting her first year in the Farm Management Technology Program at McGill. Congratulations and best of luck in your studies! October 2015
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
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Upcoming Events…. 4-H Canada Grants Apply directly to 4-H Canada at apply.4-h-canada.ca
November is 4-H PRIDE month!
Get together with your club or 4-H friends on November 4th to celeSears in your Community brate ‘Show Your 4-H Colours Day’ The Sears in Your Community grant by wearing GREEN! supports programs that allow youth Send your pictures to office@quebec4-h.com to become engages, skilled, respon-
sible leaders in a safe, inclusive and fun environment. Deadline OCT 30 Growing Forward 2 Club Grant
Providing funds to support community level initiatives that proudly display the new 4-H Canada clover logo on branded materials by 4-H clubs, districts, and regions.
4-H Quebec AGM 2015 November 21, 2015 Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Open to all members, leaders, and others. Come join us at the banquet as we celebrate 4-H achievements from across the province.
Deadline OCT 30
REGIONAL TRACTOR SAFETY CLINIC Quebec 4-H is looking for clubs to participate in their “Tractor Safety Throughout The Year” initiative this fall by hosting a clinic in their region. Contact agliaison@quebec4-h.com for more information. Thank You to C.A.S.A. and FCC for funding this project. Holstein Canada Young Leaders Award Each year, Holstein Canada awards students who are well-rounded in their farm involvement; work experience; youth program involvement; future career choices; and excel in their academic studies 2 Prizes of $1000 available in QC. Visit Holstein.ca for application form Deadline NOV 27
FCC 4-H Club Fund
$500 in funding to support club activities and help them continue to learn to do by doing. Eligible activities include Achievement Day and event supplies, workshops, club trips, fundraising costs, and more. Open now, available only while funds last.
4-H AgriVenture Scholarship Opportunity Sponsored by AgriVenture Global and the International Agricultural Exchange Association (IAEA), 4-H Canada is pleased to announce a $3,000 scholarship will be awarded to one student nationally, to be used toward an AgriVenture travel and work program. Applicants can choose a placement in Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or Japan. Visit: www.agriventure.com Submit application to your province by :
November 1, 2015
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CJSA Ian McRae Memorial Scholarship Two $500 scholarships are available to CJSA members attending post secondary studies. Selection is based on extracurricular activities, career goals, CJSA involvement , an essay, and references. Info at: www.canadianshorthorn.com Deadline: November 1, 2015
Your club leaders are the glue that holds the association together, show them how much you appreciate them by nominating them for the National Volunteer Leader of the Year Award! Deadline JAN 31, 2016
http://apply.4-h-canada.ca/
Quebec Junior Beef Show 2016 The 4th Edition of the QJBS is being held at the Brome Fairgrounds from July 7-10, 2016. Many competitions including team judging, showmanship, and many more. For more info contact Allison Mastine at quebecjuniorbeef@gmail.com
4-H professional development training opportunity. Meet 4-H volunteers, directors, and staff from across the country, share best practices, new ideas, and enjoy the Nation’s capital. The 2016 Leadership Summit will dive into the Environment & Healthy Living Leadership Pillar. Healthy spaces and bodies are very important ingredients when developing our skills and empowering leadership. 6 delegate positions available for leaders. $350 fee; subsidies available from Quebec 4-H. Deadline to apply is NOV 9, contact Ag Liaison. Quebec 4-H News Spreader
October 2015
...and Opportunities! Horatio Alger Scholarship Full time students with financial need who demonstrate integrity, perseverance, and a desire to contribute to society. High school seniors graduating in spring 2016 are now able to submit an online application. Deadline October 25, 2015 Visit: www.horatioalger.ca/en/scholarships/
Merial Box Back The IVOMEC & EPRINEX 4-H Box Back Program makes earning money for your club easy. Just collect box labels from IVOMEC and EPRINEX Pour-On purchased this season. For each eligible box label you send in, Merial will donate $10 to your 4-H club. For more details: http://www.ivomec4h.com/en/boxback
Going Global Exchanges
4-H Canada has just confirmed the following partner countries for the 2016 exchanges: Jamaica Costa Rica Finland United Kingdom Nicaragua
Tout-Quebec des Jeunes Ruraux
Must be 21 years or younger as of Jan 1 of that year. Members in good standing of AJRQ or QC 4-H. The 4-H Going Global Exchange program is an exciting Must submit a professionally taken photo initiative that seeks to engage 4-H youth in an intercul- of applicant and their heifer, photo taken since April 1 of that year. tural experience and to increase awareness of sustainable Applicants must have participated in min agriculture and food security issues globally. 2 Quebec competitions. Deadline to apply : November 2, 2015 Visit ajrq.qc.ca for info Deadline NOV 23
exchange.4-h-canada.ca
Club to Club Exchanges Formerly know as "Youth Exchanges Canada" is coming back again for summer 2016. A great opportunity for groups of 10 delegates (12-17 years), adult chaperones and host families. Travel dates range from July 7 - August 20, registration period runs to NOV 30 exchanges.4-h-canada.ca 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
E A C H F B D G
WASP CRICKET LOCUST WORM MILLIPEDE NIGHT CRAWLER HONEY BEE GRASSHOPPER
Answers to Bug
Scramble October 2015
Olds College is offering Online Training Courses including Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise Certificate and a Rural Finance and Entrepreneurship Certificate. www.canadianentrepreneurship.ca/training
Innovative Ag Tour 2016 Hosted by Howick 4-H Club March 18-20, 2016 More information and details to come.
Provincial Rally 2016 Hosted by Shawville 4-H from July 21-24, 2016. Theme: “Hollywood” More details to come
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
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Provincial News
Online Auction
Bidding OPEN until November 4th at 9:00pm http://steam.ca/auctions/quebec-4h-2015
Delicious food, passes to fairs, museums, and other attractions, works of art, toys, Christmas gift ideas, and much more.
To donate items or learn more visit: www.quebec4-h.com or contact us at office@quebec4-h.com
Township Fairs By Allison Mastine—Program Assistant
Just before the summer ended and 4-H members started school, many of them attended the ‘Township Fairs’ including Cookshire, Ayer’s Cliff, and Richmond. To some of them, this was their vacation, going from fair to fair every weekend. This gave them the opportunity to meet with their 4-H friends from other clubs, spend some time on rides, and show their 4-H projects and achievements. At all the fairs, an overall showmanship competition took place, where the winning showpersons of each animal gathered and they had to show the different types of animals. Richmond 4-H member, Abby Morin, who has been participating in the Overall Showmanship Competition for several years said, “The most challenging part is remembering that every animal is different when showing. I enjoy the challenge and the experience I get from doing it.” Abby was Reserve Champion Showperson at Ayer’s Cliff Fair. This year the Richmond 4-H Club welcomed current 4-H members and 4-H Alumni as the judges at the Richmond Fair 4-H Show. Wyatt Johnston, Hatley 4-H member, was the poultry judge, Emma Redburn, Richmond 4-H member, was the rabbit judge, and Jacob Morin, Richmond 4-H Alumni, was the Beef Judge. These members showcased the true meaning of 4-H by following the motto, “Learn to do by doing.” It was a great show season had by all! 10
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
Emma Redburn, Rabbit Judge at Richmond Fair 4-H Show
October 2015
La Jeunesse Rurale du Québec
Journées FRAQassantes 2015 – 5th edition By Magali Delormier Nearly 40 young farmers from all over the province gathered on August 28-29 in Saint-Alphonse-de-Rodriguez in the beautiful region of Lanaudière, Québec. The troops spent two busy summer days enjoying conferences, workshops, farm visit, laughs and fun. “Back to union work” annual event, strategic thinking, motivational gathering, get-together, how can we define the true nature of the Journées FRAQassantes? This landmark end-of-summer gathering has emerged over the years to become a unique event where the executive boards of regional unions throughout Quebec reflect and share their ideas to produce a game plan for the fall that is coming up quickly. In a relaxed atmosphere, representatives from 12 regions listened and worked together on hot farming issues while their hosts from Lanaudière (northeast shore of Montréal) and the organizing committee set up an eventful and entertaining two-day schedule. Finding recent developments in agriculture to discuss and reflect upon was not an issue for this 5th edition: the future of the Quebec agricultural model, our multisector analysis on access to land for young farmers, and solutions to improve conditions for the next generation of farmers were just a few of the top priority issues that were on the agenda. Again this year, participants did not have any time to get bored. The activities scheduled included, among other topics: a survey of urban farming in Québec and in the world, an authentic account from a young mother of two of the challenges faced when starting to produce strawberries and vegetables, an economic conference from our exclusive partner Farm Credit Canada, the visit from the President of the UPA, a comprehensive and hands-on workshop on politics and federal elections, a general talk on ethics and the infinite potential of social media ... and a joyful visit of the company Vegkiss co-owned by one of our members (production, transformation, transport and distribution of broccoli, cauliflower and celery)! In retrospect, the eclectic agenda and the energy displayed by the participants made this event a real success and another reason for young farmers to be fired up this fall! October 2015
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
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National News
Youth Ag Summit By: Andrea Soesbergen From August 23rd to 28th, 100 passionate young leaders from 33 different countries all over the world came together in Canberra, Australia to discuss a very important topic: How will we feed 9 billion people by the year 2050? I was extremely lucky to be selected to be one of those individuals. In order to qualify for the conference, I had to write an essay on what I thought were the causes of and possible solutions to food insecurity in the world. Since the thoughts expressed in ours essays were the only things we were being judged on, this meant that people from a wide variety of backgrounds were selected to participate in the event, from agricultural and non-agricultural backgrounds. This lead to some fascinating discussions! The first night was simply a welcome party. We all gathered and got to know each other. There was a hint of familiarity to the meeting, since we had all been in contact with each other on Facebook in the weeks leading up to the event. Finally we were able to meet in person the people that we had been sharing ideas with over the internet! Throughout the week we were treated to fascinating and insightful talks from a wide variety of speakers. Some were leaders in their fields of research, whether it was on sustaining soil or on economic trends. Some were people who had started wonderful initiatives, such as the Youth Food Movement, an organisation that aims to connect people to where their food comes from and to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. Some personal highlights of mine were Julie Borlaug, granddaughter of Norman Borlaug who was the father of the green revolution, as well as Todd Sampson, co-creator of the Earth Hour initiative, who stressed to us that the best leaders know how to balance creativity with fear. On Wednesday we had the chance to venture out of the hotel on a field trip to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to learn about technological advances in the field, from soil water monitoring tools to precision agriculture developments. As fun as all of these events were for us, we did have some work to do while we were there. The organisers of the event identified 15 key themes that arose from the essays that the delegates had written. Throughout the week we participated in discussion groups in order to identify what five themes we thought were the most critical to solving food insecurity that youth could have the biggest impact on. These five themes would form the Youth Ag Declaration, which will be presented to the UN in October by two delegates that attended the conference. The five themes we chose were: education and skills building, communicating about the value of agriculture careers and farming, socially acceptable and responsible consumption, research and development and innovation to intensify or develop new production systems and personal and organisational leadership. The other thing we had to do while we were at the conference was to choose three little things that we were going to do when the Summit was over to fight hunger or food waste. This could be on a personal level, or a community or even a global level if we wanted. The idea was that if we each do three little things, that is 300 positive actions completed throughout the world! Attending the Youth Ag Summit will always be one of my fondest memories. I had the chance to meet so many passionate individuals from such a variety of backgrounds to discuss some of the most important issues that our generation will be faced with. I have learned that I have the power to change things, we all do. It simply starts with leadership and working together towards a common goal. I will forever be grateful to have attended this conference; it was a truly enriching experience.
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Quebec 4-H News Spreader
October 2015
TRACTOR SAFETY Quebec 4-H is looking for clubs to participate in their "Tractor Safety throughout the year" initiative this fall by hosting a clinic in their region! Help promote safety and save lives! Contact Chelsea: agliaison@quebec4-h.com for more info! We gratefully acknowledge the support of C.A.S.A and FCC in funding this project .
No Extra Riders Puzzle
Answer Key
October 2015
Quebec 4-H News Spreader
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Featured Member Sarah Enright, Quebec 4-H President By: Norma Tolhurst
She hopes to one day teach at the elementary level in the Chateauguay Valley. “ I am looking forward to participating in community events and to encourage my students to develop their skills through the things I have learned as a 4 -H’er.” While many 4-H members start out in the program from the moment they are able to join, others only discover it later on, but what they can accomplish in a few years can be just as meaningful. Having heard about 4-H through many family members and friends, Sarah decided to join when she was 16, after her sister started showing dairy heifers for a farm she was working for. “I was intrigued by the opportunity to be a part of an organisation that I had heard my friends and family members mention many times, but that I did not really know anything about. So with the help and encouragement of that alumnus, I joined and fell in love right away!” Sarah is currently attending school at Bishops university where she is in the second year of her Bachelor`s degree in education. 14
Cool Fact about Sarah: “I have a huge book addiction! I love to read in my spare time (and sometimes when I should actually be doing something else!)”
“Both of these organisations are not-for-profit and volunteer run. Having had the opportunity to see the functioning of 4-H from an administrative view point allowed me to have a greater appreciation for my colleagues, and the great things both of these organisations do.”
Only a few years ago, Sarah had no idea how far 4-H could For the past 2 summers, Sarah bring her, and like many she also had the opportunity to assumed it was just about work for Expo Ormstown at showing animals at the fair, an administrative level, which but it wasn’t long before she gave her the opportunity to discovered everything it had to work alongside many 4-H offer. “Once I began to see the members: impact that I could have, and Her Favorite 4-H Memory the great people I was meeting, I never wanted to leave!” “My favorite 4-H memory is my very first Achievement Day. I had joined only a few months before and had no idea what to expect! Once it was over I felt like I was a member of the community for the first time. I felt like I had contributed to something unique. I was also very proud of myself in coming in second in my showmanship heat!” Quebec 4-H News Spreader
October 2015
Congratulations to Richmond 4-H’s Kaitlyn Grandsire-Mastine. As one of the Juniors who brought the answers from the June Junior Junction puzzle to Summer Camp, she was entered in a raffle and won a prize of t -shirt and fabric marker set.
Bug Scramble Unscramble the bug names. Write the letters for the proper pictures in the boxes beside each name.
1. SPAW
A. B.
2. TRICKCE C. 3. LTSUCO 4. OWMR 5. PIMLLEDEI
D.
E.
6. THING LACERW F. 7. YNOHE EBE 8. HGSARSPEPRO See Answers on Page 9 October 2015
G. H. Quebec 4-H News Spreader
15
The time is fast approaching for 4-H clubs, friends and supporters to show off the good work you do in your community, in Quebec, and across Canada. Wednesday, November 4, 2015 is Show Your 4-H Colours Day! It’s the official kick-off to our month long national celebration! Using hashtag #ShowYour4HColours, put on your 4-H green and let’s celebrate everything 4-H on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Share your photos on social media and 4-H Quebec and 4-H Canada will share them with our 4-H fans and friends all over the world! Does your club want to have the new 4-H logo to show off in time for Show Your 4-H Colours Day? Visit the 4H Canada website and get your club logo using the online logo generator. Visit www.4-h-canada.ca/brand-app where you can easily customize your logo with your club name and province. Clubs looking for more information on the best ways to use the power of social media can find the club communications kit on the Show Your 4-H Colours web page: http://4-h-canada.ca/showyour4hcolours. Show Your 4-H Colours in style with awesome 4-H swag from shop.4-h-canada.ca! Show the world what 4-H means to you! Like Quebec 4-H on Facebook for all the current news.
In August, 4-H’ers sported colourful t-shirts they tie-dyed
at camp (see article on page 6). On Nov. 4, 4-H’ers will wear green to show their 4-H pride. Send group photos to office@quebec4-h.com for a chance to appear on the back cover of the December News Spreader.