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Successful year for local 4-H clubs
The Sundre 4-H Multi Club has had a very exciting and successful year with 11 beef members ranging in age from nine to 19: Reid and Zach Caukill, Colby Hayes, Kate Jackson, Cache and Jillian McLerie, Tessa Nybo, Keagan and Mackenzie Peppard, Colin Verbeek, and Hanna Wolfe.
The beef members have been working steadily since October halter-breaking, training, and feeding their steer, heifer, and cow/calf project animals. In November 4-H members began their year with the weigh-in of their steer and heifer projects at the Sundre Rodeo Grounds.
Members assisted at a number of different community events throughout the winter months including the Sundre Museum Winterfest and the Santa’s Anonymous Christmas Food Drive.
In January members competed in the district/regional multi judging competition held at the Olds Cow Palace where they judged and gave oral reasons on a number of livestock and consumer decision-making classes.
Sundre 4-H Multi Club members all did extremely well in the competition: Tessa Nybo won Grand Champion Senior Livestock Judge, Cache McLerie won Grand Champion Junior Consumer Decision Making Judge and Colin Verbeek won Reserve Champion Senior Consumer Decision Making Judge.
The club public speaking competition took place in February where members delighted the audience and judges with a variety of informative and entertaining speeches that they had written and rehearsed.
In March past member Cody Coleman as well as current members Tessa Nybo and Colin Verbeek attended a Kirk Stierwalt clipping, fitting, and showmanship clinic in Ponoka where they learned techniques from the renowned Oklahoma cattleman.
At the end of March members gathered with their project animals at the Colemans’ farm where Cody, Tessa, and Colin facilitated a clipping and showmanship clinic for the other members. Members were then given the opportunity to clip their animals with assistance from senior members and leaders.
Members with heifer or cow/calf projects will be attending the Mountain View District Heifer Show May 19th at the Olds Cow Palace as well as 4-H on Parade June 1st – 2nd at the Calgary Stampede Grounds.
The beef members have worked very hard all year with their projects, completing record books and communications activities, and volunteering in the community. We look forward to the new 4-H year beginning in September and are always welcoming new members!
The Bergen 4-H Beef Club consists of five members and one Cleaver Kid (a member that is too young to be fully enrolled in 4-H but is still allowed to partake in many activities and get a head start on their 4-H involvement).
Our members this year were Alyssa and Curtis Worobetz, Bronwen and Dayla Bowhay, and Shaylenne and Briley Scott. Alyssa, Curtis, Bronwen and Dayla all have a steer project and Shaylenne, Bronwen, and Dayla have heifer projects. Briley, our Cleaver member, will be showing a calendar year calf at our achievement day.
Throughout the year we have discussed how to feed our projects to achieve our target weight by showtime.
We learned some helpful tips on how to halter-break the steers and heifers and had a workshop where we not only learned how to build halters but actually built some custom ones to fit the different sized steer heads.
Another evening we discussed how to properly fill out the record books and diaries. Record books are done for each animal you have in 4-H and they keep track of your feed, medical records and costs as well as equipment costs, and any activities you did throughout the year.
Our yearly diaries are records of our involvement in 4-H and other activities (school, youth, community, church, etc.) that help develop well-rounded individuals. You are marked on your achievements and the quality of your diaries, which in turn earn you points over your years in 4-H and once you achieve sufficient points you earn Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum “Awards of Excellence”.
You must complete a record book, attend 70 per cent of club activities, do a communications activity, complete a community-service activity and participate at achievement day to earn points.
During the winter we got together and went around to each of the farms and looked at how the projects were coming along and later during the spring had a get-together at the Bowhays’ where we clipped our animals.
We are very proud of our animals and everything we have accomplished throughout the year.
All of the Sundre and Bergen 4-H beef members are looking forward to their upcoming achievement day May 28th at 1 p.m. in the Sundre Arena where they will showcase all of the hard work that they have put into their steer, heifer, and cow/calf projects throughout the year.
A steer buyers’ appreciation supper will be held at 5:30 pm in the Sundre Community Centre followed by the steer sale at 7 p.m. in the Sundre Arena.
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