4-H a foundation of rural, urban life

Windsor will host the annual Nova Scotia 4-H Show again at the Exhibition Grounds during the Sept. 26-28 weekend. Members of 4-H clubs from across the province will converge to show their projects and hold competitions in skills that add to successful lives. Nationwide, more than a million young people from large and small communities have benefited from the 4-H experience over the past nine decades. It has been active in Nova Scotia since 1922. Agriculture and homemaking-related skills are still very much available, but so are ones like computers, pets and first-aid. The club’s aim of ‘learning by doing’ continues to build skills and character. Participants build confidence in themselves so they can go on to become community leaders. They meet new people and broaden their interests. In Nova Scotia, a different county or region hosts the provincial 4-H Show each year. This year it’s the Kings County 4-H Leadership Council hosting at the Hants County Exhibition Grounds. This is most appropriate because the Windsor event is the oldest running agriculture exhibition in Canada and possibly the United States. The 4-H members are responsible for such things as making site arrangements, fundraising and security. The aim is to provide a showcase for 4-H projects and competitions. Annually, the events include some 2,400 4-H members, their 40 projects and 90 classes. About 10,000 visitors come to see what the members have accomplished over the past year. This weekend will include such diverse events as the market steer and market lamb show and the young speakers competition. Livestock showmanship includes animals from horses and cattle to rabbits and waterfowl. Non-livestock competitions include baking to photography to floriculture and woodworking. There will be sheep and dairy clipping and a fashion show, as well as the traditional tug-of-war. Many of these skills are from yesterday and will continue to have added value tomorrow and beyond; others are more to do with today and, of course, the future. Agriculture Department 4-H and Rural Organizations acting manager Arthur Pick has said that a show of this size requires a dedicated team, and it’s great to see the committees make each show a success. The 4-H movement has also developed in a number of others ways to help young people prepare for more and more demanding lives. One new program is termed REAL Skills – for the Rural Employment and Life Skills Program. The Agriculture Department, in cooperation with the Economic Development Department’s Students in Business Program, the Farm Health and Safety Committee and Human Resources Development Canada gives 4-H members an opportunity to develop skills through short projects that will help in future employment and community leadership. Life certainly is different down on the farm, and down by the farm as more people find how useful and valuable the 4-H experience is for young people: farm and non-farm and rural and urban. As community members -- not just family and friends of participants -- let’s go down to the Exhibition grounds this weekend and see what they have accomplished in so many useful categories. Admission is free for something so valuable to us all.