4-H Ontario
I've heard my parents tell stories of washing and grooming their steers, getting ready to show them at the Ridgetown Agricultural Fair as members of 4-H's cattle club. My mom spent so much time with her calf, an Aberdeen Angus named Gus, that he'd follow her around the yard like a puppy. My paternal grandmother was a 4-H leader of the home economics club and my maternal grandfather presented my father with his winning ribbons at the regional event when he was 14, long before my parents met.
“Back in the 50s, there were perhaps a dozen or so 4-H programs, mostly centered around farming and home crafts,” says Sheena Switzer, manager of communications with 4-H Ontario. “Fast forward 60 years, 4-H Ontario is now a standalone agency and registered charity... [with] well over 100 learning curriculums available for kids in everything from STEM and computer programming, to pizza-making, marketing and financial fitness.”
Living up to its motto to "learn to do by doing," 4-H creates an atmosphere for kids to explore different skills and opportunities in an engaging and positive environment. Clubs throughout Ontario have participated in robotics competitions, citizenship congress and have run food trucks. Clubs often fundraise in support of the local community or in the case of a Huron County club, they raised funds to donate goats to communities in Western Africa through PLAN International.
In Ottawa, 4-H on the Farm is an urban club that partners with the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum to provide participants, ages six to 14, with hands-on activities that help grow their confidence, whether it's the care and feeding of animals or life skills they can use everyday.
