The Co-operator will publish 4-H reports once a month. Reports can be submitted by the third week of the month by email to [email protected] or by regular mail to 4-H Reports, c/o Manitoba Co-operator, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1.

4-H Fun Fest

The summer of 2012 will mark the debut of a new provincial-level event, 4-H Manitoba Fun Fest, to be held July 11-13 in Carman, in conjunction with the annual Carman Country Fair.

4-H Fun Fest will include horse and cattle shows, a banquet and a livestock-judging competition. The committee has also planned a variety of seminars and workshops, plus farm safety demonstrations, a photography workshop, an interactive geocaching activity and a visit to Roland to meet with a giant-pumpkin grower.

The Dufferin Agricultural Society has committed to support Fun Fest for the next three years and “has been very supportive of our idea to hold 4-H Fun Fest in conjunction with their fair,” Fun Fest chair and 4-H leader Diane Kovar said in a release. “We feel this partnership will increase awareness of 4-H as an organization and create interest for future members.”

4-H members were asked to submit their ideas for the event’s name and Taylor Carlson, a member of the Elm Creek Beef Club, submitted the winning idea. She will receive free registration to the 2012 4-H Manitoba Fun Fest.

Registration forms are available at www.4h.mb.ca. The deadline for registrations is June 15. 

— Manitoba 4-H Council

MacDon’s 4-H windrower

As its way of commemorating the 100th anniversary of 4-H in Canada in 2013, Winnipeg’s MacDon Industries has announced the release of a one-of-a-kind, 100th Anniversary of 4-H in Canada, Special Edition self-propelled windrower.

The special M155 windrower will be on display at 4-H functions, agricultural events and farm equipment shows across the Prairies leading up to the 4-H 100th Anniversary Gala taking place on May 30 next year in Winnipeg.

To further support the 4-H movement in Canada, MacDon said it will donate $25 to the association for every registered, on-farm field demonstration in Western Canada of MacDon equipment conducted by an authorized MacDon dealer between June 1 and Oct. 1 this year.

Rapid City Beef

March brought a lot of good times for the club. Many of our members attended the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon. On the Tuesday, the kids gathered around for judging clinics. Wednesday we participated in team grooming and the judging competition: Taylor Carvey won the judging for 15 and over. Thursday was the steer show: Laura and Sean Horner had the Reserve Champion Prospect steer, and Taylor and Justin Carvey also had a steer in the Championship class.

On Friday were the heifer classes and breed showmanship: Justin Carvey won the Simmental division and also won Simmental showmanship with his older sister Taylor coming up close behind in reserve. Justin also won the Klondike Showmanship event, which took place over the weekend. Justin Kristjansson had the champion Shorthorn heifer and won Shorthorn showmanship. Wyatt Inglis came in second with his heifer.

April arrived and we were still planning the fun. At our meeting we discussed working the canteen at the Rapid City Rodeo, the Winter Fair and our clinics to be held in May. That same night we watched a Kirk Steirwalt fitting video.

On April 12 Laura Horner, Taylor Carvey and Justin Carvey headed to Yorkton, Sask. for the Yorkton 4-H Spring Steer and Heifer Show. Justin got out of his split in the open show with his commercial heifer. Laura and Taylor made it out of the weight division with their steers with Taylor in first and Laura in second. Justin also came out of his split with his steer.

 — Taylor Carvey

Neepawa and Area Beef

Members gathered Feb. 22 at the Beautiful Plains Ag Complex to view the bulls being offered for sale at the Stewart Cattle Co. and Guests Bull Sale. We really appreciated the invitation from Mr. Brent Stewart to come and learn how to judge bulls. He gave a talk to the members on what to look for when selecting a bull, and then we judged a group of four bulls and compared our placings with Mr. Stewart’s. We learned a lot from the experience.

We received a grant from the Rural Municipality of Rosedale and very much appreciate its support. — Daisy McKee

Elm Creek Beef

In January we started the year off with a project book meeting. We worked on our record books and talked about how much our steers would have to gain every day in order to be finished for the Carman Fair. We did this by measuring our steers and figuring out their frame score.

February was a very busy month. We had our annual speech competition, which we did together with the Central Dairy 4-H Club. The winners from the different categories went on to regionals in Morden on March 3. We also had some members participating in the annual curling bonspiel, which they combined this year with the rally.

The highlight of the month was a chance to go to Bar None Cattle Co. for a day of fun and learning. Mr. Wendell Reimer cooked up delicious hamburgers for everyone and after lunch the members and their families participated in a judging clinic. Everyone had to judge storybooks and after a judging demonstration by Mr. Trevor Carlson, we judged Hereford heifers and steers. After all that hard work, Mr. Reimer treated everyone to a hayride, and more snacks. Thank you for inviting us!

Among items discussed at our regular March meeting was how to raise funds for our trip to Agribition in November. After the business meeting the Cloverbuds went with Mrs. Carlson to do an activity and the members learned about calving and everything involved in getting a healthy calf on the ground. The meeting ended with four different kinds of cookies, which the members had to judge first before they could eat them!

In April we held a regular business meeting followed by judging a class of steers and a class of breeding heifers, from pictures. What followed was a discussion on whether the official judge got it right or not! The Cloverbuds came back from their activity and displayed a big poster of all the different products made from a beef cow.

Our May meeting does not have an official date yet, but will be held at the Carlson farm, so that the members can learn a bit about AI’ing, with a demonstration from an AI technician. 

— Nolan Vandersluis