The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair has been celebrating agriculture all week at the Keystone Centre, and the 4-H Manitoba simulation of a cow giving birth has been a fun interactive demonstration for families to experience this wonderful phenomenon that typically takes place out in the pasture in the springtime.
Tuesday of this past week was 4-H Day at the Fair where 4-H members from across the province had free admission, and the members participate in the evening show in the Westoba Place Arena, all to raise awareness to this dynamic youth program that's now around the world.
Four 4-H volunteer leaders were awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in the Royal Courtyard at the Keystone Centre following the announcement by Minister of Agriculture Ron Kostyshyn that the provincial government has committed to $300,000 over the next three years to the 4-H Manitoba program.
Coral Meggison from Goodlands, Cheryl Antonio from The Pas, Gene Piasta from La Salle and Margaret Walker from Oakbank each received this prestigious award from Minister Kostyshyn.
"We were honored to have 4 medals set aside for 4-H Manitoba for four of our longstanding volunteers," shares Manitoba 4-H President Greg Penner. "I believe there were 40 coronation medals given out to 4-H members across Canada."
The 4-H Beef program is just one of the many programs offered through 4-H.
"4-H is a great opportunity for youth," explains Penner. "It's a positive youth development organization so we do all sorts of skills from livestock to cooking to sewing to crafts, and everything in between. And then our kids learn all of those wonderful soft skills such as leadership, communications, public speaking. All of those things."
The calving demonstration does turn a few heads for those who weren't raised on a beef or dairy farm.
"We have our model cow, Clover, and she always gets to join us at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair," shares Shannon Carvey, Executive Director of the Manitoba 4-H Council. "Every day we have a calving demonstration and so the veterinarian comes and the baby calf is born. And the kids get to help out and pull the calf and it's kind of a really neat experience. When the vet isn't here, we encourage everyone to check and see and feel what it feels like and what it looks like to see a cow having a calf."
The Ag aspect of 4-H includes beef clubs and horsemanship clubs, but the program has expanded to include so many different interests over the past 111 years," says Greg Penner. "We started mostly with livestock and farming but we've definitely expanded into some technology and leadership programs, photography, home economics, crafts. Yes, we're very excited about what we have to offer and we're coming up with new programs all the time!"
The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair continues today with the final show wrapping up a week of activities and events at 7:00 pm this evening in the Westoba Arena. Ceremonies begin at 6:30 pm.
For more on 4-H Manitoba, visit their website, or click HERE!
(photo credit CJRB Radio / Discover Westman)