by Jack Pennie
MANITOULIN—The 4-H group has been very busy in the last three months. Lots of things have been happening, such as Go for the Gold challenges, Calf Club and the Manitowaning Fall Fair.
Go for the Gold
Go for the Gold is when a team of four or five answers questions as fast as they can, by trying to beat the other team to the buzzer. All of the questions are farm or agriculture related. The teams consisted of 4-H-ers Annie Balfe, Brooke Gibeault, Brodie Pennie, Jack Pennie, Dane Gibeault, Rylan Pennie, Grace Pennie, Mya Balfe, Andrew Cooper and Jonah Balfe. Grace Pennie, Andrew Cooper, Brodie Pennie, and Brooke Gibeault were Team One. On Team Two were Jack Pennie, Annie Balfe, Dane Gibeault, Rylan Pennie and Mya Balfe. Jonah Balfe was the buzzer man. Lisa Pennie read the questions, Mark Gibeault was the judge and Tracey Cooper was the score keeper. Team Two won that game. Then the adults played and on Team One was Tina Balfe, Heather Gibeault and Lisa Pennie, and on Team Two was John Pennie, Rob Pennie, and Mark Gibeault. That game was a tie.
Leading the calves
A calf club was started in June. Calves are trained to lead in a circle, and instructions were taught on the proper way to lead a calf. Rachel Skippen taught how to tie a calf to a post so it does not get away and then to free the calf quickly. Rob Pennie taught about grasses and legumes that cattle eat and then there was a scavenger hunt to find these grasses in the hayfield. Cows eat Timothy, orchard grass, brome grass, red clover, white clover, alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil. John Pennie taught the digestive system of the cow, like the four parts of the stomach, the small intestines and the large intestines, and also the different breeds of cattle in Canada.
Manitowaning Fall Fair
The Manitowaning Fall Fair for 4-H-ers was a hit. The 4-H float won a first-place ribbon. Grace Pennie, Mya Balfe and Jonah Balfe entered ducks in the fair and won. These ducks would lead on a halter and leash and also the ducks were on the 4-H float in the parade. The ducks were a really big part of the fall fair as everybody wanted to pet them and lead them. Annie Balfe won on some photos of hers and so did Mya Balfe and Grace Pennie. Grace Pennie placed first with her catapult, Jack Pennie second and Neils Verboom third. The 4-H-ers did well in other exhibits they entered too. Brooke Gibeault won several prizes in the fair. The 4-H-ers had a lot of fun at the fall fair this year.
So that is what the 4-Hers have been doing in the last three months: Calf Club, Go for the Gold, and the Manitowaning Fall Fair. We appreciate all the effort it takes to make this much fun happen. Thank you!
