Beefing up knowledge
Members learn about dairy, beef industries at annual event
The 2018 EastGen Showcase marked the 29th year for the event.
The showcase was held in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia where 90 beef and dairy 4-H members spent the weekend learning about feeding their heifers, the dairy and beef industries, learning how to prep their animals for show and how to catch the judge’s eye in the show-ring from some of the top industry experts.
The event started Friday, July 13 at noon and concluded Sunday, July 15 with the dairy and beef show. Members had the opportunity to put their newly developed skills to the test while showing their animals in showmanship and conformation classes.
Hayley Cox from Inverness County did a great job showing her heifer and placed first in her showmanship heat of over 20 dairy members.
The champion dairy showman and overall reserve champion dairy competitor was Riley Masters from Nova Scotia.
The champion beef showman was Connor White and the reserve champion beef showman was Sidney Patton; both members were from Nova Scotia.
In the conformation section the champion ribbon was awarded to Connor White, reserve to Sidney Patton and honorable mention went to Alex Smith.
The overall beef competitor was Beverly Booth from Nova Scotia.
In both the beef and dairy divisions, to rank as an overall competitor, members had to earn points in several different categories including: 4-H knowledge quiz, animal health / industry quiz, clipping job, ability to work in a team, judging, showmanship and conformation.
The weekend concluded with the presentation of the Andrea Crowe memorial award, which is an award given to a member that stood out as being a team player, having good character and went out of their way to help other people. This year the award was presented to Ryan Dykstra of Nova Scotia.
This year many 4-H members have decided to take the newest official 4-H project: Lego.
The project allows members to work with Lego to make projects as creative and complex as they can imagine.
Members can make projects that fall under the 6 project sections: Lego kit – less than 200 pieces, Lego kit – more than 200 pieces, Lego of your own design – less than 200 pieces, Lego of your own design – more than 200 pieces, Stop Motion Animation and Lego Robotics.
Lego isn’t the only new project in Cape Breton that members have decided to try; although not official projects we have members trying their hands at the bee keeping, cavy and chocolate projects.
As part of the chocolate project members can make their own chocolate, research cocoa production, create display boards or reports or try making different chocolate products.
Some of the bee keeping projects include making their own bee hives, making bee’s wax products such as candles, making honey or researching how honey is made and packaged commercially.
In the cavy project members show their cavy in showmanship
and keep records on the cost of keeping a cavy.
Some of the other non-recognized 4-H projects that members can complete include oxen, fisheries, blacksmithing and
fine arts.
If you have an idea for a 4-H project that is not already listed as an official project, you can contact your agriculture leadership co-ordinator to see how
you can complete it.