The Wellington Junior Farmers had a busy year in 2014.
The group saw a decline in membership as many members approached the age limit, but it continued with some of annual events and fundraisers and tried a few new things as well. This year the main focus will be “member recruitment, community involvement and having fun,” organizers note.
A new executive was elected recently, with Katherine Clyne named president and co-secretary, Jen van der Meulen is vice president, affiliations director, co-secretary and provincial director (October to March), Elbert Bouwman is treasurer and assistant provincial director, Jess Nibourg is provincial director (March to October), Romy Schill is communications director and Alex Noble is Wellington Federation of Agriculture representative.
The first major event of the year was helping teach youth about agriculture by assisting at the Grand River Agricultural Society’s annual Pizza Perfect event. This year four volunteers (Jen van der Meulen, Jonathan Clyne, Allison Witzle and Kate McKenzie) helped out at the event and focused on teaching Grade three students where items that make up a pizza come from.
The seventh annual spaghetti dinner to raise funds and food for the local food banks raised over $900 for the Drayton Food Bank and $100 to the Palmerston Food Bank, as well as non-perishable food donations.
This year the group took on a new conservation project. Members spent about five hours at the Green Legacy headquarters, learning about their organization, taking a tour of the green houses and transplanting trees that will eventually be planted in Wellington County for a number of reasons and uses.
Junior Farmer members helped out a number of local organizations through volunteer work and donations. This year members ran the gates and parking at the Elora tractor pull, parked cars at the Drayton Fair, ran the food booth for the Mount Forest 4-H club, donated money to the Junior Farmers Association of Ontario Provincial Charity – Ontario Farm Land Trust, supported local hospitals through a donation to the CKNX radiothon and took part in the FCC drive away hunger campaign.
In August Clyne went on a Junior Farmer exchange to Ireland where she toured the country with two Scottish delegates and members of the Irish young farmers group Macra na Ferma.
She also had the opportunity to visit northern Ireland and catch up with a past delegate Megan Shaw who spent the summer of 2012 touring Ontario. Clyne competed in their Miss Macra competition and saw many sights.
This past summer the Wellington Junior Farmers hosted seven international delegates. The delegates spent three months in Ontario and just under a week in Wellington County.
The club also hosted two Welsh delegates Luned Mair and Aled Thomas this past November taking them on farm tours in the area, to the Elora Gorge, DHI, ice skating and to a hockey game.
Members participated in many fun club and provincial activities and events. The Wellington club placed second in curling at this year’s Winter Games hosted by the Waterloo Junior Farmer club.
A new member, Cassandra Choronboy, attended the Junior Farmers Association of Ontario (JFAO) Leadership Camp where she got to meet other members from around the province and take part in learning new skills through team building activities and speakers.
The group had two delegates, Jen van der Meulen and Jason Schill, attend the JFAO AGM and March conference in Cornwall.
Autumn profile was hosted by Middlesex Junior Farmers and the local club competed in several Olympic-style events such as identification quizzes, changing a tire, scrap metal design, pumpkin carving, zero turn lawn mower race and plowing. Wellington placed seventh out of 24 teams and won the pumpkin eating competition by eating a whole can of pumpkin purée in a minute, 46 seconds.
The final provincial event of the year was Sing Swing hosted by Prince Edward County Junior Farmers in Napanee.
The group also held several socials through out the year including pumpkin carving, bowling, go-karting, campfires, delegate socials and pot lucks.
The club wrapped up the year with the annual Christmas party and appreciation dinner where three members received Rose Awards.
The awards are given out to members who have shown outstanding commitment to the organization in three categories; most outstanding novice member (Edward Wallace), most outstanding member (Katherine Clyne) and most outstanding retiring member (Theo van der Meullen).
Junior Farmers consists of people age 15-29 from all occupations and walks of life. It is the only self-directed youth program in Ontario and strives to build future rural leaders through self help and community betterment.
Anyone interested in finding out more or joining the Wellington Junior Farmers is encouraged to contact wellingtonjuniorfarmers@gmail.com or find them on Twitter @WellingtonJF or on Facebook.
Prospective members are also welcome to attend a new members afternoon on Jan. 24 at the Harriston Curling Club at 1pm.
Submitted by Jen van der Meulen
