Pandemic changes Essex County youth organization 'for the better'
A member of the agricultural organization, 4-H, says going virtual offered new learning opportunities.
“Some of it has changed for the better,” says Scott Morrison, 17. “They have lots of different online clubs that you never would have got to experience if it hadn’t of been for the pandemic.”
Morrison has been a member of Essex County’s 4-H club since he was nine years old.
“I just like it because you get to work with cows and you get to meet new people and you get lots of different experiences,” says Morrison.
The leader of the Essex County Dairy Club is his mom, Vicky.
“Really, what we’re doing is bringing on the next generation of rural adults,” says Vicky Morrison.
She says before the pandemic, their meetings were mostly all in-person and almost always included a farm visit or a guest speaker like a veterinarian.
But the pandemic forced the club to go virtual, which Vicky says was actually a good thing.
“They have the opportunity to have speakers that normally wouldn’t come to Essex County to talk to the kids,” says Vicky.
“Now we’ve got good at Zoom and that has opened the door for these kids to hear about the different areas of the industry.”
A dairy cow at a farm in Essex County, Ont. on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. (Michelle Maluske/CTV Windsor)
4-H stands for head-heart-health and hands and Morrison says every meeting starts with the members reciting their motto.
“I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty my hands to larger service and my health to better living. For my club, my community, my country and the world.”
Part of the club is “showing” calves at county fairs and competitions all over Ontario.
That, has been cancelled outright during the pandemic.
“It’s about meeting new people and having those experiences,” says Morrison. “Sure it’s nice to show cows, but it’s all about the experience really.”
Being a dairy farmer is in Morrison’s family for more than three generations.
Parents William and Vicky immigrated to Canada from Ireland in 2008 for the chance to own and operate their own dairy operation in Essex County.
Young Morrison says being a dairy farmer is his career path, and he plans to go to Ridgetown College in September to work towards that goal.
“I like it because there’s always something to do. I’m never bored. You get a lot of work ethic working on a dairy farm,” he says.
“I think that’s something that’s really important to build the qualities we want in the next generation,” says Vicky.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
BREAKING Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Fire engulfs old Edmonton municipal airport hangar
A historical hangar at the former Edmonton municipal airport beside the NAIT main campus was on fire Monday night.
Soft skills, preparation can help new graduates land jobs, experts say
As new graduates enter the workforce over the next few weeks, they are likely to face challenges getting their foot in the door and must be prepared to effectively communicate what they bring to the company.