By Lucy Ennis and Nylah Fuder, 4-H Club reporters
Twenty-twenty four was the first year that the Yukon Agriculture Association (YAA) hosted the North of 60° Reception, Conference and Banquet, also known as the Agriculture Banquet, taking over the reins from the Yukon Agriculture Branch. The YAA was started in 1972 and formally established in 1974. Since then, the association has represented the agriculture industry for 45 years!
This year, our 4-H Spirit Riders Horse Club was invited to attend the conference and banquet. We are a nonprofit organization that teaches youth leadership skills, public speaking, teamwork and life skills, as well as how to care for horses and other animals. We care for horses and meet up on a regular basis. During the summer we meet every two weeks for mounted meetings, with our horses, to practise riding and showmanship skills. In the winter, we have a weekly business meeting.
At the North of 60° Reception, Conference and Banquet, members spoke on various topics, such as about what 4-H is and what it means to us, where we may see ourselves in 10 years, and about learning all about locally grown food and farming in the Yukon. When this amazing banquet took place, all of us learned something new.
We interviewed two of our members (9-year-old Alanna Rudolph and 13-year-old Lukiah Giesbrecht) about their experiences at the conference. This is Alanna’s first year in 4-H and we wanted her fresh perspective as a young member. We asked Alanna what she learned at the conference. Here is what she said: “I learned that farming is more than people tend to think, and that includes so many things.” She also learned that usually all that people think of is the farmer, but it’s so much more than that. It’s like a community. And she learned about all of the different crops that they grow and she thought, It’s just amazing!
At the conference and banquet we listened to adults talk about preventing burnout and about mental wellness in the farming industry. We asked Lukiah what she learned about agriculture in the Yukon. Her response was: “I learned about soil testing, and I did not know you could do that. The PowerPoint about soil testing was very educational. It’s for free, and even gardeners can do it!”
We were so fortunate to get the chance to hear from local farmers about some of the benefits, such as being part of local sustainability and producing healthy food for our community, as well as about the challenges that affect farming in the Yukon, such as caring for livestock over the winter and the increased cost for fertilizer and other expenses, as well as the lack of infrastructure.
In the interview, we asked both Lukiah and Alanna what their favourite part of the agriculture banquet was. Alanna said she enjoyed all of the delicious locally-grown food such as the potatoes, carrots and meat. We also ate an amazing Caesar salad. “And,” she said, “I really liked being in a room full of people who love horses as much as I do.”
Lukiah said her favourite part was hanging out with friends and family while learning more about Yukon agriculture.
Another question we asked was this: Why do you think it is important to learn about agriculture in the Yukon? In Lukiah’s words, “It is important to continue to grow and flourish in agriculture education.”
And Alanna believes it is important “because agriculture is a big part of the Yukon.” Then she added, “I can’t wait to learn more about it. For us, knowing where our food comes from (and that it didn’t have to travel far) makes a significant difference. It is great for the environment and it is good to support our local farmers.”
And finally, we asked: Why did you join 4-H? We all joined 4-H for different reasons, but here is how Alanna responded: “I wanted to join Spirit Riders 4-H Club because I like being in a group of friends—and the leadership, and learning by doing.
“‘Learn To Do By Doing’ is our club’s motto and I really want to learn more about our horses and have fun.”
Lukiah joined because when she was younger she heard about 4-H and thought she wanted to learn more about horses and how to look after them. “So I joined,” she said, “and I have been loving it for the last five years!”
Having the opportunity to speak at this event gave us a great chance to practise our self-confidence and our public-speaking skills. On behalf of the Spirit Riders 4-H Club, we would like to thank everybody who put on and attended this event. We are grateful for the experience, the learning opportunity and all of the great work that the agricultural industry does in the Yukon.
What a great kickoff to the 2024 4-H Spirit Riders season!
