Local children made new four-legged friends with dogs, goats and ponies at the Colchester County 4-H club’s petting zoo outside the Giant Tiger store near Hwy 102 on Saturday.
For the club, such zoos are their way of showing the public what they can do if they sign up as members, which includes farming projects such working with poultry and dairy, as well as life skills from photography to woodwork.
“It’s an incredible program, I’ve done it since I was eight years old and it’s helped me so much with being able to speak to crowds, its increased my confidence, it’s just really fun to make friends, you learn a lot of things – it’s a great program,” said 4-H member Marla McNutt, now 21.
She also credited the 4-H club for giving her strong critical thinking skills, as the club encourages members to judge projects as part of their work, ideal training for jobs, further education and public speaking.
For McNutt, these skills have come in handy for making presentations in her university classes. She is presently a student at Dalhousie Agricultural College in Truro, studying an animal science major with a plant science minor.
A few metres away from McNutt, Talia Tremblay made firm friends with a black pony, a staple of any 4-H petting zoo.
“I love the ponies and they’re so cute and fluffy, they’re so sweet,” said Tremblay.
The Truro club held its petting zoo at the same time as its counterpart in Tatamagouche. A raffle was also underway to raise money to restore a barn.
The Truro 4-H club is part of a global network that started in the United states in 1902, its aim being to keep children in school connected with rural life and farming.
The 4-H motto of ‘heads, hearts, hands and health was officially adopted in 1927 and its mission today is to train youths as leaders, good citizens and in life skills and taking responsibility for one’s actions.
4-H groups now exist in more than 50 countries. In the US, 4-H is overseen by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture. In Canada, 4-H is an independent and non-profit organization.
