Truro man’s activities are fuelled by a fondness for history and people

TRURO, N.S. — f you take a walk through the Farm Equipment Museum in Bible Hill, there’s a good chance you’ll meet Dick Huggard.
The Truro man has been a volunteer at the facility since 1995, and he loves sharing his knowledge with visitors and hearing their thoughts.
“I’m part of a good team,” he said. “The museum is a labour of love. 
“It was started because the old ways were going and we wondered how we could keep them in people’s minds.”
Agriculture has always been a part of Huggard’s life. He grew up on a farm with Guernseys in Norton, N.B., and came to the Truro area to study at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. He also studied in Quebec and Illinois and worked in the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing for 36 years. In September 1991, he was appointed deputy minister and held that position until he retired in 1994.
“I worked with the greatest people you’d ever want to work with,” he said. “I helped with things for 4-H and it was great working with kids. 4-H is a great organization.”
He judged cattle shows in Canada and the U.S. and served as president of the Atlantic and Canadian Agricultural halls of fame and several other agricultural organizations. In 2015, he was inducted into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.
He was also involved in the Cobequid Salmon Association, working to improve rivers and spread knowledge.
“We had a program with schools, where we let the kids hatch eggs and then release fish,” he said. “That was rewarding work.”
Although he can’t do everything he once did, he still enjoys showing people around the museum and working on the inventory list. He also carves wooden birds, which are sold to raise funds for the museum.