The Rural Voice, 1979-05, Page 51Vzuce ecce 9edetatiaa ffryucuetute
The directors of the Bruce County
Federation of Agriculture will be meeting
May 8 at the Walkerton OMAF at 8 p.m.
(unless otherwise notified.) There will not
be a general federation membership
meeting in the month of May due to
planting.
The federation is sponsoring two meet
the candidate nights for federation mem-
bers. For information on the candidates
night in the Huron -Bruce riding phone
Brian Ireland, and for information on the
* Students work hard, learn a lot
meeting for the Bruce -Grey riding, contact
Albert Simpson.
The semi-annual dinner and dance for
members of the Bruce County federation
will be held in Paisley on June 1.
Huron farmer happy with junior agriculturalists
Jim and Lorraine Hallahan of R.R.3,
Blyth have seen more than one young "city
mouse" enthusiastically learn the ways of
a "County mouse"! Since the summer of
1976, The Hallahans have participated in
the Junior Agriculturalist Program a
;program which gives city students the
opportunity to work and live on a farm.
Co-ordinated by the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food. The Junior
Agriculturalist Farm Program is designed
to provide students from urban centres
with the chance to gain practical farm
experience and, at the same time, to gain
an insight into rural life. The Hallahans
operate a beef and dairy farm and grow 200
acres of corn, alfalfa and mixed grain.
In spite of the fact that the student
participants have not had any previous
farming background, the Hallahans reports
that once given the chance, the students
learn quickly and are eager to accept
responsibility.
Jim says that for the first few days of the
student's nine week sojourn, the Junior
Agriculturalist accompanies him while he
accomplishes his daily roster of chores.
The student is initially assigned such
duties as carrying feed to the calves and
washing the cattle (so as to get used to
them), however it isn't long before the
Junior Agriculturalist is able to accept his
share of the chores!
Hallahan reports that he doesn't like to
"start the student off too easy", because
they'll think that there isn't that much
work to farming. When they arrive, he
adds, the students of the past have
expected farming to be the same as it is
depicted in the Pepsi-Cola advertisements!
The students soon learn about the life of
a farmer. Hallahan recalls that Junior
Agricluturalists from previous years have
told him that the first two weeks of farm
lahnur nearly killed" Them! The students_
learn to eat three square meals a day,
they sleep well, and Hallahan reports that
they are soon able to handle the physical
labour.
PG. 50 THE RURAL VOICE/ MAY 1979
The Hallahan's Junior Agriculturalist
from years past have come from the cities
of London and Windsor. This summer, the
Junior Agriculturalist is originally from
Ottawa, although she is presently
attending Centralia College where she is
studying to be a Veterinarian's Assistant.
Jim and Lorraine say that their Junior
Agriculturalists have become one of the
family. The students have invited their
family and friends to visit them on the
farm. They are quick to demonstrate their
newly acquired skills to their visitors.
Hallahan explains that he doesn't want
the student to think that there is nothing
else to farming but work. He and his family
try to show the Junior Agriculturalists that
they have a good time, too. The Hallahan's
attend 4-H meetings where he can meet
the Elora Research Centre and to a variety
attend 4-H metings where he can meet
other young people.
The Hallahans endeavour to teach the
Junior Agriculturalist as much about the
area as possible. As well as to mu ,seums
and parts, the Hallahans have taken the
students to the Kitchener sales barns, to
the Elora Rsearch Centre and to a variety
of area farms.
Lorraine Hallahan believes that the Junior
Agriculturalist Farm Programs is a good
way for rural and urban people to mix. It is
obvious that the student learns a
tremendous amount during his nine week
stay on the farm, but the Hallahans
suggest that they, too, learn a great deal
about city life.
In addition the program leaves both the
farm family and the student with a sense of
accomplishment. The farmer has given a
student the opportunity to learn, and the
student's progress leaves his employer
with a feeling of satisfaction; The student,
of course, has learned how to live and work
on a farm!
The Junior Agriculturalist Farm
Program is just one of the several
programs which farmers can learn more
about by calling their local Canada
Employment Centre for Students. Centres
are open now and they already have
hundreds of registrations from students of
all ages who are eager to work on farms.
The students can be ready to work often
within hours, and certainly within days of
the farmer's call to the centre.
The student employment centres in
Huron Bruce and Peth are staffed by:
Goderich - Susan Freeman, 524-2744;
Walkerton - Joanne Powers, 881-2201;
Listowel - Sheila Love, 291-2922.
PLETCH
ELECTRIC
WINGHAM
• Residential
• Farm
• Industrial
• Commercial
Phone Collect
357-1583