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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-04-20, Page 3News Crumbling Slice of Huron revived as Ag and Water Festival By Jason Middleton Expositor Staff After a few years of poor attendance and worries about agricultural issues, the Huron Perth Agriculture and Water Festival was back on its feet when the three-day event took place last week. Formerly called Slice of Huron, the festival took place from Tuesday to Thursday last week at the Seaforth Community Centres and Seaforth Agirplex attracting close to 700 students from area schools. Event co-chair Steve Bowers, of the Ministry of the Environment, said that after a few years of low attendance and worries of disease, the festival is "hopefully back on track again." The event's name was changed from Slice of Huron to the Huron Perth Agriculture and Water Festival so it would be more inviting to schools from Perth County. "It's definitely not as catchy a name as Slice of Huron, but we're officially trying to include Huron and Perth," Bowers said. "It's important that Perth be involved in the name." With Perth County now being involved, Bowers hopes that they will get more volunteers with different backgrounds from Perth involved in the future. Last year, because of worries about the Avian Bird Flu, only eight schools participated in the event and organizers had to cut the three day event down to two days. This year, 681 students from schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board, the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board and other Christian school board were registered. The full-day event for Grade 4 students was designed to help educate them on topics dealing agriculture and water. "What two things in our local community are more important than agriculture and water?" asked Bowers. Although there was a mix of urban and rural children attending the event, Bowers said that many of the rural children learned a bit more about different kinds of farms. "The way farming is these days, it's very specialized," said Bowers. There may be kids from farms here that haven't been that close to a cow or chicken because maybe they're a cash crop farmer." "Even the farm kids have lots to learn or are interested in seeing things," he said. In the agricultural section of the festival, children learned about dangers on the farm, different things about field crops and how pork, egg and beef dairy farms operate. In the water portion of the festival, children toured their way through 14 different activities with topics ranging from the wise use. conservation and protection of water resources. In previous years, there was a water component to the festival. Bowers said that this year they decided to expand it. "We're taking a different direction for sure," Bowers said, adding that groups like the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority and the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority supplied some of the water displays. Usually the three-day event costs students $5 each, but this year because of fundraising, the event was free. Bowers said that children are more likely to learn in a hands- on environment because they think it's fun and interesting. Earth Day resolutions help environment, says Bowers From Page 1 but have been pushed to another date. Seaforth Public School is working with a Grade 11 horticultural class from Stratford Central Secondary School. Farnell said that Earth Day is probably' celebrated more in schools than in the general public. "It's one of thc few days that at least students are somewhat aware of the need to take care of our environment," Farnell said. At St. Jaynes School, students will he planting•a tree on their school grounds at 1 p.m. Also, students will be reading, at the tree planting, some prayers and thoughts they wrote about for the earth. Seaforth man charged with assault A 21 -year-old Seaforth man was charged with assault with a weapon after a 17 -year-old female received facial injuties on April 1 at 10 p.m., reports the Huron OPP. Police were called to a domestic situation in Seaforth after a couple got into an argument and a young Woman was struck 'with a weapon. Along with thc assault with a weapon charge, the man was also charged with two counts of assault. lic is scheduled to attend court in Goderich on May 16. Stolen vehicle found in Seaforth A truck stolen from the Kincardine arca was found north of thc railway tracks in Seaforth on April 1 at 3:30 p.m. The gray 2000 Chev Silverado was found by an officer on patrol. Anyone with related information is asked to call the Huron OPP or Crime Stoppers. Correction Matt Oliver, 9, of Seaforth, not Cole Hulley, of Hensall appeared in a picture in last week's edition of the Huron Expositor of the Drownin' Dog canoe rally. Jason Middleton photos Above, 10 -year-old Nathan Floyd, a student from Seaforth Public School, had a chance to feed a calf a bottle at the Huron Perth Agriculture and Water Festival last Wednesday while below Grade 3 student Brandon Johnston, of Robertson Memorial Public , School in Goderich, tests gravel's permeability through gravel while classmate Maren McKenzie looks on. Close to 700 students from schools In Huron and Perth attended the three day event which was formerly called a Slice of Huron. THE HURON EXPOSITOR. April 20, 2005-3 SCHOONDERWOERD BROS. 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