OXFORD – Except for an unwelcome guest by the name of Earl who cancelled Saturday’s parade with his rain and high gusts of wind, the 2010 Cumberland County Exhibition proved to be another action-packed week of family fun.
The hot weather drew lots of people out to the midway and the Oxford arena to enjoy the rides, the livestock and the 4-H events.
“The turnout for 4-H events was great,” Sharlene Carter-Earle, president of the 4-H council, and leader of the Double D 4-H Club, said. “There was an excellent crowd out.”
The exhibition gives the 189 members of 4-H in Cumberland County the opportunity to compete and qualify for the provincial show, which takes place Oct. 1-3 in Truro.
The hot weather at this year’s exhibition was challenging for the competitors, animals and spectators.
“The hot weather can be hard on the animals, especially the bigger animals, “ Carter-Earle said. “But for the kids it was fine.”
Carter-Earle said retention of 4-H members has been high over the last few years.
“It can be hard to do when you’re competing against all this electronic stuff,” Carter-Earle said. “But the 4-H program is fun and we try to keep their parents involved and they learn amazing stuff.
“I encourage anybody who is even remotely interested in finding something for their children to do as a growing and a learning experience to go to the pro-show in Truro and take a walk through the grounds because you might be blown away by what you see there.”
And you don’t have to be a farm kid to become involved.
“Besides learning to take care of livestock, the life skills stuff, like welding and the woodworking and crafts and the food and the sewing, are incredible,” Carter-Earle said. “And all the projects are done by kids and they’re often better than what you see at a regular exhibition done by adults. It’s amazing. There’s something there for everyone.”
Carter-Earle said all the 4-H leaders in Cumberland County are very proud of how well they did in Oxford and hopes they do well in Truro as well.
“The pro-show goes flat out from Friday at 10 a.m. when the counties put their livestock on display, right up until 12 p.m. on Sunday when they present the flag to whatever county has the highest point total over the weekend,” Carter-Earle said. “It’s a big honour to win the provincial 4-H club and I would be ecstatic if Cumberland was able to get the flag.”
