REACH hosts special beef-handling day for students
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Last year, the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) hosted an Equine Education Day that brought students out of the classroom for a day of horse-centric learning. The event was such a success that it has since been expanded to include other animals essential to Huron County’s agricultural landscape. On Jan. 12, it was beef cattle’s turn in the spotlight.
Students from all over Huron-Perth, including Clinton, Wingham, Listowel and Stratford came together for a day learning about bovine life. Kelly Orr, a teacher at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, was thrilled that her school is being included in the program this year. “We’re doing a Specialist High Skills Major event - so we’re bringing kids from schools in Huron and Perth Counties down to the REACH centre to learn about animals, herd health and the financial background that it takes to operate a farm or to take care of animals,” she explained. “A lot of the students in our school come from farms, and a lot of them have goals to take over their farms and manage them as well. So it’s a real world experience - they’re learning how to manage the farm, how to make sure they’re financially stable - all the background information that they need to run a farm.”
Emily Morrison of REACH welcomed each group with enthusiasm and beef trivia. “We’re really excited to help you guys skip school and come here,” she joked.
All joking aside, beneath the day’s infectious field trip energy, the event was structured very much like a regular school day. Morrison acted as the de facto home room teacher, tasked with breaking the ice with the kids as they arrived. She surveyed the students about steak preferences and pontificated on the vast variety of global factors that can affect the price of beef until all the buses had arrived.
Once all the students were accounted for, they trekked out to the show ring for a unique health class taught by retired large animal veterinarian Phil Garriock, who gave an engaging demonstration about herd health and farm safety out in the show ring. He was assisted by a pair of well-behaved heifers on loan from the Hoggart family.
Garriock gave a step-by-step demonstration of how to safely move cattle into a chute, how to tie a proper harness and how to tell if a cow is ready to calf. He also stressed the importance of vaccines and a nutrient-rich diet for beef cattle.
His career as a rural veterinarian makes Garriock an invaluable farm safety resource - he’s treated animals in every imaginable situation, and understands the ever-present risk of livestock management. He warned against ignoring signs that an animal is stressed or making assumptions about temperament. “If they bob their head, stamp their feet and face you directly, I think you better be careful,” he declared.
After Health class, Harvey Hoggart, former President of the Huron County Beef Producers (HCBP) stepped into the ring for a quick Civics lesson. He explained that the HCBP is an essential communication link between grassroots farmers and national and provincial policy-makers, in addition to promoting beef at events like the Belgrave Elementary School Fair. Hoggart also encouraged the kids to join up. “We’ve had directors go to the AGM that were 16 years old,” he pointed out.
Next up was an ingenious combination of Home Economics and Lunch. Led by Chef Kevin Reid, the kids headed over to the REACH kitchen for a hands-on hamburger-making experience featuring beef donated by the HCBP. Reid offered instructions on meat grinding, portioning and patty-forming, and at the end of the class, everybody got to eat their assignment!
Math class was taught by one of the stars of the Brussels beef scene - Tim Prior, of Grazing Meadows Wagyu and Brussels Agri Services and The Cowboy Loft. Prior went over some real-life examples of the many kinds of math needed to run a successful farm. He talked about the geometry of paddock planning, upfront costs versus long-term savings and how to increase profits through rotational grazing.
In Orr’s opinion, events like this help students feel more connected to the act of education. “The figures out doing the lectures today are people they’ve actually seen come to their farm,” she pointed out. “Or they’ve seen them when they’re at events like a 4H show…. Like Tim Prior - they respond better because they’ve actually seen him out in the real world. It’s not just somebody standing in front of the classroom.”
The school day came to a close with a little Physical Education, in the form of a roping lesson.
There are three more large animal training days taking place at the REACH in the coming months: Friday, Jan. 16 is “pork day”; Wednesday, Apr. 22 is “equine day”; and Wednesday, June 3 is “goat/sheep day”.