Beef
Members with beef projects can be found each spring, selecting the best animal to train and show for the following show season. Lots of time and practice goes into halter-training a calf for show, and the heifers selected can be born anytime during the last or current calendar year. In some clubs, members can also choose to train a steer for show and auction at the end of the summer, although they don’t take the steers to shows other than the final Achievement Day and sale. Beef is the second most popular animal project in Quebec, with about half of all clubs having beef projects.
Club Activities
Members attend club meetings throughout the year, and focus on different topics at different times of the year. Many clubs with multiple project types have general meetings, but there may also be beef project-specific meetings to teach judging, animal selection, or to visit producers on their farms. Clubs also hold showmanship clinics and mock shows, to help members practice preparing and showing their calves before the attending Achievement Day or another exhibition.
Community Service
Members also complete community service as part of their project. In some clubs, members help maintain their local fairgrounds by collecting garbage and painting buildings. Others contribute to the global community by donating funds raised by members to non-profit organizations or community groups. Members of Shawville 4-H have helped their community by planting trees, and donating funds raised from pancake breakfasts to the charity Relay for Life.
Innovative Ag Tour
Members interested in learning more about agribusinesses or beef farming in particular can participate in this provincial weekend-long activity, hosted each year in March by a different Quebec 4-H club. Each year, the tour includes at least 1 visit to a beef farm, often 2. These agribusinesses demonstrate some form of innovativeness, whether it is technological, genetic, or marketing-related.
Achievement Day
This special day is the culmination of a member’s 4-H project. It is an opportunity for all members in a club to show off their animal or other projects to other members, parents and the public. For beef members, this day includes conformation and showmanship classes, and sometimes a judging class or competition.
Fairs and Shows
Throughout the summer and early fall, the majority of beef members will attend at least a few fairs or shows in their area. Some members travel further afield to attend a show. Similar to Achievement Day – but usually on a larger scale and lasting for more than one day, members prepare and feed their animals and complete conformation and showmanship classes. Some members who also belong to the junior association of their beef breed attend provincial or national shows that can be held here in Quebec or in other provinces. Several of our members have been successful on the national level at their breed shows. Members aspire to improve or maintain their standings throughout the show season.
Quebec 4-H Provincial Rally
Each year, the Quebec 4-H Provincial Rally is hosted by a different 4-H club in their local community.
Members with beef calves compete in conformation and showmanship classes and have the opportunity to represent their club in the team beef fitting competition and group of three calves. Members practice their fitting skills again on show day, as only participating members can clip and prepare animals for the show.
National Junior Beef Heifer Show
This national 4-H show is held in Toronto at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November of each year. It is the most prestigious interbreed 4-H beef show in the country, bringing together over 300 4-H’ers from across Canada. They compete in showmanship and conformation classes.
The following associations are partners of Quebec 4-H:
- Canadian Angus Association
- Quebec Angus Association
- Quebec Herefords
- Quebec Salers Association
- Rare Breeds Canada
- Simmental Quebec
Quebec Junior Beef Show:
Must be 21 years or less as of Dec 31st
$50 entry fee which includes meals, T-shirt and entry to all classes, with the exception of Conformation
($5 a head)
Enter Conformation classes, Showmanship classes, Judging competitions and other classes such as;
Quiz, Photography, Graphic Design, Fitting, Scrapbook, Clinic and a Cook-Off. Be eligible to win the Herdsman award.