Looking Back Over Last Year

2006 was the year of Farm Hands and 4-H. The Farm’s events and programs are popular and well attended but the Farm Hands program and 4-H club have come to the forefront this year with more and more local youth wanting to be involved. With Farm Hands being run year-round now, there are a number of different ways students can get into the program; through Aldermere’s afterschool, summer, and homeschool programs as well as the STAR afterschool program. The Farm has been able to give many local youth the opportunity to volunteer at the farm and learn skills that can take them right into our 4-H club and beyond. “It has been fulfilling to see the programs fill so quickly and mostly by word of mouth from the participants themselves,” states Aldermere’s Program Coordinator Sarah Post.

The 4-H club now has twelve members, and many of those students came right from last year’s Farm Hands program. The Farm actually had to cap the number of participants in the 4-H club this year due to overwhelming interest. The Aldermere Achievers club has a new leader, Heidi Howard, who has a great amount of energy and skill, so this year should be another great one for the 4-H club.

The show cattle performed well again last year, in part because of the 4-H members, with Aldermere Reba and Aldermere Ryan placing either first or second at many shows throughout New England. The sale of cattle, as breeding stock and beef, has also continued to go well with beef sales up 20%. There were 28 calves born last year, which were seen at the ever popular Calf Unveiling in May.

Last year the usual events such as the Calf Unveiling, Art Show, and Beltie Holiday, once again drew a record number of visitors and participants. Other events are growing including the Beef Basics Workshop and wreath making. Newer programs last year included Learning Tree and Me, a week long summer ecology camp, and a National Ag Day poster contest promoting local agriculture. So much of what is done here on the Farm could not have been attempted or completed without the great help from many wonderful volunteers and donors. Thank you to all who support the Farm each year.