Goodbyes and Hellos with the Aldermere Achievers

Winter has been cold but refreshing for the Aldermere Achievers 4-H Club here at Aldermere Farm. The 4-H Year begins in November. Last year was the end of an era, as the last original Aldermere Achiever, William Jackson, had his final year. His numerous accomplishments include: participating in the Eastern States Exposition with the Maine Beef Team, Junior Leader Recognition, raising thousands of dollars for the Make-a-Wish Foundation by auctioning off his steer, and finally, encouraging, inspiring and helping the Farm create a new program titled Aldermere Youth Understanding Humanity (AYUH for short). Through this program, youth in the community are awarded a steer to raise and later auction off with the proceeds going to a charitable organization chosen by the recipient! All of us here at Aldermere Farm are proud of William’s success and wish him the best in the future. He believes that agriculture will continue to be a huge part of his life while he finishes high school and hopes to continue on toward an agricultural degree in college. With William moving on, there comes a new beginning. The other eleven 4-H members have decided to continue their work in 4-H and are happy to introduce their newest member, Addie Bragg. Addie lives right here in Rockport. Last winter she participated in the STAR Farm Hands program. It was easy to see Addie’s natural talent for working around cattle with her quick thinking, confident presence and innate ability to calm the cattle. She loved it so much that she decided to continue into 4-H! With her past experience working with horses and living on a farm, she will be a great addition to the Aldermere Achievers club. Welcome Addie!