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Okanagan Shuswap 4-H Lamb Club members completed their busy 4-H project year with their Awards presentations on December 2, 2023.  Members, leaders, parents, grandparents as well as club sponsors gathered in Armstrong for this annual event.  Members are recognized for their accomplishments throughout the 4-H year.  

Our co press reporters shared with those present a recap of their 4-H year that led up to this important part of our 4-H program.

The first event of the year after several meetings was held on March 31 when the club got together at the Finlay’s to fill bags with sheep manure.  We sold 400 bags to Blue Mountain Nursery and 50 bags to Armstrong Community Gardens.  It took the members around 2.5 hours as well as a lot of manure down our backs to finish this job.  After which we enjoyed a potluck lunch and held our monthly meeting.

On May 6 we met at the IPE grounds for a rally day with some other clubs from the District.  We judged ewes, market hogs, llama fleece, horses and market steers.  We also were given a presentation on tractor safety.  After the judging all clubs got to enjoy a hot dog lunch.

In early summer the club began to prepare for the upcoming fairs and shows and our achievement day.  To start we went to the Heslop’s farm to practice more judging.  We learned about judging dairy cattle, market pigs and yearling ewes.  We discussed sheep conformation and what a good lamb should look like. 

In late July we went to the Luttmerding farm to learn about trimming our lambs’ hooves and how to make our sheep look nice for a show.  We practiced for Achievement day and got our lambs shorn and received our lamb blankets to keep our lambs clean after bathing before the shows. 

Finally, it was achievement day, all members showed up looking their finest and so did all the lambs.  Once all the classes were done the club members and our guests and judge had a big burger lunch.  Some classes we did were junior & senior showmanship, ewe lamb, market lamb and yearling ewe.  All of our preparations had paid off; achievement day was a success and we were more prepared for the fairs ahead. 

Some members attended the IPE, Salmon Arm Fair and Agricultural Expo in Barriere.   At each show our members represented our club very well. 

On November 10 our club went to Yankee Flats Meats and had a tour of their facility.  Scott showed us all the steps that are taken at this butcher facility to process an animal.  We were shown 20 lamb carcasses hanging in the cooler waiting to be cut and wrapped as well as some water buffalo.  It was interesting to see how lambs are processed in a humane manner once we have raised them. 

We look forward to our next project year that begins in January. 

Isla K. & Janica H. Okanagan Shuswap 4-H Club Co-press reporters