July 12th Summer Synergy: An Investment in Outstanding Youth

The last two weeks have meant much collaboration for Matt, Karla and I as we have been back together at the office for Calgary Stampede and Summer Synergy in Olds, AB. As the school and 4-H year has wrapped up, I have been spending much more time in the office and learning the inner workings of the CAA office. I must be doing okay as I was Joanelle’s replacement again last week while she was on vacation.


Karla, Cassie and I also got the chance to go out to Hamilton Farms and begin filming for our "How to Get a DNA Sample" video which will be popping up on YouTube soon! We got to see the legendary HF Tiger 5T, which honestly made me a little nervous and could be put on the same scale as meeting Elvis Presley. Rob and Gail were excellent hosts, and I am so thankful to have had an opportunity to visit Hamilton Farms.


This update finds me fully completed my fourth year as a Summer Synergy participant. I know I’ve said it before but I will say it again--we have some truly amazing junior members. From the very beginning of move-in on Monday, I have been overwhelmed with the amount of mentorship and overall camaraderie. From the PeeWee members at cow camp to the retiring senior members, everyone had a genuinely good time and has excelled in all competitions. It is also great to see Canadian Angus Juniors from not only Alberta but also Saskatchewan. The quality of cattle at Summer Synergy Angus Division was phenomenal.

All the Summer Synergy scholarship recipients. Summer Synergy along with their partners awarded 55 scholarships this year valuing $65,000 at the Calgary Stampede on Saturday, July 13.

Some highlights from the Provincial Beef 4-H Heifer Show that was held in conjunction with Summer Synergy include Travis Hunter continuing his showmanship domination by winning senior showmanship with Ty Dietrich in reserve for both PBHS & Summer Synergy. Travis is undefeated this year! Ty won senior aggregate. Show Team judging was an Angus sweep with Ty & Gus Dietrich winning seniors, Laurie Morash and Halley Adams winning intermediate, and Kelli-Rai Sieben and Keely Adams winning juniors. The Grand Champion Black Angus Female went to Dakota Townsend. The Grand Champion Red Angus Female was won by Tyson Matejka. The commercial division was won by Laurie Morash.


Five AgForLife Ambassadors were chosen and both Travis Hunter and I will represent Summer Synergy coming from Angus backgrounds at the Harvest Gala at Northlands on November 2, 2013. Tyson Matejka won senior marketing, dominating the competition with his bull sale package. Halley Adams won intermediate multi-species judging and Cache McLerie won juniors.  Kelli-Rai Sieben was fourth and Ashlynn Duffy was fifth in junior aggregate. Laurie Morash won the intermediate aggregate with Jill McLerie following in second. Grand Champion Purebred Angus Female was won by Laurie Morash. The Grand Champion Commercial Angus Female was won by Kyla Kelly’s heifer calf.

The 2013 Scholarship Recipients also received these buckles to proudly wear in honour of all their accomplishments through the week.

The Angus breed was well represented in the scholarship selection as well. $2,000 senior scholarship winners included Angus members Dakota Townsend of Sylvan Lake; Cayley Peltzer of Rosemary; Tyler Dietrich of Forestburg and Katelyn Dietrich (me) of Forestburg. Senior recipients of $1,000 scholarships included Tyson Matejka of Ponoka; Chad Lorenz of Markerville; Travis Hunter of Didsbury; Bailey Dietrich of Forestburg; and Katie Crawford of Didsbury. In the intermediate category, $1,000 International Youth Livestock (IYL) scholarships were awarded to recipients Laurie Morasch of Bassano and Jill McLerie of Innisfail. The $500 IYL scholarship winners included Wacey Townsend of Sylvan Lake; Maguire Blair of Drake, SK and Halley Adams of Forestburg. Junior-aged participants Kelli-Rai Sieben of Ponoka; Cache McLerie of Innisfail; and Ashlynn Duffy of Lacombe were also on the list with $500 IYL scholarships. This means over 30% of scholarships (or 17 of 55 scholarships) were awarded to youth exhibiting Angus or Angus Influence entries at Summer Synergy 2013. 
 

I would like to once again thank all the sponsors for the opportunities they provide for me, my family, all my friends and many more other youth. This support, whether it be the local 4-H show, CJAA or Summer Synergy, is so much more than anyone can understand. There are some words I want to share with my fellow CJAA members, alumni and all our volunteers who have gone through programs like Summer Synergy (see below the photo). This competition has once again reminded me why this is where I chose to spend my summers and majority of my childhood. 

Scholarship Recipients following their appearance on the Grandstand stage on Saturday wearing their cowboy hats and scholarship buckles. Included are (back row left to right) Ty and Gus Dietrich, Tyson Matejka and Travis Hunter and (front row left to right) Katelyn Dietrich, Mytayla Miller, Andie and Josie Hadway.

The Best I Can Be

     by Katelyn Dietrich

I remember being young wishing for a “real” vacation or trip,

Now I know there’s a reason not a summer I did skip.

These youth programs that run every year,

They are the best thing for a kid around here.

It’s the sunrise and the smell of clean shavings in the morning,

It’s the numerous yawns for something not at all boring.

Because of the late nights, early mornings and lack of sleep,

It’s the memories and the friends you’ll keep.

Beginning that countdown in January to the day

To when those textbooks would be far away.

And I would finally be back in the Olds Megadome,

The place I can almost call home.

The times that I spent with the best Ag youth around

Has been a safe place to learn and grow I’ve found.

Everyone is laughing and smiling,

Occasionally sharing a tear or whining.

But we’re all together,

And that’s what I remember.

Thanks to my second and third adopted mother,

Who are making sandwiches, ironing shirts, always one thing or another.

Thanks to those kids I didn’t distinguish a couple years ago,

Who have become the finest friends I know.

Thanks to the sponsors and those who volunteer,

They make it possible for us to be here.

These are the things that must be said,

To someone who is looking ahead.

Farther past what that Champion Heifer will be bred.

You might not see it now, might not just see how.

But these shows and competitions are everything,

No matter the success, failure and all they may bring. 

The ribbons fade, the buckles tarnish,

But a soul and work ethic will varnish.

You will have these life skills and lessons forever

Whatever you may choose to endeavor.

It’s tomorrow not today you will see.

These programs will make you the best you can be.

CJAA Showdown is a mere 10 days away and I couldn’t be more excited! This will be my second Showdown experience as my family attended 2011 in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. However, the beauty of Showdown seems to be the different locations, and all this brings to the event. I am already gearing up for the Angus Cook- Off so everyone better bring their A-Game!

Posted by Katelyn Dietrich
Feedback: kdietrich@cdnangus.ca

Off to the Trail... The Cattle Trail that is!

It’s hard to believe Convention has already come and gone in the blink of an eye. What a great time it was, and no doubt everyone who attended would agree. I am actually writing this blog post from the Canadian Angus headquarters here in Calgary, Alberta. I flew out to Calgary two nights ago, and will be staying here for the duration of the Calgary Stampede; eleven days in total.

 Karla, Katie, and I will be working together in the Cattle Trail over the next several days, talking to consumers about all things related to beef. We will be situated in the Canadian Beef Breeds Council booth where visitors will come to find out about the different breeds of cattle. The booth is in a prime location, as one of the first booths in the Cattle Trail. This is such a great marketing opportunity for our breed, since our “Angus presence” at this booth is HUGE. Rest assured we are represented well at this event, and we will be conveying a positive message to consumers about Angus beef! It is actually my first time ever coming to Stampede, so I am definitely excited to be attending this year. What’s more… we will also be working with the Ag More Than Ever campaign while we are at Stampede. We will be canvassing the grounds with their “Talk Bubbles” and taking pictures of consumers  or agriculturists holding them. Anyone who follows Ag More Than Ever on social media has probably seen the photos they post from events and trade shows that they attend. The photos we take will be posted on their Facebook page where everyone can see them. What fun this will be!

Anyways moving on from Stampede… After Convention was over, I did some media follow up, by sending press releases to media outlets throughout Ontario who had previously requested a follow-up press release. I have also put a lot of focus on Ontario Junior Angus activities. This year we will be holding a revamped Ontario Junior Angus Show at the Brampton Fall Fair, Saturday September 15, 2013. This show will take place immediately prior to the GOLD show as always; however, this year we have introduced three new competitions and will also be naming the grand aggregate for each age division. Also new this year, pre entry is required on the official entry form, and entries are due by August 31, 2013. All the details for this show are available on the Junior portion of the Ontario Angus website, or on our Ontario Junior Angus Association Facebook page. In the past couple of weeks I have created an entry form for this show, and wrote the rules and regulations that exhibitors will be asked to abide by. I have also put a lot of work into our new Facebook page to increase our following and add some more useful information. We recently ran a hat contest to help increase the number of fans on our page.

I hope to see friends and breeders at Angus events throughout the rest of the summer! Plus, I must add that I am extremely looking forward to Showdown later this month in Armstrong BC. All for now!

Posted by Matt Bates Feedback: mbates@cdnangus.ca

4-H Achievement Days and School Visits

It’s hard to believe three weeks have already flown by and it is my turn to provide an update again! Looking back it doesn’t seem possible that I have accomplished everything I have. Given the proper resources and efficient execution, I have managed to visit 11 achievement days, East & West Central Regional Heifer Show and six schools in the last two months.

I cannot reinforce how much I have loved being in the classrooms. Not only have I enjoyed developing the presentations themselves but seeing the interest from children who know little to nothing about cattle or 4-H is uplifting. Through my visits I have had the opportunity to tell students about my involvement which has always been such a huge part of who I am and have grown up to be. I wish to thank Forestburg School for inviting me back to talk to some of the younger and older students as well as Amisk, Hughendon and Crossfield who were so welcoming and asked so many excellent questions. I wish to encourage all our Juniors to keep sharing with their classmates and friends about all the opportunities 4-H and the CJAA have provided them.

Keely Adams on the halter of her steer in the Champion Junior
Showmanship class at Flagstaff District Achievement Day.

This opportunity to talk to Junior members as well as students has helped me solidify my career choice as an elementary school teacher. I have talked to kids from age 5 to 15 and through this I have been enthralled in the younger classrooms and cleaver kids. The plain innocence and interest these children have in everything someone may tell them or ask them is so rewarding. It goes without saying that some of the comments I have received need time to process, as there is not much thought before sharing. I adore how excited a seven year old is when they remember how many stomachs a cow has. I will never forget the girl who would have told me about Rosie the whole 40-minute presentation if her teacher would have allowed it. These experiences have been huge for me as I have been making many contacts and having practical experience in numerous classrooms. Not to mention that I have had a teacher encourage me to apply for my practicum at their school. 

CJAA members Ty and Gus Dietrich proudly exhibit their
Angus females as 4-H projects.

I have completed my adventures to 4-H achievement days at this point and it is really great to see the enthusiasm of our youth in Alberta. I have had the chance to judge at many of the shows as well as ring and even become official photographer at my home achievement day of Flagstaff. I am thankful for these opportunities to give back to a program which was a big part of how I grew up. The benefits of programs like 4-H and the Canadian Junior Angus Association are an asset to our young agriculture advocates' success and as CAA members we are proud of these Juniors' accomplishments.

A ring full of purebred Canadian Red Angus at Flagstaff
Achievement Day; what a sweet view.

There are some Juniors that I would like to thank especially for their utilization and promotion of Canadian Angus genetics including Keely Adams who won Flagstaff Achievement Day Champion Female with her cow/calf pair, and Tyler Dietrich who followed with Reserve Champion Female with his cow/calf pair. In fact, the whole female championship class for this district were projects exhibited by Canadian Angus Juniors as Keely’s heifer won the district and  Halley Adams (obviously teaching sister Keely everything she knows), was reserve champion heifer of the district. Halley and Keely Adams and Tyler and Gus Dietrich also won showmanship and grooming for their age categories for the district.

At Kneehill District Achievement Day there were a whopping 60 out of 75 market steer projects with Angus genetics which was great to see. As well, Maria and Sabrina Kooistra of the Cheadle Club dominated in showmanship and grooming at their district achievement day in Rockyford at the halter of their Angus steers. It goes even further than the club level however, because East & West Central Heifer Show was no exception. Cache McLerie’s cow/calf pair and a heifer from Kendall Janssen received champion and reserve champion honours respectively with animals of Angus cross genetics. Dakota Townsend won the purebred side with her Angus cow/calf pair and Halley Adams followed with her Angus heifer in reserve. Halley and Dakota also won aggregate for junior and senior categories showing that these Juniors have expertise in and out of the ring. It is huge to see Junior members with a passion for the breed being so active and successful. It is safe to say the breed is in capable hands, and this summer we are sure to see some of these exceptional projects exhibited as well as many more. There has also been various club and district champion steers at many achievement days I have visited. For more details check out my twitter account, @katesdietrich or the @cdnangus account, which features many of these announcements as retweets.

The Grand Champion slap and Reserve Grand Champion
handshake in the female championship class at
Flagstaff's District Show.

Looking toward the next two months' activities, I am quite excited; Summer Synergy and the Calgary Stampede are both in the next couple weeks and Showdown is around the corner. Based on the quality of Angus Juniors and the cattle I’ve seen in Alberta alone, I cannot wait to see what the rest of Canada has to show off. Be sure to keep visiting www.cdnangus.ca as Karla, Matt and I will also be collaborating to produce a couple more videos on our YouTube account. I look forward to the latter half of my journey as a Canadian Angus Association intern and cannot wait for what the next months bring! 

Posted by Katelyn Dietrich

Feedback: kdietrich@cdnangus.ca