OLDS - The 10th annual Summer Synergy youth livestock event in Olds was a big hit with participants, volunteers and guests alike, say organizers.
About 250 young people age nine to 20 took part in this year’s event, which was co-produced by the Olds Regional Exhibition (ORE), the Calgary Stampede, 4-H Alberta and Olds College.
Events were held at the MegaDome, the Big Rack Cow Palace Event Centre and other facilities in Olds from July 8 -12, and at the Calgary Stampede grounds on July 13 and 14.
Summer Synergy 2019 included youth from across Western Canada involved in the beef and sheep industries. They showcased their animals for judges, learned from mentors and instructors about livestock husbandry, herd health, showing and marketing, and vied for scholarships.
Many of the youth participants are current or former members of 4-H clubs.
Tracy Gardner, business development manager with the ORE, has been involved with Summer Synergy since its inception in 2009. She called this year’s event one of the best ever.
“It always exceeds our expectations,” said Gardner. “The fundamentals haven’t changed over the 10 years. It is all about developing our rural youth, but every year we try to do some new and exciting programming that is lifting the bar and encouraging kids to be the best that they can be.
“Our challenge as an industry is making sure we have programming available for young people and making sure that we have relevant things that we are teaching these kids.”
Creating good dialogue between urban and rural young people is always a goal worth pursuing, she said.
“We are trying to give them the tools necessary to have that conversation in a positive way, to know that our farming practices are safe and sustainable,” she said.
As in past years Summer Synergy 2019 relied heavily on more than 100 volunteers, she said.
Tami Gardner, Tracy’s mother, is executive director with ORE.
“This year has been an amazing year,” she said. “The quality that we celebrate most is the quality of the young people that participate. They are just an outstanding group.”
Learning about the agriculture industry at an early age is vital for long-term success, she said.
Brandon Fraser, 19, has been taking part in Summer Synergy for eight of the past 10 years. He credits the event for preparing him for his current post-secondary education.
“It has been a really good year. I attribute the judging competition for preparing me perfectly for the scholarship I received at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M,” said Fraser.
“The judging clinics have really helped me. They mentored me quite a bit and later on I was able to help the younger kids too. This has been one of the greatest programs.
“At this show you really raise your game, you come up to another level, and it makes you just that much better.”
The top finishers in judging in Olds went to the Calgary Stampede for the International Youth Livestock Supreme Championships and Scholarships event.
