Lauren enjoys a once in a lifetime trip to Canada

Lauren McRoberts (Bleary YFC) flew to Canada for nine weeks, Marianna Neill (Collone YFC) headed to Finland for six weeks, and county secretary, Karen Walker (Collone YFC) grasped the opportunity to head on the Rural Youth European Rally to Estonia.

Here is Lauren McRoberts's report on her trip to Canada.

Can you tell me where you stayed during your trip?

Over the course of nine weeks I travelled to Ontario in Canada where I stayed in 8 different counties hosted by members from the Junior Farmers of Ontario. These places included Niagara, Durham, Renfrew, Carleton, Oxford, Heron Perth, Essex Kent and Middlesex. During break week, when we weren’t hosted by the junior farmers, we travelled to Calgary for the stampede and covered Banff and lake Louise.

What did the trip entail?

The trip involved a wide variety of Canadian farm tours including the following: Dairy farms with high yielding Holstein cows averaging herds size from 100 to 1000 with a quota system leaving dairy farming a much more sustainable business as there were no milk imports ongoing.

Buffalo dairy farming which has an extremely high butterfat milk compared to the standard dairy animal. This farm produces the milk for its own farm shop and sells to produce cheese from the buffalo milk.

Milking goat farms which were extremely impressive, the farm milked 1000 goats twice a day in a rotary parlour, producing milk solely for cheese.

Sheep farming was not a massive enterprise in the areas we were in but a good source of income to a few farmers with herds up to 300.

We visited a particular beef farm with 10,000 acres and approximately 12,000 head of cattle in one unit, the scale of this farm was something I had never seen before.

An exciting and totally different aspect of life and farming was experienced with the Amish community. Farming extensively with horse drawn farm utilities, ploughing, sowing, rearing 1,000 head of calves. They were massive land owners in an area known as Heron Perth, adding all profits to buy land for their own community. I was extremely impressed with these people, their simple way of farming and close community had to be seen to believed. Something I will never forget.

We toured around fruit and vegetable farms that produced products such as asparagus, peppers, cantaloupe, pears, apples, peaches, sugar beet, onions, celery, massive potato producer and also toured around vineyards producing their own wine.

Lots of tours of grain elevators which were producing and storing grain for farmers for exporting and also with in the Canadian area

We also visited farm businesses that use different environmental sustainability techniques to improve their impact on the environment, this included waste management sites which recycled a lot of their waste produces to benefit the environment.

Of course we didn’t go on tours all the time so other activities included, beach days in Ontario at the Great Lakes, sports games including Canadian football, baseball and rugby. Canada day in Ottawa to celebrate Canada’s independence.

We done International pot luck meals where we each made a traditional dish from our home country, fifteens were a bit hit.

A lot of the hosts I stayed with had their own farms so I helped with a lot of farm work or as the Canadians like to say ‘chores’. This mainly consisted of milking Jersey cows, feeding calves, feeding sheep (even lamas), helping with the broiler chickens and feeding goats.

Learning about environmental sustainability methods within businesses such as waste management facilities.

What were the highlights for you?

Firstly I loved seeing Niagara falls for the first time, it was unbelievable. I also really enjoyed the nights hitting the fields in the trucks and doing some ‘Skeet shooting’ (clay pigeon shooting), I realised I had a neck for it. Speaking of the trucks, they were so cool and the hosts let us take them out, this was also great for learning how to drive on the right side of the road since the Canadians say we do it wrong over here. The tour to the buffalo dairy farm was another number one for me as it was something I never even thought about before, they were the most interesting animals I’ve ever seen (and the nosiest.) I’m a big fan of swimming and the fact that a lot of the hosts had built in pools in their back garden was a big yes from me, especially with the average temperature being 30 degrees Celsius everyday. Another thing I love is food, and the food over there was to die for, my hosts really knew their way round a barbecue and cooked the loveliest meat, on top of this we had a lot of delicious home cooked meals which meant I spent the nine weeks eating healthy food rather than coming home three stone heavier. Finally, like I’ve said before, the Canadian people were so down to earth and welcoming, and I will forever be grateful for all they done for me.

What do you feel you’ve gained from the experience?

Honestly, after I went on so many tours of all kinds of businesses from chocolate factories to farms shops to herbal farms, it really give me the inspiration to want to start up my own little venture someday. The owners of the businesses talked us through how they went from nothing to what they are today and I just would love to be able to tell my own story to Canadian exchanges someday. I feel I have gained valuable life experiences and seen the commitment it takes to run a successful business.

How would you sum up the trip?

A trip of a lifetime, making friends for life and experiencing Canada through the eyes of the locals

What does it mean to have had this opportunity?

It was the best experience of my life and I’m so grateful to have been apart of young farmers to be able to have this opportunity. I’m so glad I was able to experience the culture and lifestyle of a country Canadian household.

Before you went, you said this was a dream trip for you, did Canada live up to your expectations?

And more, the people are exactly like us in Northern Ireland, super friendly, welcoming and generous I never dreamt that they would have been so inviting to strangers.. The place it’s self is beautiful and I’m so glad I got the chance to see all the hidden gems.

Would you like to go back some time in the future?

100% I’ll go back some day, luckily my hosts were extremely thoughtful and welcomed my family and I back and now that I have been I know which places I want to see. I have already had two friends over from Canada and I don’t think it’s going to stop there.

Did you make lots of new friends?

I have already had a Canadian exchanges over for a visit and another who was actually originally from Northern Ireland, a local family called the Morrisons who kindly had us over for lunch and a great farm tour when in Canada. In addition, not only did I make friends for life with the junior farmer hosts in Canada, but with the other young farmers from Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. We’ve already planned our next reunion.

What memories have you brought home with you?

The nicest Canadian people, the memories of their unique culture, alternative farming methods, beautiful landscape, delicious food and of course their unique catchphrases.