by Sylene Argent
Before presenting their sheep at the upcoming Achievement Days to be held at the upcoming Comber Fair and Harrow Fair events, members of the Essex County 4-H Association Sheep Club brought their sheep to the farm of Michelle and Dan Pillon to have them professionally sheared.
Dave Unholzer, Leader of the Essex 4-H Sheep Club, explained shearing sheep, or removing their wool, is important as it keeps them cooler during the hotter weather, prevents matting, and is overall more hygienic for the animals. Though it is possible for people to shear their own sheep, often a professional is used as they already possess the fairly expensive shearing equipment and have a technique to shear the sheep in a very quick manner.
There is an art to shearing sheep, he said.
The Essex 4-H Sheep Club invited 19-year-old John Kuepfer of Saint Marys to professionally shear the sheep. He has been a sheep-shearer for five-years and has practiced his craft not only all over Ontario, but even in Australia.
Unholzer commented that 4-H has been popular amongst kids this year. The Sheep Club, for instance, has around 20 members. This is a large club, which he is happy to see. He believes the popularity of 4-H is because, after Covid, youths are ready to get out and continue learning by doing.
Interestingly, he noted that not all participants in this year’s Sheep Club live on a farm. Some are partnering with those who have a farm to stable their sheep as they grow.
Those in the club are excited to participate in their Achievement Day. Around half of the club members will participate at the Achievement Day at Comber Fair, while the other half will do so at the Harrow Fair.