ONTARIO — The beloved 4-H program for ages six to 21 was decimated by a two-year pandemic lockdown.
In 2019, prior to the pandemic, there were 7,866 Ontario members and volunteers. Last year that number dropped by almost half to 3,876, said Ontario 4-H Council’s new president Laurie Farquharson, of Middlesex.
She replaced president Cheryl Sullivan of the Carleton 4-H Association. Farquharson has been volunteering with the Middlesex 4-H Association for more than 20 years, serving as club leader, association executive, co-chair of various provincial committees, and director on the Ontario 4-H Council.
Farquharson says she’s looking to grow the organization’s membership which is “on the rise again,” she said.
A 4-H competitor at the Metcalfe Fair. (File photo)
