Plastic Holsteins Built To Help A Family In Need

2021 - Volume #45, Issue #6, Page #20

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After a devastating spring barn fire in the Ottawa, Ontario suburb of Manotick destroyed a building and an entire herd of dairy cows, the local Carleton County Junior Farmers decided they needed to do something to help their suffering neighbors.
  The nonprofit group consists of youth aged 15 to 30 who learn leadership skills while working on a variety of agricultural initiatives. Since the affected family was Junior Farmer alumni, helping them was a no-brainer.
“Pre-covid we would have had more traditional fundraisers to help the family but with things as they are, our organization decided to try something a little different from a socially distanced perspective,” says Sharon Ruiter, Junior Farmer treasurer and lead organizer of the “Keep the Cows Moooving” fundraising initiative.
  The club’s young adults wanted the theme based on dairy cows, so they gathered up some farmyard scraps and built three cows consisting of plastic barrels with 2 by 4’s for legs and painted black and white.
  Members quietly placed the manufactured cows, along with a set of instructions, on a neighbor’s lawn who they believed had a healthy sense of humor. Recipients would then donate to the cause if they so wished and get the chance to select where the next stop should be for the fake bovines.
“We moved them every few days depending on when people replied,” Ruiter says. “They visited a wide variety of sites including many farms across the county, businesses and sales barns, plus inner-city homes with no ties to the family or farming. They saw a lot of country and traveled many miles.”
  Initially, the group hoped to raise two thousand dollars for the family in need, but when the “Keep the Cows Moooving” fundraiser wrapped up in September, they finished with approximately $15,000 to be donated to the family.
  Ruiter says it’s likely one of the plastic cows will permanently end its travels at the site of the fire. The other two will hang out at the Ruiter’s farm as the Junior Farmers plan to use them again when other local families need assistance.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Carleton County Junior Farmers, Ottawa, Ontario Canada (carletonjuniorfarmers@gmail.com).

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Plastic Holsteins Built To Help A Family In Need FARM HOME Food After a devastating spring barn fire in the Ottawa Ontario suburb of Manotick destroyed a building and an entire herd of dairy cows the local Carleton County Junior Farmers decided they needed to do something to help their suffering neighbors The nonprofit group consists of youth aged 15 to 30 who learn leadership skills while working on a variety of agricultural initiatives Since the affected family was Junior Farmer alumni helping them was a no-brainer “Pre-covid we would have had more traditional fundraisers to help the family but with things as they are our organization decided to try something a little different from a socially distanced perspective ” says Sharon Ruiter Junior Farmer treasurer and lead organizer of the “Keep the Cows Moooving” fundraising initiative The club’s young adults wanted the theme based on dairy cows so they gathered up some farmyard scraps and built three cows consisting of plastic barrels with 2 by 4’s for legs and painted black and white Members quietly placed the manufactured cows along with a set of instructions on a neighbor’s lawn who they believed had a healthy sense of humor Recipients would then donate to the cause if they so wished and get the chance to select where the next stop should be for the fake bovines “We moved them every few days depending on when people replied ” Ruiter says “They visited a wide variety of sites including many farms across the county businesses and sales barns plus inner-city homes with no ties to the family or farming They saw a lot of country and traveled many miles ” Initially the group hoped to raise two thousand dollars for the family in need but when the “Keep the Cows Moooving” fundraiser wrapped up in September they finished with approximately $15 000 to be donated to the family Ruiter says it’s likely one of the plastic cows will permanently end its travels at the site of the fire The other two will hang out at the Ruiter’s farm as the Junior Farmers plan to use them again when other local families need assistance Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Carleton County Junior Farmers Ottawa Ontario Canada carletonjuniorfarmers@gmail com

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