Head. Heart. Hands. Health.
That's what 4-H stands for and, after the rides and the musical acts have gone quiet and those obscenely tasty hot mini-donuts have gone cold, it's what the B.C. Northern Exhibition stands for.
Previously the Prince George Exhibtion (PGX), the BCNE is now one of three major exhibitions in B.C., along with the Pacific Northern Exhibition (PNE) in Vancouver and the Interior Provincial Exhibition (IPE) in Armstrong, north of Vernon, to celebrate the province's agricultural roots.
Even if dozens more sawmills, mines, liquid natural gas facilities, oil and gas pipelines, pulp mills, factories and light industrial facilities were built, B.C.'s agricultural sector would still be a major player in the provincial economy.
Tourism, technology, real estate and the financial sectors make the business headlines but the farmers quietly work their fields, getting their hands dirty on ranches with livestock and on farms and orchards with fruits and vegetables.
Leave downtown Prince George and drive for 30 minutes in any direction and agriculture can clearly be seen in action on the side of the highway. The Okanagan Valley is a bustling hub, centred around the increasingly urban Kelowna, yet orchards and vineyards are everywhere within Kelowna city limits and traditional farming is still a common sight in pockets of the North and South Okanagan.
Vancouver may be a world metropolis but driving into Vancouver on Highway 1 is similar to driving into Los Angeles from the north on Highway 5. The highway is little more than a thin ribbon surrounded by massive farms.
Particularly in August and September, area residents are blessed with a bounty of made-in-B.C. foods in their local grocery stores and supermarkets.
4-H is celebrating its 100th anniversary in B.C. this year. Along with the provincial exhibitions, 4-H is what keeps the spirit of agriculture alive, particularly in the urban centres. 4-H focuses on youth and stresses hard work and commitment, along with a love of the land and domestic animals. That love for domestic animals evolves beyond just loving them as pets. Tuesday's front page story on 4-H was accompanied by a photo of 16-year-old Spencer Vohar hosing down his Hereford steer as he prepares it for the BCNE, which opens this Thursday on the Prince George exhibition grounds. Spencer has invested thousands of dollars and thousands of hours in the past year in that animal. At the auction Saturday night, he expects to be paid a fair price for his efforts when his steer will be sold.
Along with those lessons in effort, dedication, business and animal care, 4-H kids are connected to their food. They understand at the most basic level that good food is not found in a grocery store, it's found outside the front door. To them, putting food on the table takes far more work than unpacking grocery bags and filling the fridge. The real job is seven days a week, out in the fields and in the barns.
"It's an everyday thing, you have to work with them," Spencer said about his efforts tending cattle. "It teaches you how important it is."
This year's BCNE promises to be spectacular, with the Northern Taste Market, featuring culinary battles by top local chefs under the watchful eye of Food Network star Bob Blumer and a visit on Saturday by movie and TV star Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy).
While checking out all of the sights and sounds of the fair, spend some extra time in the barns of the exhibition grounds to see the real stars of the exhibition. Check out the animals large and small but spend a few minutes talking to their proud owners, many of whom will be standing close by to keep their animals well hydrated in the hot weather. They have worked hard for years to get to this week and they're eager to share their knowledge about their animals and tell stories about raising them.
Have fun at this year's fair.
And treat yourself a little.
You deserve a mini-donut or three or five.
