Carina Jones, 16, isn’t afraid of hard work. The daughter of a fourth-generation dairy farmer, she stays busy with chores on the family farm in Midland, Ont., as well as with school, hockey and friends.
Since the spring, Carina has been preparing to show a calf for the first time at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.
In the Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic competition, exhibitors are judged on the calf’s physical characteristics and appearance, but also on their own showmanship – their poise in the ring.
Carina’s father, Steve Jones, has previously accompanied his three sons to the competition, but this is his first time bringing his daughter.
Mr. Jones is hopeful that his dairy farm will be handed down the family line, but he and his wife, Yvonne, won’t push their kids in a direction they don’t want to go. So far, two of his sons have gone into engineering rather than joining the family business, which Mr. Jones co-owns with his brother.
One thing that’s certain is Carina’s love of agriculture. For as long as she can remember, she’s wanted to go to the University of Guelph’s renowned agriculture program, which her brother Luke is enrolled in too.
But Carina says her parents are supportive of whatever path she and Luke may choose. “That takes a lot of the pressure off,” she says.