Churchbridge, SK (October 9, 2020) –Clayton Lehr from Redcliff, AB and Shaelyn Beswitherick from Austin, MB have been selected as the Outstanding Young Farmers Memorial Scholarship winners for 2020. Each winner has received a $1,000 scholarship to support their post-secondary agricultural education.
Clayton Lehr’s passion for agriculture came from being raised on a family ranch/farm in Redcliff AB. working alongside his dad and grandfather. He knows that Canada produces food for other countries and that food security is very important. Clayton feels that by attending Agricultural Science diploma at Lethbridge College, he will learn and experience what the world of Agriculture has to offer. He hopes to take that knowledge back to his fifth generation farm in Southern Alberta and use it to feed the world.
A fascination with the growth of plants has Shaelyn Beswitherick, pursuing a diploma in agriculture at the University of Manitoba. Shaelyn was raised on a mixed farm near Austin MB. She is excited about learning about the many facets of farming across Canada and how farming is adapting to maintain the health of the earth. She hopes to apply her new studies to the managerial side of farming if and when she returns to the family farm.
Since 2009, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program has supported agricultural education for young Canadians through its Memorial Scholarship fund. The OYF Memorial Scholarship was established by the late Martin Streef, recipient of both Ontario’s and Canada’s OYF awards in 1996, to help future generations of Canadians pursue their passion for agriculture. Martin was president of Streef Produce Ltd., a family-run fresh fruit and vegetable business in Woodstock Ontario.
The award includes two annual scholarships – one to an individual who has completed at least one year of post-secondary study in agriculture, and the other to someone who has completed high school and is enrolling in a post-secondary education in agriculture. As part of the application process, applicants are asked to write an essay about why they are passionate about agriculture in Canada.
Full details and application forms for the OYF Memorial Scholarships are available at www.oyfcanada.com under “Scholarships”. The deadline for nominations for the 2021 scholarships is June 30, 2021.
Celebrating 40 years, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program is an annual competition to recognize farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. Open to participants 18 to 39 years of age, making the majority of income from on-farm sources, participants are selected from seven regions across Canada, with two national winners chosen each year. The program is sponsored nationally by CIBC, John Deere, Bayer, Sollio Agriculture, CN and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,. Media Partners are WS and Glacier FarmMedia. The program is supported nationally by BDO and Farm Management Canada.
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For more information contact:
Carla Kaeding, Program Manager, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers
306.896.7833 ·kaedingc@hotmail.com · www.oyfcanada.com