Join us in Lethbridge
Register on-line or send in the form OYF 2024 Registration Form
Final Registration date is Oct 31. No refunds after Oct 31.
2024 COYF National Event
Mark your calendars for Nov. 27 – Dec. 1, 2024
Prepare to join us for two, full days of tours (Thursday & Saturday)!
Our Meeting Place: Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge
(Located in the heart of Lethbridge, along the coulees, near the banks of the Old Man River and Canada’s longest, highest train trestle bridge.)
Accommodations are booked at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge.
Please call the 24-hour Central Reservations office at 1-800-726-3626 / 1-800-SANDMAN. or directly to the hotel at 403-328-1123 before October 1st to make your reservation. Rooms are $135/night plus applicable taxes. Identify yourself as being with Outstanding Young Farmers Block ID: 311957 Block Code: OYF2024.
Alternatively, you can book online at: https://reservations.sandmanhotels.com/113172?groupID=3996549
Our Program Vision:
– Water Management for Life: Our Strategy in Alberta – Alberta’s Irrigation Infrastructure Insight
– Ag Technology: Alberta’s Stellar Advancements
Join Us: To Learn Why and How
-Learn about Alberta Agriculture’s Irrigation Division
-Learn about the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association
Alberta 2024 Hosting Committee Co-Chairs: Richard Stamp & Ryan Mercer
Alberta’s Water Management: The Sustainability of Life in Southern Alberta
Come one, come all! The AB/NWT Region is inviting everyone to join us in November to celebrate the “best of the best”. Lethbridge is the site of the 2024 National event to gather and cheer on the honourees from each region as they show us the amazing things being accomplished by young farmers across the nation.
The event starts on Wednesday evening with a President’s Welcome Reception at the beautiful Galt Museum & Archives situated with a spectacular view of the Oldman River valley and the famous High Level Bridge, the largest railway structure in Canada and the largest of its type in the world.
On Thursday we will spend time touring in and around Lethbridge, getting a sense of the broad scope of agriculture in southern Alberta. Starting just south of the city, we get an in-depth look at Mercer Seeds which is owned and operated by Ryan and Annette Mercer, alumni of COYF. Mercer’s farm started in 1975 and has evolved into a robust seed crop production and cleaning operation. They grow crops on 7500 acres, all of which are used to grow pedigreed seed.
After the farm tour, our plan is to head back to the city to make a stop at one of COYF’s newest national sponsors, Meridian Manufacturing, where they build the bins that provide storage for a multitude of ag products grown across North America. Another highlight of the day will be a tour of the fascinating research in sustainable water use techniques and alternative energy at the Lethbridge College. And who could miss lunch at the Garden Café where the Culinary Arts students will prepare a delicious meal from the bounty of Alberta local producers. Also on the agenda is Green Prairie International, a forage processor who will showcase their quality compressed bales, among other products, for livestock and pet markets around the world. The day wraps up with an Alberta beef supper at the Kirkham Collection Museum, a private and extensive collection of International trucks and equipment dating back many decades. Everyone will feel nostalgic and amazed at this hidden gem.
The Gala is the main event on Friday at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge, as the suspense of the last few days is lifted and the winners are announced. Gather with your friends, family and fellow alumni to gain new insights at our Forum, be a part of the inspiring Honorees presentations and welcome our newest members into the ranks of COYF. We are very excited to announce that Shaun Haney of Realagriculture.com will be with us during the week, broadcasting live and hosting the Forum. He has also graciously agreed to MC the Gala in the evening.
On Saturday we head out to see more of the breadth of farming in Alberta. Again we will visit with a national sponsor as we begin at the local John Deere dealership and see the innovations that the equipment manufacturer provides to our hard-working farmers so they can produce an incredible number of crops with increasing yields in this fertile prairie. We will also be spending time with Bayer CropScience, another national sponsor, at their canola seed processing facility and find out what it takes to provide vigorous and reliable seed to supply an insatiable market. Then we will head out to Picture Butte for lunch at the Coyote Flats Pioneer Village. What would a tour of southern Alberta be without a close look at one of our state-of-the art feedlots? Depending on weather, we will arrange for knowledgeable staff members to board the bus and explain the operation as we drive through a leading feedlot. Other, tours will include a leading-edge leaf cutter bee operation and potato farm. As we travel towards our destination there will be lively discussion about other agriculture operations and industries that are too numerous to tour in a day. Our tour winds its way to Enchant, a small hamlet with a big heart, that is home to other alumni, Stamps Seeds. After a quick look at their multi-generational operation and the innovative wildlife habitat they have developed, we will head to the Enchant Hall, for a delicious Taste of Alberta dinner, a little Country & Western music and dancing before making our way back to Lethbridge to say farewell for another year.
