Producers in Alberta are showing that sustainable agriculture practices work, says Austin Noirot, pictured here at the Innisfail Farmers Market selling products from his family’s operation, B lazy S Cattle Company.

To be truly sustainable, local food must work on many levels

Reading Time: 4 minutes Austin Noirot, 13, of Caroline, is the junior winner of this year’s Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition. In his speech, he addressed the question: Is local food sustainable? The topic of food sustainability has become increasingly popular lately, with many people putting their opinions out on social media and newspapers. There seems to be […] Read more

There are many factors at play when it comes to sustainability but at the end of the day, agriculture resources should be used “for the greatest good, for the greatest number and for the longest time,” says Jenaya Roseboom (pictured with Molly), the senior winner of this year’s Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition.

Sustainability is a challenge that continues to evolve

Reading Time: 4 minutes Jenaya Roseboom is the senior winner of this year’s Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition. The 20-year-old lives on a dairy farm near Rimbey, and in her speech, she addressed the question: Is local food sustainable? There is no simple answer to this question. In agriculture, sustainability is a complex issue that has many parameters […] Read more


Young speakers for ag head to Toronto

Reading Time: < 1 minute Young people from around the province delivered a clear message about resilience in agriculture during the seventh annual Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition during the Calgary Stampede. The event saw youth travel from as far away as Grande Prairie to compete in the first in-person event since the start of the pandemic. The event […] Read more

An after-school snack and the country’s first-ever national food policy meet up in Christopher Mills’ winning young speakers’ entry.

Getting food seems like such a simple thing, doesn’t it?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Christopher Mills, 14, of Vauxhall, is the junior winner of the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition. In his speech, he addressed the question: Food waste, food security and food policy: What is agriculture’s/aquaculture’s role? It’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon and I just came home from school and I am starving. I decide to […] Read more


Young speakers event draws a crowd

Reading Time: < 1 minute They weren’t able to attend in person, but there was a record number of entrants in this year’s edition of the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition. It was the second virtual edition of the event for youth aged 11 to 24 who are passionate about agriculture and want to share that passion. “Youth from around […] Read more



Pandemic doesn’t curb passion of young speakers

Reading Time: < 1 minute The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop youth from across the province from standing up and speaking loud and clear about agriculture. The 2020 Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture event moved to a digital format this year after the pandemic cancelled the Calgary Stampede, where it is usually held. It presented a tough challenge for the […] Read more

The benefits that cattle provide the 
environment and the health benefits 
of beef need to be promoted, Ryley 
Mappin says in his prizewinning speech.

We need to let people know that raising cattle is a good thing

Junior winner in Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition wants to 'bust a myth'

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ryley Mappin, 14, of Byemoor was the junior winner in the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede. He chose the topic: ‘Bust a myth in Canadian agriculture.’ “Oh give me a home, where the buffaloes roam, Where the deer and the antelope play,     Where seldom is heard, a discouraging […] Read more


There are many aspects to sustainability in beef production but the foundation is much like the 4-H pledge to take proper care of animals in our care, says Carmen White.

Sustainable beef will become the new standard for producers worldwide

Reading Time: 3 minutes Carmen White, 15, of Claresholm was the junior winner in the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede. Her topic was: What is sustainability and why does it matter to Canadian agriculture? Canadian agriculture is constantly evolving to meet the needs of society. Beef producers, like myself and my family, have a […] Read more