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

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

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

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

By working together, we can grow the world into something new
Reading Time: 4 minutes Leslie Siewert, 13, of Cayley was the junior winner in the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition (which was held as a virtual event this year). Her topic was: Lessons learned over the last 25 years of agriculture — and how we can apply it to the next 25. Agriculture is killing the planet; cows […] 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

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

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

Sustainability comes in many forms — all of them important
Reading Time: 4 minutes Kara Oosterhuis, 21, of Bow Island was the senior 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? We live off the land. I live off the land. You live off the land. Sustainability is vital to […] Read more