The largest circulation farm newspaper in Ontario, Canada
– Eastern Ontario & Western Ontario Editions –
OTTAWA — At the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers annual general meeting held recently in Kinburn, four Eastern Ontario youth were each presented with a $2,500 scholarship to support their ongoing pursuit of a post-secondary education focused on agriculture.
Since the initiative started in 2017, the OVSGA has awarded almost $80,000 in post secondary scholarships.
Watch for the full biography of each of these outstanding individuals on the newly launched Ottawa Valley Seed Growers website at www.ottawafarmshow.com! Congratulations to all four winners!
Alecsa Villeneuve (Stormont County)
Alecsa is in her third year at the University of Guelph where she is studying wildlife biology and conservation with a minor in agriculture. She has strong roots in agriculture and spent several years working on a local dairy farm. She is passionate about using science to create a more sustainable future in agriculture and recently she volunteered at the Elora Research station, collecting data on methane emissions in dairy cattle. She also wrote a paper on using genetic selection to reduce the carbon footprint of the Canadian ag sector.
Her community and volunteer involvement has included 4-H, College Royal, supporting Autism Ontario events and participating in ILead, an Indigenous study group in high school.
Abby McMullin (Renfrew County)
Abby is studying animal science at the University of Saskatchewan with a minor in Ag Business. This summer, she is working for Farm Credit Canada in Saskatoon and enjoying seeing the ag industry from a different angle. Raised on a commercial beef farm, she is working at growing her own herd of purebred Simmental. She enjoys showing and has had an opportunity to show cattle and horses across the country.
Abby is passionate about agriculture and has been active in 4-H, the Canadian Junior Hereford Association, and takes on several roles with the Renfrew Fair.
Noah Haan (Northumberland County)
Noah is studying agricultural management in Olds, Alberta and looks forward to returning home to his family farm after graduation. He enjoys all aspects of farming, especially managing the pig barn at their home farm.
He also works alongside his family in their beef and cash crop enterprises as well as helping out with the extensive direct marketing of their farm products. His volunteer and community activities include 4-H and local sports teams, volunteering at their church and working on the annual family hosted community fundraiser.
Maria Prinzen (Prince Edward County)
Maria is pursuing an honours degree in agriculture at the University of Guelph where she is also active in the dairy science and soil & crop clubs.
Raised on her family dairy farm, she has a strong interest in all areas of the operation. She and her sister also manage a Boer goat operation. Working at TCO Agromart has given Maria experience scouting fields, soil sampling and supporting customers. Maria’s community and volunteer involvement includes a wide variety of leadership roles within 4-H, her church and her high school.
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