Federated Co-op awards New scholarships
A new Co-op program is awarding $20,000 in scholarships and internships to four student pursuing studies in agriculture.
Launched this year, the Excellence in Ag Program is open to students in Western Canada pursuing a post-secondary education in agriculture or business. The scholarship provides up to $5,000 per year paid over a maximum of four years.
Here are the first recipients of the new program:
- Rachael Verse of Portage la Prairie, Man., is entering the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba.
- Dana Riley of Rosetown, Sask., is entering the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan.
- Rebecca Joseph from Chipman, Alta., is completing a post-diploma bachelor of science in biology with a concentration in agricultural business at the University of Lethbridge.
- Tylene Rafa of Seven Persons, Alta., is a third-year student at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan and is majoring in agronomy.
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The deadline for applications for the 2014 Excellence in Ag program is Jan. 31, 2014. Information will be available later this fall through local Co-op ag centres and by visiting www.coopconnection.ca.
DuPont Pioneer researchers recognized
Igor Falak and Winnie McNabb are recipients of the Canadian Phytopathological Society’s award for Achievement in Plant Disease Management.
The research scientists at DuPont Pioneer have spent 20 years developing a sclerotinia-resistant trait in canola.
Sclerotinia stem rot, also known as white mould, is one of the most devastating diseases in canola production. Growers can protect their crop with a product like Pioneer hybrid 45S52, which provides a sclerotinia disease resistance trait that offers growers over a 50 percent reduction of sclerotinia in their canola crop.
Farm Safety days participation rises
More than 12,000 children and other participants are expected to take part in Progressive Agriculture safety day events across Canada this year, in partnership with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.
That is the largest number of participants since the farm safety education events were introduced to Canada in 2002.
On average, 13 children die every year in Canada as a result of farming accidents. Since May, at least two children younger than five have been killed in farm-related incidents in Canada.
The program is designed to help communities plan and conduct safety days that meet the specific safety and health needs of their community.
It provides training for a local co-ordinator on how to conduct a safety day, lesson plans for more that 28 agriculture and home safety topics and insurance.
Communities that would like to host safety days in 2014 can apply online at www.casa-acsa.ca and click on safety days. The deadline for applications is July 15.
For a list of 2013 safety day events in Canada, visit www.casa-acsa.ca.
Canadian Angus Association selects executive
Kevin Blair has been affirmed as president of the Canadian Angus Association for 2013-14. Corinne Gibson of Fir Mountain, Sask., was chosen as president-elect.
Blair and his family own and operate Blairs.Ag Cattle Company. For more than 35 years, the family has been involved in the purebred beef industry. Recently they have focused on Red and Black Angus. Their operation includes an embryo program and 10,000 acres of grain and pasture land located in Flannigan, Sask.
Blair supports the Canadian Junior Angus program and the Canadian Angus Foundation.
Gibson operates Six Mile Red Angus with her family, where they have been raising Angus cattle since 1954.
