Young farmers should be more aware of contest opportunities and enter them, says a 2004 national winner.
“We need more farm kids involved,” said Ashly Larson of Erickson, Man., who last year won the Top 20 Under 20 competition sponsored by Youth in Motion, which selects the top 20 young people in Canada under the age of 20. She was the only agriculturally oriented winner.
In 2003, the 17 year old organized an awareness campaign about BSE and its financial impact on farm families such as hers. She was nominated by her 4-H leader.
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Larson is taking media studies at Brandon’s Assiniboine Community College and hopes to work in agricultural journalism. She said winning the Top 20 competition was a “life directing” change because it was more than a gala ceremony in Toronto. It gave her money for her education and put her in touch with a woman with media connections who served as her mentor and career coach.
The contest can only be entered by computer. To get an application, go to www.producer.com and type “top 20” in the go box. Deadline is Feb. 7.
Besides winning $1,500 cash, winners participate in a leadership workshop in May in Toronto and are connected with mentors for eight months.
Larson’s father Clare regards this award as one of the best in Canada for youth and said his daughter was treated royally. He wondered why more kids don’t enter such contests or apply for scholarships.
Alberta and British Columbia winners were chosen for fundraising for cancer, youth shelters and earthquake victims in Iran, and raising awareness about the environment, drug abuse and the need to accept homosexuals.
There were no applicants from Saskatchewan.
A contest that is available only to Saskatchewan young people is sponsored by Rotary and encourages young people to stay in the province for their career. The campaign offers more than $300,000 in scholarships for post-secondary education or start-up capital funds for a business.
At the inaugural competition last September, Courtney Miettinen, one of the rural winners, received $10,000 to help open a spa in Watrous.
Project co-chair Marla Morrison said two-thirds of the more than 100 applicants were rurally based in the first year of what is to be an annual campaign. Morrison said too often Saskatchewan youth overlook what’s in their province.
“Kids aren’t doing their homework. We want them to educate themselves about what’s available here.”
Applications for the 2005 competition should be available in February. To find out more, go to www.producer.com and type “your future” in the go box. The application deadline is June 21.
