The second scholarships awarded through a memorial fund honouring three Saskatchewan brothers will help 10 young people finance their farms this year.
The 2016 scholarships went to young applicants from Fox Valley, Consul, Maple Creek, Ponteix, Swift Current and Stewart Valley, said Chantal Henderson, a sister to the three Arnal brothers.
The total awarded was $39,920.
The Arnal Boys Memorial Bursary for Young Farmers Inc. was established after the deaths of Blake, then 14, in 2008, and Sean, 16, and Lyndon, 10, in 2014.
The Ravenscrag farm boys loved living and helping on the farm and the family chose to establish a scholarship fund to help youth aged eight to 18, and in the Chinook School Division, live their agricultural dreams.
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Fundraising events such as a hockey tournament, skeet shoot and heifer donations at sales raised tens of thousands for the fund and last year 15 youth were awarded a total of $45,181 for various businesses and projects.
This year, applicants again submitted a variety of business ideas.
Some were raising bison, others were raising pigs and needed pen space, or purchasing bred heifers to start their own herds. One applicant intends to raise and sell them in the fall.
At the presentation ceremony, a power point highlighted last year’s recipients.
“One of the coolest things is to see where some of these funds have gone,” said Henderson.
For example, one 2015 recipient got money for an embryo project. He flushed two cows, resulting in 11 embryos and nine live calves.
Another purchased electric fence to rotationally graze his sheep.
One youngster invested in a cement floor to keep predators out of his chicken coop.
“We’re quite proud, but it’s because of the generousity of the people around that we’re able to do this,” said Henderson.
