ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER RURAL LIVING 28 The demand for a skilled workforce in the agriculture sector has never been greater, and Grain Farmers of Ontario is committed to fostering the success of the next generation of farmers, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, communicators, marketers (and more!) by offering an annual scholarship program, the Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Fund Scholarship. THE LEGACY FUND The Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Fund provides a once-in-ageneration opportunity for the organization to reimagine and reinvest in the sector. When the Grain Farmers of Ontario Wheat Marketing was eliminated, changes in regulations allowed for the transition of the wheat marketing fund into the Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Fund. The original wheat marketing fund was formed using contributions from existing assets from the three founding organizations (Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board, Ontario Corn Producers’ Association, and Ontario Soybean Growers). Now in its third year, the Legacy Scholarship encourages the pursuit of higher education, supporting students in any area of study that will benefit the Ontario grain sector or agri-food industry. Past recipients have studied in a variety of programs across the country, including communications, engineering, sciences, equipment repair, economics, and agriculture. This year, 10 students were awarded $5,000 scholarships to support their studies. Grain Farmers of Ontario Board members reviewed 118 applications. “Grain Farmers of Ontario is dedicated to championing the success of our agricultural community members, extending our support to students looking to make a difference in Ontario’s agriculture and agrifood industries,” says Jeff Harrison, chair, Grain Farmers of Ontario. “We were amazed by the exceptional quality of the applications we received and know that the students selected could make significant contributions to the industry.” TELLING AGRICULTURE’S STORY “An initial love of language led me to English studies,” says Legacy Scholarship recipient Melanie McMaster, a second-year student at Trent University. “However…I learned about communications and was instantly drawn to how it combines the power of language with business.” McMaster hails from Hampton, Ontario, and is the fifth generation on her family farm. Studying at Trent’s Durham campus gives her the flexibility to study and continue working with her family on the farm, something that she says she loves. Taking her agricultural knowledge from the classroom to the business world, she says, is a future goal. “The marketing, advertising, and public relations aspects of communications would enable me to join organizations like Grain Farmers of Ontario in promoting agriculture to the general public, raising awareness about farming in Ontario. Through working in communications in an agricultural industry, I desire to better establish and strengthen the connection of the public with the food source,” she says. Brett Nagel, whose family operates a dairy and grain farm in the Ottawa Valley, is studying economics in his first year at Carleton University. Ontario Grain Farmer The future Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Scholarship winners Did you know that one in every nine jobs in Ontario is tied to the agriculture and food industry? The Legacy Fund supports post-secondary students who want to work in the agriculture industry. agricultural workforce
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