Speaking up for Agriculture.

Over a dozen youth from across Alberta stepped up to the mic during the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture event at the Calgary Stampede to talk about many different aspects of agriculture.

Evie Neubauer from the Medicine Hat area says it was important to compete in this event to help educate the general public.

“I feel like it is important to help people understand what farmers go through in their everyday lives to help feed the entire world,” said Neubauer.   “I feel like the connection that the people who live in the city have, is they don’t understand where their food comes from as opposed to farmers and farm kids who have to work on the farm every day.”

Kara Oosterhuis from Bow Island says an event like this helps break stereotypes.

Courtesy: Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture

“I think it is important because lots of times when people think of agriculture they think of the old 50-year-old farmer that is standing in the middle of the field with a wheat-stalk sticking out of his mouth, so I think it is cool to see that there is a bunch of people that are actually interested in agriculture and they are also educated in agriculture,” said Oosterhuis.

Neubauer says she gained some skills from competing.

“I thought it was a great idea and that I could gain experience with my public speaking, develop more learning and more connection to what goes on in my life that people don’t realize too.”

Oosterhuis says it really shows consumers how bright the future of the industry is.

“They come and they sit in and they go, ‘these kids are smart.’  So, I think it is important that they see that and it’s also important for the farming industry to see what’s up and coming, what’s sort of topics are really sparking these kids’ interest.  There was some talk on mental health and even five years ago that wouldn’t have been a talk.”

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