Calgary (Rural Roots Canada) – Youth from across Alberta will be speaking up for agriculture during the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture virtual public speaking competition in mid-July.

AYSA will hold its annual public speaking competition on Wednesday, July 14 via Zoom.

Eric Dalke is the Chair of AYSA.

“Speakers ages 11 to 24 from across Alberta are invited to participate in an exciting and dynamic virtual competition this year and we’re just really looking forward to hosting students and youth again from across Alberta who share their passion for agriculture in front of a live and virtual interested audience this year,” Dalke said.

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He says they are hoping to build on the successful virtual event they held last year.

“We had a good number of competitors that competed again from across Alberta and it was a change for us with the COVID pandemic. We obviously had to switch gears a little bit with our competition, but it really went off well, it went off without a hitch.”

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He says over the years the program has acted as a springboard for participants’ careers in agriculture.

“We’ve got dozens of alumni across Alberta and across western Canada, and youth who are involved in agriculture, in the agricultural business, and in primary production.”

He says some participants have gone back to the farm and worked at home on their family farm, but also people that have gone into agricultural communications, agricultural business, working with large agricultural farm companies in Alberta, across western Canada.

Dalke says alumni have found the experience very rewarding.

The topics for this year’s event include:

1. How a global pandemic changed Canadian agriculture – or has it?

2. What it means to be a woman in agriculture in 2021

3. Food waste, food security, and food policy: What is agriculture’s/aquaculture’s role?

4. Canadian aquaculture: Opportunities in a growing industry

5. Does a changing climate mean opportunities or headaches for Canadian agriculture?

For more information and to register click here.