Nine post-secondary students from across the province will receive a Legacy scholarship from the association.
By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Image by Mark Mags from Pixabay
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO)—the province's largest commodity organization, representing Ontario's 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers—has revealed its scholarship winners.
Awarded to Ontario post-secondary students through the GFO’s Legacy Fund Scholarship program, it encourages the pursuit of higher education in any area of study that will benefit agriculture or agri-food and supports the development of future leaders in these areas.
This year, the Guelph, Ontario-headquartered GFO awarded the top nine applicants, with scholarships of $5,000 each to support the individual's studies and the cost of school.
"Grain Farmers of Ontario is dedicated to empowering members of our agricultural community for success, extending our support to students aspiring to play a pivotal role in the future of Ontario's agriculture and agri-food industries," stated Brendan Byrne, the Chair of the GFO. "We were impressed by the exceptional quality of the applications we received and anticipate remarkable contributions from the nine students we have selected."
The Legacy Fund provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the organization to reimagine and reinvest in the sector. When the GFO’s 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 the Ontario Soybean Growers.
The Legacy Scholarship received 140 applications that were then judged by members of the Board of Directors. Congratulations to the following recipients, in alphabetical order by surname:
- Isabelle Aicklen, University of Guelph, Doctorate in Plant Agriculture;
- Evan Dowd, Wilfred Laurier University, Honors Economics;
- Caleb Fretz, University of Guelph, Biological Engineering (Co-op);
- Lauren Miller, University of Guelph, Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development;
- Ryan Miller, University of Ottawa, Juris Doctor;
- Scott Moore, University of Guelph, Master of Science in Plant Agriculture, Plant Breeding and Genetics;
- Julianna Tindall, University of Guelph, Bachelor in Ag Science, Major in Crop Science;
- Lorraine Vandermyden, University of Guelph, Master of Science in Environmental Science;
- Matthew Whittmore, University of Guelph, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Major Crop Science.
The Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Scholarship for 2024 will open for applications in the summer of 2024. For information on the GFO, visit https://gfo.ca/.