Application process for Sask Ag Scholarship Program opens

Nov 18, 2021

Saskatchewan students bound for agriculture-related post-secondary studies next year now have a chance to win some coin to help pay their way.

The federal and provincial governments have teamed up to offer the 2022 Saskatchewan Agriculture Student Scholarship Program with the application process open until March 1, 2022.

"It's just an opportunity for young men and women that are looking at post-secondary education in the ag sector," Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said. "Doesn't matter what side of it, whether it's crop science, livestock science, technology or anything like that. It's just a small appreciation that we can show."

Last year's grand-prize winner was Jesse Patzer, taking home a $4,000 purse, with three runner-up awards being given out at $2,000 apiece.

"We have a team at the ministry that evaluate them all and judge all the entrees," he said. "In the past, I've had a chance to meet and have a chat with the winners and hopefully we can do the same again this year."

Students in grade 12 or recent high school graduates are asked to submit a three-minute video or 1,000-word essay around transparency in agriculture by visiting the province's website.

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Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.