Manitoba Couple Prepares For Young Farmers Competition

Nov 29, 2021

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ Virtual National Event takes place December 2-3, 2021.

Last year's event was postponed due to the pandemic.

Some of the nominees with attend the Saskatoon event in person, while others will attend virtually.

The event brings recognition to outstanding farm couples in Canada between 18 and 39 years of age who have exemplified excellence in their profession while fostering better urban-rural relations.

Seven entrepreneurial farm couples from across Canada, chosen from their home regions, will present highlights of their operations at the virtual National Event on Friday December 3.

This year’s regional honourees are:

Raymond & Tracey Bredenhof, R&T Poultry & Brednehof Hops- Abbotsford,BC
Roelof & Mary Van Benthem, Van Benthem Dairy Ltd- Spruce View, AB
Michael & Jessica Lovich, Lovholm Dairy- Balgonie, SK
Andre & Katie Steppler, Steppler Farms Ltd- Miami, MB
Jenny Butcher & Wes Kuntz, Little Brown Cow Dairy- Brantford, ON
Geneviève Grossenbacher & James Thompson, Notre petite ferme -Lochaber Partie Ouest, QC
Philip & Katie Keddy, Charles Keddy Farms Ltd- Woodville, NS

"It's just an hounor to be able to go and represent Manitoba and just highlight the importance of agriculture in Canada. It's one of the events where we can get together and celebrate it and share our stories," said Manitoba's Andre Steppler.

Steppler Farms is a third-generation family farm specializing in sustainable honey, grain & cattle farming.

Celebrating 41 years, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program is an annual competition to recognize farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. Open to participants 18 to 39 years of age, making the majority of income from on-farm sources, participants are selected from seven regions across Canada, with two national winners chosen each year.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.