Another graduating class of Aggies are heading out into the industry, with the University of Manitoba's School of Agriculture convocation held earlier this month.
Seventy graduates received their diplomas in agriculture, but only one student was awarded the President's Medal, which recognizes scholarship and outstanding qualities of leadership.
Devin Pouteau, from a mixed farm operation near Sanford, was that graduate this year, and he says it's an honour to receive this award.
"The President's Medal was awarded to me on behalf of my graduating class, so it's always nice to see how much my friends and my fellow classmates appreciated me, so it was quite an honour to get it," he says.
Pouteau says he chose to pursue post-secondary education in agriculture to be able to contribute more on his family's farm, whether it be in terms of financial management or agronomy. He says it's important for young people to become involved in agriculture partly because it's a rewarding career, but also because the sector is aging.
"I'm sure lots of people know this, but the age of farmers is getting to be a lot higher," he says, "the last time I heard, the average age of a farmer was somewhere in the 60s. So if that's an indicator of anything, it could indicate in the future we might see a labour shortage as most farmers are getting quite old."
Fellow graduate Joel Doerksen also says it's important for more young people get into agriculture to bring new life to the industry.
"The trend is that there are a lot fewer farms these days — and bigger farms — but we're still going to need that younger generation to run those farms in the future," Doerksen says. "I think it's important, not just for people who are directly farming, but for people in general who are working in the agriculture industry, it's important for young people to get involved to bring new ideas and ambition."
Source : Portageonline