The ROI celebrates rural Ontario youth

Jun 16, 2016

Youth Engagement Showcase features 4 individuals

By Andrea M. Gal
Managing Editor
Farms.com

On June 14^th, the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) released four short videos as part of its Youth Engagement Showcase (YES). The Showcase is a new ROI initiative to highlight how rural youth contribute locally.

The documentaries profile Eric Duncan of Winchester, Emily Morrison of Beaverton, Megan Raftis of Harriston, and Branden Trochymchuck of Thunder Bay. Almost 50 youth were nominated for YES.

Duncan serves as the Mayor of North Dundas and has served on council since he was 18.

Morrison works at the Brock Youth Centre, helping youth develop their own businesses.

Raftis created a youth theatre program for the Grey-Wellington Theatre Guild.

Finally, Trochymchuck is a student at St. Ignatius High School who is very active in his community.

“We know that engaged youth are more likely to return to their communities after post-secondary education. Inspiring youth leadership and rural youth to step up and make a difference in their towns is something the Rural Ontario Institute is passionate about,” says Rob Black, Chief Executive Officer with ROI.

The focus on rural Ontario youth continues with the upcoming Rural Ontario Summit. According to Arthur Potts, MPP and Parliamentary Assistant for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Summit will explore ways to draw youth to rural communities and to keep them engaged.

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.