Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer (COYF) 2003 Alumni member, Carl Marquis from Ste-Croix Lotbinere, QC, was honoured as recipient of the 2025 W.R. Motherwell Award by COYF program. The award was presented to Carl at the National Event held in Toronto, ON November 28, 2025.
Starting out in first-generation farming, Carl purchased a run-down farm from an unrelated seller at the age of 19 in 1983. Today, Carl, along with his wife Lorraine Lemay, his two daughters Catherine and Justine, and his son-in-law Alexandre, runs an impressive family business encompassing dairy (250 cows), grain (850 acres), and maple syrup production (5,000 taps).
Through his tenure with COYF, Carl has:
- Represented Quebec at the Canadian finals in Vancouver, BC in 2003
- Been a member of the COYF family since 2003
- Been involved in regional candidate registration and judging
- Been involved in hosting national events in Quebec
- Served on the National Executive from 2013 to 2023 as well as President of the National Committee from 2018 to 2019
- Recruited sponsors, supported national judges, participated in strategic planning
- Raised awareness of the importance of translation
Carl’s passion led him to become involved in his community as a:
- Member of the UPA (Union des producteurs agricoles 1989
- Member of the Agropur cooperative,
- Member, director, and president of the Lotbinière Holstein Club.
- Founding member and secretary of the Agricultural Machinery Cooperative 29 years.
- Guest on various television programs
You can’t talk about Carl Marquis without mentioning his wife, Lorraine Lemay; his partner, business associate, right-hand woman, and mother of his children, who undoubtedly plays a vital role in Carl’s life and well-being. Deeply involved in the business from the start, Lorraine has shared in the following recognitions the Ferme Lorka has received.
- National Order of Agricultural Merit of Quebec
- BRONZE Category 2002, SILVER Category 2007, GOLD Category 2017
- Named Farm Family of the Year for Quebec in 2023
Ryan Mercer Vice President of COYF, and Sylvain Gascon, a fellow COYF alumni, presented the award. Sylvain concluded with “Passion defines Carl… thanks to his example and vision, the next generation is ready to take its place at LORKA Farm.”
Dr. Motherwell, the namesake of the W.R. Motherwell Award, was born near Perth, Ontario in 1860. His leadership in Canadian agriculture spanned more than 50 years and he is regarded by many as the “grand old man of Canadian agriculture.” His career highlights include minister of agriculture in Saskatchewan’s first provincial government, and minister of agriculture for Canada in the 1920s. Having attended agricultural college in Guelph, Ontario, his move to Saskatchewan resulted in his instrumental role in establishing the agriculture facility at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Motherwell died in 1943 at the age of 83.
On the 25th anniversary of the OYF program, the W.R. Motherwell Award was established. The award is presented annually, on behalf of OYF alumni across Canada, to an individual or couple who has demonstrated excellence in leadership and dedication to both the OYF program and Canadian agriculture.
More information about the OYF W.R. Motherwell Award is available at www.oyfcanada.com under Nominations.
Celebrating 45 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 under 40 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. The program partner is Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and national sponsors are CIBC, John Deere, Bayer, Sollio Agriculture, CN and Meridian Manufacturing; our media partners, Glacier FarmMedia and Nucleus Consulting; Video sponsor, Bamboo Shoots and supported nationally by BDO.
Source : Oyfcanada