High school students gain hands-on experience with agri-food career options

Oct 30, 2017

More than 100 students experienced a range of career opportunities available in agriculture and food as part of Your Future in Agriculture – a new leadership certificate course and career competition for Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students in Ontario.

Hosted by AgScape and 4-H Ontario, the program marks a new partnership between the organizations to collaborate and share resources and networks to deliver engaging, fact-based information about the agri-food industry to Ontario students.

Held at the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex on October 26, the event included a 4-H leadership workshop, followed by the career competition. Eight career stations – staffed by agricultural businesses and AgScape Teacher Ambassadors – exposed high school students from South Simcoe County to a variety of agri-food careers and provided a hands-on activity to help students experience some of the tasks of the job. Stations focused on careers in finance, agronomy, marketing, technology, environment, food processing and genetics.

“Your Future in Agriculture is a great, hands-on way to engage with high school students about the tremendous variety of careers available in the agri-food industry,” says AgScape Executive Director Colleen Smith. “Partnering with 4-H Ontario is a natural for us and arms students with the leadership skills they’ll need to really excel in their careers.”

The October 26 event was the official launch of Your Future in Agriculture and AgScape expects to be offering the program, together with 4-H Ontario, at other locations around the province with SHSM students. Your Future in Agriculture is designed to meet two of the five elements of the SHSM program: sector-recognized certification and experiential learning.

AgScape is a charitable organization providing reliable and balanced resources to Ontario schools on agriculture, food production, environmental sustainability and related topics. AgScape, formerly OAFE, was created in 1991 with the mission of building awareness and understanding of the importance of our agriculture and food system. For more information visit www.agscape.ca, follow us on Twitter @AgScapeON and like us on Facebook.com/AgScapeON

Source: AGScape

Video: California Farm Bureau 2025 Farm Dog of the Year Contest Winner - Willy - CAFB 107th Annual Meeting

Meet Willy: California Farm Bureau’s 2025 Farm Dog of the Year!

We’re excited to introduce Willy, a miniature long-haired dachshund with a big heart and even bigger courage, and the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Farm Dog of the Year Contest!

Willy may be small, but he’s become an indispensable partner on owner Marshal Hagedorn’s forestry and cattle operations in Shasta, Tehama, and Siskiyou counties. Adopted in 2023, he quickly found his place on the ranch, helping manage critters, tagging along for long days in the woods, and offering unwavering companionship during demanding logging work.

Willy has even taken naturally to moving cattle, surprising calves (and more than a few full-grown cows!) with his burst of energy from the tall grass. As Marshal put it: “He goes with me everywhere every single day.”

Congratulations to Willy and his family, a perfect example of how every good farm dog, no matter the size, helps keep California agriculture running strong.