In the search for the most extraordinary young Canadian farmers, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program finds incredible people and showcases their inspiring stories. While each farmer brings something unique to the table, there seems to be an undeniable unity when it comes to sustainability among this year’s finalists.
The new generation of producers takes full responsibility for a sustainable future, taking steps to maintain soil health and preserve the environment. After all, if we don’t make the right choices today, what future awaits our kids tomorrow?
Alberta finalist and father of three boys Ben Campbell sees his cattle as a tool for supporting the health of the grasslands and soils. While working his family’s Black Diamond-area ranch, Ben employs a combination of ethical handling techniques, a low-stress environment, neighbouring with the wild, and strategic grazing.
“The reason I got into agriculture was I wanted to do something that was good for the environment, and I saw that grazing cattle is actually beneficial,” says Ben. He and his wife, Steph, started Grazed Right in 2013, offering direct-to-consumer online ordering of their grass-fed beef products.
The Campbells’ ranch is an essential part of the local community with a transparent and open-to-the-public ecosystem. Ben and Steph are enthusiastic about educating visitors about the cattle lifestyle, their grazing business model, and the farm-to-consumer connection.
Richard and Kristy-Layne Carr are the Outstanding Young Farmers finalists from Marchand, MB, whose approach to sustainability relies on the community. Richard and Kristy-Layne locally grow most of their feed and outsource the additional supplements from local producers.
“I think having a more collaborative, cyclical approach, where we can join up with different operations and overlap, would be an interesting avenue, especially for smaller farms, to explore in the future,” Kristy-Layne states.
The Carrs’ Rich Lane Farms focuses on raising cattle for dairy and Black Angus beef production. To sustain their extensive headcount, they also grow silage corn, alfalfa, millet, forage oats, and ryegrass. Richard and Kristy-Layne are very active across multiple social media channels, as they believe in educating the public about the intricacies and challenges of agricultural production.
Other finalists with a passion for keeping it local and sustainable are David and Jennifer VanDeVelde from Delhi, ON. David and Jennifer studied horticulture at the University of Guelph and brought their knowledge back to the family farm. The VanDeVeldes built their approach on solving the irrational product distribution they observed.
“A farmer would produce a potato on a field here in Norfolk County. That potato would then travel to Toronto. It would go through a distribution centre, and it would be sent back to Delhi, Norfolk County, for a resident to purchase. We really felt like that was backward. And so to flip that, we looked at how we can get the potato that’s grown in Norfolk County to the consumer in Norfolk County,” says Jennifer.
David and Jennifer’s farm serves the community by supplying local produce to their fellow residents. Their Wholesome Pickins Market & Bakery offers visitors delicious produce sourced across Norfolk County. The farm-adjacent market is a wonderful place to taste what Southern Ontario has to offer, either fresh or baked into a finger-licking pastry.
While Ben, Richard, Kristy-Layne, David, and Jennifer are featured here, all of the 2022 finalists showcase high awareness and a proactive approach to sustainable farming. On top of adopting more natural ecosystem-building techniques and prioritizing soil health, these young producers employ various technologies to improve their operations and leverage data insights for better yields. As leaders, they are also supporting diverse communities and successfully combining generational knowledge with a fresh outlook.
Do you know an outstanding young farmer? Learn more or nominate here.
Congratulations to this year’s OYF Regional award winners! Learn more here.
