Nominations are now open for the 2012 Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ Program.
Nominees may be individuals, partners or couples who derive a minimum of two-thirds of their gross revenue from farming and are under the age of 40 as of Jan. 1 in the year of competition.
Nomination forms can be downloaded from the Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers’website at www.oyfontario.ca and must be received by Dec. 1.
Celebrating its 32nd year, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program is an annual competition to recognize young farmers who exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture, and rural Canada. Demonstrating leadership in the agricultural industry, nominees are judged according to the following criteria:
– progress made in their agriculture career;
– environmental and safety practices;
– crop and livestock production history;
– financial and management practices; and
– contributions to the well-being of their community, province, nation.
The 2012 winner will be selected at the Ontario regional event being held Niagara Falls from March 26 to 28. They will then represent Ontario at the national awards program, to be held in Charlottetown next November.
The organization is sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited, TD Canada Trust, Syngenta, Better Farming, Conservation Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Growmark.
The national competition is sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Bayer Crop Science, CIBC and John Deere.
