For the second year in a row, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) national awards program planned for early December 2021, for the most part, will be a virtual event again, although the actual awards presentations will be live.
While the information workshops and social networking during the awards program, being held Dec. 1-3, will be virtual, the COYF committee has invited the seven regional nominee couples to travel to Saskatoon, Sask., to make their final presentations to a panel of judges.
“It is a very scaled back version of the awards program,” says Carla Kaeding, COYF program manager. “In discussions between the national COYF committee and sponsors earlier this year, it was decided that, for the most part, the 2021 program should be a virtual event.”
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However, for the sake of having some human contact in the program, the seven couples who are the regional COYF nominees from across the country, along with the panel of judges, have all been invited to Saskatoon. “We just felt it would be good for the nominees to have a chance to meet each other and helpful for the judges to actually meet the nominees and hear their presentations in person.”
The national awards program would normally attract about 200 COYF alumni and guests. They are still welcome to log onto the program from their computers. The live portion will be limited to about 25 people.
The program that has been recognizing the achievements of young Canadian farmers for four decades was not able to select winners in 2020. To mark the 40th anniversary last year, the COYF did stage a virtual program featuring some of the COYF alumni, but the awards part of the program was cancelled. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted plans to select the seven regional outstanding young farmer nominees from across the country.
But all regions have now been able to select nominees that include seven farming couples from across the country for 2021 or the 41st year of the program. They will be vying for recognition as a national COYF award winner.
Anyone interested in joining the 2021 COYF virtual program should visit the COYF website at www.oyfcanada.com, click on “Events” and register before Nov. 10, 2021. There are virtual workshops Dec. 1-2 followed by nominees making presentations on their farming operations on Dec. 3. Also on the last day, winners will be announced during a virtual awards program.
In the meantime, here is a recap of the seven young couples who were named nominees in regional competitions. Some were selected in early 2020 and the rest in 2021.
Michael and Jessica Lovich
Saskatchewan
Dairy producers Michael and Jessica Lovich of Balgonie, Sask., were named Saskatchewan’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2021.
The Loviches own and operate Lovholm Holsteins, a 70-cow dairy that focuses on animal longevity, cow health and production as well as farm sustainability and growth. Being born and raised on dairy farms in Alberta, Michael and Jessica developed a love for the industry early on.
The focus of Lovholm Holsteins is to continually breed animals with superior conformation and increased production traits. The Loviches are always looking at ways they can diversify the farm or educate others on agriculture. Living so close to Regina provides many opportunities for the farm to host tours and allows Jessica to go into schools to speak about agriculture. Engaging with consumers and educating people is a priority at the Lovholm dairy.
The Loviches farm with their three children.
Geneviéve Grossenbacher and James Thompson
Quebec
Geneviève Grossenbacher and James Thompson, who own and operate Notre petite ferme (Our Little Farm) at Lochaber-Partie-Ouest near Thurso, Que., are the 2021 Quebec regional nominees.
Grossenbacher and Thompson have an organic vegetable production and retail operation in the Outaouais region of western Quebec, across the Ottawa River and about 50 kilometres north and east of the nation’s capital.
The young couple say they are passionate about ecological agriculture and believe that local, organically produced food is the first step toward a vibrant community and a healthier planet.
Their farm grows about 35 different types of certified organic vegetables that are marketed as summer vegetable boxes to customers from late June to early October.
The boxes are delivered to drop-off locations in Ottawa, Ont., and Buckingham, Gatineau and Thurso, Que. They also write a weekly e-newsletter, which is sent out during the season featuring their favourite plant-based recipes made from seasonal vegetables.
Our Little Farm has received several prizes, including the Prix de la relève agricole 2018, a prize recognizing the work and excellence of young farmers in Quebec, and the 2019 Ma Ferme, Mon Monde prize for its commitment to the well-being and safety of farm employees.
Grossenbacher and Thompson farm with their three children.
Jenny Butcher and Wes Kuntz
Ontario
Jenny Butcher and Wes Kuntz from Brantford, Ont., owners of Little Brown Cow Dairy Farm and Store, were named Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2021. Butcher and Kuntz own a mixed farming operation that includes a Jersey dairy herd producing milk that is pasteurized and processed to produce cheese products, and they also raise beef. The couple also operate a commercial kitchen where they produce homemade meals. All products are marketed through an on-farm store.
After leaving a family-owned dairy operation in 2008, the young couple set out to start their own farm, which proved to be a unique and innovative farm experience. It began by acquiring the licence to process the milk, obtained from their 20 head of Jersey cows into cheese. Along with their own products, their retail operation also carries some products produced by other area farms.
Now 13 years later, Jenny says supplying customers with the combination of artisan cheese, milk and beef direct from their farm as well as homemade meals is helping her achieve many of the goals she had in life.
Andre and Katie Steppler
Manitoba
Andre and Katie Steppler of Steppler Farms in southern Manitoba — part of a diversified family farming operation — were named Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 2020.
The young couple, along with Andre’s parents and three brothers, operate the multi-faceted Steppler Farms Ltd. near Miami, Man. Steppler Farms is a multi-generational operation that consists of 4,000 acres of grainland, 2,500 honey beehives as well as a cattle division, which includes 600 purebred Charolais and 100 Black Angus. The farm is celebrating its centennial in 2021.
Andre and Katie manage the cattle division at Steppler Farms. They add value by raising purebred livestock, which provides a wide range of experiences, networks and work demands. Besides managing the large herd of purebred animals, they also market genetics through two annual on-farm sales. As well, they spend time travelling across North America promoting the farm and advocating for agriculture through judging, showing cattle at local, provincial and national shows and speaking at conferences across Canada.
Stewardship, conservation and animal welfare are all part of the Steppler Farms mission statement. Through their social media campaigns, the Stepplers share how farmers are both conservationists and animal advocates.
The Stepplers farm with their three children.
Raymond and Tracey Bredenhof
British Columbia/Yukon
Raymond and Tracey Bredenhof, owners of R&T Poultry and Bredenhof Hop Farms located in British Columbia’s lower mainland, were named the British Columbia/Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers in 2020.
The Bredenhofs run a commercial broiler farm, R&T Poultry, producing 225,000 broiler chickens each year. A few years ago, Raymond and Tracey participated in the resurgence of the Fraser Valley hop industry, planting 12 acres of hops. Now Bredenhof Hop Farms is fully immersed in the hop sector, processing and marketing its own hops and helping other farmers with their crops.
After 15 years of farming together, the Bredenhofs believe every day on the farm is a blessing and an opportunity to improve. The Bredenhofs and their sons manage and run all of the day-to-day operations of the farm along with a great team of employees. They are always striving to increase quality, production and sustainability. The farm has plans to increase chicken production by 25 per cent as the barns get upgraded to handle higher density. They also want the hop farm to grow to be the largest and most respected hop farm and distributor in the province.
Farming plans (integrated pest management, energy efficiency, nutrient management and environmental farm plan) the Bredenhofs have implemented will ensure their land will continue to produce food for many years to come and be a great place for future generations to live, work and play.
The Bredenhofs farm with their four children.
Phillip and Katie Keddy
Atlantic Canada
Phillip and Katie Keddy of Lakeville, N.S., who are part of a diversified family farming operation, were named the Atlantic region’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2020.
As partners in Charles Keddy Farms Ltd., Phillip and Katie maintain a diverse business model producing nursery stock strawberry plants, sweet potatoes and other crops. They also raise a herd of 55 beef cattle.
After graduating from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Phillip and Katie were married in 2010 and joined Phillip’s parents in the farming operation. They began to look for opportunities where they could add value to the business and were instrumental in the introduction of sweet potatoes to the farm.
Sweet potatoes are a warm-season crop not traditionally grown in Canada, but through persistence, research and experimentation, the farm is now the largest sweet potato producer east of Ontario, producing more than 1.5 million pounds annually.
As one of the largest strawberry nursery farms in Canada, the Keddy’s are always looking for ways to innovate their production practices to ensure clients across North America are receiving healthy, productive stock. They have partnered with researchers across North America and have recently built the first machine in Canada that will use UV sterilization as a pest management strategy in berries. They say their constant on-farm innovation ensures maximum production, environmental stewardship and financial stability.
The Keddys farm with their two children.
Roelof and Mary van Benthem
Alberta/Northwest Territories
Roelof and Mary van Benthem, owners of Van Benthem Dairy in central Alberta, were named the Alberta/Northwest Territories Outstanding Young Farmers in 2020.
Roelof moved to Canada from the Netherlands in 2000 and spent the next 10 years involved in a wide range of studies that included kinesiology, embryo recovery and transplantation, agriculture production and management at Olds College in Alberta. Roelof and Mary were married in 2010 and are raising four children.
Because of Roelof’s passion for dairy genetics, the farm has had great success improving production and conformation of its purebred Holstein cattle by doing its own embryo recovery and transplantation work.
Van Benthem Dairy includes about 840 acres along with 120 head of milking cows and about 150 head of young stock. The farm strives for quality milk production and pays close attention to traceability and biosecurity measures. The Van Benthems have established their Canadian Quality Milk Program (CQM) handbook for the farm and have a code of practice book for the proper care and handling of dairy cattle.
