The newest group to take part in the Canadian Western Agribition’s Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship program was named this past week. The program matches up young leaders in the agriculture industry with experienced professionals, with the goal of the mentors providing guidance to help develop skills and experience to advance their careers.  

Those chosen to take part in the program this year include Alexandra Clarke, Sandra Hessdorfer, Megan Roger, Morgan Follensbee, Blaine Montagne, Grayson Berting, Ryan Garbarczyk and Anna Karlsson. They will be mentored by Gerry Hertz, Sara Shymko, Brett Halstead, Kim Keller, Danny Petty, Joe Barnett, Shelley Jones and Heather Deobald respectively.  

"Canada's young people are key to the future success of our agricultural sector," said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in the written release. "The Government is working hard to ensure our youth are able to play an active role in building a stronger and more prosperous sector.  The Next Gen program creates leadership development opportunities to give the future agriculture leaders the skills and experience they need to contribute and make a difference in our industry." 

 "Canadian Western Agribition's Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship program provides young industry leaders with valuable skills that will help them advance their careers and share the story of how our producers create safe, high-quality food," Agriculture Minister David Marit added. "I want to congratulate CWA on matching their third intake of mentees with mentors and thank them for their efforts to engage young people." 

The Next Gen Program is delivered by Canadian Western Agribition. The program accepts eight applicants into an 18-month mentorship experience. The project is funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.