Perspectives from an Organic Sector Specialist
December 22, 2022
Innovation: Organic Agriculture
February 22, 2023
Hear it from Krysten Cooper, Eco-Scholar Award Program Manager and Director of Corporate Culture and Sustainability for Yorkshire Valley Farms
Where do great ideas come from? Who is working on a project that could fundamentally impact organic agriculture? How are the leaders of tomorrow thinking about the future?
These are the kinds of questions that intrigued Yorkshire Valley Farms and compelled us to get involved with the Eco-Scholar Award. First launched in 2004 by the Guelph Organic Conference, the Eco-Scholar Award is currently funded and administered by Yorkshire Valley Farms. The program provides a total of $10,000 in financial support to students who are passionate about organic regenerative agriculture and how it can be a force for good in our society.
To apply for the 2023 Eco-Scholar Award, students are asked to submit a video of up to two minutes in length in which they express the role they hope to play in the organic regenerative movement. The video format gives students a chance to tell the judging panel about themselves, how they are engaged in organics, and how they intend to use their studies and actions to progress organic regenerative practices in their communities.
We believe research and innovation play an important role in supporting a resilient and vibrant organic sector. That’s a big part of why this program is so exciting. We are helping the next generation of innovators progress ideas that can actively shape the future of organic agriculture.
In my role as the Eco-Scholar Program Manager, I am fortunate to get to speak with many of the recipients. I get to hear about their ideas in more detail – how their research is working to calculate the net greenhouse gas emissions of farms across Canada, how they are part of a nationwide life cycle assessment of organic field crops, or how they are identifying genetic mechanisms controlling parasite resistance in grazing sheep. Some projects are more personal, like an undergraduate student who took on the challenge of transitioning a 150-acre family farm into a regenerative practice. And others are more technical, like a PhD student looking at phosphorous use efficiency of organic cultivars under low phosphorous conditions. Each of these projects is contributing important ideas to the field, and helping to progress organic agriculture practices.
In addition to sharing details about their research efforts, I also get to hear how the Eco-Scholar Award has helped them both academically and personally. For example, Michelle Carkner, who received the award in 2021, says the funding meant she could continue pursuing investigations into genotypes well suited to organic farming while supporting her family with two young children. Ryan Johnson, a 2022 recipient, says being part of the Eco-Scholar cohort has offered him continued support and collaboration opportunities and has helped him to feel that his research is meaningful and that he is part of broader community.
Yorkshire Valley Farms has committed to investing $100,000 into the Eco-Scholar program by 2030. COTA has joined the program by funding four honourable mention awards, allowing us to support even more students. We really believe in the power of this next generation to effect meaningful change. If you are a student or know of one who should apply, we hope you will spread the word and encourage passionate students in your network to submit to the Eco-Scholar program.. The 2023 program application deadline is February 10, 2023.
The application form, including full rules and regulations, can be found here.
In addition, the Guelph Organic Conference will be hosting an Eco-Scholar Spotlight on January 25 as part of its virtual conference programming. Past Eco-Scholar recipients will be sharing key information from their current research. You can learn more about the Eco-Scholar Spotlight session here.
I am inspired by these students and their ideas. Their passion gives me great optimism for a future that includes a thriving organic community.
Learn more about the 2022 Eco-Scholar recipients and hear what they are working on to progress organic agriculture in our communities.
Farmer-founded in 2010 with the goal to Make Food Matter More, Yorkshire Valley Farms has grown to become Canada’s leading organic poultry brand, offering a range of fresh and frozen organic chicken, turkey and egg products. Guided by the desire to build a stable, fair and thriving food system, Yorkshire Valley Farms strives to deliver great tasting organic food products that promote equitable supply chains, leverage environmentally sound regenerative practices, and build resilient communities.
