News
Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture Competition announces 2018 winners
The Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture (CYSA) Competition announced the winners of the 2018 competition which took place Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.
November 8, 2018 By CYSA
The Senior Champion was Emmett Sawyer, Acme, AB; First Runner-up: Shaughnessy Riordan, Pokeshaw, NB; Second Runner-up: Casey Riddle, Elmira, ON.
The Junior Champion was Nate Caughill, Melancthon, ON; First Runner-up: Carmen White, Claresholm, AB; Second Runner-up: Hunter Reid, Hafford, SK.
The 34th edition of CYSA welcomed 29 competitors, aged 11 to 24, from across Canada who offered their insights and solutions regarding the following topics:
- My view on diversity in Canadian agriculture.
- Canadian agriculture needs more people – and this is how we’re going to get them.
- What is sustainability and why does it matter to Canadian agriculture?
- The next big thing in Canadian agriculture is: _______.
- How can we educate urban populations about where our food comes from and the industry standards involved?
- Food Processing: Trends and Market Opportunities
- Local Opportunities for Micro Food Processing
“One only has to listen to our participants to absorb the enthusiasm and motivation these young people have for agriculture and its future. It is infectious!”, said Ted Young, CYSA Board Chair. “This is one of the main reasons that motivates the CYSA team to host this event year after year. It is so rewarding to see these young people share their passion and their stories. They made all of us feel so proud.”
Each year the renowned public speaking competition is held at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (a Platinum sponsor of CYSA) in Toronto. The competition is open to youth ages 11 to 24 with a passion for agriculture whether raised on a farm, in the country or in the city.
Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture is a national, bilingual competition that provides a platform for participants to share their opinions, ideas and concerns about the Canadian agrifood industry in a five- to seven-minute prepared speech.
Since the first competition held at the Royal Winter Fair in honour of the International Year of the Youth in 1985, it has gone on to become the premier public speaking event in Canada for young people interested in agriculture, with more than 980 participants over the years.
In the coming weeks, event photos and presentation videos will be available on CYSA’s social media channels (Twitter: @CYSAgriculture, Facebook: facebook.com/CYSA.JOCA, Instagram: Instagram.com/cysa.joca, and YouTube: search cysajoca).
