Submissions for the new Agricultural Service Board Youth for Agriculture Award are now open through Red Deer County.
Residents of Red Deer County ages 13-18 are invited to contest, which aims to foster creativity and passion for agriculture in the County’s youth.
A written article or video “promoting agriculture in the County” is asked to be submitted for the contest in one of two age categories; Junior 13-15 and Senior 16-18.
Specifically the topic for this year’s contest is “The Future of Agriculture in Red Deer County”.
“The goal of the new Award program is to inspire Red Deer County youths, aged 13 to 18 years, to talk to their farming neighbours, and members of the farming community about agriculture,” said Cody McIntosh, Red Deer County agricultural services manager.
To be eligible to enter the contest, entrants must:
- be a current resident of the Red Deer County region
- be 13 to 18 years of age as of the contest deadline (Dec. 1)
- have parental consent to enter the contest (under 18 years of age)
There are specific requirements depending on the type of submission.
Those wishing to submit an article for the contest will have to write an article between 400-500 words. It can be submitted as Word document with accompanying photos submitted as separate JPEG files.
For those looking to share their creativity in the form of a video, they can do so in a live action or animated formate with a run time of two to five minutes.
Video submissions should be uploaded to YouTube and the link submitted through email, whereas article submissions can be sent through email.
Entries can be submitted to agriculture@rdcounty.ca. there is no fee to enter.
“Incomplete or incorrect entry submissions will not be considered,” the entry guidelines states.
Judging will be based on content, presentation and relevancy to the contest topic and be completed by Red Deer County staff.
The judges will pick three winners in each category for first, second and third place.
The first place prize is $1,000, second place is $500 and the third place winner will receive $250 in both categories.
Prizes will be handed out at a County Council meeting in late December or early January.
“Agriculture is the heart of our County and we want youth, especially those without agriculture experience, to learn about how important it is to their future, as well as how the agriculture industry is changing with new technologies and farming advances,” said McIntosh.
Deadline to the Youth for Agriculture Award is Dec. 1, 2018.