4-H Alberta Magazine - 2019-20 Fall & Winter Edition

FALL &
WINTER
2019/20 4-H
UFA AND 4-H ALBERTA
BUILDING FUTURE LEADERS TOGETHER
4-H Alberta and United Farmers of Alberta Ltd. (UFA) have a long
history together spanning over 80 years and this year alone, UFA is
proud to have funded over 200 clubs in the province.
“4-H members learn leadership skills that set them up for success
for the remainder of their lives,” says Kimberly MacDonald, UFA’s
Community Investment Manager. “We believe strongly in providing
opportunities for youth development and our partnership with 4-H
allows us to support future generations of agricultural leaders.”
Leaders like Emmett Sawyer.
Sawyer first caught the public’s attention when he was 13-years-old
and published a 4-H speech on YouTube. The speech was about
building consumer trust by being open and transparent about how
farmers grow and raise the food we buy. At just 16-years-old, he was
named the Canadian Seed Trade Association Future Influencer at the
2016 Grow Canada Conference.
Sawyer’s passion for agriculture began at a young age, having grown
up on the family farm west of Acme. His involvement in 4-H began
ten years ago as a member of the Swalwell 4-H Club.
Up until April when his term ended, Sawyer was the 4-H Alberta
Ambassador for the Calgary Region, acting as a resource for clubs.
He is thankful for the 4-H program because he says there are many
benefits. “Other than team building and learning new communication
skills, there are also educational scholarships to be won as well, so
it’s a program with endless opportunities and I wouldn’t trade my
experience with 4-H for the world,” said Sawyer.
4-H MEMBERS LEARN LEADERSHIP
SKILLS THAT SET THEM UP FOR
SUCCESS FOR THE REMAINDER
OF THEIR LIVES
Sawyer was also recently awarded the 4-H Canada L.E.A.D.
Scholarship Award. The scholarship consists of $20,000, awarded
$5,000 per University year for up to four years, and the opportunity
to receive guidance from a mentor in the recipient’s field through their
education journey.
Sawyer is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in Agriculture
Enterprise Management at the University of Lethbridge. “I’m very
passionate about food security and making sure we produce the
safest and most environmentally-friendly food that we possibly can,”
he said. He is also very interested in the policy behind agriculture,
“how the government makes decisions to make sure that agriculture
is on track and protecting the environment while moving the industry
forward in a safe way, whether with chemicals used or seed varieties.”
Sawyer is also very passionate about UFA. In fact, not only is he a
member but he’s also working for the summer at the Strathmore UFA
Farm & Ranch Supply store. He says his future goals include working
for an agriculture co-operative or a corporate agriculture company,
and possibly farming. For now, he appreciates the support that UFA
has given him, not only through the sponsorship of 4-H Alberta but
also for being given the opportunity to broaden his skill set by working
in an agricultural co-operative setting. “I have always appreciated the
support from UFA, not only for sponsoring my 4-H club and projects
and now for employing me, but also for being trusted advisors and
suppliers at our family farm. It’s because of organizations like UFA
that I’m able to pursue my dreams.”
In his short 19 years, Sawyer has become a powerful representative
for 4-H, for UFA and for all young leaders in agriculture. Whether it’s
supporting a local club’s riding clinic or helping to fund a new pair of
shearing scissors, UFA is proud to sponsor 4-H Alberta and to give
back to local communities where our members live and work. •
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