Four students and two teachers from Bonnyville Centralized High School (BCHS) were among 20 teams from schools across Alberta selected to participate in the Cultivate 2025 Youth Leadership Agriculture Youth Summit in Edmonton this November.
"We learned about how much food we waste and how it can be used to make more food," said Grade 10 student Jocelynn Mathes. "Like how we can give French fries to cattle."
Hosted by Inside Education, the four-day conference focused on the science, innovations, technology and careers related to sustainable agriculture in Alberta. Participants heard from industry experts, academics, producers, Indigenous leaders, and environmental advocates on the future of sustainable agriculture in Alberta and across Canada.
For the BCHS students, notable topics included farm to table, pesticides and irrigation.
" I didn't really know anything about irrigation before," explained Stella Purdy, also a Grade 10 student. "We learned about where they are getting all the water and how farmers get access to it and the pros and the cons, like how much water is wasted."
In their application to participate in the conference, teachers Jennifer Vermillion and Lorelai Gertz noted there has been a growing increase in agriculture amongst students at the school. Their goals were to celebrate that interest, provide students with an opportunity to educate others, and promote the idea that agriculture can support and advance green initiatives, such as local food and regenerative practices.
Now the BCHS team is excited to share their knowledge locally. As part of their commitment, the students will launch an outreach project visiting other area schools. They plan to create videos featuring local farmers to illustrate how the diet of cattle affects both human health and the land.
