Wheat Growers Announce Successful Mentee Applicants

The Wheat Growers are pleased to announce the first two mentees in the founding year of the Young Farmer Mentorship Program. Supported by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Rail (CPKC), the program will encourage young farmers to be informed and involved with agricultural policy.

“I am thrilled with the quality of applicants that the Wheat Growers had for our initial year of the program. Shortlisting and selecting two people was very difficult, and we are very pleased to have Carlie and Barrt joining us,” said Kaitlyn Kitzan, Treasurer.

“CPKC would like to congratulate Carlie Bowditch and Barrt Maayen for being selected as the first recipients of the Wheat Growers Young Farmer Mentee Program,” said Elizabeth Hucker, CPKC assistant Vice-President, Sales and Marketing Bulk. “At CPKC, we are dedicated to Canadian grain and we are excited to support Carlie and Barrt in their development as future leaders in Canadian agriculture.”

The two successful 2023 applicants are:

• Carlie Bowditch has had a passion for agriculture from a young age. Her passion started in the buddy seat of the combine with her dad, and her mom hauling her to 4H! After 10 years in 4-H, Carlie moved to North Dakota on a rodeo scholarship to attend university. She was involved in the Intercollegiate Farm Bureau and continued to develop skills for advocacy. Now, Carlie lives near her family farm and works as a Relationship Manager for FCC, raising and training rodeo horses. She is actively involved on the farm and finds time to be involved in agriculture groups such as Agriculture Producers Association of Saskatchewan, Ag in the Classroom, 4-H, and sits on the board for Sask Young Ag and the Canadian Cowboys Association.
• Barrt Maayen was born and raised in southern Alberta and has been a member of the Lethbridge Coaldale 4H beef club for eight years. He graduated from the Lethbridge College agriculture- business program in spring of 2023 and works for a cattle and irrigated crop operation in the Coaldale and Lethbridge area. He sees the need for those in the ag industry to connect to the various levels of government and had always hoped to become involved.

“Both Carlie and Barrt will be joining us at GrowCanada to meet with Wheat Grower Directors and other agriculture policy makers. It promises to be a busy year for them, and the Wheat Growers are excited to have them joining us,” closed Kitzan.