Local Youth Attend GROWMARK's Annual Meeting in Chicago

KITCHENER, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sept. 16, 2013) - Ryan McGeachy of Chatham, Ontario, recently attended the 2013 GROWMARK Annual Meeting in Chicago as this year's youth speaker where he spoke in front of more than 1000 attendees about his views on how co-operatives can help build a better world. McGeachy was one of three young people chosen to take part in the travel opportunity sponsored by GROWMARK, Inc. Also travelling to Chicago was 4-H Ontario Ambassador Brianna Dracup of Stirling, and director of fund development for Junior Farmers' Association of Ontario Sara Jibb of Sunderland.

Ryan McGeachy is attending the University of Guelph majoring in agriculture business. He was chosen for this opportunity through his involvement with the Ontario Co-operative Association's
Co-operative Young Leaders Program sponsored by AGRIS Co-operative Ltd.

In his opening remarks in Chicago, McGeachy said that, "A business cannot run effectively without a well-guided system and for co-ops, it is the seven co-operative principals that characterize a co-operative's vision and ultimately defines how co-operatives can help build a better world."

Each year GROWMARK provides travel opportunities to youth who have shown dedication to leadership development. They travel to Chicago to learn more about GROWMARK and network with business people and other young leaders. As part of their experience, they took part in the annual meeting's grand opening ceremonies with young leaders from Future Farmers of America and had the opportunity to visit the Chicago Board of Trade.

GROWMARK, Inc. is a regional co-operative that provides FS branded and related agriculture products and services to farmers and rural residents in Ontario and the midwest and northeastern United States through local FS member co-operatives and by GROWMARK subsidiaries. In Ontario it provides products and services to more than 90,000 farmers and rural residents. For more information about the FS System, visit www.growmark.com. To learn more about the Co-operative Young Leaders Program, visit www.ontario.coop.