Local 4-H Youth Named 2015 GROWMARK Essay Contest Winner

KITCHENER, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 20, 2015) - Grade nine student, Emily MacKay of Atwood has been named the 4-H Ontario provincial winner of the 2015 GROWMARK Essay Contest for high school students who are members of a 4-H Association. The theme of this year's contest was "Exploring careers in agriculture."

As the contest winner, MacKay received $500 from GROWMARK and her 4-H Association in Perth County received an additional $300 to help support future programs in her local community.

For this year's contest, students were asked to pick a career in agriculture that is of interest to them, interview someone in that field and write a 500 word essay on what they learned. MacKay plans to become a veterinarian and was able to capture many of the pros and cons of this profession through her interview with her grandfather.

Two provincial runners-up each received $125. They are: Charlene Elliott from Kitchener (Wellington County) and Mikayla Ringelberg from Troy (Hamilton-Wentworth).

This is the fourth year for the program in Ontario, but the 22th year for the program in the United States, sponsored by the GROWMARK System and FS member co-operatives, in conjunction with state FFA leaders in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. The essay contest was designed to help young people develop their writing skills, learn about current issues in agriculture, and understand the unique role of co-operatives.

GROWMARK is a regional co-operative providing agriculture-related products and services, as well as grain marketing in Ontario and 43 US states. GROWMARK owns the FS trademark, which is used by affiliated member co-operatives. The FS brand represents knowledgeable, experienced professionals acting with integrity and dedication to serve more than 250,000 customers. More information is available at www.growmark.com or www.4-hontario.ca.

A photo of MacKay and her winning essay can be viewed at: www.growmarkontarionews.blogspot.com.