Where are they now?
Catching up with three recent agriculture graduates
Their formal education may be behind them,
but these young farmers will agree: a life in
farming means a lifetime of learning.
Back in 2017, Farmers’ Voice interviewed
three young agriculture diploma grads from
the University of Manitoba, introducing them
in an article called Meet the new faces of agriculture – graduates
looking forward to a future in the industry.
Jake Ayre, Carter McKinney, and Bailey Sigvaldson – all
now 22 years old – were part of 2017’s largest graduating class
in over 30 years, with 75 young people earning their diplomas.
A full third of those were female.
Now, two years later, Farmers’ Voice caught up with the
trio to find out how their lives are unfolding.
Arborg farmer Bailey Sigvaldson says she still feels like
a student.
“I kind of feel like I’m still a farmer in training,” she said.
Straight out of university, Bailey moved to Dauphin to
work for Cargill as an agronomy associate. Under both the
tutelage of an agronomist and sales associate, she honed her
skills in field scouting, fertilizer planning, and making chemical
recommendations.
“They were just the most amazing people to learn from,”
she beamed. “I can’t say enough about them. They were able to
take me under their wing and really teach me the ropes. It was
an amazing experience.”
Bailey’s time at Cargill taught her how crucial planning
was: “Going through every season, really digging into every
aspect, and seeing the whole process through. It’s something
I’d never been a part of before, discovering the amount of work
that goes into each decision.”
With the help of Cargill’s grain rep, Bailey also got experience
monitoring markets to price and sell grain, integrating
further what she absorbed in university.
“I got a better understanding of what agriculture is from
a higher level. Seeing all the pieces of running a farm coming
together,” she explained.
The farmers in Dauphin were also some of Bailey’s
best teachers.
University of Manitoba
10 § Manitoba Farmers’ Voice § Spring 2019