<![CDATA[Smithers Farmers' Institute - Carrots to Cattle Blog]]>Sat, 03 May 2025 13:12:47 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Last but not Least]]>Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:21:49 GMThttps://www.smithersfarmersinstitute.com/carrots-to-cattle-blog/last-but-not-leastTaegan Bajer, one of the student sponsorship winners, submitted three photos and a background for his families farm:
"Flying Hands Farm is a green micro-business that is land based.  We are non profit. We keep the planet in mind with all our strategies. Minimal, compostable and recycled packaging is used. The land has no chemical use. People use a small fraction of the land base with the rest left for nature. About a third of our farm is wetland habitat with a thriving amphibian population, another third is treed slope where our water is made. We are predator friendly. Our guardian Great Pyrennes dogs and Curly horses deal wisely with bears, wolves, coyotes, wildcats. Our guardian rare breed Bashkir Curly horses are responsible for the immaculate lawns, weeding, edging and small hills of composted manure that becomes new fertile soil. We use no tillage gardening methods that do not kill micro-organisms in the soil.  We are off-grid experimenting with bio-thermal greenhousing and composting methods. We try to develop low tech simple solutions to our energy needs."
]]><![CDATA[February 12th, 2017]]>Sun, 12 Feb 2017 18:36:12 GMThttps://www.smithersfarmersinstitute.com/carrots-to-cattle-blog/february-12th-2017Another young farmer...
We were able to sponsor one more young farmer thanks to the generousity of the RDBN, so congratulations to Nathanael Wittwer!  We are excited to have you at the gala and as a conference participant!

Nathanael Wittwer

My name is Nathanael Wittwer and I am 17 years old, these are some pictures of barley being grown for green feed in the summer of 2016.
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This is from the fall of 2015 when we plowed the field.
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This is the field seeded with the barley shoots just coming up.
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This is when we had just started cutting and baling.
]]><![CDATA[And the Winners are...]]>Sat, 04 Feb 2017 23:20:07 GMThttps://www.smithersfarmersinstitute.com/carrots-to-cattle-blog/and-the-winners-areThe Regional District of the Bulkley-Nechako generously sponsored five young farmers to go to the Northern Agricultural Gala and Carrots to Cattle 2017 Conference & Tradeshow.  We held a contest to pick the five people - contestants had to submit a short essay, short video, or three photos with captions.  The theme was agriculture, but other than that there was a lot of room to be creative!

The five winners were: Colleen Michinson, Alexanne Dick, Rebecca Huxtable, Jeremy Rouw, and Taegan Bajer.  Congratulations to all five people!  See you on the 17th of February!

Jeremy Rouw

Rebecca Huxtable

My name is Rebecca Huxtable, I am 15 years old and agriculture is an extremely important part of my life.  Agriculture is how I learned to be grateful for what I have and taught me how to work hard for even more.  I am a 4H member in the Evelyn 4H Club and my family has a hobby farm in Smithers, BC.  I love to garden, raise rabbits and chickens and have started my own farm business.  In order for my business to succeed I need to learn how to grow awareness about and support for our local farmers in our community.  
            My family raises beef and sheep but it’s my rabbits and birds that mean the world to me.  I would love to expand my business but I need to learn more about current techniques for raising poultry and rabbits.  All my animals are multi-purpose.  The main reason I raise them is for meat but I also sell eggs, breeding stock, tanned rabbit hides and train some animals to sell as pets.  I try to get as much use out of my animals as possible.  I frequently visit auctions, pet stores and livestock shows to find the best quality stock for my business.  I try to raise the highest quality animals possible so that I can show them at the fall fair and use them as 4H projects. 
            4H is a program that is very dear to my heart and is directly connected to agriculture.  It teaches public speaking, showmanship and business ethics all related to the agriculture industry.  I started out in beef 4H but soon realized my love for rabbits and poultry.  After working last summer for High Slope Acres in their Young Farmers Program and in my family’s garden I have decided to expand my horizons in 4H even more by doing a Self-determined 4H Gardening project.  I know I have a lot to learn but with the help of my family, 4H leaders and community mentors I hope to have a successful market garden this year.
            I know running a business and being interested in farming is not common for someone of my age but as I learn more I find I love this kids of work even more.  I hope that agriculture will play a large part of my life for many years to come.
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2016 was my 6th year in 4H. I was the President of the Evelyn 4H club and won awards for Top Senior Rabbit Club Member, Top Poultry Judge, and Top District Rabbit Judge.
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I worked for Mark Fisher at High Slope Acres in the Young Farmers Program during the summer of 2016.

Alexanne Dick

Colleen Michinson

Thank you very much to everyone who participated!!

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