Brothers who raise cattle and run a beef marketing business in Alberta, and a couple that produces berries and horticulture crops in Quebec, were chosen as national winners at the 2024 Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) Program held in Lethbridge, Alberta, this past weekend.
Daniel, Lorin, and Barry Doerksen operate Gemstone Cattle Company at Gem, Alta., where they utilize rotational grazing, poly-cropping for silage, and winter grazing to raise and finish cattle.
Daniel rented his first quarter of irrigated land at age 18 and joined his dad and uncle on their 4th generation grain and beef operation at Gem after obtaining a diploma in Animal Science. Lorin left the oil and gas industry in 2013 to join the farm and started implementing regenerative ag practices to produce nutrient-dense forages.
In 2018, Daniel and Lorin started selling “Gemstone Grass Fed Beef,” which is currently available online and at their butcher shop/food kiosk at the Calgary Farmers’ Market.
In the meantime, Barry also joined the business, and in 2023, the Doerksen trio was named to Calgary lifestyle magazine Avenue’s “Top 40 Under 40” for “raising beef that Calgarians can feel proud to eat.”
Listen to Friday’s RealAg Radio show, from the COYF event in Lethbridge
The Doerksens’ co-winners Simon Plante and Alison Blouin took ownership of Polyculture Plante 1987 Inc. — the family farm where Simon grew up working — in 2021. The husband-and-wife team run a horticulture business that produces strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, sweet corn, tomatoes, onions, squash, pumpkins and maple products sold on-farm at Marché Plante.
Their operation has switched to growing berries above ground to make it easier for pickers, while maximizing land use and reducing waste. They’re also looking at recycling irrigation water to reduce water and fertilizer use.
Blouin has managed operations and human resources on the farm since 2021, and works closely with over 100 foreign workers to ensure they’re treated like family, which includes traveling and living with workers to understand their culture.
“We are so proud of the winners, Gemstone Cattle Company’s Doerksen Brothers and Polyculture Plante’s Simon Plante and Alison Blouin. They will be fantastic ambassadors for agriculture,” says COYF president Danny Penner. “The Alberta host committee were successful in creating an event to help us celebrate excellence in agriculture in every way possible.”
The annual COYF event recognizes farmers from across Canada between 18 and 39 years of age who have exemplified excellence in their profession while fostering better urban-rural relations.
After listening to presentations from seven regional honourees from across the country, judges chose two national winners who were named at a gala banquet in Lethbridge on Friday night, emceed by RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney.
Regional honourees at the 2024 Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program:
- BC- Aubyn & Tristan Banwell- Spray Creek Ranch -Lillooet
- AB- Lorin & Daniel Doerksen- Gemstone Cattle Company – Gem
- SK- Erika & Cyle Stewart- Pine Ranch Ltd. – Morse
- MB- Paige & Marcus Dueck- Four Oak Farms – Kleefeld
- ON- DJ Wassenaar & Matt Bergman- Haybury Farms Inc – Jarvis
- QC- Alison Blouin & Simon Plante – Polyculture Plante 1987 Inc – Sainte-Pétronille
- AT- Geena Luckett- Luckett Farms Ltd – Wallbrook, NS
