Young Farmers from Nova Scotia Honoured

Two young farm couples from Nova Scotia were recognized at a regional agricultural event over the weekend.

Larry and Marsha Weatherby of Truro and Chris and Karen Brown of Bridgewater were among the four young farm couples honoured for their hard work and contributions to community and agricultural industry.

The couples were recognized at an Atlantic Canada Outstanding Young Farmers Program dinner in Charlottetown, P.E.I., on Saturday, Feb. 19.

"The fact that these two young farm couples are being honoured speaks volumes about the calibre of our next generation of farmers," said Agriculture and Marketing Minister Ernest Fage. "Farmers with innovative ideas and excellent business sense are key to having a strong agricultural economy in Nova Scotia. Congratulations to the Weatherby and Brown families."

Larry and Marsha Weatherby own and operate a beef operation in Lower Harmony where they also grow their own feed, hay and silage. Larry, who has been farming with his wife for more than a decade, chose a career in farming because he likes working with animals and enjoys the satisfaction of seeing the efforts of his work. The Weatherbys have four children.

Chris and Karen Brown own Pine View Farm Inc., a retail and plug seedling production greenhouse facility operated with Chris's parents. The family's 18,000-square-foot Plug Production Greenhouse produces plug seedlings for sale to retail greenhouses. The plug seedlings are shipped across Atlantic Canada and into Quebec and Ontario. The Browns have three children.

Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers Program is an ongoing national program founded by the Canadian Junior Chamber/Jaycees in 1979. It is sponsored at the national level by John Deere Ltd., the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and AgrEvo.

To be eligible for the program, farmers must be between the ages of 18 and 39, derive at least two-thirds of their annual income from their farming operations, and demonstrate progress in their agricultural career. Nominees are judged on their conservation practices, production history, financial and management practices, and contributions to their community, country, and the farming industry.

A farm couple from New Brunswick was selected at the weekend event to represent Atlantic Canada at the National Outstanding Young Farmers Program in Regina, Sask. The couple will compete with farmers from across Canada for the Outstanding Young Farmer Award.