An Arthur woman has won the Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week third annual scholarship of $1,000.
Grey Bruce Farmer’s Week has been a mainstay for the agricultural industry here since 1966. Its featured commodities have evolved as the area’s agricultural focus has changed, but the mandate to educate local farmers and agribusiness has remained firm. Local farmers have supported its programming for 45 years, so the committee wants to give back to the community.
The Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week committee has established an annual $1000 prize in conjunction with the University of Guelph, Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), to recognize new veterinarians entering food animal practices serving producers in Grey and Bruce Counties.
The award recognizes an individual’s past accomplishments, and also encourages future contributions, and commitment to rural communities.
On June 15, at the Convocation Awards ceremony at OVC, Talia Gurwitz was the recipient of the award. It was one of two that Gurwitz received that day.
She grew up in Toronto, but enjoyed her summers at a farm with horses and a few cows and sheep. As a young girl, she knew that she wanted to live in a rural setting. Since then she has lived in a small rural town in Vermont, worked at a dairy farm in Bruce County, and volunteered on various farms across Canada, including a cow-calf operation and at a greenhouse.
Gurwitz will be working at the Arthur Veterinary Clinic and the North Wellington Animal Hospital in Mount Forest, and is currently residing in Arthur. That Mount Forest clinic serves many Grey County producers.
Gurwitz’s areas of focus include: mastitis on dairy farms; pasture management on dairy, beef and sheep farms; and organic animal husbandry.
She said she appreciates living and working in this rural area.
The clients and producers of the clinic are friendly and thoughtful, and eager to help her feel at home.
