This year's new 4-H Ambassadors and GROWMARK Interns tour FS

The 2014 Ontario 4-H Ambassadors along with GROWMARK’s summer interns and summer students took a day away from their regular routine to learn more about the FS System.

Below is the full group together posing in front of  a 1942 Ford Stake truck purchased by North Wellington Co-operative as part of its 70^th anniversary celebration at the co-opertive's site in Harriston. 

Introducing this year's 4-H Ambassadors and GROWMARK Summer Interns:
Top (L-R): 2014 4-H Ontario Ambassador Paul Knoops of Oxford county, FS Interns Leslie Bowman (Co-operative Regional Nipissing Sudbury), Matt Sikorski (Lucknow District Co-operative), summer student Tomas Mcmanus (FS PARTNERS) and Alex Richardson (AGRIS Co-operative). Bottom L-R: Jeff McCallum, North Wellington Co-operative marketing & communication specialist, GROWMARK Interns Mary Walton (FS PARTNERS), Bryce Rodman (Sunderland Co-operative), Justin McNally (FS PARTNERS), 4-H Ambassadors Chris DeKlein of Middlesex county, Brook Thompson of York region, Kate Higgins of Huron county, Sarina Goodfellow of Lennox county and Kelly Boyle, North Wellington Co-operative general manager. 4-H Ambassador Tamara Hamilton is not present.

The one-day tour consisted of a visit to UPI Energy’s bulk fuel plant in Guelph, an FS PARTNERS agronomy and Great Lakes Grain facility in Ayr, North Wellington Co-operative’s unique retail store and lawn and garden centre, and a quick glimpse of the 24-hour remotely monitored cardlock FAST STOP® fueling station. 

The group learns about the complex operations of UPI Energy LP from 

Bob Hodgson, manager, propane dispatch and logistics.

Kevin Stumpf, FS PARTNERS branch manager gives an overview of 

the grain and agronomy business at the Ayr site.  

This is the 9th year for the 4-H Ontario Ambassador Program sponsored by GROWMARK, Inc. and UPI Energy LP. Ambassadors promote 4-H in Ontario provincially, regionally, locally and at some national events. 

The Ambassadors will also attend UPI Energy’s annual meeting next month called Rendezvous and participate as flag bearers during the opening ceremonies. Ambassador Brooke Thompson will be travelling to Chicago at the end of August to attend the GROWMARK Annual Meeting to represent 4-H Ontario. Also selected to attend as youth representative from Junior Farmers of Ontario is Kim Hooey and representing Co-operative Young Leader Program, Matthew Gerrits who has been chosen as Ontario's youth speaker along with other youth speakers from FFA Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.