Bringing you what's next with FS: Executing Excellence in youth leadership

Sep 7, 2017

Executing Excellence in youth leadership

Shannon Desjardins of Milford, Ontario recently attended the 2017 GROWMARK Annual Meeting and Agribusiness Symposium in Chicago as this year’s Ontario youth speaker. She was joined on stage with three more young leader speakers, representing FFA (Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin). Shannon represented 4-H Ontario and delivered an excellent speech on the topic of leadership.

Shannon was one of three young people from Ontario chosen to take part in the travel opportunity sponsored by GROWMARK. Also travelling to Chicago was 4-H Ontario Ambassador Nicole French of Peel region, and the president of Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario Matt Smith from Ancaster.

Shannon Desjardins,

Ontario youth speaker

Shannon is a graduate of the university of Guelph with an Associate Diploma in Agriculture and is fulfilling her dream of working directly with farmers. Shannon works with County Farm Centre in Prince Edward County as a crop specialist and sales agronomist, and also farms with her husband on 152 acres raising beef cattle and growing market vegetables.

FFA young leaders from Iowa, Illinois

and Wisconsin along with Ontario

representative each deliver a speech

on excellence in leadership.

In her spare time, Shannon volunteers with many local community fairs and other associations. She is an active member of Junior Farmers Association of Ontario and this year was selected as one of six Ontario 4-H Ambassadors.

Each year GROWMARK provides travel opportunities to youth who have shown dedication to leadership development. They travel to Chicago to learn more about GROWMARK and network with business people and other young leaders. As part of their experience, they took part in a number of activities, including the annual meeting’s grand opening ceremonies and were able to take time to tour some of Chicago's many unique attractions.

Congratulations to all these young leaders!