The Keith Gilmore Foundation, established to honour the late editor and publisher of the Canadian Hereford Digest, awards scholarships each year in the fields of agriculture, veterinary medicine and agricultural journalism. Following are this year’s recipients.
Alberta’s Brian Birkenhagen has completed his second year of studies at the University of Calgary school of veterinary medicine. Upon graduation he plans to enter the industry as a large animal/bovine practitioner. His long-term goals involve a commitment to mentorship, community, and the Canadian cattle industry. He is also committed to continue growing his own beef herd as his veterinary career progresses.
Gavin Fleck completed his second year of studies at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, with the intention of becoming a rural mixed animal veterinarian focused on beef cattle health, genetics, and animal welfare. Fleck has been active in 4-H, the Canadian Junior Hereford Association, and competing in numerous junior stock shows and judging competitions.
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James Rand received a Hereford Youth Scholarship. Rand hails from the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, and is currently attending Dalhousie University, majoring in animal science, with a goal to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and animal nutrition.
Also receiving a Hereford Youth Scholarship was Ontario’s Kaylee Wells, who is currently enrolled in the University of Guelph’s bachelor of science in agriculture honours co-op program. She plans to pursue a career focused on beef genetics, nutrition and herd health.
The Canadian Junior Hereford Association also added several junior members to its honour roll, including Megan Nichols, Jesse Procyk and Rebecca Hess.
Megan Nichols of Milestone, Sask., is currently the president of the junior association. She grew up on her family’s farm, where they run a 300-head Hereford operation. She’s been an active member since age six, and has held several positions within the association. While at university, she was involved with the University of Saskatchewan judging team, where she judged countless competitions and won the Agribition National 4-H and Youth Judging Competition in 2021, and judged the First Lady Classic the following day. Nichols recently graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a bachelor of education, and over the summer worked with Agriculture in the Classroom.
Jesse Procyk of Filmore, Sask., joined 4-H at the age of six and has owned cattle ever since. Through 4-H, she was exposed to purebred Herefords and showed her first purebred in 2013. Her showing expanded to every Hereford program she could enter, including Beef-a-Rama, Brandon Ag Ex, and Agribition. She graduated from Parkland College as an ag tech mechanic. She has been involved in many Saskatchewan Junior Hereford Association activities and held positions on the executive. She’s also a dedicated Hereford breeder, using her 4-H steer profits to buy Hereford females and grow her herd. Procyk has taken an artificial insemination course so she can use new genetics in her herd and has also flushed some of her animals to use for embryo transfer.
Rebecca Hess of North Gower, Ont., grew up on the family farm, where they raised beef and dairy cattle, as well as horses. She started showing cattle at age three and horses at 15. She is involved in sire selection and genetic purchases, using EPDs and pedigree information on which to base her decisions. She believes a good show heifer needs to become a good cow. Hess recently graduated from high school, after participating in a specialized skills major in welding and manufacturing. Along with being active on the show cattle circuit, she has volunteered at several ag shows, including helping to facilitate the 2024 Women in Agriculture conference in Ontario. She also owns her own business, Southern Style Design.
