Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council

Gwendolyn Donohoe is following in her grandfather's footsteps. The Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC) board of directors is just one of several organizations the 27 year old is involved in.

“I think that comes from my grandfather who has passed away. He was always very involved in agricultural boards. His philosophy was that politics and agriculture are intertwined and it's important to do your part,” she says.

Donohoe recently began her second one-year term as youth director on the MRAC board of directors. Former MRAC director Dr. Don Flaten encouraged Donohoe to join the organization.

Donohoe enjoyed being on the project committee her first year on the MRAC board. She says sitting on that extra committee gets you more involved in the organization and makes you feel more like you're part of the project decisions.

Besides sitting on the MRAC board, Donohoe is also vice-chair of the Kelsey Conservation District, active in the University of Manitoba Soil Science Department and fundraises for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

As well, she recently started a Rangelands Club at the U of M to teach undergraduate students about sustainable management of native ecosystems, rangelands and pastures. Donohoe was involved in a similar group at the University of Saskatchewan where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. After completing her education in Saskatoon she headed home to the family farm for a few years.

Donohoe grew up on a dairy farm near The Pas. In the 1990s her family made the transition to beef cattle and currently has approximately 300 cow/calf pairs and about 3,000 acres of land. The Pas is Manitoba's most northern agricultural community and it boasts some of the most productive farm land in the province.

“Growing up in that area the land and soil has always been a big part of anything we do which is probably why I'm so interested in soil science,” she says.

Despite having a shorter growing season, the area has longer periods of daylight and highly fertile soil so the crops are able to keep up which results in yields comparable to southern Manitoba, she notes.

Soon after returning to her home community, Donohoe discovered that to make a living farming required an off-farm job. So she decided to return to school and is currently working on her Master of Science in Environmental Soil Science at the U of M.

Donohoe feels one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture today is attracting and retaining young people. And this relates to many other issues, such as new regulations, current markets and shrinking rural communities.

“It all boils down to getting young people to stay in the industry and being able to make a good living from agriculture,” she says.

Donohoe is pleased to see the MRAC board taking this issue seriously and attempting to address it through the Vibrant Rural Communities project undertaken by the Human Resources Committee.

Despite the challenges, Donohoe still sees a bright future in agriculture and encourages other young people to pursue the industry.

~ Teresa Falk, MRAC Communications Officer