Manitoba Young Speakers for Agriculture announce 2026 Finalists presenting at MB Ag Days – PortageOnline.com
Manitoba Young Speakers for Agriculture (MYSA) has announced the finalists in both the junior and senior categories of the competition, held in conjunction with Manitoba Ag Days.
The preliminary rounds of the competition were held last week via video presentation to a panel of judges on two separate days. In total, 30 participants shared their speeches through zoom on any one of 5 different topics, all related to the Ag industry of today, including the use of technology, debunking common myths and how to increase awareness of the diverse opportunities available in the Ag and agri-food sectors.
The junior group included a dozen participants, aged 11-15 years old while the senior division had 18 participants aged 16-24.
The top four speakers in the junior category, in alphabetical order, are: Gabriella Fewings, Janelle Gilmore, Leah Phillips and William Derksen. In the senior category the top four speakers, in alphabetical order, are: Bianca Byers, Eve Campbell, Kaitlyn Hunt-Delaurier and Lillian Seward. Each of the 4 finalists received a $200 cash prize.
Remi Campbell and Andrea Ronceray were the Runners Up in the junior division while Noah Granger and Halee Piasta were the Runners Up in the senior division. The Runners Up each receive a cash prize as well.
The speeches were well-prepared, and for good reason!
In the preliminary competition, the top four each received a $200 cash prize. Fifth and 6th place each received $100 and are on standby whether they will be competing in the final 4 should one of the finalists not be able to attend the Ag Days competition in their category.
The top four, in each category, have been invited to the Manitoba Ag Days speaking stage for the final round of the competition, which will be held Tuesday morning, January 20, 2026.
At the final competition, the first place in each of the categories will receive $1,000 cash prize, second place will receive $800, third will receive $500, and fourth will receive $200.
Not only will first place in each category land $1000 prize, but both of the top award winners will have the opportunity to compete in the national event. The Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture takes place at the Royal Agriculture Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario in early November 2026 with a $1500 bursary for each to help with expenses to attend.
Judging by these speeches, the future of Ag is very bright!
Hannah Minshull is a member of the Ag Days Board of Director. As Chair of the Program Committee, a subcommittee on the Ag Days Board, Minshull and her subcommittee are responsible for bringing all of the speakers to their two theaters throughout the three-day Ag show.
“And this year, for the first time, we are bringing the Manitoba Young Speakers for Agriculture competition to Manitoba Ag Days,” says Minshull. ” And honestly, it has been even more successful than we had hoped for!”
“You know, when you try something new for the first time, you know, is it going to work? Is it going to get communicated? Are people going to know about it? And you just hope for the best that what you’re doing is setting people up for success,” she shares. “And yeah, we had lots of registrants in the junior section and the senior section. And the comments from those who listened in on the speeches for our preliminaries, the takeaway was the future of Ag is very bright!”
At last week’s online speech presentations, the junior judging team was composed of Dr. Kendra Elliott, Lindsey Andronak and Jared Munro. The senior judging team was made up of Danielle Meloni Isfeld, Betty Sawatzky and Jayden Buchanan.
The Manitoba Young Speakers for Agriculture is not a new concept in Canada. Minshull and her team took their cue from the Alberta MYSA on how to best set the event up. The Alberta organizing committee hold their in-person event at the Calgary Stampede.
“So, seeing that they were able to incorporate it with a live event at a showcase like the Calgary Stampede made us realize that we could definitely pull something like this together for Manitoba Ag Days,” says Minshull.
The first day of Ag Days at 8:45 am, next Tuesday morning the final four contenders in each category will be presenting their speeches live in the MNP theatre at the Keystone Centre, before another panel of judges.
“This competition gives young people the opportunity to share their perspectives on agriculture and develop valuable communication skills,” said MYSA committee member Leanne Sprung. “The passion, knowledge, and preparation shown by all participants was impressive.”
Manitoba Young Speakers for Agriculture aims to encourage youth leadership, build public speaking confidence, and foster a deeper understanding of agriculture’s role in Manitoba and beyond. The competition is held with the collaboration and support of Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba 4-H Council, Agriculture in the Classroom Manitoba, the University of Manitoba and Assiniboine College.
For more information about MYSA or future competitions, visit agdays.com/mysa
The final round of speeches for the Manitoba Young Speakers for Agriculture will be held on Tuesday, January 20th at 8:45am in the MNP Theatre. The winners will be announced at 11am also in the MNP Theatre. The full Manitoba Ag Days speaker schedule can be found at agdays.com/schedule
Manitoba Ag Days is an annual three-day exposition of agriculture production expertise, technology and equipment that is held at the Keystone Centre in Brandon Manitoba. The speaking program will take place throughout the three-day event in the FCC and MNP theatres.
The 2026 show dates are Tuesday to Thursday, January 20-22, 2026.
For more show information and the latest updates visit https://www.agdays.com/ or follow them on Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok @mbagdays.
