Unlock $2,500 for your ag education from CABEF
Post-secondary education comes with a hefty price tag, but agriculture students have access to valuable funding opportunities, including one of seven scholarships from the Canadian Agri-Business Education Foundation (CABEF).
With a mission to encourage talented and energetic young people to enter the agri-food industry, CABEF offers scholarships that provide financial support and encouragement to the next generation of agri-food leaders. Each year, seven full-time students across Canada who are enrolling or are currently enrolled in an agricultural-related program at a Canadian university, college or apprenticeship institution, receive a $2,500 scholarship to put toward their studies. To be considered for a CABEF scholarship, students are asked to complete an application, sharing their post-secondary plans and highlighting activities that demonstrate leadership. They must also respond to an ag industry-related question developed by the CABEF board and judging panel in either a written essay or video format.
All 2025 applications must be received by April 30 at 5 p.m. ET. With this deadline quickly approaching, past and present CABEF judges and board members share their advice to help you create an award-winning submission
Before you begin
A core part of the application is the question that CABEF asks students to respond to, notes Mary Thornley, executive director of CABEF. “We pose a different question each year that’s challenging but not too hard, in order to stretch students’ minds a bit while still getting thoughtful responses.”
“We try to create a question that’s thought-provoking and relevant to the issues the agriculture and food industry is facing,” adds Becky Parker, industry relations manager at Farm Credit Canada and chairperson of CABEF. “We want to get the applicant’s insight and perspective.”
Whether you’re writing an essay or creating a video, don’t overlook the obvious: stay on track, and provide a clear answer to the question, advises Amanda Woodrow, account director with AdFarm who served on the CABEF board from 2016 to 2022.
“When I approached judging the applications, in the first look-through, I’d ask myself, ‘Did the applicant stay on task and actually answer the question and not get sidetracked?’” she says. “Sometimes, there’s lots of information they want to share, but they bunny trail and get off topic.”
The judging rubrics are an essential tool to use when crafting a comprehensive application, Parker adds. “I strongly encourage applicants to reference these criteria,” she says of both the essay/video judging rubric, and the leadership activities rubric. These documents, along with a resource outlining video requirements and tips, provide detailed scoring benchmarks to help ensure your submission scores as high as possible.
Let your words shine
If writing is your strength, you can craft your answer into an essay between 750 and 1,000 words – no more, no less. Before the judges even get a chance to review the various scholarship applications, Thornley says she does a simple check to ensure specifications are addressed. “We also do AI and plagiarism checks as well. If entries don’t meet these parameters, they don’t get passed along to judges.”
Parker says the judges look specifically for a well-organized argument with unique perspective.
“I always look for novel thoughts and curiosity around the question – perhaps they’ve done additional research or spoken to someone within the industry and incorporated different points of view,” she says.
Woodrow agrees: “I’m less looking for personal anecdotes. I like to see bigger-picture, forward-thinking answers that consider the industry as a whole, with an original, compelling and logical argument.”
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the judges emphasize the need for proper proofreading and attention to detail.
“As soon as I see typos, the application goes into a ‘maybe’ pile,” Woodrow notes. “The applicant could have the best argument, but if it’s littered with typos, I’ll set it aside and see what the other entries are like.”
A visual advantage
If you’re more of a visual communicator, a video application offers a unique opportunity to showcase your knowledge and experience. Like essay applications, the judges look to make sure all requirements are met – videos must be three- to five-minutes long, and convey a well-organized answer.
“I really enjoy viewing the video applications,” says Brad Martin, the Western Canadian Retail Sales Manager for Glacier Farm Media, who has been part of CABEF’s board and sponsorship committee for more than three years. “In the age of AI, video submissions are a great way to showcase your authenticity.”
When filming your video application, give some thought to your surroundings. There’s no need for fancy equipment, but clear audio, good lighting and a pleasant background are essential. And, like essay applications, pay close attention to the requirements detailed in the judging rubrics.
“If we ask for three examples, we want to see three examples,” Parker adds. “This shows attention to detail – a great skill to have, not only for scholarship applications, but for jobs down the road.”
Apply for the CABEF scholarship today
If you have a passion for agriculture and you’re pursuing a post-secondary education in the field, the CABEF scholarship is a great way to fund your future. Put your passion, industry knowledge and authentic personal connection to agriculture on display and show the judges why investing in your agricultural education is a smart bet for the future of Canadian agriculture. The submission deadline is April 30, 2025 at 5 p.m. ET. Good luck!