Farm Safety Essay produces high yields

Posted July 03, 2002


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 3, 2002 2002-07-03-AG

Farm Safety Essay produces high yields

Each year at the annual convention of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural
Municipalities (SARM), one talented grade 12 student receives the SARM 90th
Anniversary Student Scholarship in Agricultural Safety and Rural Health.
This award is available to students who live in a rural municipality and
have a farming background, to help them pursue post-secondary education.

The winner of the 2002 scholarship is Melissa Schachtel from Macklin, RM of
Eye Hill, #382. In her essay, The Importance of Safety and Health on Our
Farm, she wrote, "farm safety can become as natural as the birth of a calf
or the crop ripening in the fall. If we all think, educate and lead by
example, we can enjoy safe, accident-free lives." Melissa has been accepted
into the College of Arts and Science, University of Saskatchewan. She has
been named a Greystone Scholar and was awarded $2,000 for her outstanding
academic achievements. Melissa plans to later enter the College of
Dentistry.

The first scholarship was presented by the Institute of Agricultural, Rural
and Environmental Health (I.ARE.H.) in 1997 to commemorate the outstanding
relationship between SARM, its member municipalities and I.ARE.H. Funds
from auctioning the first copy of SARM's history book, The Building of a
Province: Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of the Saskatchewan
Association of Rural Municipalities, were presented by SARM's Board of
Directors to I.ARE.H. The Institute established the student essay award to
accomplish the double goal of sensitizing rural students to farm health and
safety issues and recognizing the tremendous role that SARM has played in
agricultural health and safety in the province through support for the
Agricultural Health and Safety Network at I.ARE.H. The Founding Chairs
Program at I.ARE.H. maintains the scholarship.

To qualify, students write a 1,000 word essay. Watch for announcements
regarding the 2003 scholarship to be offered again this fall. Applications
must be postmarked by January 17, 2003.

-30-

For a copy of Melissa's essay and her photo, please contact:

Lori Lockinger
Institute of Agricultural, Rural and Environmental Health
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 966-6643
E-mail: lockinger@sask.usask.ca