Lawrence Farms, located south of Rosetown, recently hosted Labatt Canada and SaskBarley for the official launch of a new scholarship.
The event featured an educational tour led by Stuart Lawrence, a fourth-generation farmer who took over the family operation earlier this year following the retirement of his father, Garry Lawrence.
Lawrence spoke about how his family uses precision agriculture and sustainable practices to manage soil fertility and crop production. A display on site explained how the farm uses electrical conductivity mapping to identify soil zones.
“We want to be good stewards of the land,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence Farms integrates detailed soil science, modern mapping and continuous field trials to grow high-quality crops while managing costs, minimizing environmental impacts and protecting long-term soil health.
After a Q&A session with Lawrence, attendees heard from Labatt president Mika Michaelis, SaskBarley executive director Jill McDonald and Eric Carteciano, Labatt’s senior general manager for Western Canada.
Labatt and SaskBarley announced a new scholarship that will contribute up to $10,000 annually to support student research focused on barley production in Canada. The funding will be administered through SaskBarley’s existing application process and will be open to a range of barley-related research topics.
“Supporting the Canadian barley industry is more than just buying the ingredients,” said Ivana Yelich, Labatt’s head of government and corporate affairs. “Recognizing an organization like SaskBarley, which supports our farmers and the work they do, is very important.”
Yelich said Labatt sources 85 per cent of its barley from Saskatchewan.
“Labatt is a Canadian company and we’re very fortunate that we can source some of the best barley in the world right here in Canada,” she said. “It’s really important to us to continue supporting this industry, the future of barley production and, of course, the farmers who make our products possible.”
The announcement was followed by a catered lunch prepared by Biggar Bites Catering. Guests were served a three-course meal featuring Saskatchewan ingredients, including a seasonal salad of prairie greens, wild boar with Saskatchewan mustard sauce and a rhubarb and Saskatoon berry pastry for dessert.