A couple from Four Oak Farms in Kleefeld is nominated for the Outstanding Young Farmers Award.

Marcus and Paige Dueck run Four Oak Farms with Marcus's parents. Paige Dueck says they were very surprised to be nominated for the award. She says they do both grain and dairy, and the dairy is a little different then most.

“The fact that we milk Brown Swiss cows, that is a bit of a specialty as it is not as common, the black and white Holstein is much more common in Canada. Along with our breed we are a little bit special because we are almost on the verge of what you would call old school. We still have a small number of animals, 45, and we still milk in a tie stall.”

Paige Dueck says they also have a more tailored feeding program, mixing much of their own specialty rations. She notes one of the reasons she thinks they were nominated was their desire to create a positive image around agriculture.

“We like to keep this place looking like we are expecting company. Every day go through that extra motion to keep it as clean as possible. If you can run an operation that when you open the door the cows are happy and laying down, it's clean, immaculate, the people are kind, it really makes the product that people want to consume.”

Marcus Dueck says it is overwhelming to be recognized for the work that they do. He says they try to promote the farming sector and give people a positive connection to a farm.

“We really like to be community involved. The biggest example we have this year was hosting Grazing in the Field. This was an event where lots of people came to partake in it. They took a tour through the entire farm and from there lots of pictures were taken. We touched way more people than actually were on the farm.”

Paige Dueck says there were two other couples nominated and they will now give a presentation to the judges at a banquet on Saturday February 27th. She notes they will find out at the banquet whether or not they won.