Igor Borisenko/Dreamstime

By Jesse Gill

Agriculture

SMRID awards $30,000 in scholarships to southern Alberta ag students

Oct 14, 2025 | 10:32 AM

The St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) has awarded $30,000 to 15 students who are studying agriculture-related post-secondary education for the 2025-26 school year.

Each recipient will receive $2,000 through SMRID’s annual scholarship program, named in memory of Peter Langemann, Keith Francis, and Jonnie Popel.

The scholarship is open to students across the district. This year’s recipients are from Cypress County, Lethbridge County, Coaldale, Bow Island and the MD of Taber.

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Maaike Ypma, whose family farms in the Bow Island area, is a scholarship recipient. She is studying Agronomy Science at Lethbridge Polytechnic. Submitted Photo

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SMRID chairman Cory Nelson said the board of directors is proud to support the region’s Agriculture leaders of the future in their post-secondary education.

“All 15 of this year’s recipients are studying in an agriculture-related field,” said Nelson.

“This funding is an investment in the future leaders of the agriculture and irrigation industries in southern Alberta.”

Students are enrolled in a variety of programs, including crop research, veterinary medicine, agronomy, and agribusiness.

“I had already started a biochemistry degree before I fell in love with agronomy,” said Allison Baptista, one of the 2025 recipients.

“The SMRID scholarship gives me the opportunity to finish this degree before taking the next step into graduate studies and agriculture research,” she added.

“It allows me to build a firm scientific base to understand the biochemical pathways that are essential to explain the results we see in the field.”

SMRID general manager David Westwood said investing in students who are pursuing careers in agriculture is an investment in the future of our industry and our communities.

“These students represent the next generation of innovators, producers, and leaders who will help ensure that agriculture in southern Alberta continues to thrive,” Westwood said.

“We’re proud to support their education and their commitment to advancing the sector.”

SMRID received a record number of applications in 2025.

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Scholarship recipient Blake Bareman from Grassy Lake is enrolled in the Animal Science Technology program at Lakeland College with a major in Beef Science. Submitted Photo

The irrigation district captures snow melt water in a series of pipelines, canals, and reservoirs and delivers it to farms across the southern Alberta plains, from Lethbridge to Medicine Hat.

The region typically produces consistent yields of high-value and top-quality crops with less disease pressure when compared to more wet and humid climates, the district said. This has helped attract large processing companies and develop the region into a food corridor.