SouthGrow helping Indigenous student achieve agricultural goals
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on January 21, 2023.
Submitted photo
Todd Cross Child with his family. He said he went back to school not only to become more familiar with the current technology in agriculture, but to be a good example to his children.LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com
Thanks to a $2,500 scholarship from SouthGrow Regional Economic Development, a Red Crow College student will be able to continue his agricultural studies.
Red Crow College student, Todd Cross Child, is one of three recipients of the SouthGrow Agri-food Futures Scholarship and he said he is very honoured to be recognized with the award.
“It’s a great honour to be recognized for all the past work that I’ve done,” said Cross Child.
He said he was employed with the Kainai Forage production plant as a foreman, supervisor and quality control and he went back to school to get more experience in the agriculture field and to learn more about animal life science.
“And eventually start my own business. Me and my dad have cattle, we have about 80 head of cattle on the reserve, so I just wanted to make sure I am keeping up with today’s technology,” said Cross Child.
He said he also wants to make sure he was getting things lined up for his family.
“I wanted to go back to school to teach my children how important school and work are and try to be a good role model for my kids,” said Cross Child.
He said he coaches hockey for children on the reserve to be able to bring them good experiences through sports and academics, as kids need to have good academic reports to be enrolled in sports.
Cross Child is enrolled in the Niitsitapi Agriculture Certificate program at Red Crow College and he said he is using the scholarship money to help with his expenses.
“To be able to learn all this new technology that we have with farming and it has opened my eyes to opportunities that are available and maybe for our community to farm our own land and not have to rely on outside farmers,” said Cross Child.
He said one of his ultimate goals is to work with his community to get back to farming their own land.
The Agri-food Futures Scholarship Cross Child received was made possible by the collaboration between SouthGrow, MNP Ltd, Ridge Utilities, and Community Futures Lethbridge Region.
Follow @APulidoHerald on Twitter
15-14
What a great story! There is so much potential for agriculture on both the Piikani and Kainai communities which could employ many of their youth right in their communities, farming and ranching, instead of seeing their youth come to the killing fields in Lethbridge where addiction and disease takes their young lives.
Currently lands are leases to non-indigenous and farmed, and it is sad that this land is not used to employ their youth.
I wish you great success!