Montana Ranch Teen Finalist for $50,000 Scholarship

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Earlier this year, General Mills launched the Feeding Better Futures Scholars Program, which asks youth to share their ideas to help solve the challenge of feeding a growing world population. And a Montana teen has been selected to help answer that big question and it could just pay for her higher education.

“It said 50 grand and I’m like that’s the worst typo ever,” said Kate Indreland from Big Timber. “I mean why would they put that? They got to fix that and I clicked on it and it is 50.”

Believe it or not that’s how the 19-year old first learned about the Feeding Better Futures General Mills Scholars Program. Now a regional finalist, her idea on how to feed a growing world population thru regenerative agriculture in beef production could earn her $50,000.

“As agriculturalists, we’re supposed to produce 70 percent more food by 2050 to feed the growing 9.2 billion people expected by then,” Indreland said. “And so they’re looking for ideas in young people to help accomplish that. There’s five of us selected as finalists and we’re going to do it.”

She actually graduated from high school last year and decided to do an overseas experience that she says helped her a lot in developing a roadmap for a future in agriculture.

“I had an amazing opportunity to intern with Integrity Soils and Nicole Masters,” said Indreland. “I went to New Zealand and Australia where I worked on a dairy farm, a cropping operation and then a huge wheat operation once in Australia. It was all stuff I had never been introduced to and it really made me appreciate and look at things differently.”

She says when it comes to having a future in production agriculture and feeding a growing world population, it’s all starts at the ground level. 

“Ground up and soil health is everything,” said Indreland. “It pertains to animal health and our health. If you’re animals are healthy, your soil is healthy, your grass is healthy and you’re being able to produce more on less that’s profitability and that’s going to bring young people like me home. Kids wanting to come back to ranching but with land costs and having college debt on top of that is really challenging. I’m excited to give my generation an opportunity to come back and make things work and make them work better.”

She plans on attending the University of Montana this fall and major in business to compliment her existing knowledge of production agriculture.

If you would like to help Kate Inderland bring home the amazing grand prize of $50,000, it’s really easy to do so. Just visit www.feedingbetterfutures.com and cast your vote for her by the end of business on Tuesday, May 15.

The $50,000 grand prize winner will be announced in June. Runners up will each receive $10,000 plus an opportunity for mentorship with industry leaders.

Source: MTN & Northern Ag Network

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