OFA scholarships returning in 2026 to support future leaders in agriculture
OFA is pleased to announce the scholarship opportunities offered in 2025 will return in 2026, continuing our commitment to supporting students who are building the future of Ontario agriculture.
Each year, OFA proudly invests in students who demonstrate strong leadership, community involvement, academic achievement and a passion for the agricultural sector. These scholarships are supported by funds from OFA, funds raised through donations and a silent auction strongly supported by OFA members and local federations as well as contributions from industry partners.
In 2025, OFA awarded the largest ever suite of scholarships totalling $30,000 to 15 individuals pursuing post-secondary education in agriculture, including undergraduate and postgraduate studies as well as leadership and apprenticeship pathways. These awards recognize students who are actively engaged in their communities and who demonstrate a clear commitment to advancing Ontario agriculture. OFA also introduced new veterinary scholarship opportunities in 2025 to support students studying veterinary medicine and veterinary technology. These scholarships were created in partnership with Ontario beef, sheep, dairy, veal and genetics organizations help strengthen the pipeline of large animal medicine professionals serving Ontario’s livestock sector and rural communities.
These scholarships reflect Ontario farmers’ and farm organization’s strong belief that investing in our future young leaders and skilled professionals is essential to the continued success and sustainability of the sector.
Additionally, we are happy to announce that new this year Hydro One is adding to our scholarship line up by creating an additional scholarship for students enrolled in a post secondary education agricultural engineering, electrical engineering, bioresource engineering, energy management, renewable energy, or environmental sciences with a focus on sustainable energy production related to agriculture and land use.
OFA and its partners will be awarding a minimum of eleven (11) scholarships through the Scholarship Program worth $2,000 each. The number of scholarships identified within each category represents the minimum number of awards to be granted in that category.
• Three scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each to students in an undergraduate program.
• One scholarship in the amount of $2,000 to a person completing an apprenticeship.
• One scholarship in the amount of $2,000 to a person completing a postgraduate or career advancement program.
• One scholarship in the amount of $2,000 to a student completing a veterinary program.
• Peter Hannam Leadership Award offers one scholarship in the amount of $2,000 to a person completing a leadership development program.
• Hydro One is offering a $2,000 scholarship to a student enrolled in post-secondary education in agricultural engineering, electrical engineering, bioresource engineering, energy management, renewable energy, or environmental sciences with a focus on sustainable energy production related to agriculture and land use.
The Scholarship Committee reserves the right to award additional scholarships within each category based on the volume and quality of eligible applications received. Where application demand in a particular category exceeds expectations, additional scholarships may be awarded in that category beyond the number initially specified.
Scholarship recipients will be selected from applicants who are OFA members, a child of, or employee of an OFA member and are residents of Ontario.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate industry related accomplishments, an interest in agriculture and rural issues, and community involvement.
The selected recipients will be recognized and awarded their scholarship at OFA’s 2026 Annual General Meeting in Toronto November 24 – 25. Recipients will be invited to attend the event and participate in a presentation ceremony alongside fellow scholarship winners. The deadline to submit an application is August 31, 2026.
Application information:
Read about last year’s winners here: