Cows, Crops & Calculators: Local students participate in ag-focused accounting competition

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on November 5, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

Local high school and college students teamed up Tuesday to participate in the Cows, Crops & Calculators accounting and agriculture-focused competition.

Business administration students at Medicine Hat College partnered with high school students from Prairie Rose Public Schools to solve a business scenario by creating a case and presenting their solution to a panel of judges.

The competition exposed teams of students to accounting specific skills like compiling financial information and evaluating decisions with both financial and non-financial information, aiming to strengthen essential business and interpersonal skills.

“Students will build confidence, teamwork, professionalism and critical thinking in a safe environment that mirrors real-world scenarios, where decisions must be made quickly,” said Heather Stahl, academic chair, MHC School of Business and Continuing Studies. “The decisions are backed by evidence and communicated to the client. It’s a great way to connect theory with practice.”

The first of its kind competition held in Medicine Hat challenged students to use strategic thinking, presentation design, communication, teamwork, leadership and time management skills for more than $6,000 worth of cash prizes.

The collaborative learning opportunity was made possible by the Chartered Professional Accountants Education Foundation of Alberta, a non-profit which provides grants, scholarships and awards to students and post-secondary business schools.

“Watching students engage with real-world problems reminds us why experiential learning is so powerful,” adds Stahl. “It brings theory to life, by showing students how their learning translates into real-world impact and inspires them to become the business leaders of tomorrow.”

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