Southern Alberta farmer wins contest, donates $5,000 to local agricultural education

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on October 3, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

Local farmer Louise Virostek was selected as one of the winners of the annual Lallemand Hometown Roots Contest. She has chosen to donate the prize money to the Fundraising Society of the Rolling Hills School.

Virostek owns a farm in the small community of Rolling Hills, south of Brooks. She said she chose to make her donation to the school because of its unique agricultural program.

The program aims to provide students with hands-on agricultural experience, from caring for livestock to making investment decisions. The school’s emphasis on agriculture is integrated into other parts of the curriculum, including science and math classes.

“I chose to support the Fundraising Society of Rolling Hills School because our kids attend the school, and we’ve seen the incredible agricultural program they are building,” said Virostek. “It means a lot to support a project that gives hands-on experience with everything from livestock to markets while building knowledge and pride in agriculture.”

The contest awards three prizes annually, with one winner each in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Winners choose a local charity to receive a donation from the company. To date, the contest has made $5,000 donations to 29 rural organizations across the U.S. and Canada.

“The Hometown Roots contest celebrates people and programs that make rural life strong and vibrant and Rolling Hills School is a wonderful example of how agriculture can shape future generations,” said Anne Favre, strategic marketing director, U.S. and Canada at Lallemand Plant Care.

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