A prestigious national award recognizing outstanding Canadian women in agriculture is now accepting nominations.

The Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Rosemary Davis Award honours women who are active leaders in Canadian agriculture. FCC said these are women who give of themselves in their communities or beyond - producers, veterinarians, teachers, researchers, agribusiness operators and more.

"The award is intended to promote agriculture as a viable career option for women, and to highlight the contributions that women have made over the years to the agricultural industry," said Edward Mulrooney, FCC Project Manager for the Rosemary Davis Award.

The distinction will be bestowed upon five women from across Canada, who will each receive an
all-expenses paid trip to "Dialogue and Discovery," the Simmons School of Management premier leadership conference for women, being held May 3, 2008, in Boston.

The award is named after the first female board chair of FCC, herself a successful agribusiness owner and operator. Davis was first appointed to the FCC board of directors in 1995, and served as chair from 2000 to 2006.

Mulrooney said that candidates for the award are judged on a variety of criteria.

"Do they demonstrate leadership? Do they give back to their communities and to Canadian agriculture? Do they show a passion for agriculture? Do they have a vision for the future of agriculture? These are the kinds of qualities we look to celebrate in our award recipients," said Mulrooney.

To be eligible, nominees must be at least 21 years of age and actively involved in the agricultural sector in some manner. Candidates may submit their own names for consideration or be nominated by someone else who believes they are well-suited for the distinction.

"People can nominate themselves or someone they feel is deserving of the award. People often don't feel comfortable putting their own name forward because they feel like they're bragging, or they don't feel they deserve an award," Mulrooney said. "So other people can nominate their friends, sisters, mothers or any other women who really work hard towards building the industry."

Application forms and instructions can be found at http://www.fccrosemarydavisaward.ca/. The deadline for online applications is January 21, 2008. Recipients will be notified sometime around mid-March.

Anyone with further questions about the award or the application procedure can visit the award's website or contact FCC at 1-888-332-3301.

Headquartered in Regina, FCC is Canada's largest provider of business and financial services to farms and agribusinesses through a network of 100 offices located primarily in rural Canada.

For more information, contact:
Edward Mulrooney, Project Manager for the Rosemary Davis Award
Farm Credit Canada
Phone: (306) 780-3991

Rosemary Davis Award
Farm Credit Canada
Phone: 1-888-332-3301
Website: http://www.fccrosemarydavisaward.ca/