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Minto and Vina Foster Graduate Scholarship in Biology

The Minto and Vina Foster Graduate Scholarship in Biology is awarded to academically deserving graduate students who conduct research in disciplines related to gardening as it pertains to economically important plants. These graduate scholarships were created through the Estate of Minto Foster in December 2004. Minto Foster was born in 1902 in the community of Marshfield, Prince Edward Island. Minto and Vina (MacGregor) married and lived for a brief time in Halifax before moving back to PEI where they bought Minto's brother's farm in York. The couple became well known for their market garden, where they picked crops in summer and Minto would drive into town to peddle to stores. In winter they kept a small beef herd, horses, and chickens. Vina worked at Vesey Seeds during some of the winter months. They were also known for the flowers they grew, entering their blooms in fairs and coming away with many awards. In 1980 they retired from farming and moved to Charlottetown, where Minto continued growing lima beans and peddling them to markets until he was 80 years old. Vina died in 1997 and Minto died in 2003 at the age of 101.