A well-respected agrologist, Donald Young has brought important contributions to the field of agriculture. He led the development and introduction of several new varieties of potatoes, notably the Shepody variety, which had a major impact on potato production in North America, and gained international recognition in the french-fry industry. After a distinguished career with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, he shared his valuable expertise with McCain Foods and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and assisted developing nations in improving their crop production.