The Rural Voice, 2001-07, Page 62People
Alan Scott heads Institute of Agrologists
Alan Scott: heads Ontario Institute
of Agrologists
Alan Scott of Stratford has been
elected as the 2001 president of the
Ontario Institute of Agrologists
(OIA).
Scott, and his wife Margaret,
operate a Rideau sheep flock of 120
ewes, selling market lambs and
replacement ewe lambs. In 1994,
after 34 years service with the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs, the native of
Belgrave, in Huron County retired.
Over a 24 -year period he had served
as Ag Rep, first in Simcoe and then
in Perth County.
Scott has a continuing interest in
farm business management, personal
financial management and
agriculture in developing countries.
He has pursued his interest in
international development with two
trips overseas working as a farm
business consultant in Russia,
Ukraine and Poland with the
International Livestock Management
School and Semex Alliance.
He has been active with the OIA
in several capacities and has also
served as treasurer of the Canadian
Rideau Sheep association and in a
number of positions with St. John's
Church in Stratford.0
U. of Guelph honours ag volunteers
Several leading lights in western
Ontario agricultural circles were
honoured by the University of
Guelph this spring for their
contributions to agriculture and rural
life. In all 13 individuals or couples
were given volunteer recognition
awards.
Jim and Donna Fisher of
Walkerton were nominated by the
Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement
Association. The couple farms on
the outskirts of Walkerton and Jim
has been active with both OSCIA and
with AgCare.
Neil McGavin of Walton was
nominated by the Ontario Plowmen's
Association. McGavin served as a
director to the Ontario Plowmen's
Association before assuming the role
of president last year, in time to
oversee the International Plowing
Match and Farm Machinery Show in
Wellington County. He demonstrated
his leadership skills in helping
organize 1,000 volunteers and
representatives from 52 plowing
associations. In 1999, he served on
several committees when the IPM
was held in his home county of
Huron.
He has also worked with
organizations such as 4-H and local
agricultural societies and served a
term as president of the Ontario
Retail Farm Equipment Dealers
Association.
Florence Pullen of Clinton was
nominated by the Ontario Sheep
Association. Well known as a
premier breeder of Suffolk sheep,
Pullen has served as president of the
Suffolk Sheep Association and spent
several years on the Marketing and
Purebred Affairs Committee of the
Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency.
She has served as chair of the
Bluewater Kennel Club's Annual All
Breeds' Dog Show and Obedience
Trial held each July in Blyth, as well
as in 4-H and other community work.
Carol Rock of Stratford was
nominated for her work in rural
economic development by the School
of Rural Community Development,
University of Guelph.0
Avonbank's Jerry
Martens heads
dealers' association
When Jerry Martens of
Avonbank Farm Equipment at
Granton was elected president of
the Ontario Retail Farm he began a
new era for the group. Martens is
the first "farmstead dealer" to be
elected president of the association
which has traditionally been
headed by farm machinery „ ~'
dealership owners.
The business was started in'! .:..
1955 by Jim and Cord Evans and
Vernon Thompson who operated
under the name Evans and
Thompson. In 1977, John and
Mary McIntosh purchased the
business and moved it to their farm
between St. Marys and Stratford
and renamed it Avonbank Farm
Equipment. At that time they
carried just two lines of equipment,
Badger and Farmatic.
The Mclntoshes hired Jerry
Martens as a serviceman after he
was forced to leave hog farming
because of asthma problems. He
had started working on the farm of
Case Vander Loo at age 12 and
progressed to managing a 120 -sow
farrow -to -finish operation by the
time he was 20. He'd also married
the boss's daughter, Lynda.
From service with the
Mclntoshes, Martens quickly
moved to sales. By 1983 John and
Lynda purchased the business and
began the move from the McIntosh
farm to their own property. Within
a few years, however, the business
had grown to 10 employees and
finding enough space was difficult.
After several dead -ends in
obtaining property and approvals to
build, they opened their current site
in 1994.
In 1999 they expanded again
when they purchased Advanced
Dairy Systems Ltd. at Gadshill
which employs an additional seven
persons.
The couple have three children:
Lara, 16, Justin, 13 and Lucas, 11.0