The Rural Voice, 2001-12, Page 70People
Allan Smith wins Bruce Award
Allan Smith and his wife Alice, accept the Award of Merit from award -creator
Brian Ireland (left) and Bruce Federation President Jayne Dietrich.
Allan Smith was presented with
the Award of Merit at the annual
meeting of the Bruce County
Federation of Agriculture, October
26 in Underwood.
In presenting the trophy, Brian
Ireland, who with his wife Gisele
created the award, noted that Smith is
both a long-time regional director to
OFA and a past president of the
Bruce County Federation. As well,
he is a director and past chair of the
Bruce County Pork Producers
Association.
Since June 2000 Smith has been
one of the leaders of the fight to get
compensation for farmers in Grey
and Bruce from forage crop losses
due to drought and to get changes in
the program to give adequate
coverage.
He is also a director of the Grey -
Bruce Humane Society.
"This sure is a surprise to me," said
Smith in accepting the award. "I will
continue to work on behalf of the
farmers of Bruce County and all of
Ontario."0
Murray Cardiff heads appeal tribunal
Former Member of Parliament
Murray Cardiff has been appointed
chair of the Ontario Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs Appeal
Tribunal.
Cardiff, who is active in the
family's livestock and pedigreed seed
operation near Brussels, acted as
parliamentary assistant to the
Minister of Agriculture during the
Mulroney government. He also
served in the same position to the
Solicitor General.
He was first appointed to the
Ontario Farm Products Appeal
Tribunal in March 1997 and has been
a member of the OMAFRA Appeal
Tribunal since December 1999.
The tribunal hears appeals on a
variety of agricultural matters
including disputes related to
drainage, marketing board decisions,
crop insurance, licensing, milk
quality, farm implements and farm
property tax classes.
It also accredits general farm
organizations and reviews
applications for religious exemptions.
Its mission is to "provide to anyone
in Ontario's agricultural sector
aggrieved by a decision, a fair and
responsible appeal and decision
process."
"I want to carry on with a hearing
format where people will appear
before us formally, but not so much
so that they are uncomfortable,"
Cardiff said.°
Bruce couple
competes for
national award
A Bruce County couple will be
in pretty rare company this month
when they represent Ontario in the
national Young Farmers compet-
ition at St. Hyacinthe. Quebec.
Glen and Sheila Burgess of
Formosa will be among provincial
winners from across the country
when they take part in the comp-
etition in the first week of
December. The couple operates
Cedarpatch Holsteins and Golden
Jerseys at Mildmay. Both grew up
on dairy farms and purchased a
farm near Harriston in 1986. They
formed a herd of 16 Holsteins and
began milking. Two years later
they made the decision to add
Jerseys to their herd, finding they
have better feed conversion, ease
of handling, longevity and calm
temperament
The Harriston-area farm
required extensive capital imp-
rovement and rather than make that
investment, they decided eight
years ago to buy a 100 -acre farm
just outside of Formosa. Today
they milk 40 cows and grow corn,
barley and hay. They have utilized
embryo transplants as well as
embryo sexing to obtain higher -
value females. The achieved their
first homebred "Excellent"
Holstein in 2001.
The couple belongs to, and
actively participates in, their
provincial breed associations. They
are eager show participants and
encourage their children to show
both Jersey and Holstein calves.
They have six children: Jessica,
12; Jacklyn, 11; Alisha, 10;
Sarah, 8; Gregory, 7 and Erik, 6.
Together and as a family they are
actively involved in local organ-
izations such as the school council,
church, 4-H, broomball and
baseball. Glen is currently pres-
ident of the Mildmay Agricultural
Society and the Vice President of
the Bruce County Holstein
Association.0