The Rural Voice, 2003-12, Page 78People in Agriculture
Henry Damsma wins Huron Federation award
Wayne Hamilton (left) presents the Huron County Federation Award for
Contribution to Agriculture to Henry Damsma of Clinton for his work on
websites for the Huron and Ontario Federations of Agriculture.
In presenting the award Wayne
Hamilton recalled Damsma came to
the Federation several years ago
offering to design a website. Later he
also volunteered as communications
technician for OFA, where he was
known as "the computer guy". He
also served as a provincial director to
OFA.
Damsma helped organize the
"electronic tractor demonstration" to
pressure the federal government to
listen to farmers' concerns over the
Agriculture Policy Framework. The
mass e-mail petition crashed the e-
mail system of Parliament Hill.
More recently Damsma reinvented
the Huron Federation's site
(HCFA.on.ca) as a comprehensive
source of agricultural information
from local, provincial and national
sources.
"Most days just before daybreak
you'll find him at his computer
updating the site," Hamilton said.
Henry Damsma of Clinton, The award, for outstanding In accepting the award Damsma
designer of websites for both the contributions to agriculture, was said he had "no words" to express his
Huron and Ontario Federations of presented at the annual meeting of surprise. He thanked his family,
Agriculture is recipient of the 2003 the Federation in Seaforth, October including his wife Deb whom he
Huron County Federation Award. 23. called "a computer widow."0
Helen Johns gets special award from HCFA
Huron County Federation of Agri- something or had something to say." "I've got to say you've been
culture made a special presentation to When she became minister, others amazing," she praised the county's
Helen Johns at its annual meeting in around the province called Huron for farmers. "People have offered me all
Seaforth, October 23. advice on dealing with her. "We their knowledge."
The former MPP for Huron -Bruce advised others that they'd better Johns said she and her family are
and provincial minister of agriculture know what they were talking about grateful to be able to move on to
and food was presented with a plaque or don't go see her," Thompson said. other opportunities.0
thanking her for her years of service Later, he said, the phone would
on behalf of farmers. ring and the person on the other end Mitchell named
In presenting the plaque Steve would simply say "This is Helen."
Thompson of Clinton said he was "If you didn't know it was Helen assistant to ag
president when Johns was elected in Johns she was talking to the wrong
1995 and though she had little person." minister
experience in agriculture "We In accepting the award Johns said
quickly realized Helen was a she'd been reluctant to come to the Carol Mitchell, elected MPP for
different kind of politician — if she meeting because she didn't want to Huron -Bruce in October's provincial
didn't know, she would ask." talk about politics but Federation election, has been named
But they also learned that if she felt President Neil Vincent urged her to parliamentary assistant to Steve
they didn't know what they thought come and meet with the many friends Peters, Ontario's new Minister of
they knew, she would send them she had made doing her job. Agriculture and Food.
away until they really knew "My family and I feel it's been an Mitchell, who defeated Helen
something, Thompson said. incredible privilege to serve as an Johns, the former ag minister, will
Federation leaders learned "we MPP in Ontario and particularly in also sit on the health and social
went to see Helen when we knew Huron -Bruce," she said. service committee.0