The Rural Voice, 2005-09, Page 86People in Agriculture
Bakker named to OSG post
Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG)
has hired Goderich-area native Mike
Bakker for the new position of policy
analyst to the OSG staff team.
Most recently Bakker worked as a
Research Analyst with AGRICORP,
where he worked with commodity
groups to update and create new
production insurance programs.
"We're very excited to bring Mike
on board — his farm background,
education, and experience with
government and risk management
programs make him the ideal
candidate for this position," said
Wendy Jahn, General Manager of
OSG.
In his position with OSG, Bakker
will be responsible for conducting
economic analysis to support safety
net lobby efforts, business plan
development, trade policy, and for
providing market information to all
stakeholders in the soybean industry.
Bakker is from a dairy and cash
crop farm near Goderich, and earned
a Bachelor of Science degree and a
Master of Science degree in
Agricultural Economics from the
University of Guelph.
He joins the OSG office following
the earlier departure of former
Industry & Government Relations
Manager, Fred Brandenburg this
spring.
"The board wishes to thank Fred
for his dedication during his long
years of service," says Greg Devries,
Chair of Ontario Soybean Growers.
"Mike is a valuable addition to the
OSG staff team and our ongoing
commitment to bring value to
soybean growers in Ontario. "0
Tara's Jennifer Christie wins
Ontario Dairy Youth Scholarship
Jennifer Christie of Tara has been
named one of four winners of 2005
Ontario Dairy Youth Scholarships.
Christie and Melanie Curtis of
Joyceville were awarded $500
scholarships from the Ontario Dairy
Youth Trust Fund for students in
university degree programs. Scott
Lockie of Sutton West and Allison
Spence of Elmvale were diploma -
program winners.
Christie is entering her last year in
the Agricultural Business Program at
the University of Guelph. She took
part in the Canadian Agri -Marketing
Association (CAMA) Student
Chapter which she described as an
incredible, hands-on opportunity to
learn about the actual process and
work that is required to launch a new
product on the marketplace.
She spent last semester with Cal
Poly State University in California
studying dairy science and now
appreciates the Canadian dairy
industry's system even more than
before, she says, and recognizes the
importance of preserving it.
Christie is very active in dairy
cattle judging, has been on numerous
judging teams and many committees
organizing agricultural events. She
recently had the opportunity to
participate in the North American
Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge,
where her team placed first.
As her successful 4-H career
draws to a close, Christie says she
recognizes and appreciates the
contributions 4-H has made to her
personal development, leadership,
education and career choices.
She will represent Bruce County
as Queen of the Furrow at
September's International Plowing
Match in Listowel. She says she is
interested in educating and
promoting agriculture to the public
and is on a committee to examine the
introduction of an agricultural course
in her local high school, hoping to
dispel some urban myths about
agriculture.
She has been active in her
community and plays soccer.
For the future, she says she works
toward accomplishing her ultimate
career goal to found and direct her
own agri-marketing company
someday.0
Ross Hemingway (right) stands
with owner Glen Morrison who
delivered his 1939 British Tiger
Moth for servicing at the
Hemingway Aviation airstrip.
Business flies in
for Brussels
farmer/mechanic
Ross Hemingway, who was
featured in our May issue because
he grows the unusual crop of
triticale, has another unusual on-
farm job. He repairs aircraft.
Hemingway worked repairing
private aircraft for more than 30
years in various locations across
Canada including Lethbridge,
Alberta and Thompson and
Churchill in Manitoba.
He built an airstrip and hangar at
his Brussels -area farm a year ago
and began doing aircraft
maintenance there. Recently a
Second World War -era Tiger Moth
training aircraft arrived for
maintenance. Owner Glen
Morrison of Guelph explained that
the aircraft was flown by World
War Two pilots as a primary trainer.
Hemingway, whose sons Lyle
and Darren help out, is also
working on restoring a 1941 Er
coupe two-seater aircraft. "I hope
to put it back into the air within a
year," he said. "It will be the oldest
plane of its kind in Canada" and
second oldest in the world.0