The Rural Voice, 2006-06, Page 62People in Agriculture
OM hands out awards
For the second year in a row the
Ontario Swine Improvement Inc.'s
Award of Excellence has gone to
Bodmin Farms Ltd. of Belgrave.
George and Elizabeth Procter and
breeding stock manager Phil Smith
received the award at OSI's annual
meeting in Stratford in April.
The award goes to the breeder
with the best improvement in annual
genetic performance.
The Procters began farming in
1955 and began genetic testing of
pigs in 1973, with Smith joining the
company in 1987. They have
produced some of Canada's best
Yorkshires, Landrace and Durocs and
since 1994 have produced Pietrains.
Smith is a past chair of OSI and both
George Procter (above
right) and Phil Smith.
breeding stock
manager with Bodmin
Farms Ltd. accept
Ontario Swine
Improvement Inc.'s
Award of Excellence
from Dave
Vandenbroek. OSI field
services manager. Left,
Don Dietrich (on left) of
Tavistock accepts the
"contribution award"
from John Gough, OSI
chairman.
he and Procter have served in many
positions with various swine
organizations.
Receiving the Contributor Award
were Don and Myrta Dietrich of
Tavistock. The Dietrichs have
exported livestock and semen widely
around the world and Don has served
in many organizations, including the
last two years as second vice-
president of the Canadian Swine
Breeders Association.
Bill Wymenga of Blenheim
received the Alan Ford distinguished
recognition award. He is an Ontario
Pork director and a director and vice-
president of OSI as well as a
municipal councillor and holding
positions with several groups.0
Awards for Rural
Excellence honour
various groups
Ralph Dietrich of Mildmay.
chair of the Ontario Co-operative
Association, accepted the
Excellence in Formal Co-operative
Models award at the presentation of
the seventh annual Awards of Rural
Excellence by the Foundation for
Rural Living at its Rural
Development Conference in
Collingwood.
"The co-operative model is even
more important today than ever
before," said Dietrich.
Other awards included:
Outstanding Youth Achievement, to
the Weedjee Kidz program of the
Caledon Countryside Alliance;
Outstanding Philanthropic Action:
The Oil Heritage District
Community Centre; Outstanding
Volunteerism and/or Partnership in
Volunteer Sector, Brighton
Applefest; Excellence in Economic
Development, Renfrew County
Agricultural Economic Develop-
ment Consortium; Outstanding
Partnership with Business, the
Grand River Conservation
Authority's Rural Water Quality
Program.0
OVA names board,
executive
Judy Dirksen of Harriston was
returned as president of the Ontario
Veal Association at the
organizations annual meeting in
Guelph.
Ian Foster was returned as vice
president.
New members of the board
include Albert Hessels, a
Wingham-area grain -fed veal
producer and Kendra Keels of the
Grober/Delft Blue group.
Other board members include:
Brian Keunen, Drayton; Eric
Nonkes, Auburn; Nick Terpstra,
Atwood, and Cord South,
Palmerston.0