The Rural Voice, 1993-11, Page 54People
George Morris, Everett Biggs
and A. R. Tolton added to Hall
George Morris, farmer/agricultural
pioneer (see feature story in September
issue of The Rural Voice), is among
three outstanding agriculturalists who
will be inducted into the Canadian
Agricultural Hall of Fame in a special
ceremony at the Royal York Hotel on
Sunday, November 14.
Morris, along with Everett Biggs,
and A. R. Tolton, will have their
portraits hung alongside those of 145
other men and women in the Hall of
Fame Gallery at the Royal Winter Fair.
Everett Manford Biggs was a
deputy Minister of Agriculture for the
Federal government, playing a
significant role in the development of
a vision for the orderly marketing of
many farm products. He was
instrumental in the establishment of a
dairy policy for Canada. He played an
influential role in creation of the
University of Guelph and the
Agricultural Research Institute of
Ontario. Throughout his career and
after retiring, Biggs was, and continues
to be, a trusted advisor to agricultural
organizations, governments and
universities.
George Fletcher Morris is a
founding member of the Ontario Beef
Improvement Association. He was an
George Morris
original member of the Ontario Grain
Corn Council and played a significant
role in the expansion of corn acreage
in Ontario and the promotion of corn
as a feed for cattle. He also endowed
the George Morris Centre at the
University of Guelph.
Ron Tolton began as a swine
breeder, elite seed grower and cattle
producer. Later he had an influential
career with the Meat Packers Council
(later the Canadian Meat Council). He
worked to improve the quality of meat
from cattle and pigs for the benefit of
producers, processors and consumers.0
Leader in training?
Anyone who has seen Tony Morris in action might wonder if he really
needs further training in leadership but over the next 18 months, Morris and
29 other people from across rural Ontario will get just that They're part of the
fifth class of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program.
Morris, an outspoken member of the executive of the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture, farmer and farm advisor from Mildmay was one of the class
that began its course with a three-day session September 27 to 29 in Guelph.
The group represents a broad spectrum of agricultural backgrounds in
farming, agri-business, farm finance and education. The members of the class
will participate in seminars in several locations throughout Ontario and
participate in a North American and international study tour, observing a wide
variety of leadership styles.
Other members of Class 5 from western Ontario include: Ineke Booy,
Moorefield; Jim Fischer, Walkerton; Robert Reid, Bognor; Linda Stoltz,
Baden; and John VanderBurgt, Dashwood.
Of the 30 members of the class, 19 are full-time farmers, six part-time; 19
are men and 11 women.0
Hay! Here's a
helping hand
It's a long way from Lucan in
northern Middlesex County to the
American midwest, but the helping
hand of Alan Scott stretches that far.
In September, Scott, owner of
Scott's Elevator Ltd. in Lucan, heard
there was still a need for help
because of flood damage in the
midwestern U.S. It may have been
weeks since the flooding of the
Mississippi River made headlines
across the continent, but the suffering
of people in the area hadn't let up,
especially for farmers who lost their
crops under the water.
After he heard of the difficulties,
Scott made some phone calls to see
how he could assist. The calls led
him to organize a truck shipment of
straw and hay bound for Illinois.
On September 25, Alan and his
son Mark and farm manager Gord
Hutchinson, began loading the large
square bales, 18 tonnes in all,
destined for Kaskaskia Island, an
area virtually cut off since the levee
broke months ago during the
flooding. The hay and straw came
from Scott's own 1,000 acre
operation as well as the Ailsa Craig -
area farms of Ron Scott and Clayton
Chabboneau. It took 15 hours for the
shipment to reach its destination
thanks to Harold Steinman, Scott
said. Steinman is an agent for Don J.
Pestell Agri -Products of New
Hamburg.0
New post for Art
Thompson
Art Thompson, who has worked
in the former Dairy Inspection
Branch of Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food serving Bruce,
Grey and Huron counties, has
accepted a new post.
Thompson started his new job
September 13 in the Crops
Department of Ridgetown College.
He is the Corn and Forages
Technician at the college. He had
been with the Dairy Inspection
Branch since September 1970.0