Flax commission elects directors
New directors have joined the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission.
Dave Sefton of Broadview and Jordon Hillier of Southey will sit on the board for three-year terms, while Nancy Johns of Zelma fills the remaining year of a vacant three-year term.
They join Erwin Hanley of Regina, Shane Stokke of Watrous and Greg Sundquist of Watrous.
Seven percent of eligible voters returned ballots.
SaskFlax represents 6,000 flax growers in the province.
Lafond receives pulse legacy award
Read Also
Land crash warning rejected
A technical analyst believes that Saskatchewan land values could be due for a correction, but land owners and FCC say supply/demand fundamentals drive land prices – not mathematical models
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers has honoured the late Guy Lafond with its second Pulse Legacy Award.
The Agriculture Canada researcher’s career significantly affected soil conservation and improvements to prairie agricultural practices.
His agronomy research altered the way pulses are grown in Saskatchewan.
Lafond was well known and respected in the direct seeding soil conservation movements.
He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a master’s degree before earning his PhD from the University of Saskatchewan.
He was instrumental in establishing the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation in the early 1990s.
Holstein Canada has new directors
Holstein Canada has elected new directors by acclamation:
- Angus MacKinnon of Coaticook, Que., will serve as director for Quebec at large. He has a 1,200 acre operation with his brother, Peter, and milks 150 cows under the Buckland prefix.
- Nancy Beerwort of Martintown, Ont., is the national director for eastern Ontario. She milks 80 cows under the Cherry Crest prefix and maintains a 520 acre operation in Glengarry County, of which 405 acres are owned and 115 rented.
- Ben Cuthbert of Ladysmith, B.C., will serve as national director for British Columbia. He milks 120 cows under the Silvermaple prefix and has a 335 acre operation on Vancouver Island.
New research centre receives funding
A new dairy research centre at the University of Guelph is receiving $3 million in federal funding.
The money is in addition to $20 million from the Ontario government, $1 million from Dairy Farmers of Ontario and $1 million from other industry contributors.
The facility, which will be located in Elora, will conduct research in health, reproduction, nutrition, animal well-being and value-added milk components.
Innovation funded in Western Canada
The Association of University Research Parks Canada has received $125,000 in federal funding to link foreign investors with western Canadian innovation companies and develop a best practices guide.
The project will focus on finding investment in the information and communications technology, biotechnology, clean and environmental technology, ocean technology and nanotechnology sectors.
DuPont appoints business director
Collin Phillip is DuPont Pioneer’s new business director for Eastern Canada. He will work out of the company’s Chatham, Ont., office.
Phillip received a bachelor of commerce-entrepreneurial management degree from Royal Roads University, a master of marketing degree from the University of Melbourne and a master of business administration from Simon Fraser University.
Youth in action grants available
Youth in Action grants are available to anyone in southwestern Alberta younger than 22.
The program, which is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, funds projects initiated and organized by young people. Projects should benefit the local community and residents while being fun and innovative.
Examples of past funded projects include a youth talent show, a portable sound system to use when performing at seniors facilities, creating new banners and a mural in a school library, redesigning a section of a community with public art, creating birthday party bags that help children from low-income families and helping seniors garden and scrapbook their stories.
The deadline is Feb. 16.
For more information, call Caitlin at 403-328-5297 or email office@cflsa.ca
Application forms can be submitted at cflsa.fluidreview.com.
Excellence award for ag students
Agricultural students have the opportunity to win a $1,500 excellence award sponsored by Farm Management Canada and the Canadian Association of Diploma in Agriculture Programs.
The award is designed to encourage students to improve and develop their communication and leadership skills by asking them to voice their opinion on a subject related to farm management.
Students need to submit a multimedia presentation, video, Twitter chat, blog or Wiki that responds to the question:
“How can the agricultural industry best support young farmers looking to succeed in an ever-competitive and complex global marketplace?”
Students can apply at www.fmc-gac.com no later than May 8.
Horse industry recognizes veterinarian
The Horse Industry Association of Alberta has presented Dr. Wayne Burwash with a distinguished service award.
Burwash grew up on a mixed dairy farm near Balzac, Alta., and graduated with distinction in 1969 as part of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s first graduating class.
He was among the first to carry out commercial embryo transfer in Canada with Bob Church from the University of Calgary.
In 1977, Burwash opened Burwash Equine Services, which specialized in equine care.
Since 1980, he has been president of the Veterinary Commission for international Competitions at Spruce Meadows near Calgary.
He was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association in 2000 and won the Communicators Award in 2004.
Burwash was also a founding member of the Alberta Quarter Horse Breeders Group, helping to establish quality horse sales locally as well as internationally by marketing Alberta-bred horses to Europe.
He has been a producer of American Quarter Horses for more than four decades and a leading breeder for the Alberta Horse Improvement Program.
Suicide prevention app launched
A new mobile app created by Klinic Community Health Centre and the Winnipeg Suicide Prevention Committee is available for free to Manitoba residents.
It is designed to help people cope with the stresses of life and prevent suicide.
The Manitoba government, the Winnipeg Foundation and the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation provided support for the Calm in the Storm app.
A key feature provides tips that could help individuals with suicidal thoughts.
The app can be downloaded at www.calminthestormapp.com.
For more information, email twall@klinic.mb.ca or call 204-794-8903.
