Award for swine official
Lee Whittington has been recognized by the Canadian Agri-Food Awards of Excellence. Whittington is the manager of information services with the Prairie Swine Centre, a non-profit research and technology organization located at Elstow, Sask.
The centre is affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan. Whittington received the honour for his dedication and vision in establishing the Pork Interpretive Gallery at the Swine Centre.
The Pork Interpretive Gallery allows visitors to view the operations within a modern commercial pig barn without entering the facility. The concept enables better understanding of the hog industry without breaching modern biosecurity precautions.
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DP World just opened its new canola oil transload facility at the Port of Vancouver. It can ship one million tonnes of the commodity per year.
Whittington received the honour at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto last month.
Guided tours of the PIG facility are available to interested individuals, groups or school classes. They can be arranged by contacting Jessica Podhordeski, the agricultural education co-ordinator for the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board in Saskatoon, at 306-343-3508.
Co-op holds elections
The Western Farm Leadership
Co-operative held its first annual general meeting in Saskatoon, Nov. 15-16. Wayne Truman of Fairlight Market Centre was re-elected board chair for a second term.
Randy Penner of Winnipeg Market Centre was elected vice-chair. Elected for a second term on the board of directors were:
John G. Bumbac of Moose Jaw, Sask., Wayne Husak of Brandon, Alfred Robinson of Balgonie, Sask., Brian Lewin of Lloydminster, Cecil Opheim of Melfort, Sask., Keith Liebaert of North Battleford, Sask., Terry Oleksyn of Prince Albert, Sask., Earl Campbell of Rosetown, Sask., Gary Hanson of Saskatoon, Ted Sells of Swift Current, Sask., and Trent Crow of Yorkton, Sask.
Newly elected members included Dave Rainforth of Crossfield, Alta., Wayne Anderson of Foam Lake, Sask., and Eric Gutsch of Lavoy, Alta.
FLC is a producer-led organization that focuses on providing educational training opportunities designed to help producers maximize the value of their operations.
FCC chair
Farm Credit Canada has a new board chair. The appointment of Gill O. Shaw was approved Nov. 2.
Farm Credit Canada has been offering financial and business services to the agricultural community since 1959.
It works with other financial and agricultural institutions to finance a range of farm-related projects to help strengthen rural Canada.
New company recognized
Edmonton-based BioNeutra Inc. was named Emerging Company of the Year at the BioAlberta Awards Gala held last month. BioNeutra’s pilot plant converts Alberta wheat, barley and potato starch into a healthful sweetener.
It officially opened in August with a $200,000 cash infusion from the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food program, an Agriculture Canada program administered in Alberta by the Agriculture and Food Council.

The plant produces a low-calorie sweetener called VitaSugar, which has an organic structure that improves digestive health. It is already being sold to a Las Vegas company that makes breakfast bars. The program provided $200,000 in funding for the project under Pillar II – Capturing Market Opportunities by Advancing Research Results.
The goal of the Agriculture and Food Council of Alberta is to promote the province’s agriculture, food and life sciences industries with the aim of developing globally competitive, profitable and sustainable ventures.
