Ag students honored
Seventeen students in the agriculture diploma program at the University of Manitoba have been recognized with cash awards for their efforts in the industry.
Charlie Swanson, president of Manitoba Pool Elevators, presented awards to five first-year students including Chris Wytinck of Glenboro, Harold Rempel of Randolph, Darryl Flatt of Winnipeg, Graeme Kingdon of Minnedosa and Grant Chambers of St. Pierre.
Second-year students also getting awards from MPE were Doug Pryor of Portage la Prairie, Donna Gemmel of Winnipeg, Jason Johnston of Darlingford, Jason Ferguson of Gladstone and Martin Vansteenbergen of Winnipeg.
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Gemmel and Wytinck also received other awards; Gemmel got the Manitoba Dairy Association prize and Wytinck received the diploma agriculture graduates’ bursary.
Christopher Heaman of Carman won the Landscape Manitoba scholarship. Six other students received Back to the Land scholarships, including Kerry Froese of Winkler, Peter Sanders of Pilot Mound, Franklin Hodgert of Winnipeg, Mark Pritchard of Roland, Joel Lesann of The Pas and David Hunter of Green Ridge.
Special whisky
Highwood Distillers of High River, Alta., launched a new product March 21. Western Stock Growers’ Centennial Rye Whisky is distributed to commemorate the WSGA 100th anniversary and is to be available throughout Alberta.
Highwood Distillers president Ron Stothers said the whisky will be made entirely with Alberta grain, and will be bottled in High River.
New member sought
The Alberta Agriculture and Food Council is seeking new members. The independent body is designed to guide the industry and government toward the goals of Creating Tomorrow, a plan for the agriculture industry.
“Council members believe Alberta’s agriculture and food industry should be profitable, environmentally sustainable, globally competitive and value its people, and they are committed to seeing this happen,” said chair Jim Waters.
Members monitor and report industry progress, try to remove barriers to that progress and consult with industry to determine concerns. Attendance at five to six meetings per year is involved.
Those interested can submit a written nomination by March 31 to Waters at the Agriculture and Food Council, Alberta Agriculture, Policy Secretariat, #301, 7000 – 113 Street, Edmonton, Alta., T6H 5T6.
Dairy co-op appointment
Barry Daku has been appointed as general manager and chief executive officer of the Dairy Producers Co-operative, effective Feb. 21.
At an early March meeting, delegates confirmed the appointment and also gave a “state of the co-operative” statement: “Our company remains in a healthy financial operating position and … we are committed to maintaining and expanding our business as a food processor.”
