Ray Robertson, credited with the founding of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association in 2010, was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2022. Robertson is the general manager of the Ontario Forage Council. He also was CFGA’s Leadership Award winner in 2022.
Robertson said he recognized the need for sharing information across Canada. His vision included the creation of a unified voice for shared political concerns and needs. He added that, unlike cereals, oilseeds and pulse crops, there was no such thing as a checkoff for development and marketing of forages.
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Wayne Digby headed the active forage council in Manitoba at the time and he helped Robertson move his dream into reality. Western Canada was further advanced in its forage knowledge at the time, but all players saw merit of a national organization, says Robertson.
High-quality hay was then being exported abroad. Soil health was a great concern. Robertson knew that only high-quality soil could produce high-quality hay. A stronger organization, he surmised, would help to get funding programs in place to boost development of greater knowledge and development of the crops.
