A director of one of the largest organic certification companies in Canada is no longer a member of the professional agrology body in the province where his business is based.
The Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists says it has revoked the membership of Wally Hamm, of OCPP-Pro-Cert Canada, for refusing to follow actions set forth by its discipline committee relating to a complaint filed by a fellow agrologist in 2001.
Hamm said he wasn’t ejected. He resigned for a number of reasons and is now a member of the Alberta Institute of Agrologists.
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“I have the right to practise agrology in Alberta and Canada by virtue of that status,” said Hamm, who is also a principal of Darwall Consultants Inc., an agricultural and environmental consulting firm specializing in soil and crop damage assessment.
His interpretation differs from that of the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists.
“He is not licensed to practise in Saskatchewan,” said Glen Hass, executive director of the Saskatchewan Agrologists institute.
The group says its actions were precipitated by a complaint lodged by David Struthers of Ag Source Professional Agrology Services. Struthers had written a field inspection report relating to a disagreement between a farmer and a chemical company.
Hamm criticized Struthers and his report in a letter that was eventually introduced as evidence in a court case.
“Hamm said some things that were deemed by Struthers to be unprofessional about him personally,” said Hass.
Struthers filed a complaint with the institute in September 2001. A few months later the case appeared before the institute’s professional conduct committee, which found Hamm guilty of unprofessional conduct.
In 2002, the discipline committee issued a written reprimand, saying Hamm’s conduct violated the institute’s code of ethics.
It ordered him to pay a portion of the costs of the disciplinary hearings, which amounted to $12,000.
Hamm refused and the matter went before the Court of Queen’s Bench, which determined he owed the institute a lesser amount of $9,000 minus $400 in court costs.
Hamm claims the institute owes him rent money from years ago when it was a co-tenant in a Saskatoon building complex. He called the SIA actions a “vendetta” against him. That’s why he feels more comfortable with the Alberta Institute of Agrologists, he said.
He regrets using “too strong a wording” in the document where he criticized Struthers and his report, but said the disciplinary hearing was unnecessary.
“Twenty thousand dollars of the members fees was spent on an issue that could have been resolved by a telephone call and a letter of apology.”
Hass said the group took the appropriate course of action.
“When any individual within a profession, refuses to follow the rules of the profession, that is deemed to be a pretty serious offence because professions exist to protect the public.”
The SIA has 934 licensed members.
If Hamm practices agrology in the province without a licence, the matter will be turned over to the RCMP, said Hass.
Ironically, Hamm cited the Saskatchewan institute’s lack of policing as another reason why he switched to the Alberta institute. He said there are “hundreds” of people practicing agrology without a licence in Saskatchewan.
Hamm said the incident won’t affect his certification business because an agrologist licence is not required to run such a company. But it could have an impact on his consulting business.
He said once the money issue is worked out, he will reapply for membership in the SIA.
