Alfred Galarneau, Stewart Brandt and Joan Harrison have been honoured for their contributions to the organic community.
Galarneau of Radville, Sask., was presented with an Organic Pioneer Award. About 30 years ago, he realized that consumers were paying a premium for grain produced without chemicals. He was already farming chemical free, and decided to pursue the marketing aspects as well.
He was able to market his first load of chemical free grain in the early 1980s.
Gaining consumer confidence was important so Galarneau began looking for reliable, independent organic certifiers. He helped form the first Organic Crop Improvement Association chapter in Western Canada.
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By the late 1980s, Galarneau and his family built a cleaning plant and began working with other farmers to meet the growing consumer demand. They eventually installed a full cleaning line so they could offer mill-ready grain. By the mid-1990s, they formed Prairie Heritage Seeds. Today, the company markets grain from more than 50,000 acres and Galarneau remains an integral part of the operation.
Brandt of Scott, Sask., was presented with an Organic Researcher Award for his long commitment to organic research and extension work.
One of Brandt’s major achievements is the Alternate Cropping System (ACS) study, which includes three organic rotations. Brandt initiated this study in 1994, long before studying organic systems was a safe career move. He was able to convince a large number of Agriculture Canada scientists to join with the Scott research farm to make the study a key project that has recently been recognized by an Agriculture Canada Gold Harvest Award.
In the ACS, organic farmers were consulted on approach and methods for the organic system. The study looked at nine different crop production systems involving various crop rotations combined with high, reduced or organic levels of fertilizer, herbicide and fuel use.
The ACS study has shed light on organic cropping issues, such as soil and weed management, energy use and economics. It also helped to develop research expertise in organics and provided a focal point for communication between organic farmers and researchers.
Brandt has collaborated with other scientists on a number of additional projects, including studies of green manures, cultivar comparisons and organic soil amendments. He has been a mentor in the scientific community and resource in the organic community.
Harrison of Loon Lake, Sask., was presented with an Organic Hero Award. She was honoured for her long-term dedication to organic food and organic farmers.
Harrison started out as an organic consumer in the 1970s. In those days, getting organic food meant working with others to create organic food co-ops – first Magpie and then Steephill.
Harrison served on the Steephill board in the 1980s, shepherding it through difficult early years.
Harrison was involved in the groups that eventually evolved into the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate (SOD). She was a SOD board member for years, including a term as secretary. Within SOD, she worked as an advocate for the Organic Agriculture Protection Fund, the class action lawsuit promoting the right to eat and farm without genetically modified crops; as a supporter of the Organic Product Information Service; and as a member of the production team of Synergy magazine and the SOD newsletter. She has served on the Organic Connections board for each of the conferences.
The awards were presented at the November Organic Connections gala banquet in Saskatoon.
Brenda Frick, senior research and extension associate for Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada at the University of Saskatchewan, welcomes comments at 306-966-4975 or organic@usask.ca. OACC articles are archived at www.oacc.info.
