Friday, March 22, 2024

New pork leaders to be chosen soon


Ontario’s new board of directors will elect its leaders next following the annual meeting this week in Guelph.


There will be a new chairman because John de Bruyn is retiring.


Also leaving the board of directors are Maaika Campbell and Mike Mitchell.


Philip Van Raay was elected to a three-year term as director at large, T.J. Murray to a two-year term and Eric Schwindt to one year.


The zone directors elected earlier at zone meetings are Karen Sanders for zone one, Tanya Terpstra and Tara Terspstra for two, Amo Schober for three, Jolanda Van Den Broek for four and Bruce Hudson for five.



Ken McEwan was awarded the Ontario Pork Industry Award for his career teaching agribusiness management courses and conducting agricultural economics research at the University of Guelph's Ridgetown campus.  


Bob Hunsberger received the Ontario Pork Producer Recognition Award for his dedication as a long-serving member of the Waterloo Pork Producers’ Association, for being instrumental in launching Conestoga Meat Packers and the Ontario Pork council, as an economist, researcher, and visionary.


“Bob's involvement has been critical across numerous initiatives in the swine sector, dating as far back to late 1970's,” Ontario Pork said.


“He is credited with using early computer models for optimizing feed rations, testing management strategies, developing automated feeding systems, and creating farm business planning tools. Among the list of projects Bob helped develop include - a modified open front finishing barn, a tilt wall insulated sandwich wall farrowing barn, a metric barn, a large pen system for dry sows, a floating aerator, pre-casting of concrete slatted floor panels, dirt lots for summer feeding finishing pigs,” his citation read.


Ironically he failed to win election as a zone three delegate this year.


Never under-estimate the stupidity of voters.