Mark and Laura Hoimyr, their children, Anna and Jeremy, and Mark’s parents, Lyle and Judy Hoimyr, of Box H Land and Livestock near Gladmar, Sask., are this year’s recipients of the Saskatchewan Environmental Stewardship Award. The family has installed extensive cross-fencing and 13 miles of shallow water pipeline to improve grazing distribution, litter cover and land usage across their native and tame pastureland. Their rotational grazing system now includes stockpile grazing, bale grazing, and cover-crop grazing toward meeting their stewardship goals of improving plant diversity, drought tolerance, soil health, rainfall infiltration and land productivity. Riparian fencing and planting eco-buffers conserves habitat for species at risk and other wildlife.
Jason Pollock is the new chief executive officer of Livestock Services of Saskatchewan, the industry-run brand inspection agency. He has been a part of the LSS team since 2013, acting as senior adviser and board secretary and recently interim CEO. Previously, he spent a number of years in executive positions at Canadian Western Agribition and the Canadian Cowboy’s Association, and provided consulting services to the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency. Along with his family, he operates Pollock Ranching southwest of Maple Creek.
Kelly Daynard was appointed executive director of Farm & Food Care Ontario last month, after filling the role on an interim basis since the departure of Tracey Hussey in January. Daynard joined FFCO’s predecessor, the Ontario Farm Animal Council, in 2005 as its communications manager. Many cattle producers will remember her from her time as the communications manager of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association from 1998 to 2005.
Janice and Trevor Tapp of Copper-T Ranch (see photo at top) near the Village of Fraser Lake are the recipients of the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association’s 2017 Ranch Sustainability Award. In particular, the couple is credited for their efforts to restrict cattle access to all water sources on the ranch, including two creeks feeding Fraser Lake and 1,500 feet of the lake’s shoreline, to help protect riparian areas and water quality in the lake, which is a popular recreation area and the municipal water source.
Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) congratulated Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) CEO Mark Allan last month on his decision to retire next March 31. Allan served as general manager of the CWA from 1987 to 1991 and again in 2001 before moving over to REAL which operates Evraz Place, the 100-acre exhibition grounds that hosts Agribition every year plus Canada’s Farm Progress Show, the Regina Pats hockey team and numerous other events. “It’s pretty obvious by looking at the grounds that Mark will leave the property in a better place than when he found it, and as a leader of any organization, that’s the best you can hope for,” says CWA CEO, Chris Lane.
Dayne Whelan of Grandora and Keisha Senum of Spiritwood are this year’s winners of the $1,500 Beef is Your Future bursaries offered by the Livestock Marketers of Saskatchewan (LMS) and the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. The bursary is available to Saskatchewan high school students entering an agriculture program at a Canadian institution. The recipients were selected based on academic standards, leadership in their communities and a demonstrated interest in the cattle sector.
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Dr. Angela Cánovas, a beef researcher at the University of Guelph, has received the Young Scientist Award from the Canadian Society of Animal Science that recognizes the achievements of new members of the research community. The award consists of a plaque and a cheque for $1,000 and is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in research in any area of animal and/or poultry science, and who have held their PhD for a period not greater than seven years. The young scientist award is sponsored by Masterfeeds.
Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives (MBFI) is receiving $125,000 from Co-op Community Spaces to help fund the construction of the Learning Centre of Excellence at the MBFI’s Brookdale site. The centre will provide a gathering place for producers, industry leaders and the public to learn about the results and implications for food production of MBFI’s research program. Co-op Community Spaces has provided $4.5 million to more than 60 projects across British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta since 2015.
Jean Szkotnicki , the president of the Canadian Animal Health Institute is one of three women to be inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Calgary on November 30. Szkotnicki has led the CAHI for the past 25 years. She sits on numerous industry boards, including the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, and as chair of the animal health product regulatory advisory committee to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Joining her will be ag consultant Robyn Anderson, and livestock photographer Patty Jones.
Kim McConnell of Okatoks, Alta., was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada at a ceremony on June 30 for his leadership in promoting Canada’s agricultural industry and his extensive engagement in causes supporting youth, entrepreneurship and rural communities. McConnell is founder and former CEO of AdFarm, the agriculture marketing communications firm, sits on the 4-H Canada board of directors and is a member of the 4-H Foundation board, and was inducted into the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2012. He was also a board member of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency and one of three men who devised the Straw Man plan that eventually led to the creation of Canada’s National Beef Strategy.
