Manitoba Pork Honoured with Philanthropy Award
Manitoba Pork has been honoured with the 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Philanthropy Award (Organization Under 100). Manitoba’s pork sector is proud to make a meaningful social impact by supporting sustainable food security. While our job is to provide a high-quality, affordable protein to the world, we are committed to supporting the well-being of the communities where we live and work.
Our thanks go to Dean Martin Scanlon and the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba for nominating Manitoba pork producers for this significant award
As food producers, a guiding principle for our philanthropic activities is to help ensure food security in our communities, partnering over the years with organizations such as Siloam Mission, the Salvation Army and Winnipeg Harvest, Brandon’s Samaritan House Ministries, and Steinbach’s South East Helping Hands. Every year, we donate more than two tonnes of pork products to those needing a hand up.
Manitoba Pork is pleased to advance agricultural literacy through our support for organizations like Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba and the University of Manitoba’s Bruce D. Campbell Farm & Food Discovery Centre, along with other agri-education events. Our goal is to help further the public’s knowledge and understanding of how their food is produced, so that they can make well-informed decisions about their food choices.
As producers of a high-quality, nutrient rich protein, it makes sense for us to promote active and healthy lifestyles by partnering with grassroots sports organizations and health-related charities that help advance patient care, services and programming. And, of course, our support for the culinary arts in provincial community colleges encourages up-and-coming chefs and foodies to use pork in new and innovative ways.
“The Manitoba Pork Council inspires us with their philanthropy. From their unswerving support of local charities and in-kind donations to foodbanks and international hunger relief, they lead the way in contributing to healthy communities. We particularly appreciate their commitment to agricultural education and we are so pleased they are being recognized for their efforts,” noted Dr. Martin Scanlon, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba.
Manitoba Pork Chair George Matheson said: “Manitoba’s pork producers enjoy making a meaningful social impact by supporting the communities where we live and work. We know that something as simple as a pork sandwich can make a huge difference in someone’s day. We are proud to help make that difference.”•
Western Ag Supply Expands Team
Western Ag Supply Inc. is very excited to announce that Darcy MacDonald has joined their team as a Sales Manager, as of November 1st, 2019! Darcy is based out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and in this role, he will be helping WAGS build and manage their business in the SK, Central/Northern AB, and Northern US regions.
Darcy has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan, with a focus on Animal Science, and also brings 19 years of experience in the agriculture industry to the WAGS team, of which, almost 14 years of this experience has been directly in the animal nutrition space. Darcy has previously worked as a Nutrition Consultant for 7 years, where he was responsible for account management, as well as diet formulation, and in-barn consulting.
“I am very excited to be back working with growers in animal agriculture to help them achieve both performance and profitability goals on their farms, with the help of a very strong team behind me at Western Ag Supply”, said Darcy. When he’s not working to help his customers, Darcy very much enjoys coaching his two sons, Flin and Russell, in baseball, and also enjoys fishing, golfing, and camping with his wife, Robin, and their boys •
Maple Leaf Hands Out Awards
At the recent yearly producers meeting on November 20th in Lethbridge at the Exhibition Park following dinner awards were presented in various catergories.
Hog Delivery Performance Award – Keho Lake Colony
Meat Quality – Spring Point South Colony
Weight in Core over 200 hogs – Bluegrass Colony
Weight in Core under 200 hogs – Willow Creek Colony
High Index Award – Baker Colony
Overall Signature Award, which takes in all criteria into consideration – East Cardston Colony. •
Alberta Pork Adds to Team
Bijon Brown joined Alberta Pork in November 2019 as a Production Economist. He is responsible for analyzing market information, studying cost of production and providing a regional perspective on economic data and Alberta Pork’s impact in rural communities.
Bijon holds a Ph.D in Agriculture and Resource Economics from the University of Alberta, along with a Master’s in Cultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan and an undergrad degree from his home country, Jamaica. •
New Ag Minister for Manitoba
Midland MLA Blaine Pedersen is Manitoba’s new Minister of Agriculture and Resource Development replacing Lakeside MLA Ralph Eichler, who is the new Minister of Economic Development and Training, a new department. •
