Hypor partners with Hy-Gene Swine Management Ltd.
Hypor is pleased to announce partnership with Hy-Gene Swine Management Ltd., owned and operated by Dave Jolicoeur based out of Steinbach, MB. This partnership will help serve the Manitoba and Minnesota markets with added focus on the retail sector.
Dave brings with him 27 years of experience in the swine industry through all areas of production, as well as an extensive sales background. Dave’s advanced production knowledge, strong work ethic and outgoing personality have demonstrated success in providing great service and products to customers.
Hy-Gene Swine Management Ltd. will be working closely alongside Darren Bates – Hypor, Key Account Manager for Western Canada, providing proven Hypor products and superior customer service as we continue to provide additional value to this exciting and dynamic industry.
Dave, along with his wife and 2 children reside in Steinbach, MB and are looking forward this new opportunity. Hypor aspires to strengthen the industry together and is enthusiastic about the value this partnership will bring. •

Fast Expands Team
Fast Genetics is pleased to announce that Thomas Gilbraith has been appointed as its newest Account Manager for Manitoba. He will be responsible fo maintaining current clients and developing new relationships throughout the province.
Thomas has a diverse portfolio of over 13 years of experience in many facets of agricultural operations including manufacturing, distribution, logistics, and procurement; knowledge complemented by a deep familarity of agricultural lending products and programs.
Thomas grew up on a dairy farm in Manitoba after his family moved to Canada from England in 1992. He then graduated from teh University of Manitoba with an Agriculture Diploma in 2007.
Thomas and his wife Lindsay, and two children now live in Selkirk, MB.
We are very excited to welcome Thomas into the Fast Genetics family and believe his experience, involvement, and education in the industry will most definitely be an asset for our team. •

Topigs Norsvin Hand Out Awards
Winnipeg, Manitoba and Stratford, Ontario are the two locations where Topigs Norsvin says a special “Thank-you” at annual Customer Appreciation & Awards Dinners. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 this year, they were not able to meet in person and celebrate the successes with all their customers.
The summary of the 2020 production award winners and runner-up winners are listed by category.
Herds <500 sows

Farrowing Rate: Winner Keho Lake Colony (AB) 94.81% Runner-up Ponteix Colony (SK) 91.44%

Pigs Born Alive/litter: Winner Springfield Hog Farm (MB) 14.88 Runner-up Glenlea Swine Barn (MB) 14.68

Pigs Weaned/Sow/Year: Winner Cool Spring Colony (MB) 33.39 Runner-up Horizon Colony (MB) 31.65

Herds 501-1200 sows

Farrowing Rate: Winner Evergreen Colony (MB) 96.7% Runner-up Garden Plane Colony (SK) 93.4%

Pigs Born Alive/litter: Winner Evergreen Colony (MB) 16.02 Runner-up Trileaf Colony (MB) 15.41

Pigs Weaned/Sow/Year: Winner Evergreen Colony (MB) 33.76 Runner-up Trileaf Colony (MB) 32.04

Herds >1200 sows
Farrowing Rate: Winner Sierra Swine Inc (MB) 92.8%
Runner-up Sunnybrook Swine Site 2 (MB) 92.6%
Pigs Born Alive/litter: Winner Morris Piglets South (MB) 14.33
Runner-up Morris Piglets North (MB) 14.27
Pigs Weaned/Sow/Year: Winner Rhineland Pork (MB) 30.45
Runner-up Super Gro Gilts 1A (MB) 29.66
In addition each year they present an award for the best new start up herd.

Winner for Western Canada was Hidden Valley Colony (MB). Average Parity 2.21; Born Alive/Litter 13.99; Weaner/Litter 12.90; Weaned/Mated Female/Year 29.47.
Congratulations to all the winners. •

Manitoba Pork Welcomes New GM
The board of directors of Manitoba Pork is pleased to announce that Cam Dahl will be joining the organization as its new general manager, effective February 22, 2021.
 Dahl joins the organization with an extensive background in Canadian agriculture encompassing both crops and livestock, having most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer for Cereals Canada. Prior to his time at Cereals Canada, Dahl served as general manager of the Manitoba Beef Producers, as a commissioner for the Canadian Grain Commission, and as executive director of Grain Growers of Canada.
 In addition to his professional experience, Dahl has served on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund and is a past-president of the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame.  Dahl holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Science, both from the University of Manitoba.
 The board of directors wishes to thank outgoing general manager Andrew Dickson for all his contributions over his 15 years with the organization and congratulates him on his retirement. •

Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame
Welcomes Two From the Hog Sector
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry ceremonially inducts up to 3 individuals every 2 years. The Selection Panel is appointed by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and is comprised of a cross-section of panellists representing Alberta’s agriculture industry.
Due to public health measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, the in-person 2020 Agriculture Hall of Fame Ceremony was cancelled. The 2020 inductees will be formally recognized at an event, likely in 2021, when it is safe to gather.
Videos about the two recipients can be found on the alberta.ca website. Found under subheadings: Business and Economy/Agriculture/Rural life/Agricultural awards program and finally Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame

David Price
David Price has been an innovator and visionary in swine genetics, production, processing and marketing for more than 50 years. As founder, past-president and director of the Sunterra Group of Companies, his leadership was integral to building a fully integrated family-run food company with top-quality pork and a true farm-to-fork business model. His ability to see opportunities, but not compromise on quality or service, was a critical pillar to the company’s success. Price’s contribution to the advancement and expansion of pig breeding and marketing in Alberta and across Canada laid the groundwork for future producers’success.
George Visser
With a strong commitment to the farming community and a keen interest in modern, up-to-date farming practices, George Visser has been a leader in the agricultural community since the 1970s. Visser could see that specializing in commodities would be important and led the way by setting up a 130-sow farrow-to-finish operation and a 5,000 laying hen operation on his farm. Others followed suit and, during the 1980s, the Neerlandia region became one of the most concentrated hog production areas in Alberta. Visser was instrumental in giving producers in Alberta a unified voice during his tenure on the Alberta Agriculture Products Marketing Council.