Two farmers involved in seasonal ag worker program receive international honours Friday, November 29, 2013 by SUSAN MANN Two Ontario horticulture farmers have each received a major award from the Jamaican government for their many years of commitment and service to the seasonal agricultural worker program. Ken Forth of Lynden and Hector Delanghe of Blenheim were each given the Badge of Honour (it’s a medal) in a formal ceremony Oct. 21 on National Hero’s Day at the governor general’s estate in Kingston, Jamaica. They received the award from Jamaican Governor General Sir Patrick Allen on the recommendation of Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller. The ceremony featured Jamaican armed forces personnel in their full red dress uniforms, marching bands and government dignitaries. “We knew this was a great honour,” Forth says. “It was really cool.” contributed photo: Ken Forth and Hector Delanghe Forth says they have received awards previously but “this was a big deal. It’s the most prestigious thing, I think, we’ve ever received.” Delanghe says he was very honoured to receive the award and “humbled because you don’t expect things like that.” The award is bestowed on individuals “for contributions to Jamaica and that’s what this was because of the long time Hector and I have been involved with this program,” Forth says. Delanghe adds that of the 167 medals handed out Oct. 21 only four were given to non-Jamaicans, including the two they got. Forth says the Jamaican prime minister commended them for the economic value the program has provided to Jamaica. The award was to honour the two men for their involvement in helping to run the program and not just as employers of workers. The seasonal agricultural worker program provides farmers in Canada with workers from the Caribbean and Mexico. Forth has been president of the Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) for the past seven years and has been on the board for 21 years. The non-profit organization facilitates and coordinates the processing of requests for foreign farm workers. In addition, he has been an employer of seasonal agricultural workers for 43 years. Delanghe says he has been involved with the program for 40 years and his farm began employing people from the program about two to three years after it started in 1966. Forth says when he received the award notification “it was a little bit of an emotional moment. I never expected anything like this.” According to a FARMS Nov. 28 news release, Ontario farmers hired 15,000 seasonal workers through the program for this year's growing season. BF All he wanted was to put smiles on people's faces says Galbraith Strategy missing for Canadian farmers to meet environmental targets: CFA
$18.4M Boost for Canadian Cereal Grain Innovation Thursday, September 19, 2024 Gate Project Receives Major Funding for Research Canada's position as a pioneer in cereal grain research is set to strengthen with the Gate Capital Campaign raising $18.4 million. This funding will support the Global Agriculture Technology Exchange (Gate) initiative, a project... Read this article online
BASF introduces Surtain herbicide for field corn growers Tuesday, September 17, 2024 Field corn growers in eastern Canada have a new crop protection product available to them. After about 10 years of research and trials, BASF has introduced Surtain, a residual herbicide for corn that combines PPO inhibitor saflufenacil (Group 14) and pyroxasulfone (Group 15) in a premix... Read this article online
We Didn’t Start the Fire! Impacts of Wildfire Smoke on Corn Monday, September 16, 2024 Assistant Professor of Corn Production at Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, Daniel Quinn, PhD. recently provided fascinating insights into the impacts of fire on major corn producing areas, many of which have been impacted by smoke from wildfires. Quinn was the keynote... Read this article online
New home for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario Saturday, September 14, 2024 The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO) has announced it has moved into its new office building in Ingersoll. Located at 274620 27th Line in Ingersoll, the new office will serve as the hub for CFFO’s ongoing efforts to advocate for and support Ontario’s Christian farmers.... Read this article online
Canadian Ag Youth Council Welcomes new Members Saturday, September 14, 2024 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced the latest members to join the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council (CAYC). This update introduces nine fresh members alongside thirteen returning youths, marking a significant step towards involving young voices in agricultural... Read this article online