Several deadlines looming in the Agricultural sector as far as nominations for various award programs are concerned.
December 1st is the deadline for nomiantions for the Premier’s Award for Agri Food Innovation Excellence.
The Premier’s award is worth 100 thousand dollars, while the Ministers award has a prize of 50 thosuand dollars and there are 55 regional awards of five thousand dollars each.
Meaford area garlic producer David Freeman won the Ministers 50 thosuand dollar award last year for developing freeze-dry technology and building a state-of-the-art processing plant.
More details are available at the local OMAFRA office in Walkerton.
December 1st also is the deadline for nominations to be made for the 2009 Outstanding Young Farmers Program within the Ontario region.
Nominees may be an individual, couple or managing partner/shareholder of a farm group.
To qualify, the nominee must derive a minimum of two-thirds of gross revenue from farming and not have reached the age of 40 as of January 1 in the year of competition.
Canadas Outstanding Young Farmers program is now in its 29 th year and is an annual competition to recognize farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture, and rural Canada.
The Ontario regional event for Canadas Outstanding Young Farmers Program will be hosted in conjunction with the Western Fair Farm Show on March 9-11, 2009.
One farmer or farming couple will be selected to represent the Ontario region at the National Awards Program, to be held in Ottawa in December, 2009.
Nomination forms are available by calling 519-836-2583 or emailing Karen Daynard, OOYF Coordinator at kdaynard@sympatico.ca.
