From left to right: Gerry Ritz, Ted Serhienko, Adele Buettner, Jack Hay, Kelly Feige, Christine Pike (representing the Lamont's) Twyla Fisher (representing John Feige). (submitted photo)

By Alice McFarlane

Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame

Saskatchewan Ag Hall of Fame 2020 class

Jan 7, 2020 | 4:29 PM

The newest members of the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame were announced this morning.

Hall of Fame board chair Reed Andrew said Eileen and William Lamont will be the first couple to be inducted.

“We’ve changed our bylaws and constitution a couple years ago to accommodate a couple,” Andrew said. “There are couples in the hall but they’re each there individually on their own merits. This isn’t the first application that came to us. We needed to have an area that we could have a couple go in together.”

The Lamont’s are credited with developing the Speckle Park cattle breed in Canada. The breed began when they purchased a speckled heifer in 1959 and bred the heifer with a black angus bull. Three Speckle Park steers were shown at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in 1972. The breed grew in popularity ever since. The Lamont’s were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Saskatchewan Cattlemen Association in 2016. The couple farmed near Maidstone and were active in their community. The Lamont’s are being inducted posthumously. Eileen died in 2012 and William in 2013.

Adele Buettner has held many leadership roles during her career and is a dedicated volunteer and a sought after public speaker. She founded AgriBiz Communications in 1993, serving the management, marketing and communication needs of agriculture and food organizations and businesses. Under her guidance, the foundation for Animal Care in Saskatchewan grew into the Farm Animal Council, then in 2014 Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan was established with a wider focus on crops and animal agriculture. Buettner was executive director in each of these evolutions. She has provided leadership on many boards, including as past president of Agriculture in the Classroom and Saskatoon Prairieland Park, among other roles.

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John Feige was born and raised in Shellbrook and helped promote beef genetics across the globe through his involvement with the Hereford Association and has a long list of community involvement. He received the Cattlemen of the Year Award in 1991 and the Saskatchewan Livestock Association Honor Roll in 1995. He received the Canadian Hereford Association Honor Roll and was honored at the Prince Albert Exhibition and Saskatoon Fall Fair, both in 1998. He was then honoured posthumously by Prince Albert 4-H in 2005. Feige is being inducted posthumously. He died in 2004.

Jack Hay has lived in the Bradwell area all of his life and is active in his community and in agriculture business. He was a board member of Prairieland Park and was instrumental in developing the Seager Wheeler Pedigreed Seed Show which started in 1994. He served on the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame board for 22 years and was a member of the Saskatchewan Maine Anjou Association for 25 years, including five as chair. He also served as chair of the Agricore United Producer Advisory Group, the Western Development Museum and the Saskatchewan Livestock Association.

Gerry Ritz was Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster from 1997 until 2017 and was Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food for eight years. He played a key role in several international trade initiatives during his tenure including updating legislation to improve grain transportation by rail, as well as privatizing the Canadian Wheat Board. He led the development of the first Growing Forward Initiative in 2008, where the federal government, provinces and territories committed $1.3 billion over five years. He was presented the Beef Industry Innovation and Sustainability Award by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association in 2017.

Ted Serhienko has a long history in the livestock industry locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. T Bar C Cattle Co. Ltd began as a purebred Hereford operation and grew as he saw a need for sales management and consulting services. His knowledge of all breeds of cattle also made him one of the most desired judges throughout Canada, including at Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) and the Toronto Royal, in addition to many 4-H and junior shows across Saskatchewan. He volunteered for more than 30 years with CWA and also brought his leadership to the Prairieland Park agriculture programs as an active volunteer for many years, including serving on the Prairieland Park board of directors.

Andrew said many people have worked tirelessly for the agriculture industry and deserve the recognition.

“The Saskatchewan way is volunteerism,” Andrew said. “We’re the province that knows best about volunteers and it’s what makes agriculture what it is today.”

The official 2020 induction ceremony will be held April 18 at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF