2023 Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Finductees. L to R: Laurie Tollefson, John McKinnon, Dorothy Long, Kevin Hursh, Bill Huber (submitted photo/Angela Hall)

By Alice McFarlane

2023 Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame class

Five individuals to enter Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame

Jan 12, 2023 | 3:29 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – The Western Canadian Crop Production Show was used as the backdrop to announce five new inductees into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Bill Huber from Lipton has represented many agriculture programs across Canada and the United States. He was president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association from 2017 to 2020. Prior to that, he was also on the executive of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.

“I had the privilege of sitting on that board for a couple of years, I was involved in an inland terminal that we built and that was a big part of my life and I’ve been an RM counselor for 11 years and on the SARM board for the seven years,” Huber said.

He and his wife, Jan, have hosted numerous field days on their farm for farmers all over the world.

Kevin Hursh is known as the “trusted voice of agriculture.” As a journalist, Hursh revolutionized agriculture and farm reporting in the province as host of ‘Farmgate’ with CTV Saskatchewan. He said when he got started rural residents didn’t have the multitude of channels they have now.

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“People out in rural areas had two or maybe three channels. We had a big share back in those days. We had a lot of people working in ag within the CTV network so that we could do a lot of things,” Hursh said.

Hursh shares his knowledge through consulting and remains the go-to media and communications person for many agricultural industry organizations.

Also going into the Ag Hall of Fame is Dorothy Long of Lloydminster. Long’s background in home economics helped to advance consumer knowledge of food and farming. Long said she focused on teaching.

“The most intimate way that consumers come to agriculture is through the food they eat and that’s where the questions start,” Long said. “That’s where we have to start with our messaging to have a conversation with them.”

Long has been instrumental in organizing and guiding farm tours for dietitians, journalists, and food writers with the goal of connecting rural and urban residents.

The fourth Ag Hall of Fame inductee is John McKinnon from the University of Saskatchewan. McKinnon started his career as a beef specialist and was an expert in beef nutrition. With a PhD in animal science, much of his research focused on the use of by-products. Throughout his career, his projects continually worked to improve efficiencies or lower production costs.

He said entering the ag hall of fame is a major achievement.

“You know, I get to think of some of the people that I’ve worked with over the years and particularly Red Williams, Dave Christianson, and Vern Racz and it’s certainly an honor to join them in the hall,” he said.

McKinnon was also one of the founders of the Western Canadian Feedlot Management School.

Laurie Tollefson spent four decades working at the Irrigation Centre in Outlook. He recently retired as a director.

Tollefson said the research benefitted not only farmers in the Lake Diefenbaker region but those from as far away as Africa.

“The technology we offered wasn’t necessarily rocket science but in places like Egypt it was a basic tenant of soil and water individuals were interested in and we would give courses,” Tollefson said.

He is one of the few Canadians to hold the position of vice president of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage and he was instrumental in bringing the International Conference on Irrigation and Drainage to the province.

Bill Huber, Kevin Hursh, Dorothy Long, John McKinnon, and Laurie Tollefson will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Apr. 15 at Saskatoon Prairieland Park.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW