Six Northern Ontario families are receiving provincial recognition for their efforts in agriculture.
The families are among 11 to be recognized with a BMO Ontario Farm Family Award in 2019. The awards will be handed out on Sept. 21 during the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo, being held in Verner, about an hour east of Sudbury.
Recipients include:
- the Burgsteden family, which operates B&B Farms in Thunder Bay;
- the Deschatelets family, which operates Leisure Farms in Sturgeon Falls;
- the Parsons family, which operates Parterra and Parview Farms in Sturgeon Falls;
- the Séguin family, which operates Ferme Idéale Ltée in Noëlville;
- the Séguin family, which operates Sucrerie Séguin Sugarbush & Creekbend Farm in Monetville; and
- the Séguin family, which operates Fermes Cascade Séguin Inc. in Noëlville.
The award, given by BMO Bank of Montreal in co-operation with the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA), recognizes recipient families’ focus on sustainability, community involvement, land stewardship and adaptability in their farm management practices.
“For over 200 years, BMO has been a proud supporter of the Canadian agriculture community and, every year, we’re excited to honour the families that exemplify a sense of community, strong values, and hard work – all qualities at the heart of the rural way of life and the agriculture community,” said Steve DeMarco, BMO’s vice-president of business banking in Northern Ontario, in an Aug. 20 news release.
“The BMO Farm Family Awards recognize the contributions made by farmers across the province, and these 11 families demonstrate how heritage and innovation can work hand in hand to further farming in the province.”
The remaining winners are based in Chatham, St. George, St. Eugene, Moose Creek and Woodstock.
Slated to run Sept. 17-21, the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo is the largest event of its kind in North America and attracts roughly 80,000 people annually.
