Fred Tait

Fred Tait has devoted his life to advocating for a healthy environment, thriving rural communities and sustainable farming throughout Manitoba and across Canada. Fred has lived experience, having come from a farm family and continuing that tradition himself. Fred was born on February 20, 1942 at the Portage La Prairie hospital. His parents, Norman and Margaret Tait, brought up Fred and his 2 younger brothers on a small farm near Rossendale, Manitoba. Fred describes it as a subsistence farm where the cattle, pigs, and chickens raised along with crops grown, fed the family. Fred attended a one room schoolhouse in Rossendale from kindergarten to grade 8 and then attended the high school there for grades 9 and 10. He had...

Allan Preston

Dr. Allan Preston has spent his career advancing agriculture, imparting his infectious love for the industry, and doing his utmost to make rural Manitoba and Canada a stronger and more vibrant place. Dr. Allan was an exceptional student and a student leader growing up in Hamiota, MB. After high school, he attended university and then was accepted to Vet School in Saskatoon, SK. Following graduation, he moved back to Hamiota and joined his rural veterinarian practice and worked with his dad on the farm. Allan didn’t just help animals, he immersed himself in the community and took a leadership role in most community initiatives including guiding the Hamiota Agricultural Society, chairing the Hamiota Community Foundation, and being an active 4-H...

Don Flaten

Don Flaten, Ph.D., FCSSS, FSSSA, FASA, P.Ag. Dr. Don Flaten is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba, where he retired in 2021 from his position as Professor in Nutrient Management and Crop Nutrition. Don has however not retired from publishing research papers and maintains a considerable farm, industry, government, and media extension program as well as being an advisor to research funding organizations. From 1987 until 1999, Don was the Director of the School of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba, primarily responsible for curriculum delivery and management of the Diploma in Agriculture program. Professor Flaten was also an Associate Dean from 1990 to 1994. From 1999. Dr. Flaten focused on teaching...

Hugh Drake

Hugh Frederic Drake was born on March 18, 1944 in Elkhorn, Manitoba, Canada and passed away on December 26, 2023. In 1904, Hugh’s grandfather, also named Hugh Frederic, moved to a farm outside Elkhorn where he farmed with his son, Hugh. He married Myrna, and today, their two sons Darwin and Dwayne run a 22,000-acre grain, oilseed and livestock operation. Hugh’s grandson Danny is the fifth generation on the Drake farm and operates a forage harvester business as well as farms with the family. In 2004 the Drake family celebrated being a century farm, 100 years working together on the family farm. Hugh attended Elkhorn High School and dedicated most of his life to service on various boards within the...

Dawson, Allan

Allan Dawson, born on February 28, 1956, is widely respected for his significant contributions to the evolution of agriculture in Canada. Throughout his esteemed career in agricultural journalism, he demonstrated an unwavering dedication to fact-based reporting and advancing the industry’s growth and development. Growing up in the Altamont area, Allan assisted his stepfather Glenn Wilson on their Altamont farm, tending to cattle, haying and crop production. He was active in his high school in Miami, Man., winning the Midland School Division Oratorical Contest and serving as school president and valedictorian. Allan’s journalism career began in 1980 as the farm director at CISV Radio. He freelanced for The Valley Leader and Grainews before joining the Manitoba Co-operator in April 1983. Later,...

Eskin, Dr. Michael

LISTEN NOW: Grain Elevator and Processing Society / Whole Grain Podcast (March 2024) / CANOLA CHRONICLES: UNVEILING THE REMARKABLE EVOLUTION, WITH DR. MICHAEL ESKIN Dr. Michael Eskin is a highly respected figure in the Canadian agricultural industry, renowned for his exceptional contributions to canola innovation and utilization. Since beginning his tenure at the University of Manitoba in 1968, Dr. Eskin has played a pivotal role in transforming canola into the country’s most profitable food crop. Throughout his career, Dr. Eskin’s scientific breakthroughs have propelled canola research forward. His pioneering work includes characterizing enzymes responsible for fatty acid breakdown in canola and demonstrating optimal frying parameters and stability for various food products. He has also highlighted the hedonic attributes and preservation...

Jayas, Dr. Digvar

Dr. Digvir Jayas was born in Mant, India and educated at India’s G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, the University of Manitoba and the University of Saskatchewan. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Registered Professional Agrologist. Dr. Jayas’s record as an agricultural researcher, educator and administrator has established him as a world leader and expert in grain storage and handling research aimed at preserving valuable food and grain products from degradation and spoilage. His mathematical modeling of the physical, chemical and biological factors in stored grain ecosystems is now applied to grain, oilseed and pulse storage and handling systems around the globe. He has led the world in image processing and machine visioning for grain handling and...

Stobbe, Dr. Elmer

Elmer Stobbe was born and raised on a small farm near Abbottsford, British Columbia.  He graduated from the University of British Columbia and Oregon State University, then went on to be a professor and agronomist at the University of Manitoba for 27 years.  Elmer was married to Wilma for 56 years and together had three children Sandra, Colin and Russel, who the family lost at eight years of age. It was through his faith that Elmer was able to lead his family and students through that difficult time. Credited as the “grandfather” of zero-tilling, Elmer’s pioneering roles in crop management, weed control, seed production and grain intercropping made him a leader in “sustainable farming” practises, even before the term was...