Terry Daynard of Guelph-Eramosa has been named the 2014 recipient of Farm and Food Care’s Champion Award.
The award was presented at Farm and Food Care’s annual meeting on April 16 by Bruce Christie, a board member for the organization.
Daynard was nominated for the award by Ontario Agri-Food Technologies (OAFT).
Daynard has dedicated his entire career to working in Ontario agriculture since graduating from the University of Guelph almost 50 years ago.
He is both a former professor and assistant dean of the Ontario Agricultural College, former executive director of the Ontario Corn Producers’ Association, and continues to farm with his wife in Guelph-Eramosa Township.
In writing the nomination, Gord Surgeoner of OAFT explained that, “Terry not only defends issues but thinks ahead.”
Surgeoner mentioned Daynard was instrumental in developing the Ontario Environmental Farm Plan and wrote the forward-thinking Our Farm Environmental Agenda, which Surgeoner described as a “timeless” document.
Recently, Daynard has embraced social media using his blog and twitter as a way of communicating the value of science and innovation in agriculture to many, fostering discussions on sustainability for the future.
Bruce Christie described Daynard as a worthy candidate.
“Daynard is a champion of agriculture in many ways. He is respected as a farmer, scientist, innovator and agricultural advocate, speaking up and advocating sound science even in the presence of criticism by those that don’t agree with him,” Christie said.
The award was originally created in 1999 by the Ontario Farm Animal Council to recognize individuals, organizations and businesses that have helped to inform the public or the agri-food industry about animal agriculture.
With the amalgamation of the Ontario Farm Animal Council and AGCare, the award was renamed the Farm and Food Care Champion award in 2012. It is presented annually to a worthy agricultural advocate.
