OTTAWA, Ontario June 11, 2015 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is proud to announce Perryhill Farm's Dwayne and Becky Perry (New Brunswick), Ferme Bois Mou's Mario Lefebvre and Denise Joyal (Quebec), as well as UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre's management (British Colombia) as finalists of this year's edition of the Dairy Farm Sustainability Award. Sponsored by DeLaval Canada, this prize recognizes Canadian dairy farmers who proactively adopt on-farm management practices that are environmentally sustainable, financially viable, socially beneficial, and can be replicated on other farms.
"Dairy farmers are leading the way in continuously seeking means in which to reduce their impact on the environment and improve the sustainability and viability of their farms, for their families, neighbouring communities and future generations," said DFC president Wally Smith.
A committee comprised of eight dairy and sustainability experts from across the country has selected three farms as finalists:
- Perryhill Farm Inc. (Perry Settlement, New Brunswick): Dwayne and Becky Perry's installations are impressive on many fronts, from record-keeping to cropping and forages. Their profound community involvement particularly caught the judges' attention.
- Ferme Bois Mou 2001 Inc. (St-Félix-de-Kingsey, Quebec): Mario Lefebvre and Denise Joyal's farm stands out for its outstanding recycling, the impressive number of on-farm trials conducted and their commitment to continually improving cropping practices.
- UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre (Agassiz, British Columbia): This farm's management markedly impressed judges in the areas of animal welfare, innovative practices implemented on the farm and community involvement in matters pertaining to dairy farming awareness.
In their own way, the finalists have elevated sustainability practices to new heights by constantly searching for new, more efficient ways to reach for the goals outlined by DFC. For example, all three farms are involved in continuing research on some aspect related to dairy sustainability, such as Greenhouse Gas Emission accounting at Perryhill Farm, cropping practices at Ferme Bois Mou and animal welfare at UBC. Sharing these practices with neighbouring farms and opening their doors to the public also come naturally to these farmers.
"DeLaval is proud to team up with the Dairy Farm Sustainability Award to support our customers and help them meet their challenges," added Andrew Ritchie, managing director, DeLaval Canada. "We are committed to improving the environmental and social performance of operations and also supporting our customers to be more sustainable."
DeLaval will join DFC in announcing the winning farm during DFC's Annual General Meeting on July 15 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The winner will be awarded a trophy and a $2,000 cash prize on this occasion. The runners-up will each be granted $1,000 during the annual meetings of their respective provinces, next fall.
About Dairy Farmers of Canada
DFC is the national organization representing Canada's dairy farmers, striving to create stable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future. Among other activities, DFC invests in research that will continue to reduce farming's impact on the environment and promotes practices that improve sustainability and viability of dairy farms, as well as save money and energy. To learn more, visit dairyfarmers.ca.
SOURCE Dairy Farmers of Canada (Corporate)
No comments:
Post a Comment