News
New inductees into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame
Jan. 7, 2013, Saskatoon, SK - Four individuals will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame for 2013. They are Lorne Babiuk, Zenneth Faye, Gordon Rowland and Sara Williams.
Lorne Babiuk
Dr. Lorne Babiuk was the visionary and strategist who made VIDO-InterVac (Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre) not only a Saskatchewan institution, but known around the world for its leadership in animal vaccine development. Its products, such as vaccines for calf scours and shipping fever, have dramatically improved both the health of animals and the economic return for western Canadian farmers. Lorne Babiuk's work has been recognized internationally by a wide range of organizations.
Zenneth Faye
Zenneth Faye was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission and he served as the first chair of the organization. Active in many provincial and federal initiatives, Zenneth has also been a leader in his local community at Foam Lake. In 1996, Milligan Biotech was incorporated at Foam Lake, the first commercial bio-diesel plant in Western Canada, utilizing non-food grade canola seed. Zenneth is respectfully referred to as "Mr. Biodiesel" by some colleagues.
Gordon Rowland
Although he began his plant breeding career at the University of Saskatchewan's Crop Development Centre in 1971 with a focus on faba beans, Gordon Rowland's greatest crop breeding contributions have been with flax. His first flax variety release was Vimy in 1986 and it became a catalyst for the tremendous growth in Saskatchewan's flax acreage in the 1990s. Many other varieties followed and for the past decade, Gordon Rowland's flax varieties have accounted for close to 80 per cent of all the flax acres in Western Canada.
Sara Williams
As the University of Saskatchewan's Extension Specialist in Horticulture, Sara Williams developed programs to support Saskatchewan gardeners. She developed courses to be delivered both in person and through correspondence, she wrote articles for publications and magazines, and engaged in radio and television programs on gardening topics. She also gave presentations to agricultural and horticultural societies throughout the prairies. Sara has contributed to many publications and has the award-winning book "Creating the Prairie Xeriscape."
The induction ceremonies for the four new members will take place August 3 and 4 in Saskatoon. The Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame is housed at Saskatoon's Western Development Museum. Information on the SAHF and all the past inductees can also be found at www.sahf.ca.
January 7, 2013 By SAHF
