Tommy Cooper Award
The 2011 Tommy Cooper Award was awarded April 13th at the Elmwood Community Centre
Barb Klages of Elmwood, winner of the 2011 Tommy Cooper Award
A woman who is advocating for the rights of small abattoirs in Grey Bruce has
won the Tommy Cooper award. Barb Klages of Elmwood was shocked to
receive the annual award that honours the person who has made the greatest
contribution to local agriculture and rural living. Klages admits she
was just honoured to be nominated.
Klages believes her work to save small
abattoirs is important -- and it has showed her that people are paying more
attention to what they put in their mouths. She also believes more and
more people are aware of where their food comes from in a bid to lead a
healthier lifestyle.
Klages has also volunteered with numerous groups in
our region -- including the Malcolm Women's Institute. She urges other
people to get involved with local groups and to talk to people to learn how to
play an important role in our community. Klages is worried too many
people are focused on themselves and not others around them.
Klages was
one of three nominees for this year's award -- getting more votes than Paul
Wettlaufer and Warren Weppler. Klages -- who was nominated by the Bruce
County Federation of Agriculture -- is a co-founder of the Bruce County 4-H
Leaders Council. Jenny Amy was also honoured Friday night with the Award
of Merit for her work as Chair of the Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary
Association.
- Bayshore Broadcasting News
Looking back... a recent history of Tommy Cooper Award winners
Jack Riley of Paisley, winner of the 2009 Tommy Cooper Award
This years' winner played a pivotal role in organizing the 2008 International Plowing Match in Bruce county. Jack Riley of Paisely is the winner of the Tommy Cooper award. He was nominated by the Bruce county Federation of Agriculture.
Riley has been a member of the Federation for 35 years, he is a past chair of the Bruce county plowmen's association. Riley is also director on the Saugeen Conservation authority. He was the first farmer east of Manitoba to devote land to the Food Grains Bank, in 1991. The grain grown that year was donated to Ethiopia. Jack Riley was Chair of the 2008 International Plowing Match in Bruce County.
In total, Seven people were nominated for this year's Tommy Cooper award. The Tommy Cooper award goes to the person who has made the greatest contribution to agriculture and rural living. It commemorates the late Tommy Cooper, a well known provincial government agricultural representative in the area who was instrumental in founding the Grey Bruce Livestock co-operative.
- Bayshore Broadcasting News
Robert Emerson, winner of the 2008 Tommy Cooper Award
Ripley area beef producer Robert Emerson is the most recent winner of the annual Tommy Cooper award
for outstanding contribution to agriculture in Bruce Grey.
Emerson says it's a tremendous honour to be recognized by his peers
in farming and he is glad to share it with previous winners that date back to
1959.
Emerson was nominated by the Bruce County Federation of
Agriculture -- in part for his work as Past President of the
group.
Emerson feels most proud of his work lobbying federal and
provincial politicians and creating a good relationship to improve
agriculture, but he says more work needs to be done to improve
agriculture locally and across the province.
Emerson notes that agriculture
will soon pass auto manufacturing as the number one industry in Canada and he
wants governments to do more to help farmers. He says they need to
focus on the cost of production to increase the profit margin -- and that will
attract more young farmers.
Emerson also feels food security and food safety will continue
to be big issues for Canadians.
- Bayshore Broadcasting News
