With the 2020 Agriculture Hall of Fame nomination deadline looming, a look back at the most recent recipients.
Alberta’s Agriculture Hall of Fame recognizes up to 3 people every 2 years who have dedicated their lives to agriculture and their rural communities. As the nomination deadline of May 15 approaches, we look back at the 2018 inductees - Garnet Altwasser, Ron Howard and Dietrich (Dieter) Kuhlmann.
Garnet Altwasser has been a leader in Canadian agribusiness during his 30-year term as president and chief executive officer of Lakeside Farm Industries. He saw the potential of Alberta's climate and agronomy to add value to the province's large ranching base. Altwasser co-founded and grew Lakeside Farm Industries into one the largest single-site feeding operations in Canada. With the establishment of a beef packing plant in Brooks, he also began the process of modernizing and growing Canada's beef processing industry. He was one of the first commercial adopters of Temple Grandin's cattle handling designs. Today, Alberta's cattle feeding and beef processing industry is large-scale and globally competitive, thanks in large part to Altwasser's long-range vision and leadership
Ron Howard has spent more than 4 decades supporting the growth and development of high-value crop industries in Alberta, working with more than 50 different types of crops and plant species as a research, extension and diagnostic plant pathologist. He has developed many groundbreaking protocols, screened hundreds of horticulture, specialty and field crop varieties and breeding lines for disease resistance, and evaluated more than 200 chemical and biological control products for efficacy against pathogens in these crops. Howard was integral to the expansion and development of the research facilities at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry's Crop Diversification Centre South, including the design and construction of the current state-of-the-art greenhouse research complex. Howard's greatest impact has been in his training of and influence on generations of farmers, agronomists, students and professionals.
Dietrich (Dieter) Kuhlmann has been a leader in growing Alberta's horticulture industry for more than 50 years. Three generations of family are now actively involved in running Kuhlmann's - the greenhouse, garden, and market, originally founded by Kuhlmann and his wife Elizabeth in 1962. To this day, they have maintained their focus on outstanding relationships and selling direct to the customer. He has been an ongoing champion for the horticulture industry and the success of other growers, demonstrating that they can all benefit by learning and working together. Kuhlmann is past-president and founding member of the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association, and he also worked to establish Sunfresh Farms, a grower-owned packing and distribution facility, bringing better revenues to member farms.
Since 1951, the Hall of Fame has celebrated the accomplishments of men and women who have dedicated their lives to agriculture and their rural communities. The 135 inductees have been innovators and risk takers in every area of agriculture.
Source : alberta.ca