The Grape Growers of Ontario has honoured Ken Forth with the 2019 Award of Merit for his career-long commitment to farm labour. The broccoli grower has been a leading force in supporting Canadian farmers and the international farm workers who are so critical to horticulture’s success in Canada.

He is president of the Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Service (FARMS), a federal program that coordinates seasonal workers from Mexico and the Caribbean, and chair of the Labour Issues Coordinating Committee (LICC). 

A third-generation broccoli grower in Lynden, Ontario, he also serves as the chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association’s (OFVGA) labour section and sits on the trade committee of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC). He is a past president of both the OFVGA and CHC. 

In 2013, Forth was one of two Ontarians awarded the prestigious Badge of Honour for Long and Faithful Service by the Prime Minister of Jamaica for his dedicated service to the Farm Work Program. In addition, he will be awarded an Honorary PhD from the University of Guelph this year. 

Source: Grape Growers of Ontario, April 4, 2019 news release