Since 1947, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) has honoured an individual with the Award of Merit.

Two long-serving individuals in the horticultural industry were honoured at the February 20 Annual General Meeting.

Harold Schooley, apple and lavender grower from Windham Centre, Ontario, was applauded for his 15 years as OFVGA section chair for research. This is a demanding role requiring the review of hundreds of research proposals and winnowing out those most deserving of funding. More recently, Schooley served as chair of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies. Throughout his farming career, he has shared his talents generously with his community while modernizing the original apple farm with new tree varieties and practices.   

Craig Hunter, OFVGA research and crop protection advisor for more than 18 years, was celebrated for his expertise on provincial, national and international committees. He came to the association after early retirement from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, where he worked on pest management programs. Most recently, he has provided practical input, on behalf of growers, on the PMRA’s re-evaluation of several key pesticides. He will be chairing the Minor Use Priority Setting Meetings for the last time from March 20-23 in Gatineau, Quebec. He has announced his retirement for the end of June 2018.

For the complete story, watch for the March 2018 print edition of The Grower.