New faces at the soybean board table

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

The Growers released its new list of board of directors yesterday.

Essex County grower Leo Guilbeault returns as the organization's chair; Kevin Marriott of Lambton and Kim Fysh of Kent will be first and second vice chairs and Elgin County producer John Johnston rounds out the executive.

New directors include: Mark Huston (Kent); Keith Black (Huron); Helmuth Spreitzer (Dufferin, Waterloo, Wellington, Hamilton-Wentworth); Ken Thompson (Bruce) and Dwight Foster (eastern Ontario).

In November, the board's directors came under fire from many in its membership for the decision to pull out of merger talks with the Ontario Corn Producers' Association and the Ontario Wheat Producers' Marketing Board.

In December, after its semi-annual meeting, the board voted unanimously to return to the discussion table.

But in at least two districts, Huron County, District 9 and in eastern Ontario, District 13, growers expressed their disapproval of the controversial November decision by defeating the directors' nominations to become their regional organization's delegates. Board directors are elected from the pool of delegates.

Other board members returning this year include: Harry Buurma (Lambton); Valerie Hobbs (Oxford and Brant); Robert Norris (Perth); Joe Thompson (Middlesex); Joe Hickson (Halton, Peel, York, Durham, Victoria, Northumberland, Peterborough, Haliburton and Muskoka); and Kim Turnbull (Haldimand, Norfolk and Niagara). BF