Two farmers involved in seasonal ag worker program receive international honours Friday, November 29, 2013 by SUSAN MANN Two Ontario horticulture farmers have each received a major award from the Jamaican government for their many years of commitment and service to the seasonal agricultural worker program. Ken Forth of Lynden and Hector Delanghe of Blenheim were each given the Badge of Honour (it’s a medal) in a formal ceremony Oct. 21 on National Hero’s Day at the governor general’s estate in Kingston, Jamaica. They received the award from Jamaican Governor General Sir Patrick Allen on the recommendation of Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller. The ceremony featured Jamaican armed forces personnel in their full red dress uniforms, marching bands and government dignitaries. “We knew this was a great honour,” Forth says. “It was really cool.” contributed photo: Ken Forth and Hector Delanghe Forth says they have received awards previously but “this was a big deal. It’s the most prestigious thing, I think, we’ve ever received.” Delanghe says he was very honoured to receive the award and “humbled because you don’t expect things like that.” The award is bestowed on individuals “for contributions to Jamaica and that’s what this was because of the long time Hector and I have been involved with this program,” Forth says. Delanghe adds that of the 167 medals handed out Oct. 21 only four were given to non-Jamaicans, including the two they got. Forth says the Jamaican prime minister commended them for the economic value the program has provided to Jamaica. The award was to honour the two men for their involvement in helping to run the program and not just as employers of workers. The seasonal agricultural worker program provides farmers in Canada with workers from the Caribbean and Mexico. Forth has been president of the Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) for the past seven years and has been on the board for 21 years. The non-profit organization facilitates and coordinates the processing of requests for foreign farm workers. In addition, he has been an employer of seasonal agricultural workers for 43 years. Delanghe says he has been involved with the program for 40 years and his farm began employing people from the program about two to three years after it started in 1966. Forth says when he received the award notification “it was a little bit of an emotional moment. I never expected anything like this.” According to a FARMS Nov. 28 news release, Ontario farmers hired 15,000 seasonal workers through the program for this year's growing season. BF All he wanted was to put smiles on people's faces says Galbraith Strategy missing for Canadian farmers to meet environmental targets: CFA
Poll Reveals Mixed Public Sentiment on BC Ostrich Cull Decision Thursday, October 2, 2025 Farms.com poll shows divided opinions among Canadian farmers on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull. A recent poll conducted on Farms.com's X account @OntAg aimed to capture Canadian farmers' views on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull in British... Read this article online
New Ontario agrobotics challenge seeking high school submissions Thursday, October 2, 2025 A new competition for Ontario high school students is looking for innovative ways to solve challenges in the ag sector. The AgRobotics Ontario Challenge launched at the end of September. The competition is a collaboration between the Western Fair District, the Ontario Council for... Read this article online
Canada Post Strike Continues to Threatens Agri-Businesses and Rural Communities Thursday, October 2, 2025 The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on the federal government to take swift action to end the ongoing Canada Post strike, warning that the disruption is causing serious harm to small businesses – including many in the agriculture sector. “The government’s... Read this article online
Farmland Values Climb Across the Prairies-Manitoba Leads, Ontario Holds Steady Thursday, October 2, 2025 Canadian cultivated farmland values rose by an average of 6.0 per cent in the first half of 2025, according to the mid-year farmland values review by Farm Credit Canada (FCC). This marks a modest acceleration compared to the first half of 2024, which saw a 5.5 per cent increase. Over... Read this article online
Setting Foundations for Higher Yielding Soybeans Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Farmers can achieve higher soybean yields by focusing on strong foundations and careful field management according to Shaun Casteel, Extension Soybean Specialist from Purdue University, who spoke at the in August. He emphasized that no single method guarantees success—each field... Read this article online