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