Bill George named 2017 Niagara Peninsula Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association Award of Merit recipient

Mar 09, 2017

The Grape Growers of Ontario are honoured to announce that Bill George was named as the recipient of the 2017 Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (NPF&VGA) Award of Merit at a special event held at Balls Falls last evening.

“The NPF&VGA is pleased to present Bill George with the 2017 Award of Merit in recognition of the time and dedication he has given to the grape and wine industry in Niagara,” said Jeff Duc, President, Niagara Peninsula Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association.

Bill, pictured with his wife Leslieann and NPF&VGA President Jeff Duc (photo credit: Denis Cahill) was first elected to the Grape Growers of Ontario’s Growers’ Committee and to the Board of Directors in 1994, and was re-elected every year until he stepped down in 2016. In 2001 Bill was recognized by his peers and named Grape King to represent Ontario’s grape growing industry to government, media and other grape growing regions. Following his term as Grape King, Bill was elected Vice Chair in 2003, and became Chair of the Board in 2007. In January 2017, Bill was elected Vice Chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association.

"Bill led the GGO through many challenges with determination, integrity and always with a focus on achieving the best possible outcome for the Ontario grape and wine industry,” said Matthias Oppenlaender, Chair, Grape Growers of Ontario. “He added so much value over his nine years as Chair and left the industry balanced and strategically positioned for growth when he stepped down.”

“I enjoyed my time on the Board of the Grape Growers of Ontario, and miss my day-to-day interactions with my peers and staff,” said Bill George. “Grape growing is in my blood and I will always be interested in the future of Ontario’s grape and wine industry.”

Source: Grape Growers of ontario

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.