GUELPH – Each year, BMO and the Ontario Plowmen’s Association honour families and their contributions to the rural way of life, with the BMO Ontario Farm Family Awards.
The BMO Ontario Farm Family Awards recognize the outstanding contributions made by farmers across the province by bringing the community together to celebrate both these exceptional families and the vital urban-rural relationship.
“Agriculture is a vital part of the Canadian economy, and we think it’s important to give back and recognize the families that are making significant contributions to the rural way of life,” said Julie Barker-Merz, Regional President of Southwestern Ontario, Canadian Personal & Business Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal. “We look forward to celebrating this year’s award recipients.”
“Ontario’s farm families contribute in many significant ways to their community and the rest of the province,” says OPA Executive Director Cathy Lasby. “They lead by example, as stewards of the land, as agri-food industry leaders and helping their community. “They uphold the traditions of the past while strengthening Ontario's economic growth. It is truly an honour to recognize them.”
Recipient families will be formally recognized for their dedication to Ontario's agriculture sector and the rural way of life at the 2019 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in Verner (West Nipissing), Ontario, on Saturday, September 21, 2019.
BMO Ontario Farm Family Awards, which have been handed out annually since 2012, have seen the efforts of 72 families throughout the province celebrated.
Hosted by the OPA, in collaboration with a local committee, the International Plowing Match (IPM) and Rural Expo is an annual five-day celebration of agriculture and rural living, featuring plowing competitions, hundreds of vendors/exhibitors, demonstrations, live entertainment and much more. It’s held in a different Ontario community each year. The IPM attracts about 80,000 people annually and is the largest event of its kind in North America.
Source : plowingmatch