Past Recipients: Farmer of the Year Award

2019 Farmer of the Year

The Manitoba Egg Farmers Farmer of the Year Award honours an individual egg farm for exemplary egg production practices including on-farm food safety, production management, animal care initiatives, and community service. After a tight competition, we are pleased to announce that the 2019 Farmer of the Year Award goes to Mr. and Mrs. Jason and Esther Thiessen at Schoen Eggs Producer Ltd.

Jason and Esther represent the third generation on their family farm that mainly produces grains. The interest of diversifying their farm operation motivated Jason to apply for MEF’s laying hen quota draw. In 2010, Jason’s name was drawn for 6,000 laying hens and their egg barn with a Salmet enriched housing system went into production in January 2011.

Jason’s family are always keen on adopting new technology for better farm management. Since their first flock, they have upgraded their environmental controller, added a feed mill as well as a misting system which has helped reduce mortality during the very hot days. Their egg facility has consistently attained a superior rating under the national on-farm food safety and animal care programs over the years.

Jason is passionate about promoting the egg industry. He served on the Audit Committee for MEF for several years and participated in MEF’s Director Development program. He often represents MEF at Ag Awareness events such as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. He commented that those events have been an excellent opportunity for him to share experiences with consumers, neighbours and friends. Changes in animal welfare practices along with pressures on supply management are a challenge, but are also opportunities for egg farmers like Jason to be innovative and become better managers. Jason would like to thank the farmers from the past for the vision they had to create a system that is good for consumers and egg farmers alike. Jason and Esther feel strongly that egg farming has a future for their family and possibly for generations to come.

2018 Farmer of the Year

Congratulations to 4D Farms for being selected as Manitoba Egg Farmers’ 2018 Farmer of the Year. This award honours Eric and Sandra Dyck’s family for their exemplary egg production practices including on-farm food safety, production management, animal care initiatives, and community service.

4D farms has been in egg production since 1967. Eric and Sandra represent the fourth generation on their family farm and the third regulated egg farmers. Along with their mother Susan and three children, they all work very closely in the family operation. They are passionate about egg farming and their facility has consistently attained a superior rating under the national on-farm food safety and animal care programs over the years.

Eric and Sandra are keen on adopting new technology to continuously improve the farm management. In 2013, they switched from conventional cages to an enriched housing environment. They upgraded to a new controller system, which allows them to collect more data from the egg barn in order to make better management decisions to care for the hens. Recently they participated in Manitoba Hydro’s program and installed a 144kw solar power system at the farm, which not only saves the energy costs but also improves the environmental sustainability of the farming operation.

Eric and Sandra have a passion for farming and love to share it anytime when they have an opportunity. They are actively involved in many Ag Awareness events that promote the egg industry such as Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, Eggstravaganza, World Egg Day, and host tours at their facility to new immigrants and inner-city youth.

In addition to egg production, Eric and Sandra also farm 3,000 acres of grain, oil seeds, and forage seeds, as well as an alfalfa seed pollination business.

2017 Farmer of the Year

Congratulations to Ferme D&S Gaultier for being selected as Manitoba Egg Farmers’ 2017 Farmer of the Year. This award was presented to Don and Shannon at the Annual General Meeting on March 7th, by Board Director Doug Pauls. This award honours the Gaultier family for their exemplary egg production practices including on-farm food safety, production management, animal care initiatives, and community service.

Don grew up outside of Notre Dame de Lourdes and graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1999 with a Diploma in Agriculture. Shannon grew up in Regina, and studied Business Management at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon. With their interest in agriculture, they applied through MEF’s New Entrant Program and in February 2013, their name was drawn for 6,000 laying hen quota. Less than one year later, in January 2014, they welcomed their first flock to their brand-new egg barn with Hellmann enriched cages and Maximus operating system. Along with their three sons Brenden, Gaby and Christian, they all work very closely in the family operation. They are passionate about egg farming and their facility has consistently attained a superior rating under the national on-farm food safety and animal care programs over the years.

Don and Shannon are very keen in promoting our industry and supporting the local community. They both participated in the Egg Farmers of Canada Young Farmers Program. Don often represents MEF at Ag Awareness events such as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and Ag in the City and he is currently a member of MEF’s Audit & Finance Committee. They have supplied birds to the Red River Community College for the Veterinary Technician education program. With their free time, Don has sat on the board for their local church and was part of the finance committee for the new construction of the Wellness Centre in Notre Dame. Shannon has managed several of the boys’ baseball teams as well as volunteered shifts at the local poker derbies and curling bonspiels.

2016 Farmer of the Year

MEF’s annual Farmer of the Year Award honours a farmer who is exemplary in his or her egg production practices including on-farm food safety, production management, animal care initiatives, and environmental sustainability. At the Annual General Meeting on March 8, MEF director Doug Pauls announced the 2016 Farmer of the Year recipient was Rod Toews from Rocky River Farms.

Rod grew up on his parents’ layer farm near Ste. Anne, Manitoba and in the 80s he started his own farm in Elma with broiler chickens and hogs.

When MEF announced a quota draw in 2009, his family members applied and his daughter Ashley won 6,000 laying hen quota. A year later, the Toews built a laying hen barn with enriched Hellmann cages including perches, nest and dusting boxes, and manure drying pipes. This was one of the firstly fully enriched barns built in Manitoba.

The Toews’ laying hen facility consistently attains a superior rating under the national on-farm food safety and animal care programs. Rod and his wife raised two daughters and one son who help them on the farm.

2014 Farmer of the Year

This annual award honours an individual farmer who has earned outstanding achievement in a variety of criteria including on-farm food safety practices, production management, animal care initiatives and environmental sustainability. At the recent Annual General Meeting, we were pleased to announce the 2014 MEF Farmer of the Year Award goes to Don and Myrna Giesbrecht.

Don grew up on the farm which he took over from his parents in 1994 and carried over a proud tradition of excellence. His poultry facilities exemplify efficiency in on-farm food safety practices. Both layer and pullet barns are Part 3 accredited. The layer barn scored a perfect 100% four years in a row under the national on-farm food safety and animal care programs.

Although Don has a small operation, he does not shy away from investing in his facilities. Both pullet and layer barns were upgraded with new equipment after he took over. Don has proved to be environmentally conscious as two storage buildings were built to ensure manure is handled properly on his farm.

Congratulations Don and Myrna!

2012 Farmer of the Year

The Farmer of the Year Award honours an individual farmer each year who has earned outstanding achievements in a variety of criteria including On-Farm Food Safety Practices, Production Management, Animal Care Initiatives, and Environmental Sustainability. After a tight competition, we are pleased to announce the winner of the 2012 Farmer of the Year Award is Randy Wiebe of Image Creek Farms Ltd.

Image Creek Farms is one of the most forward thinking and innovative farms in environmental management. To better manage layer manure, they purchased a windrow machine and have achieved success in windrowing and field storage experiments. They also exemplify excellence in on-farm food safety practices. Both layer and pullet barns are Part 3 accredited, and scored a perfect 100% in 2012 under the national on-farm food safety and animal care programs.

Congratulations, Randy and Image Creek Farms!