FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, November 5, 2020 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) announces the results and next steps in the nomination and election process for the positions of Crop Committee delegates. The nomination period took place starting September 1 and ending October 30, 2020.

Corn Committee: Carl Bangert (Beausejour), David Boerchers (Laurier), Dean Toews (MacGregor), Emile Morin (Otterburne), and Hubert Preun (St. Andrews) were nominated for the four available crop committee delegate positions. With five nominees for four positions, an election will take place where farmer members in good standing with MCA’s corn group will be eligible to vote.

Flax Committee: Dean Buchanan (Crystal City), Jack Hodgson (Roland), Lance Bierens (Winnipeg), and Lorne Johnson (Arborg) were nominated for the four available crop committee delegate positions and are thereby elected by acclamation. They will join Andrew Harris (Winnipeg), Eric Fridfinnson (Arborg), Garry Froese (Winkler), and Nick Matheson (Stonewall) to form MCA’s Flax committee.

Sunflower Committee: Edgar Scheurer (Dugald), Korey Peters (Randolph), Myles Kubinec (Holland), and Sally Parsonage (Baldur) were nominated for the four available crop committee delegate positions and are thereby elected by acclamation. They will join Gilbert Sabourin (St. Jean Baptiste), Gregg Fotheringham (Reston), Mark McDonald (Virden), and Roger Vaags (Dugald) to form MCA’s Sunflower committee

Wheat and Barley Committee: Boris Michaleski (Ashville), Fred Greig (Reston), Josee Saquet (Laurier), Rauri Qually (Dacatoh), and Sheila Elder (Wawanesa) were nominated for the five available crop committee delegate positions and are thereby elected by acclamation. They will join Doug Martin (East Selkirk), Drew Baker (Beausejour), Robert Misko (Roblin), Ryan Hueging (Woodlands), and Wilfred Harder (Lowe Farm) to form MCA’s Wheat and Barley committee.

Avenue 4 Communications will be the returning officer for the Corn Committee delegate elections. The election will be conducted by mail-in ballot. Ballots will be mailed to eligible corn group members mid-November with voting closing on December 15, 2020.

The acclaimed and elected delegates will be installed at the first Crop Committee meetings to be held in January 2021. At the meeting, the four crop committees will make their director appointments to the Manitoba Crop Alliance board. The MCA board will be announced prior to the annual general meeting being held virtually on February 11, 2021.

Manitoba Crop Alliance extends its sincere appreciation to out-going delegates Allan Olinyk, Cam Laxdal, Charlene Lewandoski, Chris Raffard, Dennis Thiessen, Devin Toews, Hugh Drake, Luc Remillard, Patrick Friesen, and Reginald Johnson and for their service and contribution to Manitoba wheat, barley, corn, sunflower, and flax farmers.

About Manitoba Crop Alliance:

Manitoba Crop Alliance is a non-profit organization established August 1, 2020 representing over 9,000 farmer-members. Manitoba Crop Alliance puts their farmer-members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization by focusing on four main areas: research, agronomy, market access and development, and communications. It is through investment in these key areas that Manitoba Crop Alliance can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Pam de Rocquigny
Chief Executive Officer
Manitoba Crop Alliance
204.745.6661 | pam@mbcropalliance.ca

Rej Vermette
Returning Officer
Avenue 4 Communications
204.961.1213 | rej@avenue4.com