Awards are created to celebrate the hard work of people involved in the hog industry, including producers, processors and all the suppliers and agencies that serve them.

That’s the primary reason for the annual awards banquet that has become a highlight of Alberta Pork Congress, held for the 43rd time in Red Deer during mid-June, said co-emcee Ron Jones while introducing the evening program with trade show President Nick Korver.

“We’re here to recognized people who have worked hard in our industry. We’re celebrating all of that hard work,” said Jones.

Pork Congress awards this year were offered to recognize Ken and Maria Hamoen of Sand Ridge Genetics as the

The 2017 Farm Team Award was granted to Ken and Maria Hampoen of Sand Ridge Genetics for the growth and development of their successful breeding program.

Farm Team, Ruurd Zijlstra from the University of Alberta as the Industry Ambassador and swine breeder Walter Preugschas for Lifetime Achievement.

Also presented were booth awards for the exhibitors and Olymel’s Reach for the Top awards for the best performers from among its 200-plus producers.

The Hamoen’s, whose Farm Team award was sponsored by MNP, purchased their farm from Ken’s dad in 2002 and started their genetics company in 2007. They had cleaned out the herd a couple of years earlier to get rid of some disease issues, and then had an opportunity to purchase a nucleus herd from Murray Roeske. The herd has since grown to include two multiplication units, one on the home site and the other on his brother’s farm, with all members of the family involved.

“I started just with the nucleus herd from Murray’s, the Rosebriar herd, and it grew from there. The demand was greater than I had supply for,” said Ken in a video presentation included with the award.

Selection for breeding animals is an ongoing process, starting with weaners and continuing until the pigs are of breeding age. Information collected on the animals is available to customers.

“We’re an open book in that respect.” Hamoen says he works with a close network of family, customers, suppliers and service providers, developing a business model based on trust, honesty and open discussion.

“(We owe) a special debt of gratitude to Murray Roeske. We were very green at the beginning. He came quite a few times to the place to give me pointers, he showed me the places where I could go to get good genetics. He was a great mentor.”

At Pork Congress the next day, Roeske declined to accept any credit for getting Ken and Maria started in the direction that brought them to where they are now.

“He’s his own man,” said Roeske.

Next up was nutritionist Ruurd Zijlstra, chair of the U of A’s Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition as well as a leading member of the Banff Pork Seminar’s organizing team.

The Industry Ambassador award, sponsored by Real Solutions Plus, recognizes Zijlstra’s years of work within Alberta and around the world on behalf of the swine industry.

In his presentation, Zijlstra said he started working with pigs while attending university in the Netherlands. He moved from there to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and, in October of 1996, moved to Canada to join John Patience at Prairie Swine Centre.

“Here in Western Canada, we have a very unique physical climate and economic system that is quite different from Eastern Canada and the US,” said Zijlstra in his video.

“Absolutely, I get questions about how do we raise and produces pigs here in Alberta and what are the feedstuffs you are using and how do you make best use of those feedstuffs,” he said, emphasizing the highly desirable colour and taste of the resulting pork.

Research at the U of A looks at how to continue producing food for the planet in a manner that is sustainable within the environment as well as socially and economically.

“Hopefully, that’s where I can play a little part, is on the feed-cost side of things.”

In his address to the crowd, he said he was pleasantly surprised and honoured to receive the award. The Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Nutrition Partners and offered this year to Walter Preugschas, honours producers who have dedicated their lives to their industry, said Jones.

“The legacy that goes beyond this award, is to see the work that’s been done, to see the fruits of what these people do from their lifetime of achievement,” he said.

Preugschas, President of Peak Swine Genetics and Barr West Pork Ltd., said his family started its own genetics operation at Bloomsbury Farms, near Barrhead, in 1978. With animal health becoming more important during the early ‘80s, he and his family decided they wanted to clean up the farm, but preserve their genetics. They moved the herd to another site, and then performed Caesarean sections on key sows to bring clean pigs back to the farm.

Eventually, they produced a high-health herd that enabled them to market more animals to people who were becoming more conscious of disease issues within their own production units.

Peak Swine Genetics was formed in the early 90s by five swine breeders who got together to address the changing face of Alberta’s industry, where smaller breeders were dropping out and bigger commercial farms were becoming more common.

At the same time, a smaller company was formed to export genetics and Barr West, a 2,500-sow commercial operation, was established involving investment from Taiwan as well as local investors. Throughout its years in genetics and commercial production, the Preugschas operation has hosted practicum students from all over the world who have gone on to make their own mark in the industry, he says.

“It’s humbling to get recognized this way by the industry.”

With his wife, Marj at his side, Preugschas offered a litany of thanks in accepting his award.

Booth awards were again offered to exhibitors who excelled in creating inviting and comfortable spaces that compelled visitors to stop and chat. First place this year went to Crystal Spring Hog Equipment, operated by Jonathan Kleinsasser and crew from the Crystal Spring Colony in St. Agathe, MB.

“The first-place winner had a great use of space, comfortable, different meeting area, good use of colour and light,” said Jones. “I know this group has been a big part of the Alberta Pork Congress for a number of years, so congratulations to Crystal Spring.”

Second place was Monitrol followed by Avonlea Interior Products in third.

Awards wrapped up with presentation of Olymel’s Reach for the Top Awards, conducted by procurement manager Don Brookbank and plant manager Rob Ackerblade.

Reach for the Top awards, including cash and a plaque, are set up on a point system that rewards producers who consistently meet plant targets, including animal health, food safety, core weight and core lean. A grand champion is also awarded to the producer who has the best overall performance.

This year’s Grand Champion was Alix Colony, represented by Jake Hofer, who has won in one of the four categories in the past.

High Health was awarded to first-time winner Jacob Entz representing Twilight Colony.

Food Safety went to John Entz at Britestone Colony, who was Grand Champion in 2011 and 2012.

Core Lean was awarded to David Tschetter of Holt Colony, who won in the same category five years ago.

John Wipf of Fairville Colony, recipient of the Core Weight Award for the second year in a row, was consistently within 90 per cent of the target weight.

2017 is the 14th year for the Reach for the Top Awards, offering a total of $3,000 in prize money at $500 in each of the four categories and $1,000 to the Grand Champion, said Brookbank.

“We continue to focus the awards on these types of things because they are management practices for specific carcass attributes,” he said.

“These are the things we think the producers can directly control. Choice of genetics, of course, makes a difference. We have to have a proper marbling, fat cover and so on.”

Olymel draws from more than 200 production sites that deliver hogs to its Red Deer plant. •

— By Brenda Kossowan