Rising Star Award – Dr. Rienske Mortier of Prairie Livestock Veterinarians
Dr. Mortier stumbled into the pork industry “absolutely by accident” in 2021, but it is where she found her passion.
“I became enamoured by all parts of the pork industry,” said Mortier, of Airdrie.
After training as a veterinarian in her native Belgium, Mortier concentrated her work in the dairy industry. She later moved to Canada to take her PHD and continued to work in the dairy industry. She worked as a veterinarian with small animals, but said something was “missing from me” when she worked only with small animals. She refound her passion when she began working with pigs.
Mortier credits the many teams within the pork industry that helped her along the way and why she feels passionate about her job. Working with nutritionists, veterinarians and producers is a way to problem solve and learn from each other.
Mortier said receiving the Rising Star Award “ is truly a milestone for my career.”

Industry Innovation Award -Pine Haven Farms
If the Pine Haven Hutterite Colony wanted to continue to raise pigs, they knew they needed to change from just raising hogs to processing and marketing hogs, said Tim Hofer, general manager of Prairie Farm Foods.
In 2015 the colony depopulated the 400-sow farrow-to-finish barn and totally renovated and modernized the barn that was designed to send all its pigs to its new processing facility. The new processing facility was built from 2017 to 2021 with the “most advanced technology of food processing available,” said Hofer.
“We are constantly looking for ways to innovate to make the processor more efficient, more effective and safer. We are constantly wanting to be on the leading edge of efficiency and food safety.”
What started as a small provincially inspected processing plant for chickens, pork and beef for their own colony has since grown into a federally inspected plant that can ship food across the country.
“The journey Pine Haven Hutterite Colony embarked on to establish our processing and marketing operation is not an easy journey,” he said. Hofer thanked the Alberta Pork Congress for the award.

Farm Team Awards
Sunterra Farms – Rimbeek
Care and empathy for people and pigs is key to creating a strong team at work, said Nicolas Herrara, production manager of Sunterra Farms Rimbeek location.
Herrara’s role is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the farm, but also help out with the pigs if an extra hand is needed. He has worked with pigs for the past 16 years.
As manager, one of the main skills is empathy for employees, he said.
“You have to have a lot of empathy. Be there for them wherever they need it and keep up with changes in the industry. If you are in a leadership role you have to have some training. You are going to be managing people and animals.”
Production, animal care and teamwork are all important parts of running a top-notch barn. Each new employee is trained and coached and there are monthly meetings with the entire team in the barn as well as off-site training, he said.
“To make a successful team leader is care and empathy. You have to be there for your employees, not just during the work hours. It’s basically a 24-hour job.”
At work it is important to solve conflicts quickly by talking and spotting the problems early.
“If you ignore issues you will have a runaway train.”
One of the best parts of the job is having colleagues that are also friends. Also important is having activities to do together, including volunteering in the town, having barbecues and jumping in the vehicle and going on road trips to Banff.

Milford Farms Colony
John Hofer, Stephen Hofer and Levi Kleinsasser are the trio behind the successful operation at the Milford Colony hog farm.
“What makes us successful is everyone looks after their end. You have to have a community,” said John Hofer.

The three men have been a team in the barn for about two years and a big part of their success is communication. Before a small problem becomes a big one, the barn staff talk through the problem. The three have different opinions sometimes, but talking it through and knowing they are working together towards their goals is one of their keys to success.
Hitting their targets each week and tucking into a tasty pork chop at night makes the hard work worth it, they said.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Dr. Frank Novak
If there is a theme to Dr. Frank Novak’s success, it’s surrounding yourself with smart, capable people.
“Our business showed me from day one that no one person was smart enough to do everything you need to do and the strength, for sure, was in the team,” he said.
Novak is managing director of the Alberta Pig Company and a partner in the Sunhaven Farms group of companies and received the Alberta Pork industry’s lifetime achievement award in June.
Early in his career, Dr. Frank Aherne asked Novak to review a potential business plan for an investor-owned hog business plan. While that plan did not go forward, it planted the seed for Novak to later become involved in what would become the Alberta Pig Company and his involvement in the pork industry.
Novak said understanding the synergies that teams can generate was key throughout his career.
“Opportunities are better exploited by having a really strong team around you,” said Novak.
“I am not so smart that I have to be the one that does it all the time.”

Novak said through his time with Alberta Pork and the Canadian Pork Council, he met talented producers and staff and learned about the entire pork industry, not just his own barns and businesses.
“Get involved. You will find out what you don’t know.”
While it has not always been easy for pork producers, Novak said he has always had a conservative approach to finances and business management and that has helped survive the difficult times.
“Being in a commodity world there are going to be bad surprises. You need to get your business set up in a way you can get through the bad surprises and be around when things get better,” he said.
“Whatever success I have had is because I’ve ended up with really good partners both in business and with organizations.”

Also handed out at the Alberta Pork Congress Awards Banquet were the Olymel Reach For the Top Awards.
Olymel Reach for the Top Awards

Grand Champion, Britestone Colony: 1st Runner Up, Bentley Colony: 2nd Runner Up, A & A Van Ginkel Pork Farm Ltd.: 3rd Runner Up, Fairville Colony: 4th Runner Up, Neudorf Colony

Food Safety Category Champion, Britestone Colony:1st Runner Up, Athabasca Colony: 2nd Runner Up, Erskine Farming Co. Ltd.: 3rd Runner Up, Alix Farming Co. Ltd: 4th Runner Up, Wheatland Farming Co. Ltd.

Core Category
Champion, Birch Meadows Colony :1st Runner Up, Bentley Colony: 2nd Runner Up, Sovereign Farming Co.: 3rd Runner Up, Fairville Colony: 4th Runner Up, New Rockport Farming Co. Ltd.

High Health Category
Champion, Grassy Hill Farming Co. Ltd.: 1st Runner Up, A & A Van Ginkel Pork Farm Ltd. : 2nd Runner Up Holt Colony: 3rd Runner up, Kyle Farming Co. Ltd.: 4th Runner Up, Broekman Hog Farm Ltd.

Logistic Category
Champion A & A Van Ginkel Pork Farm Ltd. : 1st Runner Up,Fairville Colony: 2nd Runner Up, Acadia Colony: 3rd Runner Up, Bentley Colony: 4th Runner Up, Neudorf Colony.
Congratulations to all the winners, all well deserved.
Many thanks to the sponsors for the awards and the trade show, Alberta Pork Congress  couldn’t happen with out you . •
— By Mary MacArthur