Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 4420 AT the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association annual general meeting held in Clear Lake, Man., July 6-8, seven people were recognized for their dedication to the Canadian seed industry. CSGA Honours Seven for Innovation, Commitment to Seed Robertson Associate Award Each year, the Robertson Associate Award is given to recog- nize individuals who have fulfilled with utmost fidelity and success their obligation to CSGA. This year’s award recipients are Randy Court, Gerald Girodat and John Smith. Prior to farming, Court worked in forage variety selection, barley breeding and pesticide research. He and his wife Jeanine moved from Winnipeg, Man., and took possession of a small mixed farm northeast of Plumas in 1980. They began to produce seed under contract in 1982, and built their first seed processing plant in 1985. They received Select grower status in the early 1990s. The business grew during the next few years, and it currently consists of a new cleaning facility, a large seed retail business and 20,000 square feet of com- mercial greenhouse space. They recently celebrated 34 years of seed production, 31 years of seed processing and 25 years of Select status. Court is a current director with Seed Depot Corp. and an active member of the Prairie Grain Development Committee disease evaluation team for wheat, rye and triti- cale, plus barley and oats. Girodat acquired his first piece of farmland in 1965. After working for Farm Credit Canada and the Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture, he moved to the farm north of Seed growers who have contributed to the betterment of the association and all of Canadian agriculture are recognized by the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association. Randy Court Gerald Girodat John Smith Shaunavon permanently in 1976 and established Girodat Seeds in 1988. He has filled many roles in the agriculture community through the years. He is founding director of South West Grain Terminal at Gull Lake; served as director of Red Coat Stock Farm east of Shaunavon; is a founding director of Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association; a member of the District No. 4 Agricultural Board; member of the SSGA board; and was CSGA president from 2010-2012. Smith graduated from the tiny high school in Pilot Mound, Man., in 1978. He would spend the rest of his life living within miles from Pilot Mound and beginning with a mixed grain and cattle farm. In the early 1990s, he transitioned to mostly grow seed, which he found challenging and interesting. Most of all, he appreciated the people that he met in the seed industry. Smith started Seed Depot in 2001, which pro- vided him with continued business opportunities, personal growth and many excellent friendships that he built within the industry. Conlon barley became an almost instant success and is to this day one of the most successful barley varieties in Manitoba history. Smith was passionate about bringing the best varieties to Canadian farmers. The epitome of his vision and hard work was seen in the introduction of the CWIW wheat class and later the CNHR wheat class, allowing Canadian farmers to grow profitable varieties and make them available to new markets. In September 2015, he succumbed to an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was blessed to be able to leave Seed Depot and the family farm in the capable hands of his son Walter and son-in-law Dave. Clark Newman-Clayton Award This award is presented only to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Canada’s pedigreed seed pro- duction and to Canadian agriculture through research, plant breeding and administration. This year’s award recognizes Brian Rossnagel. In 1977, Rossnagel began a 35-year career as barley and oat breeder with the Crop Development Centre at the University