Dairy Women Service Award

After making the difficult decision to forgo selecting a winner last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee for the Outstanding Service Award for Dairy Women chose to announce ADIANE JARRELL-RAY & JESSIE WEIR two deserving women to bestow the honour upon in 2022. “We had two nominations that rose to the top,” says Heather Parkin, who was the inaugural winner of the award and has since served as the coordinator on the selection committee. “And we wanted to be able to recognize them both for their tireless and ongoing work.” Parkin delivered the exciting news at Holstein Ontario’s Summer Social, held at the GrandWay Events Centre in Elora on June 23. The two deserving winners were Diane Jarrell-Ray and Jessie Weir. Before presenting the winners with a framed print and a bouquet of flowers, Parkin spoke to the merits of each of these accomplished women.

“The committee looks for someone who manages to find the balance between the passion for this business, the dedication she has for her family, and the spirit to serve others within her community,” Parkin said. Both of this year’s winners fit that description well.

- HEATHER PARKIN DIANE JARRELL-RAY

Diane Jarrell-Ray has been a 4-H leader for many years, offering calves to youth for over 20 years, often to kids with no farming background, and mentoring them with showmanship pointers and closely following their progress. Provincially, she is a passionate supporter of the Jersey breed in Ontario, evidenced by her strong involvement with the Central Calf Rally, the Quinte-Trent Parish Show, Belleville Championship Show, Summer Show, and the Royal. Nationally, Diane was a board member of Jersey Canada, and only the second female president of that organization. Her passion and forward thinking is seen in many positive changes that she has initiated on different committees, specifically at shows, which she seems to have a great love for. Diane has shown sustained engagement and leadership in dairy activities over a time frame encompassing more than four decades. Her family’s farm, which began in the early 80’s, has welcomed scores of international and domestic visitors and developed some very notable champions who have influenced the breed.

Having always worked full-time off the farm, Diane raises the calves and looks after all the farm books, and yet still finds time to volunteer in these many positions. Those who know her will say she is determined to achieve all that she sets her mind to. “Diane is never one to shy away from adversity of difficult decisions, whether it be at her home farm or serving on one of our industry committees,” wrote one of her nominators. “Her passion and enthusiasm for the dairy industry has encouraged not only her daughter to become involved in the industry, but also countless other youth in the community.” Congratulations Diane and thank you for your contributions.

JESSIE WEIR

This year’s second winner, Jessie Weir, has an uncompromising passion for excellence in her work that has made an impact on those she has worked with over the past 37 years at EastGen. Jessie held the role of Secretary Manager for the Canadian Brown Swiss and

Braunvieh Association from 1999 – 2018 and was the secretary Manager of the Canadian Guernsey Association & Cattle Breeders of Ontario from 2003-2021. She combined her breed association responsibilities with a marketing role at EastGen supporting producers in four provinces, and in 2021, she became the company’s Executive Assistant.

Jessie has been instrumental at guiding boards and committees to enhance breed improvement services and breed promotion for members and supported the move to Joint Classification and the transition of breed association work to Holstein Canada. Her leadership, knowledge and professionalism served her well in her work with various boards, committees and dairy producers across the industry. Being involved in one of the smaller breed organizations, Jessie has always strived to ensure all breeders were offered the same level of service excellence, achieving a high level of service for members in an efficient manner with limited resources. As one of the first women to manage breed associations in Canada, Jessie is a great example to young women aspiring to have leadership roles in the dairy industry. Her support of her colleagues and the industry as a whole is inspiring to up-and-coming leaders. Jessie lives out her passion daily as co-owner of her family farm. She is the energy behind the operation and successfully manages to balance her work off the farm with her family and farm responsibilities, including chief of finances and accounting, as well as daily chores, cattle management and cropping during high pressure months. The family farm recently underwent expansion, building a new robot barn, and they have been recognized as one of the best managed herds in the province, as well as one of the top robot herds nationally. One of Jessie’s letters of support indicated that she is as comfortable in her coveralls and boots or at the controls of a huge piece of farm equipment as she is behind her computer at work. She has an abundance of energy, and a drive and passion that stimulates others to be like her. Congratulations Jessie on this wonderful achievement!

Velthuis. PHOTO BY KATRINA JOY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Established in 2011, and sponsored by Holstein Ontario, the annual award recognizes the efforts and accomplishments of Ontario women who have devoted their lives to serving, promoting and enhancing the dairy industry. The award is the brainchild of Tara Bullock, a dedicated dairy farmer and mother of three from Lakefield, ON, who has since passed the torch over to the award’s first winner, Heather Parkin, and a panel of three previous winners to select the annual winner. After this year, Parkin will pass the coordinating responsibilities onto 2019 winner, Deb Knapton.

PAST RECIPIENTS: Heather Parkin (2011) Elaine Standeaven (2012) Nancy Beerwort (2013) Sandy O’Hara (2014) Karen Velthuis (2015) Ruth Vogel (2016) Janet Ringelberg (2017) Barb Fraser (2018) Deb Knapton (2019) Bonnie den Haan (2020)