The 2013 convention will offer the opportunity for members to congratulate and learn from two of Canada’s esteemed dairy industry professionals.
Patty Jones of Puslinch, Ontario, will be honoured with the Certificate of Superior Accomplishment by Holstein Canada at the annual general meeting.
Following will be a presentation from Holstein Canada’s own Head Classifier, Tom Byers of Elmira, Ontario, who will serve as the guest speaker.
About Patty Jones
Jones will be recognized as the 20th recipient of the Certificate in Superior Accomplishment given by Holstein Canada, which is considered the highest honour of the association.
This award is presented to successful candidates who display outstanding business achievements, mentorship, leadership, and promotion of the Holstein breed and/or Association programs.
Jones, originally from the Eastern Townships of Quebec, co-founded Canadian Livestock Photography Inc. in 1981 and has been a tremendous force within the Canadian dairy industry ever since.
In her 40-plus years of experience as a professional livestock photographer and successful business owner, Jones has become a well-known ambassador for the dairy industry both in Canada and abroad. Her encouragement of using photographs as a marketing tool to develop farmers' advertising program has changed the way dairy cattle are marketed across Canada.
So far, Jones has taken more than 60,000 photographs and she continues to photograph anywhere from 1,800 to 2,500 cattle a year. She also owns and markets animals under the Silvercap prefix.
To send notes of congratulation, Jones can be contacted at (613) 821-0789 or via email.
About Tom Byers
For the first time in association history, Holstein Canada’s board of directors is asking an internal employee to be the esteemed guest speaker at the convention.
One of the most recognizable faces at Holstein Canada, Byers has been with the association for 30 years as a renowned classifier. As head classifier, he shares his extensive knowledge with fellow classifiers in accessing all breeds of dairy animals across Canada.
In his role, he has identified the strengths and weaknesses of animals to help producers use corrective mating to ensure the advancement and progression of dairy breeds. Byers has been a relentless advocate for the Holstein Canada classification system for producers in Canada and around the world to use as a profitability tool.
Over the past 30 years, Byers has classified more than 300,000 cows and has experienced many changes as the classification system has evolved. As guest speaker, he will share his insight and amusing stories through a presentation titled "Old Stories, New Beginnings."
Byers will take the audience down memory lane as to how the breed has evolved in recent decades; how the job of the classifier has changed; and where he believes the classification program will go in the future.
Although the job and breed have certainly changed over the past 30 years, his humour, larger-than-life personality, knack for storytelling, and the undeniable passion Byers has for the Holstein cow and classification program have not.
To send notes of congratulation, Byers can be contacted at (519) 575-6448 (cellphone) or via email.
Both the Certificate of Superior Accomplishment and guest speaker presentation will take place on Friday, April 12 at the Sheraton-on-the-Falls Convention hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The early-bird deadline for convention registration is March 1. PD
—From Holstein Canada news release
PHOTO
Tom Byers has been with the association for 30 years as a renowned classifier. Photo courtesy of Holstein Canada.
