The annual event is put on by the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce.
Dave Baute, founder of Maizex Seeds, earned the Agriculturalist of the Year award, but he was quick to share any accolades with his wife, Brenda. He said the award recognized “a lifetime of very hard work.”
Baute grew up on a farm, more specifically on a tractor. He said he was on one by the age of 12 on his father’s farm near Jeanette’s Creek, and by age 16 was share cropping with one uncle.
But Baute also got into the seed business, beginning with King Grain 37 years ago, and working for Pride Seeds as well.
“King Grain was family owned and had integrity,” he said. “They empowered their staff.”
Because of that encouragement, Baute realized he wanted to turn it into a career. The support over the years helped mold Maizex and Baute into what they are today, he said.
“The help and encouragement from all the people who have been so generous with their enthusiasm is appreciated,” he said. “Success is a result of a lot of people picking you up off the ground.”
He advises people to stick to their guns and pursue their dreams.
“Have the courage to follow your passion. Do what you love doing,” he said. “Reach out to people who have been successful in that field and share your passion. They will share theirs with you.”
On the youth end, Shaun Sullivan took home the honour of being named the 4-H member of the year. The St. Clair College student was blindsided by the honour.
“It was two weeks ago; I was in my dorm room at college,” he said when he learned of the award. “I think it’s a recognition of my leadership skills working with the younger members.
Sullivan has been part of 4-H for seven years as part of the Merlin Field Crop 4-H. His parents farm near Blenheim.
“4-H, a big part of it is that it helps prepare you for the future, with public speaking, etc.,” he said.
Schinkel’s Legacy received the Agricultural Innovator of the Year award. The company has operated on McGregor Place in Chatham for 24 years.
Tim Schinkel said receiving the award is an honour.
“It’s always nice to get recognized for your efforts. This originated as a small family business,” he said. “One that supports the local supply chain.”
Schinkel said a great deal has changed over the past 24 years, and being able to adapt is what keeps them in business.
“Innovation is the key to survival. There will always be changes,” he said. “Organics, for instance have come a long way over the past 10 years.”
Food safety regulations have changed a great deal as well, and Schinkel’s Legacy has welcomed the tough inspection policies, he said.
“When we started, we were just municipally inspected,” he said. “We’re federally inspected now.”
Local pork, beef and turkey is still utilized, but Schinkel said they are drawing in goods from a wider area, just as they are delivering to more distant locations.
“Our distribution area keeps growing, with the business reaching as far as Ottawa and outside the province,” he said. “We buy all our product from Ontario.”
As for the future for the business, Schinkel’s said with four children at the facility, there is a solid succession plan in place, and eyes are constantly shifting to the horizon.
“We are always looking forward to the next collaborative effort,” he said.
Storey-Samways Planning earned a nod as a Friend of Agriculture for its many years of working with farmers and the municipality.
The company came together in 1989 with the merging of two existing companies, Thomas A. Storey Planning and Planning For People.
The firm has had a hand in most major land-use planning efforts in Chatham-Kent.
Everyone in attendance at the Rural-Urban Dinner also heard from guest speaker Nicole Vanrabaeys, a dual-degree graduate of the University of Windsor.
She has a degree in political science and digital journalism.
It is the latter that led her to put together a documentary on the life of a farmer. It was a school project; one into which she put more effort than her professor said was necessary. Still, Vanrabaeys persevered.
“It took about a year to put together. I wanted to capture all the different seasons,” she said.
Vanrabaeys enjoyed her time at school in Windsor, but relishes her time in small-town Ontario. She grew up on the family farm near Thamesville.
“I just love living on the family farm in a small town,” she said. “I grew up with that. I want to keep it. Family matters a lot.”
What also matters to Vanrabaeys is for urbanites to understand the rural realities.
“Two per cent of the population makes the food for the other 98 per cent. People don’t realize where their food comes from and that it is a hard job,” she said.
