It was a night to celebrate Chatham-Kent’s agriculture community – the 2019 Rural Urban Awards were handed out at the Bradley Centre last night.
The Agriculturalist of the Year nod went to Reinout von Martels, who says he’s proud to live and work in Chatham-Kent.
“Agriculture in Chatham-Kent is fantastic, so many possibilities here,” von Martels says. “The community is 100% in favour of it, standing behind you, all the supplies are there, it’s a great place to be.”
Blake Vince named the individual Agriculture Innovator of the year, and says it’s very humbling to be recognized for his work in soil management and multi-species cover crops.
“I try to use the energy of the sun, the free solar radiation to harness photosynthesis and drive carbon into the soil,” Vince says. “I believe by leaving soil undisturbed we can do two things: we can sequester carbon out of the atmosphere, which is a big thing and today’s hot topic, as well we can really improve water quality, fresh water specifically that we all benefit from.”
Other winners last night include Jennen Strawberry Farm for the business agricultural innovator, Margaret Nauta was named the Friend of Agriculture for her 42 years as a 4H leader in the community, and Matthew Sterling is the 4H Member the Year.