It was a night to celebrate Chatham-Kent’s agriculture community – the 2017 Rural Urban Awards were handed out at the Bradley Centre last night. 
Mark Richards, whose operation includes over 2000 acres of sugar beets, tomatoes, corn, soybeans and wheat, was named Agriculturalist of the Year.
“It means recognition for a lot of hard work, but I can’t take credit for all the hard work on my own,” the Dresden farmer says. “I’ve got the support of my wife and daughter; the example set by my parents, Phil and Janet, who are previous award winners; the support of my farming partners, my cousin Mike and his dad Ken; plus the overall support of the community of Chatham-Kent because without their encourage to go on, I wouldn’t keep doing some of the things I do.”
Laurent Van Arkel was named Agriculture Innovator, and says thinking outside the box is key to keeping the ag-industry fresh.
“It keeps it alive, it keeps things moving, it keeps the profitability to enter new markets,” Van Arkel says. “There’s a whole series of reasons why you’d want innovation, mine happens to be soil health.”
Van Arkel has a three-tiered set of principals: keep soil covered at all times, keep a diverse living root system in the soil, and do as little tillage as possible.
The night’s other honourees include Dr Peter Sikkema, whose wife Angela was on hand to accept the Friend of Agriculture honour, and the top 4H Members are Molly Sayers & Matt Vermey.