OTTAWA, April 3, 2017 /CNW/ - Chicken Farmers of Canada is proud to announce the election of the 2017 Executive Committee. The elections followed the annual general meeting and the 15-member Board of Directors, made up of farmers and other stakeholders from the chicken industry, has chosen the following representatives:
Benoît Fontaine, Chair (Stanbridge Station, Quebec)
Hailing from Stanbridge Station, Quebec, Benoît Fontaine, Chair of Chicken Farmers of Canada, most recently served as the 1st Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee. He first joined the Board of Directors in 2013 as an alternate, and became the Quebec Director in 2014. He farms in the Lac Champlain area and raises chicken and turkeys. A former high school Canadian history teacher, and 2nd generation chicken farmer, Benoît has also been heavily involved in the Union des producteurs agricoles since 1999. Benoît has also served on Chicken Farmers of Canada's Policy Committee and the Production Committee.
Derek Janzen, 1st Vice-Chair (Aldergrove, British Columbia)
Derek Janzen, 1st Vice-Chair, and his wife Rhonda have farmed in the Fraser Valley since 1998. They currently produce 1.4 million Kg's of chicken annually and manage 22,000 commercial laying hens. Prior to farming, Derek worked for B.C.'s largest poultry processor for nearly nine years. He worked his way up from driving delivery truck to sales and marketing where he took the position of Major Accounts Manager. Derek's experience in the processing industry has served him well with his board involvement. Derek has held various positions on a variety of boards including Chair of the B.C. Egg Producers Association and also was appointed by the Minister of Agriculture as a member of the Farm Industry Review Board, B.C.'s supervisory board. Derek enjoys being involved in the industry and is excited to represent B.C. at the Chicken Farmers of Canada.
Nick de Graaf, 2nd Vice-Chair (Port Williams, Nova Scotia)
Nick de Graaf is a third-generation poultry farmer in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia operating the farm founded by his Dutch grandfather in the early 1960's. Today the farm produces more than 660,000 chickens, and 67,000 turkeys per year. Nick is also part of Innovative Poultry Group (IPG). IPG farms 55,000 broiler breeders and owns Maritime Chicks, a new, state-of-the-art hatchery employing the HatchCare system. In addition to poultry, Nick grows more than 1,600 acres of wheat, corn and soybeans. He is self-sufficient in the production of corn and soybeans for his on-farm feed mill where he processes poultry feeds for his own flocks. Nick is in his 8th year as a Director with Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia. He has participated in Chicken Farmers of Canada as an Alternate Director and as a member of the Policy Committee. Nick and his wife, Trudy, have three children and two grandchildren.
Tim Klompmaker, Executive Member (Norwood, Ontario)
Tim Klompmaker lives in Norwood, Ontario and was elected to the Chicken Farmers of Canada Board in 2017. Tim started farming in 1984 along with his wife Annette and his three sons. He is a third generation chicken farmer with the fourth generation already in place and running chicken farms of their own. Tim served as a District Committee Representative for Chicken Farmers of Ontario before being elected to the Ontario Board in 2000. He served as CFC Alternate Representative for Ontario from 2012-2013, and has represented Ontario on the CFC Production Committee, the AMU Working Committee, and at NFACC. He has also served as 1st Vice-Chair of Chicken Farmers of Ontario.
The Board looks forward to continuing its work together, ensuring that Canada's chicken industry continues to deliver on consumer expectations for excellence. With an eye to the future, Chicken Farmers of Canada will work with all its partners, ensuring clear, common goals for the future, and setting a solid path and purpose for all stakeholders, and for generations of chicken farmers to come.
Canadians want Canadian chicken, so we deliver them fresh, locally-raised food, just the way they like it. Our farmers are a stabilizing force in rural Canada, where they can – and do – reinvest with confidence in their communities, but their contribution is much wider. In sum, we are part of Canada's economic solution, and do so without subsidies, and are very proud of both.
Chicken Farmers of Canada introduced its "Raised by a Canadian Farmer" brand in 2013 to showcase the commitment of farmers to provide families with nutritious chicken raised to the highest standards of care, quality and freshness.
People care deeply about their food, about knowing where it comes from and that what they're serving to their family and friends is of the highest quality; our farmers and their families are no different. So when we say that the Canadian chicken industry is good for Canadians, it's because we know that we're raising our chickens to the highest standards: yours.
www.chicken.ca | www.chickenfarmers.ca
SOURCE Chicken Farmers of Canada
Marty Brett, Senior Corporate Communications Officer, (613) 566-5926 or [email protected]
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