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Gerrit Loo Memorial Achievement Award
The
Gerrit Loo Memorial Achievement Award is handed out annually at the
ACORN Conference to the person who has contributed significantly to the
organic industry in Atlantic Canada.
Gerrit Loo (January 28 1928 - January 19 2001)
Gerrit
was born on a farm in Waggingen Netherlands. After surviving World War
II he was drafted in the Dutch army and sent to Indonesia to fight in
their war of independence. In 1951 he immigrated to Canada and settled
in Prince Edward Island, where he bought a farm and, with his wife,
Joyce raised seven children.
Gerrit had an abiding
love of living things. He was especially interested in heirloom
varieties of vegetables and farm animals. Although he had no formal
training in plant genetics he understood the principles of plant
breeding and collected his own seed, always carefully selecting for
superior characteristics. In the 1970s he and his twin Evert began to
experiment with potato breeding and became interested in breeding for
disease resistance. Eventually they developed Island Sunshine and after
a long process of field trials it was registered as a new variety in
1995. This was a very proud moment for him. Island Sunshine has several
characteristics that make it a good organic cultivar.
Gerrit
and Evert continued the plant breeding program until both became ill.
Evert passed away in April 1999. Like many farmers, Gerrit also worked
off the farm at various times during his life. Experience with
production of frozen foods lead him to be hired by Seaspray Farms
Organic Cooperative in the early 1990s to assist in the development of
a line of frozen vegetables. He believed in the principles that
Seaspray represents and eventually sought organic certification for his
farm and remained a member of Seaspray until his death.
2011 winners:
Judy Lien, NL
The Gerrit Loo Award honours the vision, persistence and tenacity of
Jon and Judy Lien, a family who sustained the path for Organic Farming
in Newfoundland and Labrador for almost forty years.
Jon and Judy moved to Newfoundland in 1968, when
Jon accepted a position at Memorial University (MUN). After a few
years, they moved to their farm in Portugal Bay. It was very hard work
to get growing, but they learned as they went and were resourceful and
committed.
In the late 80's, the Organic Farm and the Lien
Farm combined their efforts to offer the first CSA to 30 students
on the MUN campus. Judy and Mike Rabinowitz spent a great deal of time
planning their crops and identifying reliable sources for untreated or
organic seeds suitable for our short season climate. The concept of the
Veggie Coop spread, stretching the capacity each year. When the
numbers reached over a hundred and a waiting list, they decided to
offer a choice of days and bag sizes, with each farm taking care of its
own membership. Judy and Mike also contacted other farmers
interested in Organic Certification, resulting in the their farms being
the first two vegetable farms to be certified in the province.
Judy helped form NOON (Newfoundland Organic
Opportunities Network), which was active for several years, paving the
way for ACORN-NL, a provincial affiliate of ACORN. Judy also agreed to
represent the province as its first representative on the ACORN Board
of Directors, a position she held for several years.
When Judy stepped back from the day to day
operation to provide support for Jon through the later
stages of his illness, she offered the several fields of fine,
carefully-nurtured soil to others who would protect the integrity of
their small farm. The past two years, Seed To Spoon, a collective
of young farmers have used the gardens to grow vegetables for the local
Farmers Market. Their son OJ is also involved in raising livestock on
the farm.
Judy is in the process of exploring how
to set up the land trust to realize Jon`s wishes to protect their land
in perpetuity, as a green space and for organic farming. The
Gerrit Loo Award will acknowledge Jon and Judy`s understanding of the
sacred trust, we have as human beings to pass along our land, as well
as our knowledge and heritage to generations which follow.
Dr. Ralph Martin, NS
Through his dedication to furthering the science and practice of
agriculture, Dr. Ralph Martin has been an inspiration and leader in
organic agricultural research in the Maritimes and across Canada.
Through his initiative, and perseverance he established the Organic
Agriculture Centre of Canada in 2001 at the NSAC. This science-based
organization has established much needed credibility to organic
production research across Canada and has brought attention to the
organic sector in the Maritimes.
Establishment of the OACC has facilitated the development of Maritime
organic research and has increased the integrity of organic at the NSAC
and beyond. Research conducted in the Maritimes since 2001 has included
cereal and mixed crops, oilseeds, potatoes, vegetables, small fruits,
insect pest control, soil amendments, crop rotations, environmental
impacts/benefits of organic production, and livestock parasite control
(with the support of various provincial, federal and private funding
partners). OACC has conducted or collaborated in research on over 50
farms in the Maritimes, and has trained numerous summer students,
technicians, graduate students and industry professionals.
As a result of Ralph’s leadership, we see increasing acceptance of
organic as a viable production system among instructors; this is
reflected in the inclusion of organic content in what otherwise were
conventional courses. Dr. Martin was responsible for acquiring funding
and coordinating development of 5 organic courses offered through
Distance Education at the NSAC and 4 courses offered at other
institutions; NSAC now offers a certificate in organic agriculture to
students taking 4 of the organic courses.
Through Dr. Martin’s leadership, OACC has contributed to organic
education and extension through the development a national research and
education website, development of numerous extension bulletins,
coordination of symposiums, workshops, and field days, and release of
numerous discussion papers and newspaper articles to the public.
Other accomplishments include:
- Establishment and Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of
Canada,
- Establishment and Chair of the Expert Committee on Organic
Agriculture,
- Establishment of the National Organic Researcher Network,
- Establishing the National Organic Extension Network,
- Leadership in developing the National Organic Strategy, and
- Establishment of an Organic Science Cluster
2010 winner:
Ted
Wiggans, NB
2009 winner:
Danny Bruce, NS
2008 winner:
Karen Davidge, NB
2007 winner:
Raymond Loo, PEI
2006 winner:
Neil Van Nostrand, NS
2005 winners:
Susan Tyler and Clark
Phillips, NB
2004 winner:
Daphne Davey, PEI
2003 winner:
Sian Newman Smith, NS
2002 winners:
David Cozac and Debbie
Russell, NB
2001 winner:
Stu Fleischhaker, NB
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