Many Local Families Honoured with the 2019 BMO Ontario Farm Family Award

Verner, West Nipissing: Dedicated to agriculture and the rural way of life, 11 families from throughout the province will receive the 2019 BMO Ontario Farm Family Award on Sept. 21 at this year’s International Plowing Match and Rural Expo.

This coveted award, handed out by BMO Bank of Montreal in cooperation with the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA), recognizes recipient families’ focus on sustainability, community involvement, land stewardship and adaptability in their farm management practices.

“For over 200 years, BMO has been a proud supporter of the Canadian agriculture community and, every year, we’re excited to honour the families that exemplify a sense of community, strong values, and hard work – all qualities at the heart of the rural way of life and the agriculture community,” said Steve DeMarco, Vice President of Business Banking Northern Ontario, BMO Bank of Montreal. “The BMO Farm Family Awards recognize the contributions made by farmers across the province, and these 11 families demonstrate how heritage and innovation can work hand in hand to further farming in the province.”

Recipients of the 2019 BMO Ontario Farm Family Awards will be celebrated during the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo, which runs Sept. 17 to 21 in Verner, West Nipissing. The awards presentation is set for the Main Stage on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 11 a.m.

Each family will receive a farm gate plaque recognizing this award.

“We are truly grateful for the agricultural leadership and commitment these families have to their communities,” says OPA President Sheila Marshall. “These award recipients, and those who have come before them, deserve to be celebrated. They’re role models for us all.”

2019 BMO Ontario Farm Family Award Recipients

Farm NameLocation
Burgsteden FamilyB & B Farms Thunder BayThunder Bay
Campbell Family Chatham
Deschatelet FamilyLeasure FarmsSturgeon Falls
Howell FamilyBrantview Apples & CiderSt. George
Lafrance FamilyFERME LAFRANCE & FILSSt Eugene
Parsons FamilyParterra and Parview FarmsSturgeon Falls
Quesnel FamilyFerme LCM Quesnel IncMoose Creek
Rutherford FamilyRutherford Farms LimitedWoodstock
Seguin FamilyFerme Ideale LteeNoelville
Seguin FamilySucrerie Séguin Sugarbush & Creekbend farmMonnetville
Seguin FamilyFermes Cascades Séguin IncNoelville

The BMO Ontario Farm Family Awards have been handed out annually since 2012 and have celebrated  the efforts of 83 families throughout the province.

Hosted by the OPA, in conjunction with a local volunteer committee, the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo is held in a different Ontario community each year. The IPM attracts about 80,000 people annually and is the largest event of its kind in North America.

Advanced adult tickets cost $15 each per day, or $20 each per day at the gate.

The IPM is made possible, in part, through a Celebrate Ontario grant provided by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism.