Stratford Perth Museum Agriculture Wall of Fame names new entrants
Lorne Fell, Ken Scheerer, and Paul Verkley are 2019 inductees
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The Stratford Perth Museum Agriculture Wall of Fame is officially announcing its 2019 inductees at the Stratford Rotary Club’s Rural-Urban night April 18.
This is the sixth year for the Agriculture Wall of Fame, which recognizes contributions to agriculture in Perth County.
This year three people were honoured.
Lorne Fell
Lorne grew up on the family farm in Hibbert Township where he attended a one room school and then Mitchell District High School.
Because of an illness in the family he left school early to manage the family farm.
His passion for Agriculture began in 1947 when he joined the Mitchell Boys and Girls Grain club. Each member received two bushels of registered seed. Lorne’s crop received a second prize at the Mitchell Fall Fair which qualified him to show at the Royal Agriculture Fair in Toronto where he also placed second prize.
This was the beginning of a very successful seed growing business – Rosebank Seed Farm.
In 1962 Lorne married Helen who became an active member of the business.
Rosebank became a prominent name in the seed business and a regular area exhibitor as well as at the Royal Agriculture Winter Fair where in 1982 Lorne won the world championship for soybeans. Twenty two more world championships were to follow including for oats and white beans.
Lorne died in 2018.
Ken Scheerer
Born in 1932, Ken was raised on the family farm in North Easthope. He graduated from Brocksden school at 14 and began his agriculture career on that farm.
Ken married Marlene in 1954 and together they raised five children, built a successful dairy farm which faced its hardships including a devastating barn fire in 1968.
Farming was Ken’s chosen career but he also found time to teach Sunday School and was a dedicated church volunteer including being Treasurer. He lead 4-H and was a school trustee. He sat on the Stratford Agriculture Society board, including as president and following that, was the manager for five years.
His involvement with the Perth Milk Committee included dairy education coordinator and the launch of the Coliseum program for all Grade 5 Perth County students. That program still exists today.
He joined the Stratford Rotary Club and embraced the role of being a bridge between the rural and urban members of the club and was instrumental in organizing and operating the Rural Urban Night each year.
Ken died in 2004.
Paul Verkley
Paul operated a 200-head dairy farm in partnership with three brothers in the Elma Ward of North Perth.
Paul was active in agriculture organizations both at the county and provincial levels and developed an ability to provide meaningful contributions in a number of diverse areas ranging from organizational restructuring to Environmental Farm Planning to agriculture biotechnology.
His activity on agricultural issues demonstrates his commitment to the development, promotion and implementation of agriculture production practices that have minimal adverse effects on the environment.
His environmental leadership was impactful. He served on the board and then as chair of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture Environment Committee, the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition’s and the Nutrient Management Working Group.
He helped develop the Our Farm Environmental Agenda, one of the first documents outlining the value Ontario farmers have for the environment. That led to the Ontario Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program – a program that has been put in place in jurisdictions across North America.
He was able to juggle three milkings a day with the extraordinary demands as an OFA Provincial Director and OFA’s representative on a number of external committees charged with investigating environmental issues faced by Ontario Farmers including as the OFEC Spokesperson for the Walkerton Inquiry.
The Wall of Fame is open to current or former residents of Perth County who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture in Perth County. Nominations are solicited from the public and a committee determines the honourees.
The Wall of Fame is supported by the Grain Farmers of Ontario – Perth County, Perth County Federation of Agriculture, Perth County Pork Producers, Zone 6 Egg Producers and Perth Dairy Producers Committee.
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