Shelley Curé,
Three New Directors Elected, Two Re-Elected
Shelley Curé, a dairy producer from St. Pierre-Jolys, is the new chair of the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC) board of directors. This year’s Annual General Meeting, held on March 17 at the Canad Inns in Portage la Prairie, attracted approximately 80 people from various agricultural sectors.
“This year’s meeting was extra special as we celebrated 15 years of providing service to the agricultural production and food processing sector, and it gave everyone a moment to reflect on our history, as well the opportunity to look forward to the future. The membership is very supportive and appreciative of MRAC’s impact on the sector,” said Ted Eastley, MRAC executive director.
During the business meeting MRAC membership elected three new individuals to the Board of Directors. Jody Bogacki, Curtis Rempel and Wayne Urbonas join the MRAC team for three year terms.
Jody Bogacki lives in Beausejour and is a member of the Consumer Interest Alliance Inc. Curtis Rempel is an Adjunct Professor and Research and Development Manager at the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. Wayne Urbonas is Director of Regulatory and Industry Affairs for Granny’s Poultry Co-operative.
MRAC membership also re-elected director Ryan Canart to a new term on the MRAC Board, and Gwendolyn Donohoe will continue to serve as youth director. As well, during the AGM the hard work and contributions of three outgoing directors, Barry Routledge, Jennifer Hillard and Dave Shambrock, were recognized.
“As we look forward to the next 15 years, I see great things for MRAC. Agriculture has to break down barriers and take its place front and centre. It will be MRAC’s role to facilitate the process, help the innovators to find solutions and seek out new opportunities,” said Shelley Curé, chair of the MRAC board of directors.
The Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC) continued its giving back to the agricultural community campaign by donating $250 to the Agricultural Hall of Fame Scholarship administered by the Red River Exhibition Foundation, in lieu of speaker thank you gifts at its recent AGM.
Barry Routledge, former chair of the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council board of directors, presents Morris Deveson of the Red River Exhibition Foundation with a cheque for $250 at the MRAC Annual General Meeting on March 17 in Portage la Prairie, Man.
About the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council:
The Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC) is a private not-for-profit corporation that administers Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada funds for innovative agricultural projects and acts as a catalyst to stimulate industry and government activity where gaps are identified.
MRAC currently administers Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP). This five-year $9.5 million program will help farm families respond and adapt to challenges in their operations and will build on the successes of the previous program, Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF). For more information on the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program visit www.agr.gc.ca/caap.
MRAC has funded more than 600 innovative ACAAF, CARD, CAIP and AESI projects, contributing just under $23 million towards adaptation and innovation. By working with numerous industry partners, including producers, producer organizations, private and public corporations and government, MRAC has leveraged the investment of more than $70 million in agricultural advancement in Manitoba.
MRAC’s directors have approved funding for a variety of projects ranging from the development of a soil spreader which operates similar to a snow blower for soil, to catalyzing advances in manure management, as well as riparian health initiatives for assisting producers with the sustainable management of waterways and banks.
In addition to these initiatives, MRAC has frequently assumed a role as a facilitator to bring industry and government stakeholders together to seek win-win results for all participants.
Examples of such activities include: hosting a round table regarding the exploration of alternative grain segregation technologies, the development of a Manitoba value chain initiative and a workshop on aquaculture.
This is only a snapshot of MRAC’s overall scope. For more information, see our projects section.
