The Food & Farming Champion Award was presented to John Drummond at Farm & Food Care Ontario’s annual conference in Elora, Ont. Drummond is a long-serving 4-H volunteer and agricultural advocate who resides in the Waterloo region.
The Champion Award has been presented annually, since 1999, in recognition of an individual or group’s significant commitment to public outreach and support for Ontario’s farming community.
Drummond was nominated by Anne and Kevin Snyder of Snyder Heritage Farms with letters of support submitted by colleague Angela Fairfield and by Christine Oldfield, executive director of 4-H Ontario. His award was presented by the Honourable Rob Black and FFCO Vice-Chair Crispin Colvin.
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“Recognizing leaders in championing agriculture in Ontario is an important way for the community to say thank you for all the work these leaders do,” said Colvin. “Each year we honour someone who has taken an active role in getting the message out about agriculture, and John fits that description exactly. We want to commend him for using his skills to help inform consumers and correct misinformation about production practices; he has done a commendable job of promoting our industry.”
“John Drummond is a legend within the 4-H community, both locally and across the province. His commitment to young people and volunteers in the 4-H program is extraordinary,” said Black. “He goes out of his way to ensure a positive experience for all involved and has been recognized at the national level for his significant contributions to 4-H. He is a wonderful ambassador for 4-H and our agricultural sector here in Ontario.”
About John Drummond
With an agriculture industry career that has spanned decades, Drummond is a dairy feed specialist for Floradale Feed Mill Ltd. and a renowned, 37-year, leader in Waterloo Region 4-H and in clubs across the province.
“John is an enthusiastic agricultural leader who has an upbeat, happy attitude towards life. He has dedicated himself to supporting the 4-H program and encouraging and working with youth in agriculture,” said Drummond’s nominators, Anne and Kevin Snyder. “During the last two years of the pandemic, John has encouraged other volunteers to keep the program going. He has kept the spirit of agriculture and education in the forefront during a very difficult time.”
“John Drummond is a proud Canadian agriculture enthusiast who tirelessly promotes all things agriculture at every opportunity. John takes every opportunity given to share events and happenings related to agriculture for all areas of interest,” said Angela Fairfield, Drummond’s co-worker. “He promotes a positive image of agriculture in Ontario and Canada and his tweets and Facebook posts are often shared and liked by many followers coming from all walks of life.”
Since the spring of 2020, Drummond has been a driving force keeping the 4-H program running and helping clubs adapt to running online. Drummond, working alongside other 4-H leaders, opened up meetings to members across Ontario, with some clubs having over 100 members participating. They made recipes from around the world, comfort foods, Disney foods, and more. Some meetings included guests from different countries to give a personal perspective on what it is like to live there and help with preparing food tips.
“John is often referred to as ‘Mr. 4-H’. His passion for agriculture, advocacy and 4-H are immeasurable and his impact unmatched,” said Oldfield. “In the face of the COVID pandemic, John and his fellow leaders stepped up to spearhead the most successful virtual 4-H program in the province, attracting hundreds of members from across the province engaging in cooking and food education virtually.”
