Two pork industry leaders were recognized at Ontario Pork’s annual meeting last month.
Ken McEwan was the recipient of the 2024 Industry Award and Bob Hunsberger was awarded the Ontario Pork Producer Recognition of Worth.
“It’s an honour and a privilege to be here this evening and receive this award and recognition for work that’s been done in the past,” said McEwan. “I’ve been very privileged; I’ve had a chance to work to work with some great people.”
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Why it matters: Leaders including McEwan and Hunsberger helped shape the trajectory of the Ontario pork industry.
Raised on a swine and beef farm in southern Bruce County, McEwan graduated from the University of Guelph with a Master of Science degree, majoring in agriculture, before becoming a professor at Ridgetown College in 1990.
He taught agri-business management, conducted agricultural economics research and was facilities research coordinator.
In 2012, McEwan was appointed director of the U of G’s Ridgetown campus. During his eight-year tenure, he oversaw several infrastructure projects, including the design and build of the Swine Education Centre, which attracted support from the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario and Ontario Pork.
Throughout his career, McEwan addressed issues around pork production and economic challenges and collaborated on regional, provincial, national and international projects shared in peer-reviewed journals, public press articles, and industry conferences throughout Ontario and North America.
“Hog pricing, trade policy, the cost of production and industry structure were of particular interest to Ken,” said Tara Terpstra, Ontario Pork’s vice-president.
Terpstra said he demonstrated benefits to the industry by developing and updating the base market hog pricing formula used to set the floor price of hogs in Ontario.
McEwan, a strong proponent of the swine industry, was an expert witness in high-profile events such as a U.S. congressional hearing and the Walkerton inquiry. He appeared before the Ontario Farm Products and Marketing Commission and participated in several provincial, national and international pork trade missions.
“(Industry structure challenges) haven’t changed. It’s still about the exchange rate. It’s still about international policy,” he said.
“It is still about overproduction relative to slaughter capacity. These things are still the central issues that we all talk about today.”
In 2020, after finishing his tenure as director, McEwan returned to teaching and research until he retired in August 2023.
An industry driver
“(Hunsberger is) one of the most prominent drivers in Ontario Pork history, as a farmer, economist, researcher and most of all, visionary,” said Eric Schmidt of the Ontario Pork Producer Recognition of Worth recipient.
Since 1970, Hunsberger has played a pivotal role as a solution provider across numerous key swine sector initiatives, particularly when the industry faced big changes, added Schmidt.
As an early adopter, Hunsberger embraced technology to optimize feed rations, developing automated feeding systems and cutting-edge barn designs, like a modified open front barn, precast concrete slatted floor, and sandwich wall farrowing barn.
“Bob’s been a mentor and friend to many in the pork industry, offering experience, advice and networking to help others grow,” said Schmidt. “It’s an honour to acknowledge your decades of leadership, vision and mentorship.”
Schmidt said Hunsberger was a staunch George Morris Centre supporter and treasurer, instrumental in creating the Ontario Pork Industry Council, and his Progressive Pork Producers leadership contributed to acquisition and success of Conestoga Meats.
“The hog industry is a strong and competitive sector of Ontario agriculture,” said Hunsberger. “There have been great advances in the productivity of the Ontario pork industry over the course of my career.”
In the early days, he said the average productivity of a sow was 12 pigs per year. Today, the North American average is 30 to 35 pigs per sow per year, which shows tremendous advances.
Hunsberger and his son Kyle continue to research projects at their small hog finishing barn.
“I appreciate having been involved in the industry,” Hunsberger said after acknowledging the support of his family.
“I appreciate the input I have received from colleagues and friends in the many years I’ve been involved in it.”
