FLORENCEVILLE-BRISTOL, N.B., Aug. 29, 2018—Carl Crandlemire was named the 2017-2018 McCain Champion Potato Grower for Florenceville-Bristol during the 45th annual McCain Growers’ Banquet on August 23. This year, approximately 200 guests gathered at the Northern Carleton Civic Centre to celebrate the top growers and their hard work over the past year.
Allison McCain, chairman of McCain Foods Ltd., and Christine Wentworth, vice-president of agriculture North America, extended personal congratulations to Carl Crandlemire and all of the McCain growers. McCain emphasized the current growth in the market and his optimism about the year ahead. “The market is there and we just have to seize the opportunity” he said, before thanking all the growers for their hard work.
Wentworth discussed technological developments in agriculture and credited the growers’ achievements. “Your hard work has enabled the expansion of the Florenceville plant and our ability to fill growing demand for our products,” she said.
Carl Crandlemire and his wife, Judy, were excited to be announced as the Champion Grower. Crandlemire has been contracting with McCain for 28 years, has held the top ten position five times, and this was their second time earning the Champion Grower title.
“I’m quite excited to win, and this is the second time it’s happened. The last time was almost a decade ago” said Crandlemire. He explained that growing a crop requires “a lot of hard work and careful planning, but sometimes it comes down to luck. The way I always look at it, manage what you can manage, don’t worry about what you can’t. Mother Nature—we have nothing to do with that.”
The other growers who qualified for the top 10 roster, in order of final standing were:
- Richard Culberson & Sons Inc. (Charlie Culberson—Waterville)
- Greenfield Farms Ltd. (Rodney Greene and his brother Darrell—Wicklow)
- Stephenson Farms (Carl Stephenson, his son Andrew, and brother, Robert—Connell)
- Double B Farms Ltd. (Dana Bubar and his son, Aaron—Hartland)
- A W Reid Ltd. (Andrew Reid—Knoxford)
- Anderson Farms (Brent Anderson and his son, Ryan—Beechwood)
- Ralph Culberson and Sons Ltd. (Robert Culberson and his father, Roy—Jacksonville)
- Kevin Floyd Ltd. (Kevin Floyd—Bloomfield)
- Carlow Farms Ltd. (Conner Brennan—Johnville)
Middle Row, L-R: Travis Pirie, Field Representative, Brent Anderson, Ryan Anderson, Roy Culberson, Robert Culberson, Richard Culberson, Aden Culberson, Robert Stephenson, Christine Wentworth, VP Agriculture NA, Luc Coté, Field Department Manager.
Back Row, L-R: Rodney Norquay, Senior Director, Manufacturing, Colton Rennie, Connor Brennan, David Culberson, Charles Culberson, Darrell Greene, Rodney Greene, David Good, Director, Ag Supplier Relations NA, Mollie Pickard, Ag Intern.
Source: McCain Foods
