Woordman Farms of Taber, Alta., was named the 2015-2016 McCain Champion Potato Grower for the McCain Coaldale plant during the 17th Annual McCain Growers’ Banquet held recently at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre. About 140 guests gathered to celebrate the top growers and their achievements.
Shai Altman, President, McCain Foods Canada and Dale McCarthy, vice-president, Integrated Supply Chain NA were on hand to extend personal congratulations to Woordman Farms and all of the McCain growers.
Arjan and Wietske Woordman were thrilled when Woordman Farms was announced as the Champion Grower. Woordman Farms has been contracting with McCain since 2005. This is the first time Woordman Farms has been named as Champion Grower, and the sixth time being in the Top 10 list.
In addition to being awarded a trophy and $1,000, Woordman Farms will also receive an all-expense-paid trip to Bermuda or a comparable destination of choice for the achievement.
Potatoes are rated throughout the year on a variety of factors including size, gravity, defect level and colour and awarded points accordingly. At the end of each crop year, the Top 10 growers are determined based on their overall scores.
The others growers who qualified for the Top 10 roster, in order of final standing, were: 3D Farms Joint Venture (Jake Schutter, Egbert Schutter and Onno Mellema – Grassy Lake), Perry Produce Ltd. (Chris and Harold Perry – Chin), S-Scan Farms (Stan and Stuart Kanagawa – Scandia), Tamminga Farms Ltd. (Bill Tamminga – Cranford), Chin Coulee Spud Farms (John, Delbert and Dwayne Vossebelt – Chin), Stiekema Kolhorn JV (Laus Stiekema and Jaco Kolhorn – Vauxhall), North Paddock Farms (Alison and Michael Davie – Taber), Lane Lievaart Farms Ltd. (Lane Lievaart – Chin), and Uchikura Farms Ltd. (Winston Uchikura – Bow Island).
Each of these growers received a plaque and $1,000.
