Newly elected AANB president introduces herself
/by Lisa Ashworth
Greetings from the frozen north – of New Brunswick that is! The Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick (AANB) held its AGM on Jan. 16 and 17, and I had the privilege of being elected president of the organization.
Having been an AGM delegate numerous times and a director on the AANB board for the past number of years, I can honestly say I am always amazed by the work of New Brunswick’s largest general farm organization. The AANB strives to assist in fostering a prosperous and sustainable industry for all producers, whether small or large, conventional or organic.
I am looking forward to meeting as many stakeholders as possible and learning more about the great things happening here in our province as we move toward the future together.
Given that this is the beginning of my term, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and give a bit of background regarding my life in agriculture. I was raised in Mount Thom, N.S., on a small beef and blueberry farm. We were an active 4-H family, so a wide variety of projects and activities were a regular part of our household. Along with having public speaking, meeting management, and record keeping as part of my life from a young age, I can credit these early years for fostering a love of nature, an enjoyment of meeting people, and always learning new things.
After high school, I attended the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (now Dalhousie University’s Agricultural Campus) to complete a bachelor of science degree in animal science. Here I was able to add to my beef and poultry knowledge and learn much more about other livestock species and how the industry as a whole functions.
Enjoying the university experience meant I took part in the judging team and student union, among other activities. Four years of university led to an opportunity to continue studying and gain some really interesting research experience. I completed a master of science degree in nutrition, and expanded my horizons from land-based agriculture to studying the amino acid requirements for health and efficient growth in Atlantic salmon.
There was one more post-secondary educational stop before it was time to join the workforce. A bachelor of education degree from Mount Allison University helped to provide me with the tools needed to be an effective teacher, and I have to admit that most of the presentations required to qualify as a science and math teacher had an agricultural theme.
Putting all of these educational pieces together led me to an exciting two years of work at NSAC before I moved into my next stage of life. As the NSAC’s animal science technical program coordinator, I was privileged to help develop and teach the curriculum that gave hands-on knowledge to students wishing to pursue a career in animal agriculture.
As a reader, you may notice that there is not a mention of dairy or New Brunswick anywhere in the narrative to this point. Life has a funny way of unfolding sometimes! After a youth immersed in 4-H and avoiding all dairy production courses during university because I had no great interest in the industry, I married a dairy farmer and settled in northwestern New Brunswick where there was lots of French spoken and not much interest in 4-H. So the adventure was a new one for me on all fronts, and who doesn’t love a grand adventure?
That was 20-plus years ago, and three children later we have had many great adventures both on and off the farm. As our kids became more independent, I was able to devote time to many volunteer activities in sports, education, community healthcare, and church. But most recently, my involvement with the AANB has brought me full circle to once again enjoy being involved in the diversity of our great agricultural industries.
Through the AANB and my involvement as the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s New Brunswick representative, I am meeting producers, hearing stories of our strengths and challenges, and looking forward to helping maximize the potential of agriculture to grow our province’s economy.
I believe that one of the great assets in rural communities is the ability to come together and work for the betterment of the entire group, and I see this trait in the activities that the AANB has undertaken on behalf of its membership.
With thoughtful resolutions passed at the AGM to help guide the work of a dedicated board of directors during the coming year, I look forward to my role on the team and moving forward together. Now if Mother Nature would like to join our team for the entire season, we would all be exceedingly grateful!
(Lisa Ashworth is president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick.)
