Guelph, Ontario, April 30, 2018 –The Ontario Goat (OG) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the election of Oxford County dairy goat producer Dirk Boogerd as President, with Jeff Smith (Haldimand) and Aaron Dykstra (Niagara) elected as Vice-Presidents, at a recent meeting of the Board of Directors.
Boogerd was first elected to the OG Board of Directors in 2014 and has served as Vice President since 2016. As current Oxford County Federation of Agriculture President, and a member of the National Goat Traceability Committee, Boogerd is well-prepared to help producers address the new challenges that lay ahead this year. He and his wife, Tracie, milk 500 does near Embro with their young family.
“Through grassroots leadership and cooperation of the entire industry, we can address concerns and also new opportunities which may affect all Ontario producers,” says Boogerd. “There are several key priorities that need to be addressed like animal health and welfare, traceability and food safety, farm business management, research and industry communications to name just a few. As OG President, I look forward to working with my fellow Directors to engage goat producers on these issues and continue to unify the goat industry with one voice.”
Smith will enter his third year on the Board and will move to the position of Vice-President. Smith and his family milk 600 does in Caledonia, and currently serves as a delegate for Gay Lea Foods. Dykstra and his family milk 350 goats and offer custom work services in the Smithville area. Both Smith and Dykstra are currently serving on the Gay Lea Foods Goat Producer Advisory Committee (GPAC).
Along with Dykstra, joining the OG Board following an election at the 2018 Annual General Meeting and Producer Education Day in Woodstock are Amy Vingerhoeds, Josh Landman and Andreas Jackson. Vingerhoeds, along with her husband, raises 100 Boer-cross does for the commercial meat goat business and sells breeding stock near Hensall. Landman, who also currently serves on the GPAC, milks 300 does with his family in Grand Valley. Jackson and his business partner milk 300 does and 76 cows on two farms near Winchester. He is currently a Director with the newly formed Goat Milk Canada Co-operative formed in Eastern Ontario. Returning to the OG Board are Oxford County dairy goat producers Greg Haskett and Past-President Anton Slingerland.
Ontario Goat represents Ontario’s milk, meat and fibre goat farmers with a united voice and is dedicated to enhancing the goat industry through education, collaboration, innovation and strategic alliances.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Jennifer Haley, Executive Director, Ontario Goat, (519) 824-2942 or jhaley@livestockalliance.ca
Dirk Boogerd, President, Ontario Goat, (519) 320-0672 or dirkboogerd@gmail.com
OG BoD election news release 30.04.18
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