‘Mr. 4-H’ appointed Food & Farming Champion

“I’m glad I didn’t duck out 15 minutes ago,” joked Food & Farming Champion recipient John Drummond. “I’m absolutely gobsmacked by this.”

The Food & Farming Champion Award has been presented annually since 1999 by Food and Farm Care Ontario (FFCO) to recognize an individual or group’s commitment to public outreach and support for Ontario’s farming community. The award was presented to Drummond at FFCO’s annual conference in Elora on April 13 by Senator Rob Black. 

Drummond, a dairy feed specialist for Floradale Feed Mill Ltd., is known provincially as ‘Mr. 4-H’ due to his 37 years of volunteering with the club and his tireless promotion of agriculture, said Black. 

“John was determined to keep the spirit of 4-H going (during the pandemic), and he did so in a remarkable way,” said Black. 

With the assistance of other leaders, Drummond hosted virtual cooking clubs with recipes from around the world for more than 100 members. In addition, he hosted guests from different countries to give group members a global perspective on their discussion topics. He even arranged for his veterinary club to watch surgeries online and take virtual tours of clinics, said Black. 

“His commitment to young people and volunteers in the 4-H program is extraordinary. He goes out of his way to ensure a positive experience for all involved and has been recognized at the national level for his significant contributions to 4-H. He is a wonderful ambassador for 4-H and our agricultural sector here in Ontario.” 

In classic Drummond style, the new Food & Farming Champion took the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the 4-H program and encourage everyone in the room to get kids involved. 

“We’re more than teaching the next generation of farmers; we’re teaching agriculture and agricultural awareness,” he said. “It’s such an important job. We just want to keep doing it. So, thank you so much for the support. I’m absolutely humbled by it.”