McCain Foods Canada awards the Top Potato Growers for its Manitoba Plants

McCain Foods (Canada) announced Bailey Farms as 2017 Crop Year Champion Potato Grower for the McCain Manitoba plants during the annual Growers’ Appreciation Banquet. Approximately 180 guests gathered to celebrate the Top Growers and their achievements and enjoy a celebratory evening together at the Carbery Memorial Hall in Carberry on November 7.

Master of ceremonies for the evening was Bart Witherspoon, Field Department Manager, who announced the Top 10 Growers. McCain representatives expressing congratulations to the Growers included Allison McCain, Chairman of McCain Foods Limited, Danielle Barran, President, McCain Foods Canada, Dale McCarthy, VP Integrated Supply Chain NA, Christine Wentworth, VP Agriculture NA, Jim Waugh, Sr. Director Manufacturing, Bob Hyra, Director Agriculture NA, Dean Melnic, Portage Plant Manager and Eric Durand, Carberry Plant Manager.

Christine Wentworth:

“I speak for all of McCain when I say how grateful we are for your persistence & diligence in safely harvesting as much of this crop as possible and your efforts to keep our factories running whatever the conditions.”

“I have heard heroic stories of extraordinary efforts made by you in conditions not seen in decades if ever; harvesting in wet, freezing temperatures, pulling tractors and trucks through impossibly muddy, snowy fields to make it happen.”

Danielle Barran also thanked the growers for their partnership and hard work.

Danielle Barran:

“McCain views the grower relationship as an extension of our business. Together, we make the wonderful McCain foods that Canadian families know and love.”

Terry and Lori Bailey, along with daughter Kelsey and son Thomas, accepted the Champion Grower award for Bailey Farms. This is their first time achieving the Champion Grower award.

Terry Bailey:

“We were really pleased with the quality of our crop last year, growing potatoes is a lot of hard work and our whole family is involved to make it happen.”

“Our family has grown potatoes in the Carberry area since 1961. I am generation 3; Kelsey and Thomas are generation 4.”

Top Innovator variety award

For the second time, McCain has given out a Top Innovator variety award. This year, the award was presented to Stan Wiebe, Andrew Doerksen, and Darryl Wiebe of Beaver Creek Farms Ltd., located near McGregor for their top quality innovator potato.


Top 10 potato growers for the McCain Foods Manitoba plants

The Potato Growers who qualified for the Top 10 roster, in order of final standing were:

1. Bailey Farms (Champion Grower – Terry and Lori Bailey, Kelsey, and Thomas)
2. Spud Plains Farms (Paul and Kim Adriaansen)
3. Fiskel Farms (Rick and Karen Fiskel)
4. Snaith Farms Ltd. (Travis and Ginette Snaith)
5. Kehler Farms Ltd. (Jason and Laura Kehler)
6. Davison Farms Ltd. (Rick and Jackie Davison, Brad and Gill Davison, Jon Davison)
7. Adriannsen Farms Ltd. (Jack and Marie Adriaansen, Dave and Erin Adriaansen, Beth Adriaansen)
8. Hood Farms (Kevin and Erin Hood)
9. Shilo Farms Ltd. (Rodger Johnson)
10. Dickson Farm Ventures (Don and Pat Dickson, Derrick and Trevor)

A strong, sustainable Canadian business

Manitoba growers annually harvest about 26,300 hectares of potatoes, which represents about one-fifth of Canada's total potato crop. McCain works closely with its valued grower partners to support the continued demand for McCain frozen potato and potato specialty segments in both the retail and food service businesses.

More than 550 dedicated employees work at the two McCain facilities in Manitoba and are part of a proudly Canadian-based company with a global enterprise, including more than 20,000 employees operating out of 53 production facilities on six continents with sales in excess of CDN $9.5 billion.