Denis Gregoire of Gregoire Seed Farms, North Battleford, had earned an Outstanding Service Award from the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association.
According to the association, the award is presented to a Saskatchewan seed grower who has a minimum of eight years of pedigreed seed production, has made significant contributions to the pedigreed seed industry and who is active and has shown leadership in his or her community.
The presentation was made Jan. 11 at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show in Saskatoon.
Gregoire has been a pedigreed seed grower since 2001 and has been producing pedigreed seed crops for 15 years.
Gregoire was born in North Battleford and was raised on a mixed family farm.
After completing high school, he obtained training as a farm machinery mechanic. While employed at a local Massey Ferguson dealership, he kept close contact with the farm operated by his father and brother. He returned to farming full time in 1983.
The operation branched out into processing and shipping of lentils and peas and custom seed cleaning. That eventually led to the growing and cleaning of pedigreed seed for sale. Those crops consist of wheat, barley, green peas and flax with canola rounding out the rotations.
Gregoire’s community involvement has included 4-H, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool committees and representing his rural municipality in investigating the feasibility of the Highgate Dam project. He has also coached and managed minor hockey and baseball teams.
In 1998, Gregoire Seed Farms won the Malt Barley Competition for Saskatchewan in two and six row barley.
“We have won many awards at various seed shows, but my biggest highlight is the great people I have met over the years in the seed business and the mutual interests and friendships we have maintained,” Gregoire says.
“Farming has always had its challenges, but the rewards are always there to be thankful for.”
