TORONTO, Oct. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- François Allard, owner of Allard Farms/Allard Logging Ltd. and ALUS Northern Sunrise participant, wins the ALUS 2024 Dave Reid Award for demonstrated leadership in agricultural stewardship. The Dave Reid Award includes a $10,000 cash prize.
François Allard receives the 2024 Dave Reid Award from Joe Csoff, ALUS farmer liaison. (photo: Keith Ahlstrom)
Victor Drury, cattle producer, and Brian Maloney, owner of Brylee Farm, were the two runners-up for the award. Each will receive a cash prize of $2,500.
The Dave Reid Award recognizes ALUS farmers and ranchers who demonstrate excellent agricultural stewardship and innovative approaches to producing ecological services on their lands. François, Brian, and Victor modelled exceptional community engagement, agricultural advocacy, and environmental action through their ALUS projects and participation in their ALUS communities.
ALUS is proud to recognize these three producers as exceptional ALUS participants across a growing network of over 1,700 farmers and ranchers committed to building environmental and community resilience.
“Shining a light on the hard work of farmers and ranchers not only as economic leaders, but also environmental leaders, is of utmost importance to the farming community,” says ALUS CEO Bryan Gilvesy. “The Dave Reid Award is a celebration of farmers who put their hands in the dirt and make a difference for the rest of us.”
François Allard, Allard Farms/Allard Logging Ltd.
François’ commitment to the challenges of land stewardship, his dedication to building resilience in the agricultural community and his outstanding environmental leadership won him this year’s Dave Reid award.
“It’s the biggest honour that I’ve ever received,” says François. “I’m proud of our project and it’s a project that will last indefinitely. We're just getting started; we want to keep going and keep improving.”
François began working with ALUS in 2022. He has since undertaken several environmental projects on his land, planting over 100,000 native trees of eight different species and enrolling 160 acres of marginal land as a restored wetland and watercourse habitat. Both projects support biodiversity and wildlife, while the wetland project directly benefits the ecological function of nearby Pat’s Creek.
Wetland projects generate benefits beyond the farm by reducing flood, drought, and wildfire risk for surrounding communities. They slow, collect, and hold water runoff, keeping moisture on the land. They also facilitate groundwater recharge, supporting surface water resources, and they filter water.
François says that while the nomination for the Dave Reid Award recognizes him, he wouldn’t be able to undertake his environmental efforts and ALUS projects without the support of his brother and his son on the farm.
François is a motivated advocate for environmental stewardship in the Peace River region. He’s a member of the County’s Watershed Advisory Committee (WAC) and the ALUS Northern Sunrise Partnership Advisory Committee (PAC), and is also serving as the director and trail coordinator of the snowmobile club, Peace Valley Snow Riders. He’s also helped other landowners engage with ALUS. Case in point, François’ neighbour restored 70 acres of native grassland adjacent to Francois’ ALUS project site.
‘‘What is impressive about François is his creativity, how he fits ALUS projects into his land and how he provides leadership for all of us,’’ explains Bryan Gilvesy, CEO of ALUS. ‘‘He shows us how farmers and ranchers can be part of the solution to global environmental problems. He’s creative in the development of projects that fit on his landscape and the solutions that he identified benefit society as whole.”
2024 Dave Reid Award Runners-Up
ALUS also recognizes finalists who stood out due to their exceptional work: Victor Drury and Brian Maloney, both participants of ALUS Outaouais.
Brian Maloney, Brylee Farm
Brylee Farm has been in the Maloney family for five generations. Brian Maloney has been operating the farm since 1985 with his partner, Lise Villeneuve, and their daughter, Kim Maloney. The farm, located in Thurso, Quebec, is engaged in the production of grass-fed beef and lamb and serves as an ALUS demonstration site.
Brian has several ALUS projects on his land, which include over two acres of ungrazed bobolink and meadowlark reserve, nearly a half-acre riparian buffer for the Rivière Blanche and six bird boxes. Brian isn’t done yet. He already has plans for adding additional windbreaks to the farm.
“We have fields, forests and rivers on the farm. I've always managed these ecosystems separately,” says Brian, “but ALUS has helped me realize that we must manage them as a whole.”
Victor Drury
Victor joined the ALUS program in 2021 to help protect endangered species through practices such as delayed haying. He has also adopted rotational grazing and organic practices on his farm, which are beneficial for soil health and pasture regeneration.
“I’m very happy that a bunch of people supported me on this project,” says Victor Drury. “I’m grateful that I was chosen for this award.”
Victor advocates for stewardship and for the ALUS program in his community. His farm is an ALUS demonstration site where neighbouring landowners and others who are interested in the program can visit. He is also involved in local, regional, provincial, and national committees, such as the Producteurs de bovins du Québec and the mayoral agricultural council in his municipality of La Pêche, Quebec.
About the Dave Reid Awards
The Dave Reid Award recognizes ALUS farmers and ranchers from across the country who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in agri-environmental stewardship through community engagement, advocacy, and nature-based project establishment. ALUS recognizes the vital role these farmers and ranchers play as land stewards and ALUS ambassadors.
Past recipients of the Dave Reid Award include Wayne and Jesse Pukalo (2023, ALUS Parkland), Paul Caplette (2022, ALUS Montérégie), Duane Movald (2021, ALUS Brazeau), Marc Bercier (2020, ALUS Ontario East), Tom Towers (2019, ALUS Red Deer County), Joe Csoff (2018, ALUS Norfolk), and Gerry Taillieu (2016, ALUS Parkland).
Dave Reid was one of the original pioneers of the ALUS concept and was instrumental in ensuring that community governance and autonomous decision-making was at the centre of the ALUS model. Reid recognized that local governance through Partnership Advisory Committees was critical for farmer engagement and program success. Reid was a lifelong biologist and resident of Norfolk County, Ontario. He held a 36-year career with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources before helping to launch ALUS.
About ALUS
ALUS is a charitable organization that envisions a future where all farmers and ranchers produce ecosystem services from nature-based solutions alongside food and fibre to help solve the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through its turn-key farmer-led, community-delivered program, ALUS supports more than 430 community leaders across 39 ALUS communities in helping over 1,700 farmers and ranchers build and actively manage 52,000+ acres of nature-based projects. These projects, like wetlands, grasslands and tree and shrub plantings, help capture carbon, keep lakes, rivers and streams clean, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and better prepare communities for extreme weather events like flood and drought.
ALUS helps governments, businesses and philanthropic foundations invest in Nature & Climate Solutions on agricultural land to generate positive environmental, economic and social outcomes in the communities where they operate—one acre at a time.
Visit ALUS.ca to learn more.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c13d30b-e4e8-45c1-b4a2-568f7c180c89
