Proudly Sponsored By McBrayne Feed & Supply
Eligible individuals or businesses in any agricultural sector include those that:
- Create innovative solutions that promotes agriculture in the community.
- Development of new market opportunities.
- Demonstration of excellence within the sector.
Whyte’s Foods [Winner]
Whyte’s is Canada’s largest pickle and pepper packer. We first opened our doors in 1892 and have been under current ownership since 1976. We have always been a family-owned and run business. We proudly service both the retail and food service sector of the industry. Our brands include Strub’s and Coronation, and we also pack for some of Canada’s largest private label brands. Our brands are part of Canadian BBQs and family gatherings from coast to coast and have been for decades. We are known for producing a high-quality pickle in Canada for Canadians. We employ over three hundred people in our three manufacturing facilities, which are located in both Quebec and Ontario. We value Canadian agriculture and support our local farms by producing as many of our products as possible with Canadian crop. We believe that our people are at the core of our business, that every voice counts, and that innovation and quality are imperative to success.
DVS Farms
Dave VanSegBrook was born and raised in the former Chatham Township and is currently married with 2 young children aged 16 & 20. He grew up in the seed business with his father as the Production Manager of Asgrow Seeds Canada and has been in the farming business for over 35 years.
In 2000, Dave partnered with Laprise Farms Ltd who produce brussels sprouts commercially in Chatham-Kent since 1992. Eventually, they more than doubled the business to the point that all Brussels sprouts produced for processing and freezing in eastern Canada are produced by the Laprise/Vansegbrook joint venture in Chatham Kent. As the largest fresh market supplier of Brussel Sprouts in eastern Canada they have made Chatham-Kent the Brussel Sprout capital of Canada.
In addition to his work at DVS Farms, Dave has donated produce for the United Way “Bushels of Hope” program. He also coaches House League Soccer and has contributed to the development of the Rudy Brown Building at Ridgetown College.
Debot’s Farms – Popcorn Barn
The Popcorn Barn is a subsidiary division of DeBot Farms Ltd, as we are entering our third year as a popcorn producer, farming has been a lifetime passion for the DeBot family. The company was founded by Albert DeBot in 1947, starting with 200 acres of land. Albert and his two sons, Remi and Dennis had the vision to become leaders in the agriculture industry and continued to grow the company to where it is today, farming over 6,000 acres. With the passing of Remi in 2009, Dennis’s son Chad stepped up in the company to play a more prominent role.
In 2018 we decided to plant our first field of popcorn at our home base “The Shop Field”. So out came the John Deere 8-row box planter and in went our first five acres of yellow popcorn seed. So, to make this unique we decided to leave it right on the cob! Although this is not a new thing, it would prove to be new to the Chatham Kent area. Our thoughts were, popping it right off the cob would not only be fun but would also add an educational element to the already popular snack. This is a great opportunity to teach your children where popcorn comes from and the best part is you get to share it with them!
Over the past few years, we have been involved in fundraising with WDSS and the Wallaceburg Fireworks Committee. We have also made many donations to local sports and service groups in our community. Our product has also been shared as wedding and baby shower favours. We are truly grateful for all the community support. Our product can be found in a few shops in and around Chatham Kent and we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the small business owners who shared their space with us to get our popcorn out on the market. We have also been approved and made our way into a few Foodland and Sobey’s locations in the Southwestern Ontario market.
We are truly honoured for this nomination. We would like to acknowledge all farmers in our area for their hard work and dedication because we all know in this industry farming is not just a job, it’s a way of life!