Ontario Beef Farmers Receive Mark of Excellence Reward

James and Joan McKinlay recognized for their livestock genetic improvement achievements

AgSights News Release

Well-known beef farmers James and Joan McKinlay of Silver Springs Simmentals have been named the recipients of the 2022 Mark of Excellence by AgSights. The prestigious award is named after progressive beef producer Mark Warren and recognizes exemplary contributions to livestock improvement.

The McKinlays farm with their son Robert near Ravenna in the Blue Mountains area of Grey County. Their herd consists of mainly Red Angus and Simmental cows with a strong emphasis on maternal traits, and they develop and market heifers and bulls.

“It’s an honour to present this award to such deserving recipients. James and Joan are well known for their strong focus on herd improvement through their farming careers and their dedication to the growth and future of the Ontario beef industry,” says AgSights President Dave Milliner. “As the world continues to challenge how we do business, it is important to recognize the things that have brought continued improvement – and the McKinlays demonstrate all the qualities recognized in the Mark of Excellence award.”

Long-time members of AgSights and its legacy organization Beef Improvement Ontario (BIO), the McKinlays have been testing bulls since 1989 and started home testing with their own bull test station in 1999. Their breeding strategy has been to continually improve animal performance in weaning and post-weaning gain with a growing emphasis on herd sires based on bull evaluation data dating back to the initial days of BIO bull testing.

The McKinlays also have a long-standing commitment to helping young people get into farming in non-traditional ways. They’ve recognized potential in young employees on their farm, finding creative ways to support them with setting up their own farms and maintaining long-term collaboration and information sharing as their businesses grow.

The Mark of Excellence award recognizes leadership and innovation in the capture and use of data, creation of knowledge, and development of technology and insight for agri-food businesses.

AgSights is a not-for-profit cooperative established in 1993 as Beef Improvement Ontario. The organization is dedicated to making data capture along the food supply chain as easy as possible using innovative techniques and adding value through linkages and analysis. The Mark of Excellence Award has recognized the contributions of 18 winners since its inception in 1994. Learn more at www.agsights.com.