Breslau pork co-operative celebrated for business acumen

Guelph, Ontario - October 22, 2004 - A rural-based co-operative makes a progressive move enabling Ontario pork producers to tap into hog processing markets - an initiative that has earned the group a prestigious award.

The Progressive Pork Producers Co-operative Ltd. (3-P) in Breslau is the winner of the Excellence in Formal Co-operative Models award. It is one of seven groups to receive recognition for its innovative work at the 6th annual Awards of Rural Excellence on Oct. 18, 2004. The awards, hosted by the Foundation for Rural Living (FRL), recognize and honour rural communities, organizations and groups who, through programs, projects and initiatives act on their vision of a better rural Ontario.

With a vision to adding value to hog producing beyond the farm gate, a group of pork farmers formed the Progressive Pork Producers in 1994. The move amounted to a $3-million investment by members and the creation of a member-owned processing facility that employs 161 people in rural Ontario. 3-P now boasts more than 500 producer-members with over 150 producers supplying over 12,000 hogs per week for slaughter.

3-P members have increased their market share by cutting out the middle man (private processing) and forming relationships with retail stores. The move has also helped to preserve independent hog farmers in Ontario, said Arnold Drung, General Manager of Conestoga Meats

"Other co-operatives can learn from 3-P that producers, through such a co-operative model, have the potential to influence their product beyond the farm gate with the potential to increased returns for their investment," added Drung.

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For more information:
Arnold Drung, General Manager of Conestoga Meats
Tel: 648 2506 Email: adrung@conestogameats.com

The winners in the remaining six categories are:

• Winner of the Outstanding Partnership with Business Award: Frontier College's Labourer Teacher Program
• Winner Outstanding Rural Youth Achievement: Community Futures of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin's Business Builders Program, Bancroft
• Winner Excellence in Community Leadership: The R.E.S.P.E.C.T (Resources, Empowerment, Safety, Prevention, Education, Community building and Training), North Bay
• Winner Excellence in Economic Development: Trent Hills Economic Development Committee,
• Winner Outstanding Philanthropic Action: The Bruce Grey Public Education Foundation
• Winner Volunteerism and/or Partnership in the Voluntary Sector: Erinsville Recyclers Group, Tamworth

Proud sponsors of the 2004 Awards of Rural Excellence program are Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont Company and founding sponsor, The Co-operators, the Province of Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Union Gas and The Ontario Rural Council.

The awards were held at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in London, Ontario on Oct. 18, 2004.

For more information please contact
Joanne Peach, communications specialist
Foundation for Rural Living
Tel: 519 826 3815
Email: frl_communications@on.aibn.com

Background: The Awards of Rural Excellence
The Foundation for Rural Living's (FRL) Awards of Rural Excellence program began in 1999 to recognize the excellence emerging from rural Ontario and to promote those initiatives to other organizations throughout the province. Contribution to community and a view toward enhancing and sustaining the future are the cornerstones of the awards criteria. Enterprises being recognized with each award must take place in rural Ontario. "Rural" includes communities with a population under 50,000. Amalgamated municipalities of small towns where the population may exceed 50,000 are also eligible. Proud sponsors of the 2004 Awards of Rural Excellence program are Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont Company and founding sponsor, The Co-operators, the Province of Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Union Gas and The Ontario Rural Council.

The Foundation for Rural Living
FRL was founded in 1979 as a non-profit, registered charity. Our mission is to build sustainable rural capacity and enhance the quality of life for rural citizens through the growth and development of community investment in the form of philanthropy, citizenship and collaboration. Various programs and partnership endeavours aim to advance the role and interests of the charitable sector for the benefit of rural communities.

The foundation has initiated and partnered in key programs including The Ontario Rural Council and the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program. During the ice storm of 1998 we established the Ontario Rural Relief Fund, which raised over $500,000 for rural communities affected by this disaster.

Disclaimer: The Foundation for Rural Living does not endorse or maintain the information contained within the above article, with the exception of news releases from the foundation itself. In all other instances, any questions reagarding the information contained therein should be referred to the author of the news article listed as the source.