The first female president of the Lambton Federation of Agriculture (LFA), Lambton County's warden, and a former MP have been inducted into the Lambton Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Dona Stewardson, Kevin Marriott and Sid Fraleigh became the newest members of the hall of fame during a virtual ceremony earlier this month.
Stewardson was elected to the LFA board of directors in 1981, she later served as the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) regional director, and she was named LFA president in 1987.
Stewardson said she was only able to accomplish this level of recognition with lots of support from family and colleagues along the way.
"To the colleagues on the boards of the committees I was elected or appointed to over the years, I wish to thank you for your support as well as treating me as an equal. If ever there was a glass ceiling for me, either I did not notice, or I just crashed through it."
Stewardson was elected to the OFA board of directors, she later became vice president of the organization, and was also chair of the OFA Environmental Committee.
Warden Marriott has been actively involved in various agriculture groups and activities, including the Lambton County 4-H Leaders Association, Lambton County Jr. Famers, the Lambton County Soybean Committee, the Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Lambton Soil & Crop Improvement Association, the Bluewater Conservation Club, the American Soybean Association, and he was a founding provincial director of the Grain Farmers of Ontario.
Marriott said he feels very fortunate to have had the opportunity to be a farmer in Lambton county.
"I'm a fifth generation farmer on both sides of the family. My great-great grandparents from both my mom and dad came to Canada in the 1800s and I'm sure glad they decided on Lambton county," said Marriott. "My involvement with provincial organizations helped me realize that there is no better place in Ontario than right here in Lambton for many reasons. I have also seen how envious farmers from many areas of Ontario are of us here in Lambton."
Marriott was elected the 159th Warden of Lambton County in December.
Sid Fraleigh is the former chair of Lambton Pork Producers, he was a 4-H Swine club leader, he's a member of the Forest Agricultural Society, he was the chairman of Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board, and he represented Ontario as a member of the Canadian Pork Council.
Fraleigh was elected to the 31st and 33rd Canadian parliaments between 1979 and 1988 and was an active member of the agricultural committee at the House of Commons during that time.
