Ronald Ray Piper
Ronald Piper was born in Bath, N. B., and graduated from the Centreville High School in 1969.Ìý He immediately started farming which was a love he learned from his grandfather.Ìý
Ron was a prominent voice for the entire potato industry.Ìý He was a charismatic advocate always ready to lend a helping hand.Ìý He believed in the New Brunswick potato industry and always promoted marketing excellence.Ìý He received praise for his ability to draw the attention of both the Provincial and Federal Governments to the needs of New Brunswick potato farmers.Ìý
Ronald served effectively on many Boards. He served between 2001 and 2007 as a Director on the Potatoes New Brunswick Board – five of those years on the Executive including two as Chairman.ÌýÌý A new strategic plan was developed early in his mandate with goals and objectives he made sure were achieved.
Active on many committees, he was the Chairman of the New Brunswick Potato Industry Stakeholder Advisory Committee on Research, Co-Chair of the New Brunswick ‘Best Management Practices’ Seed Potato Committee and Co-Chair of the Marketing Committee.Ìý Ron continued his committee work after his term on the Board expired.Ìý He represented growers at the New Brunswick Agriculture Summit consultation symposium.
Ron also served as a Board Member of the New Brunswick Agricultural Council. ÌýOn a national level, he served on the Potato Committee Executive and on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Horticultural Council.Ìý ÌýHe was instrumental in the creation of United Potato Growers of Canada, serving as a Director on their first Board. He was also involved from day one with the United Potato Growers of America.
In September, 2008, he was inducted in the Potato World Hall of Recognition.
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Ronald’s vision was to see potato growers have a fair return on their crop.Ìý He firmly believed that growing too many open-market potatoes was detrimental to profitable farming.Ìý Always looking to the future, he strongly encouraged the involvement of young people in farming and the importance of adopting new and improved management practices and obtaining the funding to make them a reality.Ìý
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Ronald was a former co-owner of County Tractors and Mountain View Packers, located in Florenceville, and Canusa Foods, located in Centreville. His last commitment to innovation was to partner with Technico Technologies Inc., Hoyt, New Brunswick as Marketing Manager – an endeavour he loved.ÌýÌýÌý He was well-known and respected by potato growers, farmers in general, government, and industry stakeholders in Canada and the USA.Ìý He was a prominent agriculturalist; always working for the betterment of the farming community.
Among Ronald’s hobbies was collecting and restoring antique Massey Harris tractors.Ìý A devoted Christian and family man, Ronald’s life’s passion was serving the local and broader Church community. ÌýRonald and his wife of 33 years, Yolanda Whittaker, raised two daughters, Melody and Heidi.
Nominated by Potatoes New Brunswick for his belief in the potato industry and his tirelessÌý work to ensure its continued viability, the late Ronald Ray Piper is indeed a worthy inductee into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.