Bernard teStroete
In 1929, Bernard ‘Bernie’ teStroete was born in Belthrum, the Netherlands. His on-farm experiences began at a young age and formed his commitment to agriculture. When he reached the draft age, he temporarily left farming to fight in Indonesia. He returned home in 1950 and worked on newly reclaimed agricultural land in Noord Oost Polder.
Bernie and his wife Mary immigrated to Canada in 1955, where he worked on a farm in Canning, NS. Five years after arriving in Nova Scotia, Bernie purchased his own farm in Hillaton, Kings County. By 1963, the dairy farm had grown from 30 head of cattle to include 5,000 broiler chicken. Saxon Valley Poultry is now owned by his son Ron, and boasts upwards of 50,000 chickens.
In 1973, Bernie began what would become a 17-year commitment to the Nova Scotia Chicken Marketing Board. He fully supported the Supply Management System introduced to protect chicken producers in the province. Bernie served as Chairman of the Board and was active in many sub-committees. He also served as a provincial delegate to Chicken Farmers of Canada.
Bernie was a tireless advocate for the promotion of agriculture in his community and beyond. He provided leadership to fellow producers in his role as President of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. He also served local farmers during his time with the Kings County Federation of Agriculture in the 1970s.
Involvement in his community was of great importance to Bernie. He was a charter member of the Canning Lions Club, where he served as Treasurer for five years. He was also involved with the
St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church, where for several years he helped maintain the lawn and property. As a dedicated blood donor, Bernie gave 112 donations during his lifetime, undoubtedly assisting hundreds of recipients. Bernie received outstanding family support from his wife Mary and children Bernadette and Ron.
Nominated by Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia for his dedication to the poultry industry in Nova Scotia and beyond, Bernard teStroete is a worthy inductee into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.