Donald Stewart Cox
Donald Stewart Cox was born in 1928 and raised in Princeport, Colchester County. He is a graduate from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and Macdonald College with a Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) and Mount Allison University.
Don's influence in the agricultural industry began very early in his career. Through his early work with 4-H clubs, as a 4-H Representative, and later through his work as Agricultural Representative, Don promoted agriculture and encouraged new ideas and programs to those involved. His ability to bring people together to work toward common goals brought many benefits to the communities in which he was involved.
But perhaps the career he enjoyed as the Provincial Swine Specialist best shows the aforementioned attributes. To understand Don's contribution to the industry you must consider his role in both the commercial and purebred swine industry. When Don took over the Swine Department in 1963, Nova Scotia had 1600 producers shipping approximately 55,000 hogs. Don knew that the only way the industry could prosper with our high feed costs was to have genetically superior hogs. Therefore he persuaded the government of the day to assist producers to purchase better boars with a boar bonus assistance policy. These boars had to have superior performance and had to be registered purebreds.
As time and money allowed a quality premium was paid to producers to encourage them to produce better hogs and use superior genetics. Don worked very closely with the purebred breeders and convinced them to work together. In fact, Wendell Carter, a long time Landrace breeder and past President of Canadian Landrace, states that one of Don's greatest strengths was his ability to get the breeders to cooperate. The breeders then worked together not only in sales but also, more importantly, to import breeding stock from the U.K. and Europe.
At the time in the 1960's, and through to the present, these importations have added untold benefits to our industry and for years were the envy of the rest of Canada. Don represented Nova Scotia at the Swine Record of Performance meetings for over twenty years and served two terms on the executive. As part of his dedication, Don also encouraged the use of the Central Swine Test Stations with the result that the Maritime Test Station has always been well used by our breeders.
In 1986 when Don retired, the Nova Scotia hog industry had grown to 250,000 hogs marketed annually and had enjoyed the highest commercial index in Canada for many years. Since his retirement Don has volunteered much of his time with the Nova Scotia Exhibition Commission which also oversees the Provincial Exhibition and the Truro Raceway.
Don and Eleanor Cox have two daughters, Katherine and Donna.
Don Cox was nominated by Pork Nova Scotia in recognition of his tremendous contributions to agriculture. It is fitting that Don Cox becomes an Inductee into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.