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Richard (Dick) Oram鈥檚 innovative spirit and commitment to his fellow producers will leave a lasting impact on agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador. His career with the province and on his own farm is an outstanding example of dedication and collaboration.

Dick was born in 1956 in Gander, NL. After two years at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, he enrolled in the Diploma in Agriculture program at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. Upon graduation in 1978, he immediately went to work with Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 provincial agriculture department, where he spent a 33 year career. Working much of his career in extension services, Dick had a wide-ranging impact on producers, providing training and offering advice that would benefit their productivity and profitability. Discovering his own passion for production, Dick and his family started a small farm in 1987. Their Wooddale farm began with strawberry production and soon expanded to include traditional crops for the wholesale market. With additional diversification, the farm began marketing directly to consumers.

During Dick鈥檚 tenure with extension services, the provincial government began promoting innovation, specifically research and development related to functional foods, nutraceuticals, and cranberries. This included alternative crops like seabuckthorn, Echinacea, and St. John鈥檚 wort. Dick was hired as the Alternative Crops Coordinator, where he managed a research program evaluating the commercial potential of non-traditional crops.

Perhaps the most defining project of Dick鈥檚 career was his last. Under Dick鈥檚 leadership, the cranberry initiative began in 1996 as a modest attempt to evaluate varieties of cranberry, but would soon transform the berry industry in the province. In order to provide adequate stock to farmers for large scale production in the spring, vast quantities of cranberry plugs were housed in the cooling facilities of Wooddale tree nursery through the winter. This innovative approach to cranberry production was a global first and was integrated into commercial research sites across the province, including Deadman鈥檚 Bay, the province鈥檚 flagship cranberry site and the location Dick was directly managing. Dick鈥檚 forward thinking approach and the instrumental partnerships he forged with industry, government, and researchers contributed to one of the most successful initiatives in the small fruit industry.

Dick鈥檚 2011 retirement from the government allowed him to dedicate more time to his own production. The farm, Mark鈥檚 Market, recently expanded to include a modern farm market, strengthened direct-to-consumer sales, and expanded its product line. A wide range of fruits and vegetables are grown on 25 acres, where Dick actively farms with his family. Off-farm, Dick continues to contribute to agriculture in his community, where he is an active member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture and the Horticulture Producers Council.

Dick and his wife Arlene have three children, Mark, Christopher, and Nancy.

Nominated by the Cranberry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador for his commitment to innovation and his outstanding service to the small fruit industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, Richard (Dick) Oram is a worthy inductee to the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.聽