Abbotsford - February 18, 2008

A passion for excellence has earned David and Lisa Taylor of Viewfield Farms in Courtenay the 2008 BC Outstanding Young Farmers Award. Federal Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food Gerry Ritz and BC Minister of Agriculture and Lands Pat Bell presented the Taylors with the prestigious award before over 400 people at the annual BC Agriculture Gala in Abbotsford, Feb 15th.

The Taylors, in conjunction with David's father and brother, operate a 300 animal Holstein herd on 180 acres in the beautiful Comox Valley. Since taking over farm management in the mid 90's, David's aim has been to produce both the best quality milk and the best quality Holsteins. He has already achieved his first goal, last year earning the award for the highest quality milk on Vancouver Island, and is well on his way to achieving his second: he is actively using embryo transfer technology to upgrade not only his herd but breed top animals for other dairy producers.

"Our goal is to become Holstein Canada Master Breeders," Taylor says, noting less than five percent of producers ever achieve the lofty designation.

The Taylors emphasize sustainability and make every effort to promote agriculture to the larger community. They work with Ducks Unlimited on a project to feed wintering swans in their fields, host many farm tours and even provide a free 20-acre campsite at the rear of their property which was used by over 1,000 people last year alone.

The Taylors are also involved in their industry, David is a director of the BC Dairy Foundation and vicepresident of the Vancouver Island Holstein Club and both he and Lisa have been 4-H club leaders for over 10 years.

Runners-up for the 2008 award were another Vancouver Island farm couple, Ian and Jennifer Woike of Running W Egg Farm and Farmer Ben's Eggs in Duncan.

"This was not an easy decision as both couples are a credit to their sectors," said judge Louis Schurmann, a BC Milk Marketing Board director and the 1984 BC OYF winner. "The ingenuity of the nominees just amazes me."

To be eligible for the Outstanding Young Farmer award, farmers must be between 19 and 39 years of age, derive at least two thirds of their annual income from farming and demonstrate progress in their agriculture careers. Nominees are judged on conservation practices, production history, financial and management practices, and community contributions. Helping Schurmann judge the 2008 competition was investment advisor Barry Reames of RBC Investments.

The Taylors will compete for Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers Award at the national competition in Calgary next fall.

Federal Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food Gerry Ritz, Lisa & David Taylor, and BC Minister of Agriculture and Lands Pat Bell

The BCOYF program is sponsored by Agri Digest Online, Bank of Montreal, BC Broiler Hatching Egg Commission, BC Egg Producers Association, BC Chicken Growers Association, BC Milk Marketing Board, Crofton Grower Services, Country Life in BC, Deloitte & Touche, Evergro & Westgro Canada, Friesen Equipment, HSBC Bank Canada, Pioneer HiBred, Ritchie Smith Feeds, RBC Royal Bank, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, TerraLink Horticulture and Unifeed.

The national competition is sponsored by AdFarm, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Bayer Crop Science, CIBC and John Deere.