Lethbridge farmer Blair Roth inducted into Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame

Lethbridge farmer Blair Roth was inducted into the Agriculture Hall of Fame Wednesday. (Aldona B.)

A prestigious honour has been presented to a longtime Lethbridge farmer and an innovative Okotoks veterinarian.

Blair Roth was inducted Wednesday to the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame for his contributions to advance and grow the province’s agricultural industry.

Roth was recognized for his visionary role in developing pulse crops as a dryland farming option, shaping early agronomics, variety selection and marketing strategies.

Inductees are nominated by their peers and chosen by a panel of judges.

Other inductees on Wednesday were Kee Jim, an Okotoks veterinarian, and a posthumous induction of Manfred Kanehl of Parkland County.

Jim founded Feedlot Health Management Services in Okotoks, pioneering a data-driven approach to feedlot cattle health. His work helped to establish effective disease protocols, improving animal health and profitability in the Alberta cattle industry.

Kanehl championed improvements in food safety within the Canadian egg industry. He was also a founding member of Alberta Farm Animal Care, which advocated for collaborative approaches to address livestock welfare.

The Agriculture Hall of Fame was created in 1951 and since then, 144 men and women have been inducted.

Wednesday’s ceremony was held at the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskawin.