This past summer Hamiota veterinarian and cattle producer, Dr. Allen Preston, was inducted into the Manitoba Agriculture Hall of Fame, recognizing him for his dedication and commitment to Manitoba agriculture in his community, as well as to the province as a whole.
Dr. Preston was nominated for this prestigious award by the Hamiota Agricultural Society with strong support from the local 4H club which he had been a leader for about 15 years starting in 1986.
"When I look at the nomination and then the support letters it makes one, first of all very honored, but it also makes me very humble," he shares. "I've just been incredibly impressed with the nomination that came forward and being inducted into the Manitoba Agriculture Hall of Fame is no mean feat on its own. It's a pretty well accepted tribute to people who have been involved in the agriculture sector for a lot of years."
"I have a lot of friends, former colleagues and clients in the Hall and I'm very pleased and honored to become a member alongside them," he adds.
Dr. Preston received his veterinary schooling in Saskatoon, SK and following graduation moved back to Hamiota to begin his practice as a rural vet. Years later, upon his children joining the local 4-H Club, he became an active 4-H leader, as well as a leader in the Hamiota Ag Society, and the Hamiota Community Foundation.
Dr. Preston was also active as a cattle producer and in beef industry organizations, holding the position of president of the Canadian Simmental Association.
Earlier this year in February, Dr. Preston, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Manitoba Beef Producers for his lengthy career as a rural veterinarian, as well as his significant contributions to the beef industry with the Provincial Government.
"Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Manitoba Beef Producers was equally as humbling as was the nomination for the Hall of Fame," he says.
"If you look back over the brief history of the Lifetime Achievement Award there are only 3 of them now over the years since the organization has been in existence. Betty Green from the Fischer Branch country (2018) and Martin Unrau out of MacGregor (2019), and now myself. Again, I'm very humbled to be alongside two vital components of the cattle industry."
At 73, Dr. Allen still operates a commercial herd of the Simmental beef cattle from his farm in Hamiota. "I can't visualize a day when there aren't the cattle in the back yard!"
The Manitoba Beef Producer's Lifetime Achievement Award adds to Preston’s many career distinctions and awards.
In 2000, he became the provincial veterinarian and director of Manitoba’s Veterinary Services Branch which led to his 7-year role as Assistant Deputy Minister in the Manitoba Agriculture and Food, chairing the Manitoba Agriculture Research and Innovation Committee.
He has also provided many years of service to research-oriented groups such as the Manitoba Forage & Grasslands Association, Bovine Tuberculosis Management Group, Beef Science Cluster Science Advisory Body and more.
Dr. Allan Preston played a pivotal role in the control of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in elk herds in Riding Mountain National Park, his work being crucial in the managing of TB which posed a significant threat to both wildlife and to cattle producers in the area.