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Are You the Heartbeat of the Pulse Industry? Then This Award Could Be Yours (PCN Fall 2015) OCT 1 2015 | Consumers and Producers | Pulse Crop News

This article appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of Pulse Crop News.

The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission has seen many innovators work tirelessly to advance the industry over the years.

All of those early adopters who were brave enough to take a chance on a crop that was new for Alberta were pioneers for the emerging pulse industry. The second annual Industry Innovator Award will recognize the efforts of a person or group that has contributed to the pulse industry in a unique or innovative way.

APG combed through the many worthy selections and selected its first president, Lud Prudek, as the recipient of the inaugural Alberta Pulse Growers Industry Innovator Award in January 2015 in celebration of APG’s 25th year as a commission.

Prudek was pleased to receive the honour, and travelled from his home in Idaho to accept the award.

“I’ve had an extraordinarily interesting experience all through my life,” he said. “I’ve been so fortunate to know so many wonderful people and it has been a privilege to be a partner in the Alberta Pulse Growers. In any of these major accomplishments, you can give credit to one individual, but you always have to have an enormous team to make it work. If you don’t have that team and someone to inspire them, you’re not going to get anywhere.”

APG Chair Allison Ammeter, a Sylvan Lake pulse grower, was pleased to again have the opportunity to recognize people who have advanced Alberta’s pulse industry with their hard work and innovation.

“There are so many individuals and organizations that have strengthened our growing industry with their progressive thinking and tireless efforts,” she said. “The presentation of the first Industry Innovator Award last January launched an annual tradition of recognizing the contributions of noteworthy individuals and organizations. I am excited to see the nominations for the second annual award.”

An industry innovator is a person who has worked to help nurture and shape the pulse industry and helped contribute to the success of the industry as it is today. Innovators may have contributed to the industry through various areas from production, marketing, research, extension, processing, management, promotion and innovation.

Nominate someone that you admire today at http://pulse.ab.ca/news/article/pulse-industry-innovator-award1. Forms must be completed and received by 4 pm on December 8, 2015.

The second annual APG Innovator Award will be presented at the Annual General Meeting in January 2016 at FarmTech.