By Tom Collins
BRIGHTON — Friends are remembering Jim Dalrymple, the man who created the Quinte Agricultural Wall of Fame, as a great ambassador of agriculture.
Dalrymple died on June 10 after a long battle with cancer at the age of 73. There was a special celebration to remember Dalrymple at the Keeler Centre in Colborne on June 25, where he was referred to as Mr. Agriculture.
“That’s just about what he was,” said Roger Barrett, a director with Farmtown Park, adding that the wall of fame would never have happened without Dalrymple.
Roslin hog farmer Doug Farrell first met Dalrymple at Kemptville College in the late 1950s when Dalrymple would deliver farm papers to the college. Dalrymple’s father, John, was a teacher at the college, but Jim chose to study at the Ontario Agricultural College. He eventually became a regional swine specialist for OMAFRA for 28 years.
Dalrymple spent time on the Ontario Animal Research and Services Committee, was a director of Ontario Swine Improvement, a member of the Ontario Agri-Food Technologies Development Committee and the Ontario Pork Industry Improvement Task Force. Nationally, he chaired the Canada Committee on Animals, the Animal Code of Practice Development Committee, and the Veal Code Development Committee. He was also a member of the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council and worked on national strategies for Biotechnology, Pork, Genetic Resources. Dalrymple was inducted into the Quinte wall of fame in 2013.
“He accomplished more in a short period of time than most people would in a long period of time,” said Farrell. “He never really sat down. He was always busy and was always an outspoken supporter of agriculture.”
Farrell says Dalrymple’s trademark was a little flip notepad used for to-do lists.
“He was constantly pulling that thing out and checking what was ticked off and what wasn’t,” said Farrell. “He couldn’t get along without that notepad.”
Dalrymple is survived by his wife Donnalene and daughter, Kristen.
