Agricultural Hall of Fame inducts four new members
- Ron Giofu
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
Four new members have been inducted into the Essex County Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Rochelle Deslippe, Leo Guilbeault, Neil McBeth and Walter McLean were honoured last Thursday night at the Harrow Agricultural Exhibition Hall. Joined by family, friends, dignitaries and fellow Hall of Famers, the new members had their photos added to the wall with the many other Hall of Fame inductees' photographs after the induction ceremony.
First to be honoured was Guilbeault, a graduate from the Ridgetown College campus of the University of Guelph in 1980. He purchased his parents farm in 1987, growing the operation from 200 acres to 2,200 acres and growing such crops as corn, soybeans, wheat and canola.
Guilbeault’s background also includes working for the Essex Hybrid Seed Company from 1980-83 as the plant operations manager and seed corn specialist. From 1983-1995, Guilbeault worked at the Stoney Point Co-op as a crop specialist and he was responsible for starting and managing the custom application business for the co-op. He was promoted in 1990 to the branch manager position and then in 1993 he was promoted to the position of Essex North Manager.
Agricultural associations have been an extensive part of Guilbeault’s life, being a former president of the Essex County Soil and Crop Improvement Association. From 1998-2001, he also served as a provincial director. Guilbeault also served as president of the Essex County Conservation Club and worked with Jerome Deslippe and Henry Denotterto to start the Holiday Beach Conservation Farm. Guilbeault was also integral in the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), with Crosby DeVitt from the GFO on hand to help honour him. He also served as a director or chair of several provincial bodies such as the Ontario Soybean growers, OFA Policy Advisory Committee and the Ontario/Quebec Grain Farms Coalition to name a few.
His background also includes contributions to the Comber Fair, the Essex County Federation of Agriculture (ECFA) “Farm Hiker Tour” and giving back to his community through athletics in St. Joachim and Belle River.
His Hall of Fame sponsor was the Essex County Grain Growers.
Accompanied by his family, Guilbeault congratulated his fellow inductees and thanked his nominators. He recalled in his late teens, not knowing what he wanted to do, but when his friends went into the auto plants, he knew that wasn’t for him.
“That didn’t fit what I thought I could do,” said Guilbeault. “I never thought of going down that path. Agriculture was the right and only path for me.”
Guilbeault said he enjoyed “every minute on the farm” and “45 years later, I have no regrets at all.”
Noting he has also worked with or consulted two prime ministers, three premiers and numerous agriculture ministers, Guilbeault credited friends and competitors in the industry for his accomplishments, not to mention his family.
“You can’t do this without a lot of family and friends,” he said. “A lot of my mentors and friends helped me out. Agriculture is a great career. When you love what you do and do what you love, it’s not a job. There’s no better way to spend life than on the farm.”
McBeth was raised on his family farm, operated by his father Douglas and his uncle Kenneth. He was mentored in both dairy and caged layer poultry, with his early years seeing him feed cattle and chickens. He was active in sports in high school but still did his chores on the farm. He was also involved in Scouting, attending the 12th World Scout Jamboree in Idaho.
McBeth was a high school teacher and coach for 33 years but still worked with his father and uncle on the farm. His farming background led to him teaching that in the classroom as well during part of his career. He became a partner in the farm with his uncle after his father’s sudden passing in 1984. His biography added this led to updating the farm machinery from 1960’s size to 1980’s size. He used no-till and minimum till practices and also used rock chutes on waterways and grass strips around the fields to cut down on weed infiltration.
In the community, McBeth sat on the Essex Social Planning Council and chaired it for four years. He was credited for being the first chair of the committee for nurse practitioner clinics in Essex and Amherstburg. McBeth is also an Essex Rotarian, travelling with wife Cheryl around southwestern Ontario, a number of U.S. states and humanitarian trips to Ghana, India, Nigeria and Haiti. He was also a member of the board of Essex United Church and the Rotary Foundation.
McBeth’s Hall of Fame sponsor was Colchester Farms.
“I’m very humbled by the recognition,” he said. “I was very fortunate to have had parents that embraced farm life.”
Noting he joins his father on the Hall of Fame wall, McBeth said he was taught to be community-minded and to give back to the community. He joked that he became a full-time farmer with a hobby of teaching high school. When his father died, McBeth said he relied on his uncle’s insight and the advice of mentors to help keep it going and never stop learning.
McBeth added his life in education, agriculture and Rotary has led him to meet people he otherwise never would have had a chance to meet.
Walter McLean was inducted posthumously, represented by his family including wife Collette, son Cole and daughter-in-law Alyssa Thibodeau.
McLean, who passed away in 2024, was raised on the family farm in Harrow and went to Kingsville for high school. He learned farming from his father Murray and began as a dairy farmer and also grew tomatoes for Heinz.
After he stopped growing tomatoes, McLean continued cash cropping along with growing seed corn under contract until the U.S. withdrew production in 2000. After his father’s passing, he farmed with Cole. He was married to Collette for 34 years. They met while she was working as an agronomist for Cyanamid Canada when her work took her to the Harrow Research Station.
McLean went on to work at the Harrow Research Station for 36 years for Agriculture and Agrifood Canada. He worked as a technician and then moved into the shop, eventually moving to the Woodslee substation. For 23 of the 36 years, his biography added he was farm foreman of agricultural operations in Harrow.
Among the farm organizations McLean was part of was a director with ECFA, a past president and director with the Harrow and Colchester South Agricultural Society including general manager of the Harrow Fair from 2018-24. He was described as a dedicated volunteer with the fair, spending many hours managing committees and organizing events.
McLean was also a member of the GFO.
In the community, McLean was a member of Harrow United Church’s board of directors from 2013-19. The Government of Canada recognized him for his 35 years of service and he also received the Agricultural Service Diploma for Meritorious Service to the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies.
McLean was sponsored by the Harrow and Colchester South Agricultural Society.
Collette McLean thanked the Hall of Fame for inducting her husband. She also gave thanks to the Harrow Fair board.
“Those we love never leave us,” she said. “They simply find new ways to show up.”
Cole added his thanks for the honour, saying it means a lot to the family. The Harrow Fair was a big part of his life, Cole added, and another part of his father’s life he’ll always remember was all the fun they had.
“Dad was always a people person,” he said.
Rochelle Deslippe was the fourth honouree. The Amherstburg resident attended the University of Guelph and Ridgetown College of Agriculture. She also worked on the family farm in Malden Centre with her father Jerome raising Tom turkeys and has spent much of her life working in agribusiness throughout Ontario.
Farming has become a family affair, with sons John and Keith and daughter Mary working as a team on the farm. Her sons are currently raising sheep. They have also done plot work for the Essex Soil and Crop Association and in cooperation with Agriculture Canada have completed farm bug counts, completed Nematode Research as well as plot work on soybeans and corn. Their farm has been a demonstration farm for ERCA/ESCIA.
Deslippe has been a member of many farm organizations, including the Essex County Steam and Gas Engine Museum, her nominator. She has had a long association with Essex County Plowman and was president in 2024. She started as a plowman and was Queen of the Furrow four times between 1983-1987. From 1990-2007, she did media relations and points tabulation, served as a steward and a board member from 2019-24.
In the Essex County 4-H, Deslippe received provincial honours as a member in agriculture and homemaking. She served as a leader, board member and as the secretary of screening and coordinator of training.
She was also a Junior Farmers member. Since 2007, she has been a member of the Essex County Agricultural Hall of Fame and president in 2024.
Deslippe has been a lector at several churches, a member of the House of Shalom from 1979-2007, a leader from 1981-84 and a board member from 2006-2011. She has played baseball at Malden Park, a scouting leader and a Karate second degree black belt in Legacy Shorin Rya. She is currently an instructor. She also has been involved with Haflinger horses as showman and driver.Deslippe said she was deeply grateful for the induction to the Hall of Fame, giving thanks to her parents and family. She also recognized the large crowd last Thursday night in Harrow.
“There are a lot of pioneers here,” she said. “I’m proud to be part of it.”
Deslippe recalled her mother stating there is nothing a person is not capable of. She acknowledged all the support she has had in her life.
“I’m very thankful and grateful for all of the support,” she said. “It’s about what we all accomplish together.”
Mentorship is very important, Deslippe added, that people in agriculture meet great people wherever they go.
“We have a lot to be proud of,” said Deslippe.
Passing traditions and knowledge to the next generation is also key, she said.
“We need to encourage people to continue to grow, to continue to innovate,” she said. “I’ve loved every aspect of learning about agriculture.”
Agricultural Hall of Fame inducts four new members
By Ron Giofu
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