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Nova Scotia Inductee - 2022

Seeds hold incredible potential, and James ‘Jim’ Borden spent his career fostering that potential for his fellow farmers. Born in 1929 in Lower Canard, Jim grew up on his family’s farm, raising beef cattle and growing potatoes and apples. From a young age, he was involved in 4-H, and was a national award winner in 1948 when he represented Nova Scotia in cattle showing.

After graduating from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in 1950, Jim returned to his family homestead, Blomidon View Farms. In addition to his on-farm responsibilities, he provided custom weed spraying for many Kings County Farmers, as well as roadside weed control throughout the county. In 1965, and now farming on his own, Jim became a select seed grower of OPAL wheat and Volla barley. He then joined the Minas Seed Co-op in Canning, eventually becoming President. He also assumed the role of President of the Maritime Branch of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA). In time, Jim was elected to the Board of Directors of the CSGA as Maritime Representative, and eventually became first Vice President of the organization.

In 1969, Jim was hired as the Farm Manager of Lyndhurst Farms in Canning. After many years in this role, Jim retired from active farming. In 1980, he became the Maritime Sales Manager for DeKalb Corn Seed Inc, and the Nova Scotia Sales Manager for Bishop Seeds of Belleville, Ontario. Jim was well-known for his knowledge of grain forages, corn varieties, and chemical weed control. He was a valued resource within the industry, and available to farmers of organizations needing assistance with seed selection and planting.

Jim was a leader within the agricultural community, holding a wide variety of influential roles throughout the Maritimes. He served as President of the Kings County Federation of Agriculture, the Kings County Soil and Crop Association, and the Nova Scotia Soil and Crop Association. He was also a Director with the Nova Scotia Crop Development Institute and Nova Scotia Forage Council, and on the Research Advisory Committee to the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Charlottetown, PEI. In recognition of his significant contributions, Jim was made an Honourary Member of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists in 2000, the year of his retirement.

Jim had a passion for the history and maintenance of Kings County dyke lands and served as Chairman of the Wellington Marsh Board for 20 years. He continued to promote and support 4-H programming throughout his career, acknowledging the impact it had on his early years.

Throughout his career, Jim exemplified professionalism and caring for his fellow producers. He followed the progress of his customers’ crops with dedication and concern, as if they were his own.

Nominated by Derill Armstrong for his commitment to crop development and his fellow producers, James Borden is a deserving inductee into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.