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The dairy industry in Prince Edward Island would not look the same without Wayne Dickieson. As a breeder, showman, and specialist Wayne’s career and personal life have been spent  dedicated to the improvement of the dairy industry in general, and the Holstein breed in particular. His contributions have been felt locally, nationally, and internationally.

Born in 1943 in Charlottetown, Wayne spent his life in service of agriculture in PEI. He graduated from Macdonald College, McGill University in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, and returned to Atlantic Canada. He spent a brief period in Moncton with Maritime Co-op before settling back in his home province, where he would spend 36 years working for the Department of Agriculture.

While Wayne’s roles with the Department varied, his greatest responsibility was in the promotion and improvement of dairy cattle and the industry as a whole. He first served as an Agricultural Representative for Queens County, then as the province’s dairy specialist. It was in his role as Milk Recording Supervisor that Wayne implemented the Dairy Herd Analysis Service in PEI, a computerized program combining traditional milk recording with management advice. As PEI’s representative, Wayne was also a founding director of the Atlantic Dairy Livestock Improvement Corporation, the first multi-province milk recording agency in Canada.

Throughout his career Wayne has been instrumental in improving artificial insemination and breeding programs. As a member, Director, and President of the Canadian Association of Animal Breeders (CAAB), Wayne’s influence was wide-reaching. This organization established standards for semen production, identification of semen and embryos, and a code of ethics for advertising. During his tenure as President, Wayne was influential in forming the Canadian Dairy Network, which supplies genetics evaluation services to the dairy industry.

When the PEI Department of Agriculture privatized artificial insemination services in 1981, Wayne served as the Director-Manager of the resulting PEI Artificial Breeders Association Advisory Board until his retirement in 2001. As a result of a number of mergers, this advisory board is now EastGen, and Wayne currently sits on the Board of Directors.

The Holstein community in PEI has benefitted from Wayne’s extensive knowledge of dairy, his tireless commitment to the industry, and his keen interest in giving back to his province. Since retirement, Wayne has served as Secretary-Treasurer of both the PEI Branch of Holstein Canada and the Atlantic Holstein Branch Relations Committee for eight years, and is currently the Atlantic Judging Conference Coordinator.

Wayne is not only an accomplished leader in the agriculture industry, but also as a leader within his community. For 15 years he has mentored youth as a 4H Dairy Leader in Cavendish. He contributes as a player and coach in community softball and hockey leagues, and lends his talents as a member of the Cavendish United Church choir and Chair of the Pastoral Charge Official Board. Wayne has been a member of the PEI Institute of Agrologists since 1969, where he served as Registrar for 17 years. As an official judge of Holstein Canada, he has officiated at events across Canada, the UK, the Isle of Mann, and Colombia.

In 1972, Wayne and his wife Flora began raising dairy heifers on the Woolner family farm.  With the prefix ‘Birkentree,’ Wayne has shown his cattle for over 40 years, been recognized with numerous awards, and bred over 60 ‘excellent’ cows. In 2007, he was awarded Holstein Canada Master Breeder recognition.  It was here on the family farm that that Wayne and Flora raised their four children, Andrew, David, Charlie, and Susan, and they remain on the family farm today.

Nominated by the PEI Branch, Holstein Canada for his steadfast commitment to improving the dairy industry in PEI and beyond, Wayne Dickieson is indeed a deserving inductee into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.