Jessica Cook of Dundalk is this year’s winner of the Tommy Cooper Award.
The award is presented annually by Bayshore Broadcasting and the Owen Sound Sun Times to a person making important contributions to agriculture and rural living in Grey and Bruce Counties. It is named in memory of Tommy Cooper, who was the Grey County agricultural representative from 1920-1959 and dedicated his life to agriculture.
Cook, 32, joined Paul Hill and Fred Wallace on the 560 CFOS morning show Wednesday after the announcement was made.
“I really want to thank everyone who nominated me and felt I was deserving of the award,” Cook says. “I really do what I do because I love the people I’ve met and the places it’s taken me. I really did not expect to be recognized with such an honourable award.”
Cook is passionate about animals and has been with Markdale Veterinary Services since 2012. She has also been involved with several agricultural organizations, including Dundalk 4-H, the Dundalk Agricultural Society and the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies.
She currently sits on the OAAS District 10 executive, which represents 25 local fair boards in Bruce and Grey counties. Cook has volunteered with the Dundalk Fall Fair since she was a kid. She has also been running the Dundalk Agricultural Society ambassador competition since 2009-10.
Cook, a married mother of two, contributes to all of this while caring for her little girls Audrey and Mackenzie.
“She is an inspiration with youth and helps promote leadership within our youth through our ambassador and 4-H programs,” says OAAS District 10 leader Mike Dupuis in a letter of support. “Jess has assisted with roundtable discussions with the OAAS and the Alberta Agricultural Societies in promoting the youth in our communities and believes in succession planning. After all, if we do not inspire our youth, where is our future going?”
After the award announcement Wednesday morning, Cook shared a message to others involved in promoting agriculture and rural living.
“The message I’d want to get out there is talk about what you do, show off what you do and just represent where you’re from,” Cook adds. “Inspire others to get involved too, because we need youth and we need volunteers.”
