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Carol Versteeg embodies the heart of volunteerism – she is steadfast, compassionate, and deeply rooted in her community. A proud member of the NSAC Class of 1975, Carol’s lifelong dedication to agriculture and service has shaped not only her own journey, but the lives of countless others across her region and province.

Raised on a dairy farm in North Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, Carol’s early connection to agriculture took her to NSAC, where she met her husband John, a dairy farmer from Hardwoodlands, Nova Scotia and a fellow member of the Class of 1975. After completing her studies, Carol joined John in Hardwoodlands, where they began their family and their farming journey together. After John’s untimely passing, Carol faced the challenges of single parenthood with resilience and grace, raising three children while continuing to contribute meaningfully to the agriculture industry and her community.

Carol’s volunteer contributions are extensive and impactful. She was highly involved in the Hardwoodlands 4-H Club for over 25 years, serving as both general leader and dairy leader. Even after wrapping up as club leader, Carol continues to be involved with the club, helping out as clerk for the dairy show at the Halifax County Exhibition and serving on the Royal Dairy Committee, which sends nine 4-H members to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair annually, one of which is a recipient of an award established in John’s memory. Her influence continues through her children and grandchildren, many of whom have followed in her footsteps as 4-H participants.

Carol’s commitment to youth is equally evident in her role as head librarian at Maple Ridge Elementary in Lantz, where she fosters a love of reading and connection with students, including those with special needs. A weekly commitment, Carol has been filling this role for over a decade.

Her community involvement also includes serving as congregation chair and pastoral charge treasurer for the Milford-Lantz United Church, serving on the board of the Corridor Co-op, and serving as a longtime member of the Hardwoodlands Helping Hands – formerly the Hardwoodlands Junettes Women’s Institute – which supports local charities and organizes events for the community.

Carol’s quiet leadership extends to the agriculture industry. Although she hasn’t been farming herself for some time, Carol’s interest and passion for agriculture has kept her connected to the industry in Nova Scotia. She served on the Farm Loan Board for over a decade and has spent more than 20 years on the Natural Products Marketing Council. She also served as secretary-treasurer for the Farmers Milk Producer board, and has been involved with both her county federation of agriculture as well as the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. She was also instrumental in founding the provincial Soil and Crop Improvement Association, serving as its executive director for 15 years. These roles, often held from her home, allowed her to remain connected to agriculture while balancing the demands of family life. It's clear she did this well, as her contribution to the agriculture industry earned her honorary agrologist status from the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists in 2017.

Her belief that “someone has to do it” reflects a quiet leadership style that inspires others to step forward. She recognizes that most things cannot be done on one’s own – it is the willingness of volunteers that strengthens community.

In her spare time, Carol enjoys gardening, researching and chronicling family history, and walking the farm fields near her home. Her passion for agriculture, education, and community is woven into every aspect of her life. She is a strong advocate for local food systems and rural sustainability, often reminding others of the value farms bring not only to food production but to the beauty and identity of Nova Scotia.

Carol Versteeg’s legacy is one of service, hard work, and enduring impact. In recognition of her outstanding contributions and lifelong commitment to volunteerism, we are proud to honour her as the 2025 Alum Volunteer of the Year.

When Ernest Asante Korankye left his home in Ghana in 2010 to study and research plant science, he didn’t expect to be gone long. Just enough time to complete his master’s degree from NSAC, now the Faculty of Agriculture, and then return back home to teach. But life doesn’t always work out as planned.

As Ernest settled into life in Truro, friends and family began requesting he ship automobiles from Canada back to Ghana. With parts and labour being significantly cheaper in other areas of the world, he started a new venture purchasing moderately damaged vehicles and sending them overseas. It wasn’t long before Ernest had an active side-business on the go — Asante, which he co-founded with his wife Anita Quaye-Korankye, and support from his brother, Evans Jakob.

Alongside his academic pursuits, Ernest continued to grow his business. Through investment in infrastructure and human resources, he built capacity for business-to-business supply chain management, all through one point of contact – creating a seamless, customer-focused experience for his growing client list. Now a multi-million dollar venture, Asante is one of Atlantic Canada’s leaders in the logistics of warehousing, loading, and moving cargo worldwide.

Ernest achieved all of this while pursuing his MSc and later his PhD. In 2018, he became Dr. Ernest Asante Korankye, and by that time, he and his family had long decided to make Nova Scotia their permanent home. Shortly thereafter, he also founded his second business,��Akwaaba Developments Inc., a sister company to��Asante Logistic Group Inc, dedicated to providing quality housing solutions.

Although business ownership was never in his plans, it’s clear that Ernest is a natural entrepreneur and exceptional marketer. There is high demand for Asante’s all-in-one logistics services, which sets them apart from competitors. With increased client demand, Ernest expanded his business in 2020, purchasing an additional 370,000 sq ft of warehouse space (the former Crossley Carpet warehouse in Truro) – the largest warehouse of its kind in Nova Scotia. This expansion grew the warehousing capacity by roughly 1200%, doubling Asante’s workforce and quadrupling its profits in the following year.

In 2021, Ernest returned to his plant science roots when he co-founded his third business, VerFa Agrifood Innovations Inc., alongside his wife Anita and Dr. Raj Lada, his former MSc and PhD supervisor. VerFa is a sustainable indoor plant production company, producing microgreens using research-based and data-driven technologies. Making use of the space available in the Asante warehouse, the VerFa team has developed its own innovative vertical farming system in an effort to address food security and climate change challenges, reduce land degradation, eliminate pesticide use, and reduce freshwater use, all while producing healthy food for communities. Their “zero-touch” system is unlike any other commercial vertical farming system in existence, and they have spent years researching extended shelf life and production technologies.

Ernest’s businesses have become integral parts of the Truro and Colchester community, with Asante acting as a major employer and economic driver, Akwaaba creating new and much-needed housing, and VerFa seeking to address food and nutritional insecurity while providing employment opportunities to students completing graduate studies at ɫ����ֱ��’s Faculty of Agriculture, keeping them in the region.

And of course, Ernest’s passion for his community extends beyond his business interests. He is a member of Rotary International and a board member for the Truro and Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity. Along with volunteering with his children’s activities and with his church, he has also volunteered as a secondary school after school mentor/coach and event speaker for Imhotep’s Legacy Academy (ILA), a non-profit, STEM outreach organization based at ɫ����ֱ�� to redress the under-representation of African Canadian students in post-secondary STEM studies.

For his achievements, Ernest was recognized with a 2025 Most Inspiring Immigrants award by My East Coast Experience earlier this year.

Ernest’s accomplishments are a testament to his curiosity, vision, perseverance, and dedication to building a better future for his family, his community, and his world, and we are thrilled to honour him with the 2025 Young Alum Achievement Award.��

From her earliest days growing up on her family’s hog and wild blueberry farm in Caledonia, Nova Scotia, Jeannie Van Dyk knew that her future would be in agriculture.

Certain that she wanted to work with livestock, Jeannie enrolled at NSAC and completed her studies at MacDonald College. She spent her summers first in 4-H summer positions, and then in a livestock summer position – a job she loved and thrived in. Not only was she the first woman to work in the livestock role, but after completing her studies, Jeannie accepted a position with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture as the province’s swine specialist – and in doing so, became the first female livestock specialist in the department’s history. This major milestone was not something she sought for recognition, but out of a genuine love for working with animals, particularly pigs. Her pioneering spirit and quiet determination helped pave the way for future generations of women in agriculture.

In 1985, Jeannie left her position with the Department of Agriculture to farm full time, joining her husband John at their farm, Lellavan Farms in Noel Shore, Nova Scotia. What began as a modest operation with a small dairy and beef herd is now a thriving family dairy and cropping enterprise that milks over 100 head of cattle. Over the years, Jeannie’s leadership extended beyond the barn, as she took on the business and strategic development of the farm, navigating challenges such as production limitations, droughts, and industry shifts with resilience and foresight.

Jeannie also remains involved with Van Dyk Blueberry Enterprises, the operation started by her parents after they emigrated to Nova Scotia from the Netherlands following the Second World War. Over the years she has helped in many ways – from taking her vacation time while working for the province to help with blueberry harvest, to finishing Van Dyk hogs on her own farm. Now, as part owner, she provides support whenever it’s needed – with things like finding labour, strategic planning, and more. ��

Jeannie’s influence reaches far beyond her family operations. She has served in numerous leadership roles, including as the first female board member—and possibly the first female chair—of a Canadian dairy cooperative. Her tenure on the board of Farmers Dairy, and later as Atlantic representative and vice-chair of the Agropur Dairy Co-operative board, has been marked by a commitment to preserving and strengthening the co-operative model in Atlantic Canada. During the Farmers Dairy merger with Agropur, the efforts of Jeannie and other dedicated colleagues were instrumental in ensuring that Atlantic producers retained full membership privileges within the national co-operative. Twelve years later, she continues to be a strong advocate for maintaining local producer-owned processing facilities.

A tireless volunteer, Jeannie has also dedicated countless hours to her community. From launching a caregiver and tots program in her local school, to leading 4-H clubs and organizing agricultural education initiatives, she has consistently worked to connect young people with agriculture. Her passion for mentorship is evident in her hands-on approach—whether it’s guiding teenage girls in the milking parlour or advocating for greater awareness of agricultural careers in schools. Jeannie is vocal about her support for youth in the industry. She believes she has as much to learn from them as they do from her.

Jeannie’s story is one of quiet leadership, hard work, unwavering dedication, and a deep belief in the power of community and cooperation. She has never sought the spotlight, preferring to work behind the scenes to take on challenges, support others, and build a better future for agriculture. Her legacy is one of empowerment, especially for women and youth, and her impact will be felt for generations to come.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to agriculture, her trailblazing leadership, and her lifelong commitment to education, mentorship, and community, we are honoured to present Jeannie Van Dyk with the 2025 Distinguished Alum Award.