Ausenhus, Calvin Wayne - 2000 Hall of Fame Inductee

 
 
Subscribe to our free E-Newsletter, "Agri-News" (formerly RTW This Week)Agri-News
This Week
 
 
 
 
    Almost 25 years ago, a new vision for farming began to grow near the small Alberta town of Didsbury. Frustrated with a lack of grain marketing options, Calvin Ausenhus and a group of neighbors began loading rail cars themselves. It was the start of a revolution and Cal would lead the charge to a more open grain handling and marketing system for western farmers. In 1979, Cal co-founded Chinook Grain. It pioneered producer grain car loading and on-farm grain pickup. By giving farmers direct access to feedlots and rail cars, off-board grain prices took off. To combat the negative effects the Canola Cash Call Market had on shipping options, Chinook Grain let farmer's book dealer cars at reduced rates. Cal co-founded four producer organizations, including the Western Barley Growers Association, and advised several more. He showed farmers how to reduce their price risk by using the futures and commodities markets. He advocated for changes in Alberta's Futures Exchange, better Alberta representation on the Winnipeg Commodity Association and the establishment of the Ag. Options Market in western Canada. Cal was also the first member of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Board of Governors not from Manitoba. He helped develop the Alberta Barley Contract (later called the Western Barley Contract), which today is recognized as the world standard.
 
 
 
 
Share via AddThis.com
For more information about the content of this document, contact Susan Lacombe.
This information published to the web on October 17, 2001.
Last Reviewed/Revised on January 18, 2018.