A new poultry nutrition professorship will be added to the University of Guelph's Ontario Agricultural College, thanks to a $1 million gift from the owners of a family poultry farm in Seaforth, Ont. The donors, James and Brenda McIntosh, owners of McIntosh Poultry Farms, met while attending the college.
The new investment will pay for the McIntosh Family Professorship in Poultry Nutrition for 10 years. The college will then provide base funding for this permanent position. The professorship is expected to be filled in 2014.
"James and Brenda McIntosh are long-time friends and supporters of our institution and passionate about agriculture and food production," said Ontario Agriculture College dean Robert Gordon. "Thanks to their commitment and generosity, Guelph will remain a leader in poultry research and education globally. Through their gift, we will be able to continue to develop the next generation of leaders for this important and evolving industry."
James McIntosh earned an undergraduate degree from Ontario Agriculture College in 1959 and a master's degree in poultry nutrition in 1961.
"My years at the university were enjoyable, both as a time to learn and as a time to make lifelong friendships," he said. "The Ontario Agricultural College is where I met Brenda, my wife and business partner, and the friendships I developed proved invaluable in my career in agriculture. Plus, being a graduate of Ontario Agricultural College provided an immediate introduction and connection to others in the agriculture industry who graduated from the same school."
