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Merv Wiseman’s leadership in the agriculture industry has been wide-ranging and influential. His hardworking and innovative ethic has helped transform the provincial fur industry and provided invaluable policy support to his fellow producers.

In 1953, Merv was born into a family of 14 children on Long Island. After completing high school at Grant Collegiate in Springdale, he studied political science at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), and then graduated in Nautical Science at the Marine Institute Campus of MUN.

Merv’s foray into fur farming began when he established his silver fox farm in North Harbour, Placentia. While it is now the largest silver fox farm in North America, it began modestly in 1984 with only two breeding females in Merv’s backyard. It is a credit to his innovation and forward thinking that the farm now boasts nearly 3,000 animals. Merv has incorporated stock from across Canada, the USA and Scandinavia and his operation is well-known as an incubator for world class breeding stock.

Merv has built his operation upon the pillars of animal welfare, high environmental standards, fur animal research, and fur farming technology. His is the only fox farm in North America to be certified by SAGA Furs in Finland, having met international criteria for animal welfare and the environment. He is also the first in North America to implement advanced Scandinavian fur raising technology, significantly benefiting the provincial fur farming industry. Merv’s contributions influenced tremendous growth in the fur industry. During his 16 years as President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Fur Breeders Association the industry grew in value from a few hundred thousand dollars to $70 million today.

Merv’s impact extends beyond the fur industry. As a Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture board member of 25 years, five of which was spent as President, Merv chaired and served on countless committees. He has been, and continues to be, instrumental in developing provincial industry strategies. On a national level, he represented the NLFA on the Canadian Federation of Agriculture board.

Merv’s influence and leadership made him the perfect candidate for appointment to the National Agriculture Policy Framework (APF) Review Panel in 2005. On a provincial level, he had extensive influence while serving on the implementation committee for the 5-year federal/provincial APF agreement from 2003-2007, and the appeals committee from 2005-2010. Merv also served on the Canadian Agriculture Stabilization committee.

Throughout his service to the industry, Merv’s leadership has been his greatest strength. He founded or chaired numerous organizations and commodity groups, including the Newfoundland Livestock Council, the Farm Practice Review Board, and the Canadian Fox Breeders Association. Merv is also a founding member of the Canadian Agriculture Human Resources Council (CAHRC), established in 2003. In 2013 he was elected to chair a $3 million, 3-year project to forecast the supply and demand of skills and labour for the Canadian agriculture industry.

Merv also served as Director of Majestic Marketing Inc., a marketing company for the North American Fur Auction House. During his tenure he established a world class label for provincially raised silver fox, known as ‘Newfoundland Silvers.’

In addition to building his own fur operation and commitment to all facets of the agriculture industry, Merv spent a 35 year career with the Canadian Coast Guard. He spent the last 20 years as a Search and Rescue Coordinator at the Maritime SAR Sub Centre in St. John’s. For his work with fishing vessel safety, Merv was recognized with both the Award of Excellence in 2003 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012.

Now retired, Merv is an active outdoorsman, enjoying fishing and snowmobiling. He and his wife Eileen have two children, Chan and Marissa.

Nominated by Eugene Legge for his determined leadership in fur farming and his wide-ranging impact on agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador, Merv Wiseman is certainly a worthy inductee into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.