Lillie Ann grew up actively involved on a cash crop and dairy farm in Kentucky where she received national recognition for her 4-H achievements. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.Sc., Home Economics Education. After coming to Canada, farm media sales became her chosen profession, including several years as Toronto manager for Farm Business Communications, publishers of Country Guide and Canadian Cattlemen. In 1994, she co-founded AgRelations Inc., an agri-marketing consulting company.
Since 1998, she is the principal in L. A. Morris and Associates, with a focus on advertising sales and consultation. She managed advertising sales for CanWest DHI for 16 years and currently co-ordinates media sales for Country Guide (East), Le Bulletin des Agriculteurs and Farmtario, published by Glacier FarmMedia. She has a keen interest in developing strategic alliances with organizations and associations, like the CFGA, that benefit farmers and the agri-food industry.
Morris
spearheaded the Glacier FarmMedia relationship with CFGA to form a working partnership where CFGA could share information on a national scale to help with knowledge transfer in all areas of the forage and grassland industry with the readers of Country Guide, Canadian Cattlemen and Le Bulletin des agriculteurs.
"Perennial forage and grassland crops are essential to the survival of humankind," Morris said via a recorded acceptance video. "While they represent Canada's largest crop, it could be argued that it is taken for granted.
"It's a little like soil; it doesn't benefit from a check-off and it's challenging to generate financial support, but it can also be argued that it's one of our most important and unique crops," she continued. "What other crop can be grown on fragile land, with minimal input, produce protein in the form of ruminant meat and milk and build healthy soils and store carbon at the same time?"
In 2018, Morris gave a donation to the University of Guelph Ontario Agricultural College for soil health outreach, prompting growing support and activity for this cause. Her unfaltering support to the agriculture industry has brought significant recognition including the University of Guelph Ontario Agricultural College Order of OAC, 2019; the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) Lifetime Achievement Award, 2017; and the CAMA Honour Roll, 1991.
Morris has been a member of the CAMA since 1976 and served as its president in 1983. She is also a member of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. She was a member, and past director, of Ontario Agri-Food Education from 2006 to 2015; past president of the Women's Advertising Club of Toronto from 1990 to 1992; a long-time member of Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario and executive director from 1994 to 1996; and supporter and mentor of the CAMA Ontario Student Chapter, University of Guelph.
Morris has Canadian and U.S. citizenship and resides in Caledon, Ont., with her husband Don Lobb. She enjoys gardening and devotes much time and energy to soil care and the defence and advancement of sustainable, evidence-based science in agriculture.
The CFGA presented its 2019 Leadership Award at a special presentation on Thursday, Nov. 14 during the 10th Annual CFGA Conference in Moncton.
"Kudos to CFGA for taking the initiative to assign a value to carbon sequestration. I wish you much success with this endeavour," said Morris. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have played a small role in supporting CFGA and the good work you do for the forage and grassland sector in Canada."
