Earlier this month a local woman was recognized for her contribution to Manitoba's agricultural community.

Christine Hamblin of Morris was selected as one of two people to receive this year's Certificates of Merit for University of Manitoba Agricultural and Food Sciences alumni.

Hamblin discovered she was selected after receiving a phone call from the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture.

"I was really taken aback when I was selected, I know there are lots of great candidates out there," she said.

The certificate recognizes leadership within agricultural organizations. Hamblin fits this description with her work serving on the boards of Keystone Agricultural Producers, Secan, Agriculture in the Classroom and Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council.

She was also appointed Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission from 2002 to 2007.

"It was spread over a lot of years. When you read it all at once it sounds like I was crazy busy, and it was a very busy and hectic time," said Hamblin.

Hamblin added that support from her husband and children also helped. "Everybody was supportive and bit by bit we just moved forward as required," she said.

At the University of Manitoba, she studied Home Economics and completed her Certificate of Education in 1978. While teaching home economics, Hamblin and her husband, Lorne, operated a grain and seed farm in the Morris area.

"We grew up on a farm, my family's still involved with farming, my husband and I with his brother and wife were farming together, and later years we set out with just our family," Hamblin explained.

Due to her passion for agriculture, Hamblin became an advocate for the industry.

"I just wanted to be involved and have an opportunity to make sure that the farmers' voice was being heard in various venues," she said. "When you get an opportunity to sit on a board that brings the farmers' perspective to a broader group of people, my feeling was that you can't say no to those things."

Hamblin has also been involved with the Valley Agriculture Society, Morris Curling Club, Band Parents, Cubs and Scouts, Morris Agricultural Marketing Club and Ag Expo.

Currently, Hamblin is the manager and instructor for the Cargill Curling Training Centre in Morris, but she noted agriculture will always be of interest to her and her husband.

"We're always involved in a peripheral way, we've focused now to curling and right now there's not a lot of extra time in our days," said Hamblin. "It's always a passion and we're interested and sort of following what's happening and if we can contribute in some way we will."