The Les Henry award recognizes a recipient in Western Canada who provides excellence in soil and water science and its application in the farming community.

Henry passed away on June 14th, but selected Dr.Jeff Schoenau in April to be the first person honored with his namesake award.  Henry was a well-respected soil scientist and Professor Emeritus at the University of  Saskatchewan. He received many honours in his lifetime, including induction to the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame. His byline was on a number of publications such as “Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water”, his 48 years of writing columns for Grainnews and producing a comprehensive Prairie topsoil moisture map each winter.

Schoneau is a University of Saskatchewan professor and Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in Nutrient Management. He says Henry made a huge difference in his career, both as an inspiration and as a mentor.

“From the simple words of advice he gave me, to the wide wealth of knowledge in soil fertility, Les made a huge differed in Western Canadian agriculture. Especially in his later years pursuing research in hydrology and salinity, he has greatly inspired me to incorporate that into my own investigations throughout my career. It is an honor to receive this award and Les will be greatly missed,” he said.

The Les Henry award was to presented to Schoneau by Cory Willness, CEO of Croptimistic Technology.