J. Alan McIsaac
Prince Edward Island
Nominated by Prince Edward Island Holstein Branch of Holstein Canada
For more than four decades, Alan McIsaac has worked to strengthen agricultural and rural communities across Prince Edward Island. As a farmer, dairy industry leader, and public servant, Alan has brought practical experience to the challenges facing producers. His career has been defined by a willingness to take what he learned at the farm gate and use it to strengthen the wider agricultural community. His connection to agriculture was shaped early in life at Sunnyisle Farms in Mermaid. Alan grew up on his family鈥檚 mixed farm, raising beef cattle and laying hens. In 1975, he began farming full-time and converted the beef operation to dairy. Five years later, his brother Ian joined him. Together, they built Sunnyisle Farms into a successful dairy operation known for careful animal husbandry, strong soil management, pasture management, and early adoption of sustainable practices.
The lessons Alan learned on his own farm soon became something he could share with others. Starting with a herd of grade Holstein heifers, he adopted registration, classification, and milk recording programs to improve his herd, helping develop Sunnyisle Farms into a thriving purebred operation. As a Field Services Representative, he carried that knowledge to producers across the province, promoting herd improvement programs that helped strengthen dairy operations beyond his own farm.
From 2001 to 2005, Alan served as the National Director to Holstein Canada for the Atlantic provinces, representing producers in national discussions on breed improvement, genetic advancement, and classification standards. He also chaired the 2007 National Holstein Convention in Charlottetown, the first time the national event was held on Prince Edward Island, bringing hundreds of producers and industry leaders to the Island and showcasing its dairy sector.
His leadership continued through provincial agricultural organizations. As a board and executive member of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture, Alan contributed to environmental farm planning, nutrient management, and farm safety. He later served on the P.E.I. Milk Marketing Board during a period of significant dairy industry reorganization. Through collaboration with producers and industry partners, he helped realign the fluid and industrial sectors and introduce a new quota exchange system, supporting greater stability for Island dairy producers.
With this experience behind him, Alan brought the perspective of a farmer into provincial government. Elected in 2007 as the member for Vernon River-Stratford, he served as Government House Leader and Caucus Chair, as well as Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. From 2015 to 2018, he served as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, where he strengthened the Environmental Farm Plan Program, advanced soil health and land stewardship, supported value-added agriculture and risk management, and chaired the annual meeting of provincial agriculture ministers, providing an opportunity to showcase Prince Edward Island agriculture on a national stage.
Alan鈥檚 commitment to service has reached beyond agriculture through his work with Farmers Helping Farmers, 4-H, Habitat for Humanity, the Crossroads Fire Department, Meals on Wheels, local sports, and his church. Through every chapter of his career, Alan has remained grounded in service, collaboration, stewardship, and a commitment to the people who sustain Island agriculture. He has always had the unwavering support of his wife, Joanne, and their four sons, Andrew, Joshua, Stephen, and Michael. He credits God for the opportunities to serve and the accomplishments that followed.