Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 4

July 8, 2010 - As the class travelled from the state of Ohio and into Pennsylvania, we enjoyed the rolling hills and deep wooded valleys on our way to State College PA, home of Penn State University. It was here that we would meet a number of cutting edge leaders from the Pennsylvania Commonwealth.

Upon our arrival in State College, we were fortunate to have Mr. Russell Redding, the Secretary of Agriculture for the State of Pennsylvania (Department of Agriculture) as our key speaker of the day. The Secretary spoke of how leadership is not a popularity contest where decisions are made by public opinion. Rather, leadership can be a lonely occupation as sometimes we have to "lead by making a decision that is not easy or attractive."
Bruce VanderWees, Thunder Bay, ON commented, "This reaffirms my journey with AALP, as I continue to learn about being a leader through making decisions that are in the best interest of community and industry rather than my personal opinion or thoughts of my peers."

Redding was an engaging speaker who was well received and was found to be quite intriguing in the manner in which he addressed the group. A man who comes across as being humble, while being divinely interested in agriculture is sometimes a rarity in this industry. What surprised us the most perhaps, was how this man could have a different impact on each individual in the room. Mr. Redding expressed that in a state which is so proud of its agriculture industry which shows increasing numbers of farms and farmers (as opposed to decreasing which is more common throughout the rest of North America) that one of their biggest challenges continues to be one that we also face in Ontario. Mr. Redding talked about the need for one voice which is a phenomenon we also share in Ontario. "So many interest groups, with so many different voices," said Redding. “It is interesting to see that where agriculture is booming or challenged, at home and afar, the same problems are faced by regions thousands of miles apart,” shared Clinton Buttar, Guelph, ON.

Brian Detwiler, VP MidAtlantic Farm Credit provided a presentation on 'A National Perspective on Ag Credit'. During the seminar break he expressed a strong desire to learn the details of the Canadian dairy supply management system, and asked Bonnie den Haan, Loretto, ON some pointed questions about the quota exchange and over quota controls. Secretary Redding also spoke of the desperate state of the American dairy industry and suggested change must take place in the next couple of years - the Canadian model has been discussed in farm and government circles. We look forward to further discussion on this topic with guest speaker and dairy farmer, Erick Coolidge, at tomorrow’s session.

It was definitely a thought provoking afternoon with many takeaways for all. The day provided a group of interesting and dynamic speakers to say the least, challenging our perceptions on leadership, agriculture, and community.

In the evening we enjoyed a reception at the Happy Valley Villa with our counter parts from RULE, the rural leadership program in Pennsylvania.

Clinton Buttar, Bonnie den Haan, Bruce VanderWees – AALP Class 13

Views: 248

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

$15.1M to Scale Whole-Cut Plant-Based Protein

A $15.1 million investment led by Protein Industries Canada will scale a breakthrough manufacturing platform for whole-cut protein alternatives, strengthening Canada’s food system and creating new value for Canadian-grown crops.

Syngenta Canada names Matt Legg as head of professional solutions

Syngenta Professional Solutions North America and Syngenta Canada have named Matt Legg as head of Syngenta Professional Solutions (SPS), Canada, effective June 1, 2026. In his new role, Legg will lead the Canadian SPS business and be responsible for driving strategy, customer success, and portfolio growth across the Canadian market. "Matt is a customer-focused, solutions-oriented leader with deep technical expertise and a genuine passion for the professional solutions industry," says Dave Ravel, Head, Professional Solutions, North America. "His ability to connect technical knowledge, market insight, and commercial priorities has consistently delivered meaningful value for our customers. Matt's strong industry background and proven leadership make him exceptionally well positioned to guide our Canadian SPS business into its next chapter." Legg brings more than 25 years of experience in the turf industry, including five years of dedicated SPS experience with Syngenta, to this leadershi

Ag Canada Bumps New-Crop Canola Ending Stocks Estimate Higher

Agriculture Canada has raised its 2026-27 canola ending stocks forecast from last month, although the outlook is still tight overall. In updated monthly supply-demand estimates released late Thursday afternoon, new-crop canola ending stocks were pegged at 1.319 million tonnes, up from the April estimate of 1.064 million but still well below the slightly downwardly revised 2025-26 ending stocks of 2.72 million. Even with this month’s increase, projected 2026-27 canola ending stocks would still be the lowest in 10 years, Ag Canada said. The higher new-crop canola ending stocks estimate is due to a 300,000-tonne reduction in this month’s export forecast, which falls to 7.5 million tonnes. The 2026-27 canola crush forecast of 13 million tonnes was left unchanged from April but remains a new record high. In its accompanying commentary, Ag Canada did note that seeding of the 2026 canola crop is off to a slow start in some parts of Western Canada due to cold and wet conditions, but i

Seeding progress made, despite mixed precipitation

Seeding is muddling along as 29 per cent of the provincial crop has been planted so far, according to the latest crop report from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. While it's up from 16 per cent last week, it's really behind the five year average of 55 per cent and the ten year average of 52 per cent. Crop Extension Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture Davidson Ugheoke says farmers in the south made the bulk of progress with the southwest at 55 per cent complete and the southeast at 41 per cent complete. The west-central region is at 30 per cent, the northwest 16 per cent, the east-central at 11 per cent and the northeast is still lagging behind at just three per cent complete. "A couple of my colleagues drove around the province, (and) you could see some action in some places, so by this time next week, I think we should have significant numbers up." said Ugheoke. A weather system last week brought strong winds and mixed precipitation through the province, with som

U.S. flour consumption continues long slump

Flour consumption continues its decades-long slide in the United States, according to a new report. Per capita wheat flour consumption fell to 126.6 pounds in 2025, continuing a trend that started around the turn of the century, according to the Wheat Sector at a Glance report produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. That is well below the 146.4 lb. of wheat flour consumed per person in 2000. That is not great news for Canadian farmers. The U.S. was Canada’s fourth largest wheat market from 2021-25 , accounting for an average of seven per cent of sales. Jane DeMarchi, president of the North American Miller’s Association, said there are several reasons why consumption has tumbled. It began with the widespread adoption of low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkin’s Diet. The rise of the gluten-free movement exacerbated the problem. There was a brief reprieve from the downward trend during COVID-19, when people started eating comfort food at home

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service