Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP Class 16 delves into political processes with LEAD New York counterparts

Guelph, Ontario, Nov. 3, 2016–AALP Class 16 met up in Toronto on October 23, 2016 with our LEAD New York counterparts for a jam-packed three-and-a-half days together looking at provincial/state political processes, urban society and media.


On Sunday, after becoming acquainted with one another, our stateside friends hosted us for the evening with many of the delights that New York has to offer.


Monday started off strong with a great contrast and comparison of the provincial and state government systems lead by Phil Giltner, First Deputy Commissioner, New York State Department ... and LEAD New York Board Member (LEAD NY Class 13). 


We then switched gears learning about dealing with the media in crisis situations, as well as how we, as an agricultural community, can engage the media to feature the stories that we have to tell as a means of dealing with the rural/urban divide. We ended the day having the honor of hearing Dr. Deb Stark, Deputy Minister from the Ontario Ministry of Agricul..., speak to us about what the Ministry is doing, and how we as a community can better interact with the government to best achieve our desired outcomes.

Tuesday was a very early start as well as a reminder that winter is coming, with an outdoor tour of the Ontario Food Terminal. The terminal is the largest wholesale fruit and produce distribution centre in Canada, and the third largest in North America. Opening its doors in 1954, the terminal supports the buy local movement with the establishment of the farmers’ market area, allowing local producers to market their goods.

From there we moved onto Queens Park where we observed a lively question period, and then heard from MPPs from the various political parties about their view on agriculture and politics. 


Our day ended in Guelph, where the LEAD NY group was hosted by various AALP alumni in the area for the night.

On Wednesday we heard from Todd Klink from Farm Credit Canada about how we all need to be #Agvocates for our sector and what we can do as a sector to engage our urban counterparts. We then headed out on a farm tour of Woodrill Ltd, where we heard from AALP Alumni, Class 7, Greg Hannam. And finally, about the amazing new technologies and exciting advances occurring in the industry to deal with feeding the worlds expanding population from Dr. Tyler Whale from Ontario Agri-Food Technologies.


It was an invigorating and informative session where not only did we get to learn through the lens of agriculture in Ontario, but also through the lens of agriculture from our stateside counterparts. I know we all left feeling like we had expanded our AALP family with the friends we made from LEAD NY.

Views: 283

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

Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention Names Douglas Darling as President

Douglas Darling, a Niagara-based fruit grower with Sunnydale Farms, has been appointed President of the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention, strengthening leadership ahead of the 2027 event.

Straight Hail Insurance 2026

For crop producers, there are few things as devastating as a hailstorm. Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) provides Straight Hail Insurance so you can secure peace of mind in knowing your assets are protected from one of Mother Nature’s most damaging elements. This program: provides protection for spot-loss damage to crops caused by hail, accidental fire and fire caused by lightning Insurance comes into effect at noon on the day following the date of application. What’s new in 2026 For cocktail crops insurable under Straight Hail Insurance, mixed grain is now eligible as a primary crop. This means that cocktail crops with two cereal crops making up the majority of the plant stand, minimum 35 per cent or greater, will now be eligible for insurance.

CAAIN Receives up to $6.25M from AAFC

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) is pleased to announce it has been selected by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to receive up to $6.25 million in funding. This investment, delivered through the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) – Research and Innovation Stream, establishes CAAIN as a key accelerator in driving the development of sustainable agricultural solutions. “CAAIN backs technologies that solve real, urgent challenges for Canada’s agri-food sector” said CAAIN CEO, Darrell Petras, P.Ag. “With AAFC’s support, we are launching a dedicated program designed to bridge the gap between innovation and adoption. By providing data-driven validation, we ensure that new tools not only increase productivity and profitability but also provide a measurable path toward a lower-carbon future for Canadian producers.” CAAIN’s upcoming Clean Agtech Validation and Integration Program will help Canadian SMEs and producers move clean agricultural technologie

RDAR Strengthens On-Farm Climate Action Fund Delivery in Alberta to Maximize Producer Participation

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), one of Alberta’s delivery agents for the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), is introducing four operational improvements to the OFCAF programme for 2026–2027. The changes are intended to ensure that OFCAF funding reaches producers who are ready to complete the adoption of beneficial management practices (BMPs) on their farms and ranches, and to provide a clear, predictable, and fair process for applicants. For producers: To ensure funding is used efficiently and reaches active projects, the following requirements apply. To be eligible for 2026–2027, projects must be at least $10,000; you must indicate acceptance online within 14 days of project approval, provide a project start date, and submit your reimbursement claim within 60 days of the project completion or your final vendor invoice date. The 2026–2027 OFCAF intake, which opened on April 9, 2026, has attracted exceptional interest from producers. As at the date of this release, RDAR

Water well monitoring made simple

“A Water Well Monitoring Parameters Technical Guideline was developed recently by the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), a collaboration among the Government of Alberta, the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) and the agricultural industry. It provides guidance on monitoring water wells used for domestic or livestock purposes located near confined feeding operations or manure facilities that require monitoring. The guideline outlines water well monitoring parameters, sampling methods, frequency and how to interpret the results,” says Vince Murray, AOPA engineer with the Alberta government and co-chair of TAG. In Alberta, annual water well sampling is recommended for anyone with a household or farm water well. The NRCB, as the regulator, can make monitoring of these types of wells a requirement at confined feeding operations or manure storage facilities. The frequency of testing will be determined by the NRCB depending on the situation and interpretation of the results. Monitorin

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service