AALP Class 17 begins their leadership journey

A group of 18 agricultural professionals began their leadership journey as part of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) with a three-and-a-half day session in Guelph, Ontario.

The diverse group of leaders-in-training, which includes primary producers as well as those in the banking and insurance industries, regulatory affairs, communications and outreach, among other areas, began their leadership journey with some perspective from previous AALP class members, and a crash course on proper business etiquette with Jodie Beach from The Etiquette Advantage.

On the second day of the session the AALP participants began a two-day workshop on effective leadership and change. The session was led by Gavin Robinson of Robinson Leadership who introduced the class to the concept of GridWorks. This approach to effective change helps to embed mutual trust, respect and candor into an organizational culture.

That evening the AALP participants took part in a Class 17 Opening Banquet, which drew some 50 program alumni, sponsors and supporters to welcome the new class members. Taking the stage as the keynote speaker for the evening was author and performance coach Alan Mallory, who spoke about his journey to the top of Mount Everest with his family. His story highlighted the critical importance of planning, ongoing evaluation and communication, all of which are the difference between failure and success - and in his case, life and death.

On the final day of the session, AALP Class 17 members had the opportunity to visit the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, housed at the University of Guelph. They learned about the International Barcode of Life project from Dr. Rob Young. This initiative is the largest biodiversity genomics initiative ever undertaken and the students learned about its potential applications in agriculture.

Finally, the students visited Woodrill Farms where owner AALP Alumnus Greg Hannam toured the class through his impressive, multi-faceted operation, which includes a grain elevator, a seed growing operation and a crop input supply business. Greg spoke to the power of innovation in driving his business – and the agriculture industry writ large – forward.

Over the next 19 months, AALP participants will learn about leadership and organizational development theories and practices, government and political processes, economics, trade policy, global affairs, sector and industry related issues in Ontario and globally through North American and international study travel components.

To follow Class 17’s journey, connect on Twitter at @AALPClass or #AALP17.

AALP is delivered by the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI). Established in 1984, the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) has graduated almost 450 leaders who are making a positive difference across Ontario and beyond. For more information visit www.ruralontarioinstitute.ca/aalp.

-30-

For more information, contact: Rob Black Chief Executive Officer Rural Ontario Institute (519) 826-4204 (Ext. 222), rblack@ruralontarioinstitute.ca

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

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

Secretary Rollins Takes Decisive Action and Shuts Down U.S. Southern Border Ports to Livestock Trade due to further Northward Spread of New World Screwworm in Mexico

Yesterday, Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA) reported a new case of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz in Mexico, which is approximately 160 miles northward of the current sterile fly dispersal grid, on the eastern side of the country and 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border. This new northward detection comes approximately two months after northern detections were reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, less than 700 miles away from the U.S. border, which triggered the closure of our ports to Mexican cattle, bison, and horses on May 11, 2025. While USDA announced a risk-based phased port re-opening strategy for cattle, bison, and equine from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025, this newly reported NWS case raises significant concern about the previously reported information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the outlined port reopening schedule of five ports from July 7-September 15. There

University of Manitoba appoints Dr. Filiz Koksel as Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein

The University of Manitoba is pleased to welcome Dr. Filiz Koksel as the new Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein, a role that continues to advance sustainable agri-food innovation and leadership in plant and animal protein research and innovation. Dr. Koksel, an associate professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, leads an interdisciplinary research program that aligns closely with Manitoba’s Protein Advantage Strategy. She holds BSc and MSc degrees in Food Engineering and earned her PhD in Food Science from the University of Manitoba. “My vision for this Chair is to position Manitoba as a global leader in sustainable protein innovation by uniting scientific discovery with industry partnerships,” said Dr. Koksel. “Together, we will create solutions that advance food security and climate resilience for generations to come.” Dr Koksel’s current work focuses on developing novel, environmentally friendly protein ingredients from crops such

Support staff recognized for contributions to Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Each year the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences calls for nominations of a support staff member or team who have made outstanding contributions in support of the teaching, research, service and outreach goals of the Faculty. At a celebratory barbecue to celebrate all nominees held on July 9, six individuals and four teams were recognized for their service to the Faculty. Sheldon Beichter, Technician, Carman Research Station Becky Dueck, Technician, Department of Plant Science Atanas Karamanov, Technician, Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research Minami Maeda, Technician, Department of Biosystems Engineering Finley Makila, Technician, Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research Donna Ryland, Technician, Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences Charlene Hawryluk, Wajiha Shahzad, Uldis Bourne, Jennifer St. Laurent, Dianne Dugald and Vanessa Ryplanski, Departments of Animal Science & Entomology and Glenlea Research Station Minami Maeda, Daniel Benedet an

Some crops look good and other not so good in Saskatchewan

A drive around Saskatchewan provides a wide range of crop conditions, based on rainfall received. Timely thunderstorms, combined with spring rain, are producing decent-looking crops in some locations, particularly the southeast. The poorest crops are in the southwest, but there are areas across the northern grainbelt that are much drier than normal as well. Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly crop report puts provincial cropland topsoil moisture conditions at 55 percent adequate, 33 percent short and 12 percent very short. Many fields are at relatively uniform stages, but there is some inconsistent staging which is making spray timing challenging. Areas that have received moderate to high rainfall over the last few weeks are applying fungicides to some of their pulse, cereal and oilseed crops.

AGRI-FOOD 2050 Industry Event

The Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) is bringing industry leaders together to envision the future of agri-food in Ontario. The inaugural Agri-food 2050 Event will draw attendees from across the broader agri-food sector including representatives from primary agriculture, agri-business, food processing, agri-food research, and government.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service