Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Leadership is a Key to Agriculture’s Future Success

The future success of agriculture in this province will depend on many factors. There are some factors that are far beyond our control, like the weather in the Midwestern United States, but there are some where we can take pro-active steps. As a sector, we often consider the physical factors that impact our businesses, but we do not always consider other factors including developing quality leadership for the future.

Agriculture needs a variety of leaders that can look at a broad range of issues from a number of perspectives. The modern world we live, with its ever-changing technology, ever-changing consumer demands, the demand of climate and weather pattern change, and the pressure of international competition requires strong leadership if Ontario agriculture is to succeed. The way we farm today is not the same as twenty years ago and it will change at least as much in the next twenty years.

The sector will need a wide variety of leadership styles to meet these challenges. The sector needs people with a caretaker mentality, looking out for the well-being of their industry. The sector needs innovators that are willing to push the limits of our current practices. The sector needs visionaries that can lead the way towards future opportunities. The sector needs facilitators that can forge these divergent views into a coherent strategic direction as a whole.

Many of the men and women that work within agriculture have the potential to be these leaders, but may lack either the skills or the confidence to step up to the plate. The Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program stands at the forefront of developing the next generation of leaders. Fourteen classes have been completed over the years and many graduates have taken on significant roles within the sector. Recruiting for class 15 has begun. If you have the desire to step up to the plate and lead your industry or the sector, this may be the next step on your journey.

The challenges of the future need to be met with strong leadership. For every anticipated challenge agriculture faces, another completely unexpected issue will arise. With strong leaders at the helm, agriculture in Ontario will prosper in our ever-changing world.

Views: 79

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

Planting A Flag: AGCO All-In On Mixed-Fleet Aftermarket Ag Tech

Farmers have long self-segmented solely on the paint color of their favorite brands of farming equipment. Oh, you’re a green guy? You prefer John Deere tractors, combines and sprayers. Or maybe you overheard someone make an offhand remark that your farm is “all red.” That’s not a shot at your political party affiliation. It means Case IH is your preferred brand of equipment. No matter how you slice it, if you spend any time hanging around farmers it’s clear: they value loyalty and relationships. These long-standing, dyed-in-the-wool equipment allegiances do not die fast. They’re passed down like coveted family heirlooms from grandfather, to father, to son and daughter, and so on. It’s rather fitting then that AGCO Corporation, a major farm equipment player long left out of these pigment-based affinity groups, has signaled another evolution in its go-to-market strategy. HOW IS AGCO SHIFTING GEARS? The company is planting its flag as the farmer-first, mixed-fleet leader for afterm

Ag in Motion farm show combines business and fun

A small city sprouts up alongside the canola every year near Langham, Sask. That's where Ag in Motion holds its three-day outdoor farm show. The event attracts about 10,000 daily visitors to its 40-hectare site northwest of Saskatoon. "It's like they got one of everything out here," said Trevor Kwiatkowski. He farms grain and oil seed crops near Prince Albert, so he's always looking for the newest seeding and tilling technology. Live demonstrations of machinery in the field and opportunities to test it himself are what keep him coming back. "It's one of the best places to come and check out all the equipment," Kwiatkowski said. "There's usually enough people on staff to either train you on it or tell you what it's all about anyway. Otherwise, you're running from dealer to dealer trying to figure it out." The event attracts spectators and businesses from across North America. More than 600 exhibitors from the crop, livestock and other ag sectors were expected throughout the week, t

Machinery News: AGCO Reorganizes Ohio Dealer Network, John Deere Launches New Gator UTVs

AGCO Details Ohio Dealer Reshuffle, AgRevolution Expanding North When word leaked online that AGCO was pulling its brands out of a long-standing dealer, Ohio Ag Equipment, at the end of 2024, many were left wondering what would become of AGCO's presence in Ohio? The Duluth, Georgia-based manufacturer says it will lean on what it is calling several “well-established” local dealers to provide expanded service within the state. The company will also begin expanding its AgRevolution hub-and-spoke mobile dealer and service business model into the Buckeye State. According to AGCO: • The Ohio dealerships will all offer AGCO's full brand portfolio, including Fendt, Massey Ferguson® and PTx products and services, going forward. • Lowe & Young (Wooster, Ohio), Mayer Farm Equipment (Jeffersonville, Ohio), and North Star Hardware and Implement (North Star, Ohio) - the three local dealers AGCO has selected to fill Ohio Ag Equipment's void - will continue operating in their current geographic a

Machinery And Tech News: More John Deere Layoffs, DJI Details Global Ag Drone Usage

WQAD-8 ABC in Moline, Ill., is reporting that 345 more layoffs have hit John Deere's manufacturing operation in Waterloo, Iowa. The equipment company has now dismissed over a thousand workers from its plants and offices around the Midwest. Over 500 employees in total at the Waterloo plant, which normally employs north of 3,000 production workers, have been given walking papers. An additional seven employees in a Coffeyville, Kan., facility will also be dismissed as of August 9, according to WQAD. Deere told WQAD the changes are due to reduced demand for the products made at the Waterloo and Coffeyville facilities. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) June 2024 U.S. combine and tractor sales metrics show both segments down considerably compared to June 2023. Deere assembles many of its combines at the Waterloo facility. John Deere says the dismissed employees are eligible for recall and severance packages. This latest round of layoffs comes fresh on the heels of mounti

Machinery and Tech News: Class-10+ Combine Hits North America, Taranis Launches GenAI Assistant

Claas unveiled its new Lexion 8900 Terra Trac combine this week at the Ag in Motion farm show in Saskatchewan, Canada. The newest entry to the Lexion lineup delivers 779 max horsepower from an efficient 16.2L MAN engine – an increase of 89 hp over the Lexion 8800 model, according to the company. Claas says the class-10+ combine is well suited for large-scale small grain operations. While the machine is new to North America, it’s been offered in select regions around the world since 2019. Other notable features include: 510-bushel grain tank 5.1 bushels per second unloading speed APS Synflow Hybrid system maximizes harvesting performance and efficiency by controlling threshing and separation systems independently. Cemos Automatic system automatically adjusts machine settings in real-time based on crop flow and changing crop conditions. Broad range of available CLAAS combine headers, including the new 50 ft./15.3 m wide CONVIO FLEX 1530 flex-belt draper header. Taranis Harnesses Gen

© 2024   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service