Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

REACH Grand Opening Gala and Open House

This past week I was fortunate enough to participate in two events at the new Regional Equine & Agricultural Centre of Huron. The first was the "black tie" Gala for invited guests in the new Riding Arena on Thursday night. A great list of sponsors made it a fabulous entertaining night that people will be talking about for quite a while. Not very often something like this happens in Huron County. The REACH staff made sure everything was as close to perfect as possible. It was also quite evident on who was paying for the night - OLG. (Ontario Lottery & Gaming). Well maybe not the whole night but they contributed a lot.
Before the meal the MC stated they had a surprise for us after dinner (note: the stage was set up for a band). During the meal we were entertained with a Dressage demonstration and the guy who sang the commercial "Good things Grow in Ontario".
After the meal Richard Harding, CAO for Central Huron, listed the band's accomplishments - toured North Amercia, Grammy nominees for various awards, Juno and CMA Award winners. Not bad. and then The Wilkinsons walked on stage!!!
What a way to cap off the night.
Today, Saturday, was the big public Open House. We got there around 11AM and there was a lineup of cars. When we left at 2PM cars were still coming. No idea on numbers yet but the Huron County Dairy Producers sold (scooped out) 200 Kawartha Lakes Ice Cream cones before 12 noon. The Huron County Pork Producers were also there selling sausage on a bun. One comment from a former steer wrestler was "this place will be packed" making reference to the point that there is nothing else like it in Ontario.
As a non-horse guy I was impressed. Everyone who has horses was excited. I spoke with a couple from Hanover who came just for the Open House. A big day for Central Huron (Clinton) and a sign of great expectations and rejuvenation.
Congratulations to the REACH staff and Central Huron Council.
(since I forgot my camera each time, I am hoping my contacts will send photos my way from each event to post here).

Views: 88

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Wayne Black on September 14, 2009 at 2:09pm
Thanks Joe for adding this. One thing I forgot was the website for REACH - reachhuron.ca Within the website you will see programming that they are currently offering and also a spot to sign up for email updates when they add new programs. One that my wife is wanting to sign up for is a photography day with the horses (and a teacher, lunch et al). Their plans sound exciting. I found out yesterday they are currently discussing with the appropriate businesses (wedding planners, travel agents, etc) to offer weddings on site along with a honeymoon package included.
Comment by Joe Dales on September 14, 2009 at 9:25am
RIDGETOWN CAMPUS TO DELIVER HORSE HANDLING TRAINING IN CLINTON

09/10/09
From a Release - The University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus is excited to announce that it will be partnering with the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) to deliver a new Performance Horse Handler Certificate at the REACH facilities in Clinton.

The new two-semester Performance Horse Handler Certificate was developed with significant input from the equine industry and the campus is looking forward to starting the student recruitment process. The recruitment process will target grade 12 students with a high school diploma or mature students looking to work in the performance horse industry, including thoroughbred, quarter horse or standardbred racing, dressage, show jumping, breeding and other stables. The first class is scheduled to begin in September 2010, with graduates receiving a University of Guelph certificate.

“REACH has a fantastic teaching facility located in Huron County and we’re excited about the opportunity to be the training deliverer for a new horse industry certificate,” said Ken McEwan, Acting Director, Ridgetown Campus.

“The University of Guelph and its Ridgetown Campus have a great reputation in education and we’re very excited to be working with Ridgetown staff in this training partnership. Ridgetown has almost 60 years of education experience and, like us, is keenly interested in supporting the equine and agricultural industries in Ontario,” says Richard Harding, Executive Director, REACH.

Ridgetown Campus will be hosting two fall Red Carpet Day Open House events at REACH in Clinton this fall. For more information, check out the Ridgetown Campus website to pre-register.

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

Alberta Biotech to Strengthen Environmental Performance in the Energy Sector

Genome Alberta, with support from the Government of Alberta, is pleased to announce five new projects, with a total value of $2.9 million to accelerate broader application of genomic technologies for improving environmental outcomes in Alberta’s energy sector. Genomics is the big data science that allows us to study the genetic material in all living things. Leveraging machine learning and AI tools allows us to understand how things function at a molecular level including how microbes contribute to environmental processes like reclamation, enhance recovery of oil while lowering emissions intensity and interact with hydrogen through production, transportation and storage. The Genomic Innovations: Energy and Environmental Solutions initiative supports collaborative projects between academic research and industry to scale genomics innovations from the lab and support their real-world deployment for broader benefit. This initiative brings energy companies and researchers together to brid

Replenish Nutrients Secures $250,000 in Sustainable CAP Funding to Support Beiseker Facility Scale-Up

Replenish Nutrients Holding Corp. (CSE: ERTH) (OTC: VVIVF) ("Replenish" or the "Company"), a leader in regenerative agriculture solutions, is pleased to announce that it has been approved for a grant of up to $250,000 funded by the governments of Canada and Alberta under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) Value-Added Program. The funding is designated for the Beiseker Granulation project, supporting the Company's previous 2025 capital investments in fertilizer processing equipment at its Beiseker, Alberta facility. This facility recently achieved significant operational milestones, reaching sustained production rates of 4–5 metric tonnes per hour as it transitions toward full-scale commercial operations. The facility's targeted output is approximately 2,000 metric tonnes per month once final conveyance, load-out systems, and 24-hour operations are fully implemented. Supporting Diversification, Innovation and Growth The Sustainable CAP Value-Added Pro

Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network

Quality assurance, market access and yield are key to the success of Alberta’s agriculture industry. Surveillance and monitoring for insects provides a key piece to this success by gathering information about established species populations and new invasive threats to the cropping industry. This information can play an important piece in support of pest related trade discussions. This work helps us to understand insect populations and range expansion of the targeted insects so that industry can understand the risk and potential damage. The information gathered from pheromone traps, field insect collections and counts or damage assessment is used to create forecast maps and make control recommendations. The data from the surveys is used for more than just creating forecast maps though, it can be used to direct insect pest research priorities or researchers can use the collection of samples in their studies. The Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network coordinates, manages and carries ou

Cleanfarms Recognized as a Best Workplace in Canada for 2026

Cleanfarms is proud to announce it has been identified among the top organizations on the Best Workplaces™ in Canada list for 2026. Ranked 69th out of the top 100 in the group of companies with under 100 staff, this recognition highlights the organization’s strong commitment to its staff and reflects the positive workplace culture that supports its mission to provide sustainable solutions to farmers across the country. The ranking is based entirely on employee feedback gathered through the Great Place to Work® Trust Index™ survey, which evaluates key factors such as trust in leadership, respect, camaraderie, and pride in one’s work. The results represent the experiences of more than 600,000 employees across Canada, highlighting organizations that consistently deliver inclusive, high-quality workplace environments. For Cleanfarms, this recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the voices of its team members working across Canada in just our third year of participating i

Public feedback welcomed for updating Beef Code of Practice

Canada's Beef Code of Practice is undergoing its most significant update in more than a decade. The code, last updated in 2013, sets national expectations for cattle care and animal welfare. One of the most noticeable changes in the draft is a stronger focus on how cattle cope with adverse weather. For the first time, heat and humidity are clearly addressed. "There is a recommendation pertaining to accessing adequate water during heat events and also strategies to support cattle and I will note that this is heat and/or humidity, recognizing that the two operate very much in tandem." said Dr. Leigh Rosengren, Chief Veterinary Officer with the Canadian Cattle Association. Nutrition and water management are another focus. Dr. Rosengren notes there will be strengthened expectations around monitoring body condition and taking action before cattle become too thin. "We did emphasize in the code that there is a requirement for corrective action to be taken for beef cattle with a body cond

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service