OFVC 2018 Show Guide

Canada’s Premier Horticultural Event

2018 ontario

fruit & vegetable

16

Yea Stronr s g!

convention

February 21–22, 2018

Scotiabank Convention Centre Niagara Falls, Ontario

FOFOORD

!

THOUGHT

SHOW GUIDE

www.ofvc.ca @ofvc1

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Here’s to the

GROWER “When I was a boy in India, I never could have imagined the opportunities I’d have in Canadian agriculture. My orchard business takes hard work, but I’m glad to see my kids grow up on a farm, just like I did. My name is Lakhwinder Brar and I grow fruits and vegetables.”

From all of us at FCC, thanks for making Canadian agriculture so amazing.

#HeresToCdnAg

fcc.ca

Contents

ofvc executive & committee members

Pr e sid en t Matt Peters HCO v i c e Pr e sid en t Tony Scambelluri NPF & VGA Sec r e ta r y T r e a sur er

Glenna Cairnie

6

President’s and Minister’s Welcome

8

Thanks to our Great Sponsors

10

Convention Exhibitors

11

Trade Show and Session Room Maps

12

Session Schedule

17

Speaker Biographies

D ir ec to r s

Cathy Bartolic Ontario Farm Fresh, HCO Catherine Clark Farmers’ Mark e t s Ontario, HCO Kelly Ciceran Ontario Apple Growers, HCO Kevin Schooley Ontario Berry Growers, HCO Tony Sgambelluri NPF & VGA Nathan Stevens OMAFRA Tom Tancock NPF & VGA Torrie Warner NPF & VGA Tom Wiley NPF & VGA C h a ir

Tony Sgambelluri NPF & VGA Co n v en t i o n Co o r d in ato r

Glenna Cairnie Fac il i t ie s

32

36

Farmers’ Markets Ontario Founder Instrumental to the Local Food Movement Meet the NEW Ontario Berry Growers

Kevin Schooley Berry Growers Ontario, HCO T r a d e Sh ow Ross Parker NPF & VGA Spe a k er Pr o gr a m Amanda Green OMAFRA Sean Westerveld OMAFRA Spe a k er Co - o r d in ato r

38

40

Uncertainty Ahead as Growers Contemplate the New Minimum Wage OFVC Roundup

42

Loving Life in the Local Food Lane

43

Bring the Farm to Consumers: OFFMA’s Farm Marketer of the Year

44

NPF & VGA Award of Merit

45

Could Ontario’s Only Native Tropical-Tasting Fruit be Your Next Crop

46

Fresh Learning: The 2018 Poster Display

Convention Partners

Carol Pupo Acco m m o dat i o n s Catherine Clark Farmers’ Mark e t s Ontario, HCO R egis t r at i o n , T r a d e Sh ow & Sp o n s o r ship Co - o r d in ato r

Glenna Cairnie Fa r mer s a nd Fr iend s R ec ep t i o n Catherine Clark Farmers’ Mark e t s Ontario, HCO P o s t er Se ssi o n s Hannah Fraser OMAFRA Dennis Van Dyk OMAFRA M a r k e t in g /A dv er t isin g / Web si t e Steve Watt Harv est Ontario, HCO T r a n sp o r tat i o n Cathy Bartolic Ontario Farm Fresh, HCO Co m mi t t ee Me mb er s at L a r ge Ken Slingerland NPF & VGA Nathan Stevens OMAFRA Tom Tancock NPF & VGA Torrie Warner NPF & VGA Tom Wiley NPF & VGA 20 18 Se ssi o n C h a ir s Alix Aitken Ca mbridge Farmers’ Mark e t

Christine Card OMAFRA Kathryn Carter OMAFRA Michael Celetti OMAFRA Kelly Ciceran OAG Travis Cranmer OMAFRA Jason Deveau OMAFRA Kristin Ego Ego’s G arden Centre and Farm Mark e t

Evan Elford OMAFRA Melanie Filotas OMAFRA Hannah Fraser OMAFRA Kristy Grigg-McGuffin OMAFRA

Interested in advertising in the 2018 Show Guide?

Contact Steve Watt, steve@ofvc.ca. The OFVC Show Guide is published by Bright Light Communications, www.brightlightcommunications.com.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission from OFVC. Copyright © 2018 by OFVC Inc. Printed in Canada by Annex Publishing and Printing Inc.

4

Colleen Haskins OMAFRA Jay Howell Br ant v ie w

Sarah Marshall OTFG Steve Martin Martin’s Fa mily Fruit Farm

Wendy McFadden-Smith OMAFRA

Kevin Montgomery OMAFRA Deanna Nemeth OMAFRA Kristen Obeid OMAFRA Erica Pate OMAFRA Elaine Roddy OMAFRA Kevin Schooley BGO Rebecca Shortt OMAFRA Dennis Van Dyk OMAFRA Anne Verhallen OMAFRA Robb Wagner OMAFRA Jim Willwerth CCOVI Thomas Wilson Ontario

Apples & Cider

Cr af t Cider Association

Belinda Kemp CCOVI Christoph Kessel OMAFRA David Lauzon OMAFRA Todd Leuty OMAFRA

Viliam Zvalo Vinel and Rese arch and Innovation Centre

Big Benefits INCREASE CROP YIELDS LOWER PRODUCTION COSTS INCREASE LAND VALUE EXTEND PLANTING SEASON

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President’s Welcome Welcome to the 2018 edition of the OFVC! Thank you for deciding to partake in the OFVC. Our organizing group believes that this convention becomes even more pertinent year by year, and this has been proven by annual increases in most measurable stats. It flies in the face of what one might consider new trends towards fewer farmers and fewer ‘brick-and-mortar’ businesses. We understand the importance of expanding strong personal relationships and know that the OFVC is a great venue to help foster these and the fact that you’re here reading this – you likely agree. We also believe that when monumental changes are occurring around us, it’s our job to create a forum that helps you stay on the leading edge of knowledge and technology.

learn here this week will help guide your businesses through. Thanks to our talented speakers for making this knowledge transfer a priority in their schedule.

On another note, we are happy to welcome the OFVGA to join the unofficial “Hort Week” here in Niagara Falls as they share similar values.

On behalf of the OFVC board, committee chair Tony Sgambelluri, all of our dedicated volunteers and support staff, we thank you for attending and adding to the success of the OFVC. We are Canada’s premier horticultural event because of you, the premier fruit and vegetable growers and the industries and research that support them. We wish you a healthy and prosperous 2018!

With the Canadian labour and market landscapes changing faster than ever, we know that what you

lture, Ministry of Agricu airs Aff Food and Rural Office of the Min

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th eet, 11 Floor 77 Grenville Str M7A 1B3 Toronto, Ontario Tel: 416-326-3074 083 Fax: 416-326-3

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11e étage 77, rue Grenville, o) M7A 1B3 Toronto (Ontari 74 Tél. : 416 326-30 -3083 Téléc. : 416 326

A Message fro

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pleased to ral Affairs, I am ure, Food and Ru FVC). ult ric Ag of try Ontario Minis nvention (O On behalf of the and Vegetable Co the Ontario Fruit industry welcome you to table producers, s fruit and vege th one ow wi all on n ati tio en orm nv inf and Vegetable Co more to connect and share vital uit Fr io tar On e d Th an ural researchers experts, horticult er. rn more about the anoth opportunity to lea es with a valuable variety of exhibits showcasing de en att es vid also pro ions, a ll enjoy all This convention educational sess that everyone in attendance wi le sector through ies. I trust nit rtu po fruit and vegetab op ing and network industry products er. off s agri-food the OFVC has to ibutor to Ontario’ d continuing and valued contr an nt on rta ati po ov im inn an g getable sector is ustry are boostin Our fruit and ve vernment and ind go er, eth tog ng rki industry. By wo r.

Ontario. I to grow the secto de right here in rvested and ma ha ble , lua wn va s gro thi are of h things continued growt k, so many good rt to promote the pa From farm to for ir the ing do dees for applaud all atten sector.

Sincerely,

Jeff Leal Rural Affairs ulture, Food and Minister of Agric all Business Sm for le sib on Minister Resp

6

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adquarters: 1 Sto

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N1G 4Y2 Guelph, Ontario o) N1G 4Y2 t, Guelph (Ontari

Matt Peters President

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention

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convention exhibitors 608 A & L Canada Laboratories 606 A Link Computer Solutions Inc. 1114 A.M.A. Plastics Ltd. 905 Abell Pest Control 704 Adama Canada 129 Adams County Nursery 400 ADS Canada Inc. 430 Advantage Packaging 1013 AEF Global 724 Agricorp 128 Agriculture & Food Laboratory – University of Guelph 533 Agri-Flex Inc. 1104 Agri-Food Management Institute 1107 AgriFresh Technologies of Canada 828 Agrofrost Canada Inc. 312 AgroHaitai Ltd. 1012 Agrozone International Inc. 208 AgSquared 304 Allied Associates, LLP Chartered Professional Accountants 111 Alpine 1014 Armtec Limited Partnership 426 Arysta Life Science 415 Atlantic Packaging Products 526 Axter AgroScience Inc. 222 BASF Canada Inc. 1118 Baxter Kitchens Inc. 814 Bayer Crop Science 210 Bayfield Berry Farm 902 Ben Berg Farm & Industrial Equip. Ltd. 413 Bertie and Clinton Mutual Insurance 1016 Besseling Group North America Inc. 804 BioWorks Inc. 127 Bluewave Energy/Sparlings Propane 524 Burgess Baskets 1116 Bylands Nurseries Ltd. 917 C. Frensch Ltd. 130 Cadman Power Equipment 728 CBA Canada 510 Central Fabricating & Welding 230 Chisolm Machinery Solutions 229 Cool Climate Oenology & Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), Brock University 801 CP Industries Ltd. 907 Crescent Oil/Fuels Inc. 1007 Croptracker 908 Decade Products LLC 913 DeCloet Greenhouse Mfs. Ltd. 1010 Del Communications 927 Delaware Pump and Parts Ltd. 1111 Desjardins Business 1121 DFK Equipment Sales LgEquip Don Arthur Orchard Equipment 1008 Douglas Agricultural Services Inc. 820 DuBois Agrinovation Inc. 515 DuPont Canada/Dow AgroSciences 315 Durward Jones Barkwell & Co. 1020 Eckert Machines 313 ECO+ 314 Ecocert Canada 627 Elnova Ltee

10

502 Engage Agro 1004 Evans Manufacturing Company LLC 506 Evergreen Liquid Plant Food 611 Farm Credit Canada 115 Farm for Profit/Greencrop Agri Products Ltd. 325 Farm Power Equipment Inc. 406 Filmorganic 408 First Genesis Inc./Sunflower Rubber & Plastics LgEquip Flexo Products Ltd. 731 Frontline Process Solutions Inc. 323 Frontlink Inc. 428 Fruit & Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corp. (DRC) 308 Fruit & Vegetable Magazine 131 GAP App 411 General Seed Company (2000) Ltd. 1024 Georgia Pacific Corrugated 300 Gintec Shade Technologies Inc. 915 Global Horticulture Inc. 705 Grant Thornton LLP 826 Grape Growers of Ontario 109 Green Lea Ag Center Inc. 701 Grimo Nut Nursery 1011 Grindstone Creek Nursery Inc. 925 Growers Mineral Solutions LgEquip H & W Equipment 529 Harris Moran Seed Co. 1112 Harvest Goodies 601 Harvestech 809 Heartnut Grove Inc. 700 Hindle’s Clarksburg Hardware 812 Hoskin Scientific Ltd. 911 ICL Specialty Fertilizers 630 Ideal Pipe 626 Industrial Bags Inc./Sacs Industriels Inc. 1108 Industries Emile Lachance Ltee 528 Inocucor Technologies Inc. 202 Iron Earth Canada 511 Johnny’s Selected Seeds 629 Kam’s Grower Supply 625 KOOLJET Refrigeration Inc. 310 Koppert Canada Ltd. 914 Lakeside Grain & Feed 920 Lakeview Vineyard Equipment Inc. 305 Lambert Peat Moss Inc. LgEquip Leading Edge Equipment Ltd. 903 Lift Line Machinery Ltd. 125 Maximum H2O 311 Maxstim Products Inc. 923 Meester Insurance Centre 416 Meridian Credit Union 909 MNP LLP 224 Monte Packaging Company 729 Moore Packaging Corporation 906 Mori Essex Nurseries Inc. 707 Mori Vines Inc. 124 Mr. Mister Applicators Inc. LgEquip MS Gregson Inc. 332 N.M. Bartlett/Provide Agro Corp.

530 National Building Group Inc. 309 National Leasing

527 Natural Insect Control 407 Niagara College – Research & Innovation 810 Niagara North Federation of Agriculture 825 Niagara Orchard & Vineyard Corp.

831 NNZ Inc. 1106 Norgen Biotek Corp.

414 Norseco Inc. 921 North Shore Grapevine Nursery 410 Northern Equipment Solutions 403 Nourse Farms 632 NSF International 405 Nufarm 302 Nurture Growth Bio Fertilizer Inc. 123 NutriAg Ltd. 500 Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) 215 OMAFRA – ADB/EMB 110 OMAFRA – Agmaps 114 OMAFRA – Food Safety & Traceability Programs 213 OMAFRA – Foodland Ontario 112 OMAFRA – Provincial Premises Registry 402 O’Neils Farm Equipment 417 Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association 401 Ontario Food Terminal Board 710 Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association – The Grower 1102 Ontario Institute of Agrologists 929 Ontario Orchard Supply 609 Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association 122 Organic 4 Greens 708 Penn Refrigeration Ltd. 316 Phytocultures Ltd. 204 PickTrace 319 Pineapple Bytes 1109 Plant A Row 802 Plant Products Inc. 1000 Premier Containers (1983) Inc./ The Apple Bag Lady 1026 Premier Equipment Ltd. 725 Princeton Wood Preservers Ltd 223 ProduceTech 1113 R & W Equipment Ltd. 113 Raynox LgEquip Redtrac International Ltd. 1002 Robert H. Laning & Sons Ltd. 508 Rupp Seeds 226 Scholten’s Machinery 910 Scotts (Fafard) 732 Seedway

703 Seminova 1022 Shouldice Farms 811 Siegers Seed Company 306 Speare Seeds 212 Specialty Vegetable Equipment Inc. 829 St. Catharines New Holland Ltd. 607 Steam ‘n’ Weeds 333 Sterling Marking Products 800 Stevens Drainage 603 Stokes Seeds Ltd. 1110 Stoller Enterprises Ltd. 307 Structural Panels Inc. 727 Sunpack Agro-Plastics Canada Ltd. 1006 Superior PetroFuels 206 Sutton Ag Enterprises 706 Syfilco Ltd. 702 The Cider Keg 624 The Ontario Produce Marketing Assoc.

LgEquip Tirecraft 808 Twistyer Products Inc. 602 UAP Canada Inc. 901 Univerco (1978) Inc. 628 University of Guelph: Arrell Food Institute & Co-op & Career Services 1105 UPI 432 UPI Energy LP 317 Upper Canada Growers 600 Utility Advocates Inc. 409 V. Kraus Nurseries Ltd. 1124 Vailmont Vineyards Ltd. 422 VandenBussche Irrigation & Equipment 531 Vegetolab Inc. 709 Vineland Growers Co-operative Ltd. 507 Vineland Research and Innovation Centre 117 Vinetech Canada Inc. 806 VirtualOne/FreshQC Software 833 Warwick Orchards & Nursery Ltd. 730 Weather INnovations Consulting LP 513 Wellington Wood Products 803 Willsie Equipment Sales 133 Yuksel Seed

Exhibitor and Session Room Maps

Sc o ti aban k C on ve n t i o n C e n t re

Sc oti aban k C onve n t i o n C e n t re 2 n d le v el

Shuttle Bus Schedule Complimentary shuttle bus service is provided between the Scotiabank Convention Centre and the Embassy Suites Fallsview Hotel.

Tuesday Noon – 6:00 pm WEDNESDAY 7:00 am – 7:30 pm THURSDAY 7:00 am – 5:30 pm

S h uttl e s e rvi c e c o m p li m e n t s of:

CONVENTION CENTRE PARKING compl imen t s of:

11

Sessions Wednesday, February 21, 2018

(All sessions and speakers subject to change)

morning

ROOM 201 & 202

ROOM 203

ROOM 204

ROOM 205

ROOM 206

IPM Strategies in Field Vegetables CEU Credits Available

Biostimulants CEU Credits Available

Finding Money and Managing It Better

Winery

Sweet and Hard Apple Cider CEU Credits Available

Chair: Travis Cranmer, OMAFRA 9:30 Using Kaolin Clay as Part of an Organic Vegetable Pest Management Program Dr. Gerald Brust, University of Maryland, USA 10:00 Sweet Corn IPM: Evolving Strategies for Evolving Pests Marissa Schuh, Michigan State University, USA 10:30 The Economics and Risk Reduction of Plasticulture in Vegetable Production Dr. Lincoln Zotarelli, University of Florida, USA 11:00 Cover Crops and Cultivation for Managing Weeds in Reduced Tillage Systems Dr. Daniel Brainard, Michigan State University, USA

Chair: Christoph Kessel, OMAFRA 9:30 What Are Biostimulants?

Bill MacDonald, Niagara College 10:00 Microbial-Based Crop Biostimulants: Sorting out Their Place in Vegetable Production Dr. Matt Kleinhenz, Ohio State University, USA 10:30 The Role of Microbes in Plant Defences against Pests and Diseases Dr. Rose Buitenhuis, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre 11:00 Testing New Products: How do You Know it REALLY Worked?

Dr. Sarah Jandricic, OMAFRA

Chair: Robb Wagner, OMAFRA 9:30 ACC – Why Not? Jaye Atkins, Agricultural Credit Corporation 10:00 Getting More Out of Your Software: Quickbooks Maggie Kurtz, CB, RLB Chartered Professional Accountants 10:30 Getting More Out of Your Software: AgExpert Richard Kuntz, Farm Credit Canada 11:00 Preparing for New Programs Margaret May, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association SESSION SPONSORED BY:

SESSION SPONSORED BY:

Chair: Kevin Montgomery, OMAFRA

Chair: Thomas Wilson, Ontario Craft Cider Association

9:30 Why We Buy the Sparkling Wine that We Buy Dr. Tek Thongpapanl, Goodman School of Business, Brock University

9:30 Cider Profiles and Consumer Preference Dr. Amy Bowen, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

10:00 Pinot Noir Research at Oregon State University Dr Elizabeth Tomasino, Oregon State University, USA 10:30 Precision Oenology with Specific Focus on the Adaptation to Climatic Change and to the Decrease of Chemical Inputs During Winemaking Dr Jean-Michel Salmon, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France

10:00 Mechanical Harvest of Cider Apples Dr. Carol Miles, Washington State University, USA 10:30 Investigating Low Input Options for Managing Pests in Cider Apples Dr. Nikki Rothwell, Michigan State University, USA 11:00 Making Winning Craft Speciality Cider at Shiny Apple Cider Hank Hunse, Shiny Apple Cider

11:00 The Impact of MOG on Wine Composition Dr Andrew Reynolds, Brock University

afternoon

ROOM 201 & 202

ROOM 203

ROOM 204

ROOM 205

ROOM 206

The 4 Cs of Soil Health for Vegetable Production CEU Credits Available

Specialty Root Vegetables CEU Credits Available

Fertigation CEU Credits Available

Winery

GRAPE CEU Credits Available

Chair: Anne Verhallen, OMAFRA

Chair: Dennis Van Dyk, OMAFRA

2:00 Building Better CROP ROTATIONS for Vegetable Production Dr. Laura Van Eerd, University of Guelph

2:00 An Introduction to Jerusalem Artichoke Dr. Jim Todd, OMAFRA

2:30 Making Space for COVER CROPS in Vegetable Rotations Eero Ruutillia, Johhny’s Seeds

2:30 Spacing, Slip Size and Slip Storage Practices for Optimal Sweet Potato Yield Dr. Jonathan Schulthuis, North Carolina State University, USA

3:00 CONSERVATION TILLAGE Systems for Vegetable Production Dr. Anu Rangarajan, Cornell University, USA

3:00 Cabbage Maggot Control in the Face of Chlorpyrifos Resistance Sheldon Hann, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

3:30 COMPACTION Action: Reducing the Compaction Potential Ian McDonald and Alex Barrie, OMAFRA

3:30 Illinois Horseradish: A Root Awakening Dr. Elizabeth Wahle, University of Illinois Extension, USA

SESSION SPONSORED BY:

Chair: Christoph Kessel and Rebecca Shortt, OMAFRA 2:00 Fertigation 101 Friedhelm Hoffman and Kevin Lewis, Lakeside Grain & Feed Limited 2:30 Irrigation and Nitrogen Management of Vegetable Crops Dr. Lincoln Zotarelli, University of Florida, USA 3:00 Practical Considerations for Organic Fertigation Dr. Carol Miles, Washington State University, USA 3:30 Experiences with Fertigation in Ontario Kyle Craven, Ontario Pickle Corporation; Friedhelm Hoffman and Kevin Lewis, Lakeside Grain & Feed Limited SESSION SPONSORED BY:

A & L CANADA

LABORATORIES INC.

Chair: Belinda Kemp, CCOVI

Chair: Kathryn Carter, OMAFRA

2:00 New Equipment: Rapid Extraction from Grape Juice by the Dynamic Crusher and Centrifuge Decanter for all Types of Winemaking Dr Jean-Michel Salmon, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France

2:00 Improving Hardiness and Maintaining Dormancy in Grapevines using Abscisic Acid Analogs Dr. Jim Willwerth, CCOVI, Brock University

2:30 The Effects of BMSB Contaminated Grapes to Final Wine Quality Dr Elizabeth Tomasino, Oregon State University, USA 3:00 – 4:00 Panel: Understanding the Grocery Store Sales Channel. What Have We Learned to Date?

Joe Turner, OMAFRA (chair), Sylvia Augaitis, Wine Marketing Association of Ontario, and Andre Gagne, Metro Ontario Inc.

2:30 Disease Management of Cold Hardy Varieties David Jones, Michigan State University, USA 3:00 – 4:00 Cold Climate Grape Variety Panel Dr. Matthew Clark, University of Minnesota, USA; Dr. Bruce Reisch, Cornell University, USA; and Tom Plocher, Plocher Vines SESSION SPONSORED BY:

TRADESHOW

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

POSTER DISPLAY

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

morning

ROOM 207 & 208

ballroom A

ballroom B

ballroom c

ballroom d

Tender Fruit CEU Credits Available

berries CEU Credits Available

OFFMA Summit

hops CEU Credits Available

FMO Networking Symposium & AGM

Chair: Kathryn Carter, OMAFRA

Chair: Erica Pate, OMAFRA

9:30 Evaluating and Improving Sanitizing Treatments in Stone Fruit Packinghouses: Ontario Case Study Peter VanWeerden, OMAFRA and Hayden Dooney, Norfolk Fruit Growers

9:30 Encouraging and Preserving Beneficials Liette Lambert, Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

10:00 Evaluating and Improving Sanitizing Treatments in Stone Fruit Packinghouses Dr. Ines Hanrahan, Washington Tree Fruit Commission, USA 10:30 PGRs to Balance Pear Production and Canopy Growth Dr. Todd Einhorn, Michigan State University 11:00 The Italian Peach Industry – Current Trends in Orchard Design and Management Dr. Luca Corelli Grappadelli, University of Bologna, Italy

10:00 Spotted Wing Drosophila Management – What’s Working, Novel Approaches Dr. Philip Fanning, Michigan State University, USA

Chair: Steve Martin, Martin’s Family Fruit Farm 9:30 The F.A.C.T.S. of Engaging Your Team in Today’s Disruptive Economy Dr. Denis Cauvier, Dr. Denis Cauvier Seminars International 10:30 POS Panel: What is the Best System for My Operation?

11:30 – 12:00 OFFMA’s AGM

10:30 Tank Mixes to Avoid Joe Uyenaka, NutriAg

Chair: Melanie Filotas, OMAFRA 9:30 An Overview of Hop Production Practices in Belgium Joris Cambie, De Plukker Hop Farm Brewery, Belgium 10:00 Management Practices for Organic Hop Production in Belgium Joris Cambie, De Plukker Hop Farm Brewery, Belgium 10:30 Snake Oil or Not: Evaluating Product Efficacy on Your Farm Melanie Filotas, OMAFRA

11:00 Grower Experiences with Croptracker Ellen Jennen, Jennen Family Farm Market; Brian Reijke, Dentz Orchards and Berry Farm

11:00 Panel: Pros and Cons of Producing Hops Organically Nicholas Schaut, Bighead Hops; Ron Brennan, Old 4th Hop Yard; Gail Winters, GoodLot Farm & Farmstead Brewing Co.

SESSION SPONSORED BY:

Chair: Jay Howell, Brantview Apples & Cider 9:30 Mastering the Knowledge and Skills for a Successful Market a) Consumer Demand & Transparency b) Overview of “Ontario Market Manager Certification” Michelle Wolf, Whole Green Heart, NS; Annet Maurer, Thunder Bay Country Market 11:00 Chef (and Consumer) Demand for Fresh, Local Food Ingredients Mary Berg, Master Chef Canada 2016 Winner

SESSION SPONSORED BY:

afternoon

ROOM 207 & 208

ballroom A

ballroom B

ballroom c

ballroom d

Tender Fruit CEU Credits Available

Berries CEU Credits Available

OFFMA Summit

The Great OntarioHopped Craft Beer Competition

FMO Networking Symposium & AGM

Chair: Wendy McFadden-Smith, OMAFRA 2:00 Mealiness and Shelf-Life of Ontario Peaches Dr. Jennifer DeEll, OMAFRA 2:30 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Stone Fruit and Pears Dr Tracy Leskey, US Department of Agriculture, West Virginia 3:00 Spread of Black Knot Fungus in Plums and Identification of Black Knot Resistant Genotypes at Vineland Dr. Jay Subramanian, University of Guelph 3:30 Spotted Wing Drosophila in Stone Fruit: The Michigan Perspective David Jones, Michigan State University, USA

Chair: Kevin Schooley, BGO 2:00 Application of Biodegradable Mulch in Red Raspberry Production Dr. Carol Miles, Washington State University, USA 2:30 Emerging Problems with Fungicide Resistance to Manage Botrytis and Anthracnose Dr. Frank Louws, North Carolina State University, USA 3:00 Identifying and Managing Blueberry Viruses Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University, USA 3:30 Improving Production of Day-Neutral Strawberries in Canada: Project Results John Zandstra, University of Guelph

Chair: Steve Martin, Martin’s Family Fruit Farm 2:00 Telling Your Farm Fresh Story: Working with Media Bernard Tobin, Synthesis Agri-Food Network 3:00 Farm Marketing from the Heart Charlotte Smith, 3 Cow Marketing, USA

Chairs: Jason Deveau, Evan Elford and David Lauzon, OMAFRA SESSION SPONSORED BY:

Port Colborne Lounge Ontario’s Finest

4:00 – 4:30 Round Table Talks: Sweet & Hard Cider Competition CSA Pros and Cons, Labour Compliance, Wagon Safety Chairs: Kelly Ciceran, OAG and Dos and Don’ts, Cash Handling Kristy Grigg-McGuffin, OMAFRA Systems, Brags & Blunders Coordinated by: Leslie Forsythe, 12:30 – 4:00 Judging Forsythe Family Farms

Chair: Jay Howell, Brantview Apples & Cider 1:00 Increasing Need to Keep Pace with the World of Social Media Karen Daynard, KD Communications; Kelly Ward, Foodland Ontario; Jessica Kelly, OMAFRA 3:00 Farmers’ Markets Ontario AGM

SESSION SPONSORED BY:

13

Sessions thursday, February 22, 2018

(All sessions and speakers subject to change)

morning

ROOM 201 & 202

ROOM 203

ROOM 204

ROOM 205

ROOM 206

Cucurbits CEU Credits Available

Food Safety – Environmental Monitoring

Herbicide Resistance – New Technologies CEU Credits Available

Promoting Pollinators on the Farm CEU Credits Available

Tender Fruit CEU Credits Available

Chair: Elaine Roddy, OMAFRA 9:30 Management of Soil Borne Diseases Elaine Roddy, OMAFRA 10:00 Grafting Tomatoes and Cucurbits: Benefits and Challenges Dr. Frank Louws, North Carolina State University, USA 10:30 A Melon Mix of Specialty and Cantaloupe Types Dr. Jonathan Schultheis, North Carolina State University, USA 11:00 Reduced Tillage for Pumpkins and Squash Dr. Anu Rangarajan, Cornell University, USA SESSION SPONSORED BY:

Chair: Colleen Haskins and Christine Card, OMAFRA 9:30 Assessing Risk at Your Operation Sarah Martz and Peter Vanweerden, OMAFRA 10:00 The SQF Code and Environmental Monitoring Programs: Requirements, Compliance and Auditors Frank Schreurs, SQF Institute, USA 10:30 Microbial Safety in the Postharvest Environment Dr. Ines Hanrahan, Washington Tree Fruit Commission, USA 11:00 Implementing an Environmental Monitoring Program Elvira and Michael Koteles, New Road Farm & Koteles Farms Ltd.; Jennifer Manary, Sandy Shore Farms Ltd.

Chair: Kristen Obeid, OMAFRA

Chair: Hannah Fraser, OMAFRA

Chair: Sarah Marshall, OTFG

9:30 Molecular Herbicide Resistance Tests in Horticultural Crops Dr. Martin LaForest, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

9:30 Minimizing Risk to Bees in Fruit and Vegetable Crops Dr. Julianna Wilson, Michigan State University, USA

9:30 The Impact of Postharvest Cooling on Sensory Profile of Ontario Peaches Dr. Amy Bowen, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

10:00 Confirming Herbicide Resistance in Weeds: The Importance of Using Dose Response for Development of Quick Tests Dr. Robert Nurse, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

10:00 Integrating Pollinator Habitat into Your Farming System Sue Willis Chan, Farms at Work 10:30 Strategies to Reduce Pollinator Exposure to Pesticide Dr. Jason Deveau and Hannah Fraser, OMAFRA

10:30 Linuron Resistant Common Ragweed in Québec 11:00 Pollinator Projects Carrot Fields: Presence and Margaret May, Ontario Soil and Distribution of Different Crop Improvement Association Biotypes Dr. Marie-Josée Simard, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 11:00 Help Us Help You: Knowing Your Enemy Will Help You Win the War Kristen Obeid, OMAFRA

10:00 Ingredients for a Mechanized, Labour-Efficient Pear Orchard: Training Systems, Rootstocks, and Horticultural Techniques to Manage Tree Vigour Dr. Todd Einhorn, Michigan State University, USA 10:30 From the Physiology of Peach Fruit Growth to Applications in Precision Fruit Growing Dr. Luca Corelli Grappadelli, University of Bologna, Italy 11:00 New Stone Fruit Varieties Dr Bill Shane, Michigan State University, USA SESSION SPONSORED BY:

afternoon

ROOM 201 & 202

ROOM 203

ROOM 204

ROOM 205

ROOM 206

Market Gardening Vegetables CEU Credits Available

Wash-Water Handling CEU Credits Available

Does IPM Contribute to Pesticide Resistance?

CEU Credits Available

Hazelnut Production CEU Credits Available

Pawpaw CEU Credits Available

Chair: Viliam Zvalo, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

Chair: Deanna Nemeth, OMAFRA

2:00 From Global to Local: New Crop Opportunities for Market Gardening Dr. Viliam Zvalo, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

2:00 Slowing Down the Tread Mill: How to Manage Insecticide-Resistance in 2:30 On-Farm Wash Water Management: Lessons Learned Ontario Vegetable Pests Dr. Ian Scott, AAFC in Holland Marsh

2:30 Managing Insect Pests in a Diverse Vegetable Cropping System Dr. Gerald Brust, University of Maryland, USA 3:00 Season Extension for Ontario Market Gardens: Fertility, Varietal and Pest Considerations Judson Reid, Cornell Cooperative Extension, USA 3:30 Grower Panel: Successes and Challenges with Managing a Market Garden Sarah Judd, Meadow Lynn Market Garden, John Zekveld, Zekveld’s Garden Market

2:00 Wash Water Management: Where to Start?

Tim Brook, OMAFRA

Charlie Lalonde, Holland Marsh Growers Association

3:00 Managing Wash Water on Farm Through Drip Irrigation Katie Gibb, Enviro Stewards; Rebecca Shortt, OMAFRA 3:30 Evaluation of Wash Water Treatment Options Gurvinder Mundi, University of Guelph

Chair: Michael Celetti and Hannah Fraser, OMAFRA

2:30 Insects, Insecticides and Hormesis: Evidence and Considerations for Study Dr. Chris Cutler, Dalhousie University 3:00 Developing Resistance Management Strategies for Fungicides Dr. Kerik Cox, Cornell University, USA 3:30 How IPM Contributes to Fungicide Resistance Dr. Janna L. Beckerman, Purdue University, USA

Chair: Todd Leuty, OMAFRA

Chair: Evan Elford, OMAFRA

2:00 Hazelnut Cultivar Performance Update Dr. Adam Dale, University of Guelph

2:00 Pawpaw 101 Dr. Kirk Pomper, Kentucky State University, USA

2:30 Ferrero: Locally Grown Hazelnuts Barb Yates, Ferrero Canada 3:00 Current Needs for the Ontario Hazelnut Industry Linda Grimo, Ontario Hazelnut Association 3:30 New Orchard Development Sara Rowland and Mark Brown, Athena Acres

2:30 Insect and Disease Pests of Pawpaw Jeremy Lowe, Kentucky State University, USA 3:00 Processing Pawpaw Sheri Crabtree, Kentucky State University, USA 3:30 Ontario Pawpaw Monitoring in 2017 and Product Taste Testing Evan Elford, OMAFRA

TRADESHOW

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

POSTER DISPLAY

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

morning

ROOM 207 & 208

Port Colborne LOUNGE

ballroom A

ballroom B

ballroom d

Adverse Weather CEU Credits Available

grape CEU Credits Available

apple CEU Credits Available

OFFMA Summit

FMO Networking Symposium & AGM

Chair: Rebecca Shortt, OMAFRA

Chair: Wendy McFadden-Smith, OMAFRA

Chair: Kristy Grigg-McGuffin, OMAFRA

Chair: Kristin Ego, Ego’s Garden Centre and Farm Market

Chair: Alix Aitken, Cambridge Farmers’ Market

9:30 Managing Grapevine Leafroll Virus: A New Zealand Perspective – Part I Dr. Vaughn Bell, New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited

9:30 Apple Tree Collapse in Ontario: What We Know and Don’t Know Michael Celetti, OMAFRA

10:00 The Soft Skill Salsa (Why Emotional Intelligence Matters for Entrepreneurial Success) Geoff Crane, Adaptimist Insights

9:30 Building Stronger Relationships with Better Communication Tracy Lamb, Ashaki Inc

9:30 Limiting Risk and Improving Tree Health Using Protective Netting in Apple Orchards Dr. Lee Kalcsits, Washington State University, USA 10:00 How Should Fruit & Veg Growers Respond to Hail and Severe Storms?

Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University, USA 10:30 Considerations for Drainage on Fruit and Vegetable Farms Daniel Lenko, Lenko Farms and Drainage Contracting 11:00 Navigating through the Future of Extreme Weather in Southern Ontario Jerry Shields, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry SESSION SPONSORED BY:

10:00 Pheromone-Based Monitoring and Management Tools for the Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Dr. Tracey Leskey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USA

10:00 Epidemiological and Management Aspects of Grapevine Virus Diseases in British Columbia Dr. Sudarsana Poojari, Agriculture 10:30 Biological Control of and Agri-Food Canada Invasive Insect Pests in Apples 10:30 California’s Strategy for Dr. Tara Gariepy, Agriculture Managing Red Blotch Agri-Food Canada Joshua Puckett, Foundation 11:00 Panel: Adapting to Plant Services – University of Cope with the Minimum California Davis, USA Wage Increase 11:00 Managing Grapevine Leafroll Virus: A New Zealand Perspective – Part II Dr. Vaughn Bell, New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited

Luis Ruiz, Algoma Apple Orchards Ltd.; Bill Medel, E&B Medel Orchards Ltd; and Richard Feenstra, Mountainview Orchards

10:30 Mental Wellness Panel Christy Hiemstra, Clovermead; Briana Hagen, University of Guelph 11:30 – 12:30 Hitting the Energy Wall: Tips to Fuel Your Day Marian Statham, True Life Nutrition ballroom A 11:45 – 1:00 Young Farmer Forum Andrew Campbell, Fresh Air Media

11:00 Severe Weather Safety Tips for Your Market Geoff Coulson, Meteorological Service of Canada ballroom C 9:30 – 11:00 Wholesaling 101: Opportunities in the Digital World – Are You Prepared to Do Business?

11:00 – 1:00 Meet the Buyer SESSION SPONSORED BY:

SESSION SPONSORED BY:

SESSION SPONSORED BY:

SPONSOR:

afternoon

ROOM 207 & 208

Port Colborne LOUNGE

ballroom A

ballroom b

ballroom d

Labour Productivity on the Farm CEU Credits Available

grape CEU Credits Available

apple CEU Credits Available

OFFMA Summit

FMO Networking Symposium & AGM

Chair: Robb Wagner, OMAFRA

Chair: Jim Willwerth, CCOVI

2:00 Labour Efficiency?

Or Efficient Labour?

Garth Baxter, Agribax Global

2:00 Vineyard Mechanization in Washington State Richard Hoff, Mercer Canyons, USA

2:30 How to Assess a Labour Saving Technology John Molenhuis, OMAFRA 3:00 Measuring and Benchmarking Labour in Horticulture John Van de Vegte, OMAFRA

2:30 Mechanization of Early Leaf Removal in Pinot Grigio and Merlot Josh VanderWeide, Michigan State University, USA

3:00 New Product Updates 3:30 Incorporating Croptracker Norgen Biotek Corp., ISK BioSciences, FMC Canada, on the Farm Dow/Dupont, CertisUSA, Matt Deir, Croptracker Nufarm Agriculture Inc.

SESSION SPONSORED BY:

3:30 Washington Grape Industry Update Richard Hoff, Mercer Canyons, USA SESSION SPONSORED BY:

Chair: Kristy Grigg-McGuffin, OMAFRA

Chairs: Kristin Ego, Ego’s Garden Centre and Farm Market

Chair: Alix Aitken, Cambridge Farmers’ Market

2:00 Best Management Practices for Pollinators in Orchards Dr. Julianna Wilson, Michigan State University, USA

2:00 Ideas from the Big Apple: Foodie Tour Debrief Karen Whitty, 13th Street Winery

1:30 Consumer Demand for Transparency at Market

2:30 The Growth Physiology of Apple Fruit Affects Postharvest Quality Dr. Luca Corelli Grappadelli, University of Bologna, Italy 3:00 Achieving Long Term Storage Success for Honeycrisp in Washington Dr. Ines Hanrahan, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, USA

2:30 Creating an On-Farm Outlet for Your Beer Joris Cambie, De Plukker Hop Farm Brewery, Belgium 3:00 Resurrecting Murphy’s Market & Bakery Hollis English, Murphy’s Market and Bakery

(CBC Marketplace Episode & MyPick Connection) Moderator: Michelle Wolf, Whole Green Heart, NS Panelists:Peter Hughes, Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Network; Erin McLean, Past Chair, Lakefield Farmers’ Market; Wayne Chalmers, North Bay Farmers’ Market; John Finlay, MyPick Verifier

3:30 Integrated Nutrient Management: Horticultural Strategies to Control Bitter Pit in Honeycrisp Apple Dr. Lee Kalcsits, Washington State University, USA SESSION SPONSORED BY:

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Speaker biographies Jaye Atlins Jaye grew up on a family farm in southern Ontario close to where he resides today. He attended Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology, the University of Western Ontario where he obtained a degree in Economics, and has also attended and completed programs at the Banff School of Management and the University of Missouri. Jaye has held senior positions in a number of companies including National Director of Marketing for Farm Credit Corporation, CEO of the Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Board, CEO of FS PARTNERS, VP of Government Relations & Strategic Development for the Grain Farmers of Ontario. Jaye currently is the CEO for Agricultural Credit Corporation, the second largest administrator of the Advance Payment Program in Canada. Jaye has held numerous directorships and holds designations as a certified appraiser and the highest designation granted as a professional Agrologist – Distinguished.

Sylvia Augaitis Sylvia brings a wealth of marketing and communications experience to her role as Executive Director of Marketing of the Wine Marketing Association of Ontario (WMAO). She earned her marketing credentials working across more than 20 product categories in the consumer packaged goods, retail and not-for-profit sectors. She and her various teams have been instrumental in contributing to building some iconic Canadian Brands such as Canadian Tire – all in highly charged competitive environments. The establishment of WMAO by the Ontario wine and grape industry is a major step forward in successfully marketing VQA wine to consumers and tourists across the province and internationally.

Alex Barrie Alex is a Project Engineer in Training at OMAFRA in the Environmental Management Branch where he assists on a number of projects related to soil health, climate change and nutrient management. He grew up on a dairy farm in Bowmanville, Ontario. He received a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Guelph. During university he worked as a co-op student at two Canadian agriculture equipment manufacturers. In addition to working at OMAFRA, he is completing a MASc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Guelph focusing on vibration control for off-road vehicles.

Garth Ba xter Garth is President of AgriBax Global Inc., an entrepreneurial agri-export company. He is a results-driven leader with 25 years of experience, including senior management positions with Canadian-based international agri-food organizations.

Originally from Saskatchewan, Garth consults within the agri-food industry, lending his expertise in areas such as strategic planning, risk analysis and process improvement and re-engineering. He is top level Six Sigma leader and trainer. For several years he was Six Sigma Champion at Maple Leafs Food International, where he led the senior management team in the on-going integration of Six Sigma into business strategy development, execution and day-today operations; he spearheaded global projects to reduce process waste within the organization; and, he recruited and developed additional Six Sigma expertise within the team.

Garth holds a B.Comm from the University of Saskatchewan and a MBA from Cornell and Queen’s Universities.

Dr. Janna Beckerman Janna is a professor and extension plant pathologist specializing in diseases of horticultural crops at Purdue University. She obtained her PhD in plant pathology from Texas A&M University, and her MS and BS in Biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. In addition to her extension plant pathology programs on landscape plants, greenhouse and nursery management, and fruit diseases, she teaches a graduate level course on “Plant Disease Diagnosis”. Dr. Beckerman’s primary responsibility at Purdue University is to lead the plant pathology extension education effort in horticultural crops by developing and enhancing a close working relationship between the University, extension educators, and members of the fruit and ornamentals industries. There are two major approaches to managing plant disease in horticultural crops: incorporating disease resistance, when possible, and utilizing fungicides, when necessary. Research in the Beckerman lab focuses on developing environmentally sound disease management strategies that are economically feasible for Indiana growers of specialty crops, from apples to hemp to zinnia.

The goal of her extension program is to enable commercial growers to effectively and sustainably manage both chemical (fungicide) and genetic (disease resistance) resources while protecting the environment.

Vaughn Bell Vaughn is a Senior Scientist working for The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research. Since 2004, his research focus has been on sap-feeding mealybugs in vineyards, with an emphasis on their ecology, biology and ability to transmit (vector) grapevine leafroll virus. By examining the inter-relationship between the vine, virus and vector, his findings have contributed to the development of a practical and financially sustainable virus management approach in New Zealand. Vaughn’s doctoral thesis, An integrated strategy for managing Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 in red berry cultivars in New Zealand vineyards, included a series of management recommendations that have been communicated to, and widely adopted by, the New Zealand wine sector.

Mary Berg Mary is a self-taught home cook born in Pickering, Ontario and can pretty much always be found in the kitchen. From an early age, through her undergrad and Master’s degree, and throughout the workforce, Mary’s love of food never faltered. Always a devoted home baker and cook, Mary auditioned for, competed in, and ultimately won Season 3 of CTV’s hit culinary series, Masterchef Canada. After cooking her way through the Masterchef Canada kitchen, Mary’s reimagination of culinary classics, while still maintaining the original heart of the dish, became her signature style. One constant in Mary’s life is shopping local at Farmers’ Markets. Buying local where possible helps build a strong appreciation for the restorative powers of a good, home cooked meal.

Dr. Amy Bowen Dr. Bowen joined the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in 2009 and was appointed Research Director, Consumer Insights in 2017. With a focus on understanding the consumer, Amy leads a team of researchers to create value-added results for horticulture. She oversees the operation of Vineland’s trained sensory and consumer research panels to understand the drivers that impact consumer preference and choice for horticultural products. Research results inform breeding programs, brand development, new variety introductions, and commercialization. Amy works as part of a multidisciplinary team to identify characteristics consumers seek when choosing fruits, vegetables and flowers. A recent example of her work includes how sensory and consumer research informed the release of Vineland’s Canadian ShieldTM rose for Canada’s 150th birthday. She has a BSc.H from the University of Guelph and a PhD from Brock University and is a certified sommelier through the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers.

Dan Brainard Dan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University. He received his MS from Stanford University in Economics and a PhD from Cornell University in Horticulture with an emphasis on weed ecology and management in vegetable crops. Prior to graduate school he worked on commercial vegetable farms in the Northeast U.S., and served as an agricultural extension educator for the U.S. Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa. His current primary research and extension interests include: 1) development of reduced-tillage cover crop intensive vegetable production systems to help growers improve soils and increase crop resilience to stress; and 2) weed ecology and management in vegetable and field crops.

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Ron Brennan Ron and his wife Stephanie Jaworski own and operate Old 4th Hop Yard, a certified organic hop yard in the historic and picturesque village of Williamstown, Ontario. They began their hops growing journey in 2011, obtained their organic certification in 2013, and have supplied their local brewery with quality hops ever since. Ron was not always a farmer.

Prior to the birth of his children, Ron spent a decade as a Senior Quality Assurance Analyst in the software industry and before that, was a Television Broadcaster.

Ron is continuously expanding his knowledge in what is still an emerging crop in Ontario, participating regularly in webinars and conferences and visiting other operations.

Combining his previous experience with farming, Ron has developed a mobile field logging tool to streamline and facilitate his organic certification.

Tim Brook Tim is the Water Management Engineering Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. He works with a wide variety of stakeholders including agricultural producers and food processors to improve their operations by providing water management expertise. His project interests include water efficiency, dry soil removal, washwater and wastewater treatment, water quality and drainage. Tim assists producers develop water efficiency strategies and solutions for treating their fruit and vegetable washwater. He was a member of the Holland Marsh Growers Association Water Project and is a co-author of OMAFRA’s newly released Publication 854, Vegetable and Fruit Washwater Treatment Manual. Tim holds BA Sc. and MSc degrees in Environmental Engineering from the Universities of Windsor and Guelph respectively. He is a licenced Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario and State of Michigan.

Mark Brown Mark is a Registered Professional Forester who graduated in 1986. He has practiced professional forestry in England, Wales, Scotland, New Zealand, British Columbia and now in Ontario. In his capacity as Woodlands Conservation Officer, he currently manages 2500 acres of Carolinian Forests for the County of Middlesex and administers the woodlands conservation by-law. In his spare time with the help of his wife Sara Rowland, they are gradually diversifying their 50 acre farm operations through the establishment of nut tree orchards in Elgin County. For the last 12 months, Mark have served on the Ontario Hazelnut Association Board.

Dr. Gerald Brust Gerald’s IPM Vegetable Program utilizes integrated pest management (IPM) tactics in all of its vegetable production programs. The IPM programs he develops use comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. IPM takes advantage of all appropriate pest management options including, but not limited

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to, the judicious use of pesticides. In contrast, organic food production applies many of the same concepts in IPM but limits the use of pesticides to those that are produced from natural sources, as opposed to synthetic chemicals. IPM, through its multi-tactic approach will: lessen the potential for pesticide resistance, reduce chemical costs, limit human exposure to pesticides and lower the environmental impact of pest management. His current work examines how best to use biostimulants in vegetable systems. He has found that combinations of biostimulants are necessary to consistently increase yield and quality of produce.

Dr. Rose Buitenhuis Dr. Buitenhuis is Research Scientist Biological Control at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre since 2010. She is responsible for the development and implementation of biological control technologies for management of arthropod pests, supporting sustainable crop management practices for ornamental and production horticulture. Rose received her MSc in Biology at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands in 1997, and her PhD in Entomology at Laval University, Québec in 2003. She worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Harrow (2004-2007) and at the University of Guelph (2007-2009) on biological and cultural control of western flower thrips in greenhouse flower crops. Current projects in greenhouse ornamentals and vegetables address the whole spectrum of IPM – from plant resistance, environmental factors and biological control strategies – and how to integrate pest management strategies in the production system.

Joris Cambie Joris was born in 1965 and grew up on a hop farm in Poperinge/Belgium. In 1993, he took over the farm from his father. His family have been growing hops for many generations including all his uncles. His town is the centre of hop growing in Belgium.

Today, of the 18 hop growers left, Joris is the only organic hop grower, growing 12.5 ha of organic hops and a few other crops. Since the nineties, he had the idea to start a brewery on the farm and brew beer with his own hops. After many years as a home brewer and with the help of a friend, they started brewing “Brouwerij De Plukker” in 2011.

Andrew Campbell Andrew is a farmer, with a passion for agriculture advocacy, social media and new technology. With the farm, known as Bellson Farms, he and his family milk Holsteins and grow corn, soybeans, wheat and hay in southern Ontario’s Middlesex County. With all kinds of information available about modern farms, and not all of it being true, Andrew is keen to make sure people get the full story on what farmers do on a daily basis, why they do it and what they care about.

He’s been featured on CBC, CTV, and other media outlets across Canada for his work in opening up his farm with pictures on social media as the FreshAirFarmer. When he isn’t farming or travelling, you’ll likely find him spending time at home with his young family, curling at the local club or just enjoying the view from his front porch.

Dr. Denis Cauvier Dr. Cauvier is a recognized global Talent Management expert with over 30 years of experience from the field researching and implementing the best business ideas and practices from around the world. Denis provides proven low cost/high impact methods to decrease costly employee turnover, increase levels of productivity, enhance performance, increase sales and customer satisfaction, increase market share, and boost profits. His strategies have added over $300 million in new value/revenue, and have boosted his client’s profits by tens of millions of dollars. As a professional speaker/ consultant, Dr. Cauvier has spoken to over one million people across Canada, America, and 50 other countries. He is a frequent expert in the media and is the best-selling author of 13 books.

Michael Celetti Michael is the Plant Pathologist – Horticulture Crops with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Guelph. After obtaining his graduate degrees in Plant Pathology from the University of Guelph, he researched disease management at the Agriculture University in The Netherlands. Upon returning to Canada, Mike worked for the Prince Edward Island Potato Marketing Board researching disease and nematode management in rotation crops with potatoes. His interests in chemical control lead him to a position with an international pesticide manufacturing company in western Canada. Prior to joining OMAFRA, he was the Provincial Plant Pathologist for Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food. In 2006, Mike received the “Award for Achievements in Plant Disease Management” from the Canadian Phytopathological Society.

Wayne Chambers Wayne and his family have been market gardeners in northern Ontario for the last ten years. They are very active in the local food movement and local farmers markets. Wayne has been a MyPick® member since 2010 and is also a member of the only all MyPick® market in northern Ontario.

Susan Chan Susan has an academic background in agriculture, education, and pollination biology and is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Guelph studying the effects of common agricultural practices on the health of native squash bee populations on Ontario farms. Besides her studies, Susan works on a variety of projects to make conservation of native pollinators more understandable and applicable to Ontario’s farmers. She is the author of The Landowner’s Guide to Conserving Native Pollinators on Farms, a Technical Guide for Preserving and Creating Habitat for Pollinators on Ontario’s Farms, and many short factsheets on the topic of crop pollination and pollinators. With funding from GLASI, she has recently created an online tool for designing pollinator habitat on farms. Susan lectures at Trent University’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Program.

Dr. Matthew Cl ark Matthew Clark earned a PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the University of Minnesota, where he is now an assistant professor of Grape Breeding and Enology, and Extension Specialist. His research focuses on using both traditional and molecular plant breeding approaches to develop improved grape cultivars for cold climate wine production.

One key area of research is studying the genetics behind the unique resistances to common grapevine pests such as powdery mildew, phylloxera, downy mildew, and black rot in the hybrid germplasm. The goal is to develop new cold-hardy grape varieties with multiple resistances so that growers can reduce the amounts of pesticides applied in a season.

Luca Corelli-Grappadelli Luca is a Professor of Tree Physiology, in the department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, at Bologna University since 2001. He is the co-founder of Horticultural Knowledge Ltd., providing fruit size forecasting for apple, pear, kiwifruit, and mandarins worldwide. His biography includes: 1) Awards: Fulbright Scholar, 1984; CNR-NATO Fellow, 1987, 1992; Veski Sustainable Agricultural Fellow, 2016. 2) Teaching: Extensive at under- and -graduate level (Advisor of over 30 PhD and MSci students); Tree physiology; Arboriculture; Fruit Growing, Viticulture; Precision Fruit Growing.

3) Member of: ISHS; ASHS; SOI; Am. Pom. Soc.

Geoff Coulson Geoff has been a meteorologist with Environment Canada for over 34 years. During his career, he has been involved in weather forecasting, training, software development and outreach activities. For the last 13 years, Geoff has been a Warning Preparedness Meteorologist providing weather information and support to all levels of government, the media and the private sector. He also sits on the Provincial Flood Forecasting and Warning Committee and manages the CANWARN volunteer storm spotter program in Ontario.

Dr. Kerik Cox Dr. Cox manages a program of tree fruit and berry research and extension at Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station.

Principal research efforts include antimicrobial resistance (fungicides and antibiotics), and applied disease management with a focus on apple, stone fruit, and strawberries. Extension efforts focus on pesticide education, disease forecasting, and applied disease management with emphasis on covered production in small fruit.

Since the establishment of his program, Dr. Cox has been conducting antimicrobial resistance and invasive pathogen surveys in New York and the Northeastern United States.

Sheri Crabtree Sheri is a horticulture research and extension associate at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, KY. Ms. Crabtree received a BS and

MS in Horticulture and Plant and Soil Science from the University of Kentucky in 2000 and 2004, respectively. She specializes in fruit and nut crops, particularly pawpaw, and also blackberry, hazelnut, and persimmon. Her research and extension activities include pawpaw breeding, variety trials, propagation, orchard management, harvest and post-harvest handling, value added product development, conducting farm visits, tours, and workshops, and assisting pawpaw growers ranging from commercial orchards and nurseries to homeowners and hobbyists.

Geoff Crane Geoff is a Canadian public speaker and researcher who has written numerous articles on the importance of emotional and social skills in the workforce and is a pioneer in the field of motivational intelligence. A former senior portfolio manager, Geoff has ties to some of the world’s largest banks and professional services firms. Well-versed in the changing demands of today’s project-based work environments, Geoff spends his days helping leaders everywhere design and build a litany of soft skills that will help them achieve what matters most. His company, Adaptimist Insights, is a training and development firm that offers evidence-based programming to help clients achieve their personal and professional goals. Specifically, the organization studies and develops curriculum to enhance the vast array of human emotional and social competencies. Its mission is to become a world-class training company committed to developing and empowering leaders from all walks of life, giving them the skills they need to succeed in the pursuit of their goals.

K yle Craven Kyle graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 2013 and obtained CCAON designation in 2015. For the past three years, Kyle has provided field management services to a vegetable farm specializing in handpicked cucumbers and sweet banana peppers near Chatham, Ontario. This past season, the farm drip irrigated 140 acres of sweet banana peppers and implemented an intensive small batch, zone specific fertigation program.

Kyle will talk to his experiences with fertigation this past season and the challenges and rewards it brought.

Christopher Cutler Chris holds degrees from Memorial University, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Guelph. He has been at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture since 2007, where he is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. Dr. Cutler conducts research mainly in the areas of insect pest management and insect ecotoxicology, and has received national awards from the Entomological Society of Canada and the Agricultural Institute of Canada for his work. He is well known for his research and perspectives on insecticide-induced hormesis, a phenomenon where small amounts of insecticide stimulate growth, reproduction, or behavior of insects.

Chris has published extensively on insecticide-induced hormesis and has delivered many invited talks on this topic in Canada, the United States, Brazil, China, and Europe.

Dr. Adam Dale Adam is a College emeritus professor at the University of Guelph. With over 40 years of research, first in Scotland, then in Ontario, he has covered many aspects of berry crop and nut research.

He has released twelve strawberry cultivars and taken an active interest in genetic resources and incorporated wild Fragaria virginiana germplasm into his program. He has researched a systems approach to mechanical harvesting in strawberry, and developed management systems for dayneutral strawberries. Recently, he has developed systems for greenhouse production of raspberries. Also, he has researched dormancy, flower initiation and frost tolerance in berry crops and is an acknowledged expert on the genetics and management of yield in raspberries. More recently, Adam has been breeding American chestnuts that are resistant to chestnut blight, and has led a multi-disciplinary team to develop a hazelnut industry in Ontario.

Karen Daynard Karen started her own agricultural public relations, communications and event management company in 2001.

Since then she has worked with dozens of Ontario and Canadian farm and rural associations and agri-businesses, ranging from 4-H Ontario, to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, DEKALB Canada and Farmers’ Markets Ontario. Karen received The Nuffield International Farming Scholarship for Canada in 2009. Over 2 years, she researched recruitment and communications models used by agricultural colleges and universities around the world. Her results helped Canadian institutions revise the way they gained new agricultural students. She currently sits on the boards of the Ontario Agricultural College Alumni Foundation, the Ontario 4-H Foundation and Nuffield Canada.

Dr. Jennifer DeEll Dr. DeEll is the Fresh Market Quality Program Lead with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), located in Simcoe. She is currently studying the use of anti-ethylene technologies to retard fruit ripening and control physiological disorders during storage, investigating methods to improve handling and storage of fresh fruits and vegetables, and developing optimum postharvest practices for peaches as well as new apple and pear cultivars. She was one of the first to receive the Agri-Food Innovation Award from the Government of Ontario for previous work on fresh-cut apple slices. Dr. DeEll has published over 85 scientific papers, as well as review articles, book chapters, and books, on subjects pertaining to postharvest physiology and the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables. She is on the editorial board for the international scientific journal Postharvest Biology and Technology.

Matthew Deir Matthew is founder and CTO of Croptracker, the popular crop and farm management software system.

Croptracker is a cloud-based farm record keeping app that combines data from weather stations, soil sensors, RFID systems, and information recorded by users to help growers, co-ops,

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and associations make better decisions, and be more profitable. Starting in 2006 with a small group of apple growers in eastern Ontario, Matthew and his team began building Croptracker into the powerful farm manager software used today by more than 2,000 growers from 40 countries.

specialty berries, specialty grains, and other crops such as hops. Evan grew up on a hog farm in Cannington, Ontario and prior to joining the ministry, he worked for the University of Guelph, industry associations and a horticultural farm operation.

Dr. Jason Deveau

Hollis English

Jason is the Application Technology Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. He holds an Honours BSc in Biology & Psychology from Mount Allison University, a MSc in plant cell physiology from York University and a PhD in plant cell electrophysiology from the University of Guelph. Working out of the Simcoe Resource Centre in Ontario, his current focus is to explore methods to reduce pesticide wastage and off-target contamination, to develop methods to spray crops more consistently and to create educational materials for sprayer operators.

Hollis operates Murphy’s Farm Market and Bakery in Alliston, ON alongside her brother Calder Murphy. After graduating from the University of Guelph in 2008 with a degree in Landscape Architecture, she decided to renovate and revive the family’s farm market. Together with her siblings, they have expanded the business to include a scratch bakery, pick-your-own and agritourism. Hollis is also a mother to 3 little girls under the age of 3 and loves to frequent antique shops when time allows.

Hayden Dooney Born and raised in Hawkes Bay on New Zealand’s eastern coast, Hayden grew up on a family-owned and operated orchard growing primarily apples. After studying and working in the Hawkes Bay grape industry for a short period, Hayden ventured overseas and now resides on the north shore of Lake Erie in Norfolk County where he works for The Norfolk Fruit Growers’ Association. Over the past several years, Hayden has worked closely with new technologies that have been adopted at the association’s packing facilities that aid in improving the competitiveness of supplying fresh quality apples into the market.

Todd Einhorn

Dr. Philip Fanning Dr. Fanning has 9 years of experience working with control of insects pests in agricultural, forestry and cut-foliage production between Ireland and the United States. Since joining Michigan State University in early 2016, he has worked extensively with Michigan Blueberry growers to help them optimize their IPM programs to mitigate losses from insect pests. He is currently working on two projects funded by USDA NIFA, the first funded under the Speciality Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) program and the second by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program. Both are nationally coordinated projects involving collaborators across the United States. These projects focus on research to develop practical tools for growers to control the invasive fruit fly Spotted Winged Drosophila.

Todd is Associate Professor and Tree Fruits Specialist with Michigan State University. He directs a pragmatic research and outreach program focused on production efficiency of tree fruit orchards with emphasis on regulation of plant growth and development, flowering and fruit set biology, rootstock/ scion interactions, cold hardiness and modification of canopy architecture. Prior to joining the faculty at MSU, Todd led a pear and sweet cherry research program at the Hood River Experiment Center for Oregon State University. He serves on the USDA multistate NC-140 project as chair of the pear sub-committee. He was the recent recipient of the Washington State Horticulture Association’s 2016 Silver Pear Award and the Oregon, Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers 2017 Dr. Tim Facteau Award for his contributions to the Pacific Northwest tree fruit industries. When not immersed in tree fruit, he enjoys playing hockey and spending time with his wife, four boys and their lab.

Richard graduated from Ridgetown College in 2000 with a diploma in Horticulture. At the age of 23, he purchased a 23-acre fruit farm and was married in 2003. A father of 4, he is currently a second-generation farmer in partnership with his wife and parents, looking to include a brother, in taking over the parent’s farm. He has focused on growing apples as a primary crop on the Beamsville area. Over the last 15 years, Rich has adopted global growing techniques and has made many changes to how he grows and the tools he uses. He hopes to finish replanting both farms over the next 5 years, investing in the right varieties and ensuring high efficiency. Rich’s primary focus is on growing and marketing a premium product. Always looking to learn, he continues to network with the Ontario Young Apple Growers and other industry interests.

Evan Elford

Dr. Mel anie Filotas

Evan is the New Crop Development Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) based in Simcoe, Ontario.

He works on developing information related to specialty crop production and marketing for a range of crops including ethno-cultural vegetables,

Melanie is Horticulture Crop Integrated Pest Management Specialist focusing on specialty crops with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Simcoe, Ontario. She works with growers, industry, researchers and ministry colleagues to identify pests and pest management solutions

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Richard Feenstra

for new, transitional or low acreage crops such as hops, tree nuts and sweet potatoes. Melanie has a PhD in Entomology from Cornell University where she studied biological control of forest insects. Prior to joining OMAFRA, she worked as a researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, looking at use of biopesticides, natural enemies and other reduced risk products to control insects in commercial greenhouses.

John Finl ay John has been involved with the Farmers’ Markets Ontario program, MyPick® since 2009. The program attempts to put credibility and transparency from producer to consumer for those who are active farmers and market their products at farmers’ markets. It can be a significant tool in a grower’s marketing plan promoting verified products grown on their farm that supports the sales and trust that customers have in their business. Visiting farms, farmers’ markets and answering questions is part of the Verifier role. In his spare time, John operates a small farm that includes cash crops and Jersey heifers near Campbellford, ON. In a previous life, John had a 34 year career with OMAFRA, including several years in Horticulture technology transfer.

Leslie Forsy the Leslie and Jim Forsythe are first generation farmers growing and direct marketing fruits and vegetables in Markham for over 42 years and are now based in the Uxbridge area. It is important for everyone to stay connected to farms, knowing and caring about where their food comes from.

The school tours and field trips were developed with this mission in mind. They have been hosting preschool and primary school groups from York, Durham and Toronto regions for over 25 years and continue to do so in Greenbank.

Many of the activities for the public provide opportunities to reconnect to agriculture and nature through our pickyour-own crops, a fun farmyard, forest trail and their on-farm market with produce fresh from their fields.

Hannah Fraser Hannah, a graduate of the University of Guelph (BSc – Environmental Biology; MSc – Entomology), has been the provincial entomologist for horticulture with OMAFRA since 2000. She works with teams of crop specialists, researchers, and growers to optimize pest management solutions for sustainable crop production, and to transfer new information and technology to the Ontario agricultural industry. Hannah is responsible for monitoring provincial insect pest issues, including threats to production posed by invasive alien species. She loves to encourage others to take a broader view of insects, beyond seeing them simply as pests, and enjoys mentoring future generations of entomologists.

Andre Gagne Andre has been a part the grocery industry for his entire working life. He started as a Produce Clerk in Ottawa and currently holds the position of Vice President Conventional Fresh Merchandising at Metro Ontario Inc. in Toronto. He has held

senior positions at multiple retailers and has worked in both the Ontario and Quebec markets. He also participated as a Board Member of The Grocery Foundation from 2008 to 2017. Andre earned an MBA from the York University Schulich School of Business in 1990. He is passionate about the produce industry and is a registered Grape Grower of Ontario member. He and his wife operate a small grape farm in Prince Edward County called Last House Vineyard.

Dr. Tara Gariepy Dr. Gariepy is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre. Her research focuses on invasive insect pests that threaten agricultural productivity. In particular, she develops molecular diagnostic tools for accurate identification, and traces pathways of entry, movement and dispersal of invasive species. Dr. Gariepy’s research also involves the development of classical biological control programs for insect pests of agricultural concern, including foreign exploration, assessment of target and non-target effects, and post-release evaluation of establishment and efficacy. Dr. Gariepy currently works on a number of invasive insect pests, including the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug (BMSB). Dr. Gariepy has evaluated the origin, movement and spread of BMSB in Canada and in Europe, and is involved in the development of biological control solutions for this pest in Canada.

Katie Gibb Water and energy conservation and quality on farms and food processing operations have been the focus of Katie’s career. The past 4 years have found her under fruit and vegetable washers, out in orchards, fruit and vegetable fields with irrigation systems measuring water use and looking for ways to optimize that use through reduction, reuse and recycling opportunities. Katie is a project manager with Enviro-Stewards, Inc., an environmental engineering consulting company in Elmira ON, whose mandate is to help clients conserve resources and effectively address potential environmental liability.

Linda Grimo Linda was born and raised in the Niagara region. She went to Graceland University, in southern Iowa, and received her BA in Education. She moved to Arizona to teach and while there,

she earned her MA in Education. She quit teaching shortly thereafter to return to Niagara with her family to work alongside her father, Ernie Grimo, at Grimo Nut Nursery.

She helps to manage the farm from the business side and in the fields as well. Linda is actively involved in research with heartnuts to select the best cracking heart shaped nut from her bred trees. They dig and ship trees in the spring, and harvest the nuts from their test/research orchards in the fall selling the surplus crops to local residents.

She is a director for both the Niagara North Federation of Agriculture and is the current chair for the Ontario Hazelnut Association.

Briana Hagen Briana is currently pursuing a PhD in the department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph, under the supervision of Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton. Her current research program involves using both quantitative and qualitative research methods to understand mental health and wellness among agricultural producers in Ontario, including stress, anxiety, depression, resilience, and help-seeking.

Before coming to the University of Guelph, Briana completed an honours bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Winnipeg (2009), with a mixed methods thesis focusing on help-seeking behaviours for mental health issues among Indigenous peoples in northern Manitoba. Subsequently, she completed a Master’s of Science in Community Health and Epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan (2011), continuing to work in mental health research, focusing on risk factors for suicide within Indigenous populations across Canada.

Sheldon Hann Sheldon is a biologist with AAFC at the Fredericton Research and Development Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He completed his university education at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton with specialization in Forestry and Geographic Information Systems. In 2005, Sheldon began working at the Fredericton Research and Development Centre under environmental health in aspects of soil and water conservation specifically soil classification, interpretation, crop suitability and surface and groundwater quality. His current research activities are focused on the evaluation and development of integrated cropping systems with emphasis on nutrient use efficiency and enhancing productivity, sustainability and soil health. Sheldon has collaborated with colleagues on

various publications and presentations from the development of crop suitability maps for the Atlantic Provinces to the evaluation of cropping systems in potato production.

Dr. Ines Hanrahan Dr. Hanrahan is currently a Project Manager with the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission. She has earned a Diploma in Agricultural Engineering from Humboldt University Berlin, Germany in 1999 and a PhD in Horticulture from Washington State University, USA in 2005. Her professional background in practical and academic horticulture encompasses research, teaching, and consulting for the past 23 years. Dr. Hanrahan’s expertise includes the management of scientific projects such as: apple postharvest physiological disorder prevention, optimization of cropping and storage systems for pome fruit, management of plant material evaluation from breeding programs for commercial suitability, and applied food safety research.

Her primary focus is on expediting transfer of research results to implementation, to provide an ongoing link between scientists and the industry and to train the next generation of industry professionals.

Christ y Hiemstra Christy owns the Clovermead Adventure Farm in Aylmer, Ontario along with her husband Chris. They purchased the family honey bee business in 2000, and grew the farm into an education and agri-entertainment business with the help of their 3 children.

On Sept. 23rd, 2016, tragedy came to the Hiemstra family household when their youngest son, Jordan, died by suicide at the age of 17. This unexpected loss instantly opened the world of mental illness to Chris and Christy. These days Christy regularly shares her story and insights with students in Ontario.

Richard Hoff Richard is a native of Wisconsin and U.S. Navy veteran. He received his bachelor’s degree in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and his master’s degree in horticulture from Washington State University. Since then, he has worked as a viticulturist for Ste Michelle Wine Estates and is currently the director of viticulture for Mercer Ranch and Mercer Wine Estates.

COME AND SEE US AT BOOTH #1004!

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Friedhelm Hoffmann

David Jones

Friedhelm grew up in Germany and graduated from the Farmer’s Trade Program and the University for Agronomy. He has worked on a dairy farm, pig farm, horse farm and vegetable farm and a fresh market vegetable farm before coming to Canada in 1998. He is a greenhouse grower and manager for tomatoes and peppers for 7 years and for the last 12 years, was General Operating Manager for a 3,000 acre vegetable fresh market and cash crop operation. During this time, he worked closely with field and vegetable crop fertigation and all aspects of a high quality complex vegetable production implementing precision orientated agriculture. Since 2017, Friedhelm works for Lakeside Grain & Feed, in Forest, Ontario building a new service section, Precision Agriculture Compliance Excellence.

After growing up around apple orchards as a kid, David got his official start in tree fruit/vine production and research as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He earned his BS in Horticulture, working in applied tree fruit and grape research at two different UW-Madison agricultural research stations during his time as a student, dealing with apples, sweet cherries, tart cherries, and wine grapes.

He then earned his Masters in Plant Pathology from the UW-Madison, working to determine the susceptibility of newer cold-climate hybrids to prominent temperate climate diseases. David started his position with Michigan State University in February of 2017. His current research focuses on horticulture, entomology, and plant pathology issues pertaining to apples, tart cherries, sweet cherries, processing peaches, and plums. He has Extension duties relating to all of the aforementioned crops, and also assists in Extension/ outreach to the small wine-grape industry in his region.

Hank Hunse Hank took over the family business, Stonechurch, 10 years ago and began rebranding it as Small Talk Vineyards.

His father, Lambert, purchased the property when he came to Canada from the Netherlands in 1954. It was originally a fruit and poultry farm that the family replanted as vineyards in 1985 (the Chardonnay patch has vines that are now 30 years old). The then over 200 acre vineyard released its first vintage under Stonechurch in 1990. In June 2014, Shiny Apple Cider was launched and in March 2017, the reserve label, Big Ideas was released. The property is now 78 acres and has 11 grape varieties under vine.

Dr. Sarah Jandricic Dr. Jandricic has been the Greenhouse Floriculture Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist for OMAFRA since 2015. She is responsible for IPM of both insect pests and plant diseases. A native of the Golden Horseshoe, Sarah gained her MSc from the University of Guelph, studying non-target effects of pesticides on beneficials, and her PhD from Cornell University in 2013, focusing on biological control of difficult- to-manage pest species.

Sarah runs the ONFloriculture blog, and aids greenhouse growers in conducting on-farm trials to help solve critical issues in their operations.

Ellen Jennen Ellen is the Owner/operator of Jennen Farm Market in Thamesville Ontario.

She farms 12 acres of high tunnel strawberries with her husband Peter.

Ellen also farms over 700 acres including processing tomatoes, grain corn, soybeans for over 25 years. They recently utilized the Croptracker system in the 2017 season to track their strawberry crop, giving them better records, and better product traceability for Canada Gap certification.

Sarah Judd

Matthew D. Kleinhenz Dr. Kleinhenz is a Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist in the Dept. of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University.

He is based at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, OH. Vegetable production involves many tools and methods and a wide set of knowledge and skill, partly because production challenges are complex and require multiple partial solutions (ie. a holistic approach). Matt uses his training as a horticulturalist and crop physiologist, knowledge, and role as an investigator and teacher in helping to create and growers to use improved tools and methods. These tools and methods usually involve establishing and maintaining productive combinations of crop, crop variety, and growing environment.

Sarah farms with her husband, Thomas, and in-laws, at Meadow Lynn Farms in Simcoe, Ontario. They have 50 milking pure-bred Jersey cows and 9 acres of pick-your-own strawberries. After working off-farm for 5 years, Sarah decided to come home and work on the farm full-time where she started the newest venture of the farming operation know as Meadow Lynn Market Garden. Sarah rapped up her third year of the 20-week vegetable CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this past October. She has grown from a 20-member CSA to over 75 members in only 3 years, with 3/4 acres of vegetables in production in a high -rotation system. Sarah is a University of Guelph graduate, an appointed member on the OMAFRA Appeals Tribunal, and a certified nutrient management planner and NASM planner. Sarah was also Norfolk Youth Entrepreneur of the year in 2017.

A 30 year employee of Farm Credit Canada, Richard has held several positions in both Field Operations and the Alliances Divisions of FCC and currently works within the Marketing Division at FCC’s Corporate office in Regina as a Product Specialist for FCC Management Software. Richard travels coast to coast to Canada‘s major farm shows providing management solutions demonstrations on products like AgExpert Analyst, AgExpert Field and Field Manager Pro.

Dr. Lee Kalcsits

Maggie Kurtz

Dr. Kalcsits is an assistant professor of tree fruit physiology in the Department of Horticulture at the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee, Washington, USA. He completed a BSA in Horticulture and a MS in tree physiology at the University of Saskatchewan and a PhD in Forestry and Tree Physiology at the University of British Columbia. After a short postdoctoral stint at the University of Victoria, he accepted a position in 2014 with WSU. His research program works towards understanding the interactions between environment, horticultural management and genetics of tree fruit. Currently his work is focused understanding the mechanisms contributing to calcium-related disorders and symptoms of abiotic stress in apple and developing strategies to mitigate those problems.

Maggie is not your average bookkeeper. When she’s not out cruising around Wellington County on her Victory Motorcycle, she’s helping businesses thrive by looking after their bookkeeping needs. Maggie loves to make a strong impact in people’s lives, whether it be through her bookkeeping work or through the long-lasting relationships she has built in her community. Maggie and her team provide businesses with accurate and professional bookkeeping services tailored to their needs. She’ll help get your business where you want it to go. She is passionate about building a strong and tight-knit community for children to grow up in.

Jessica Kelly Jessica is the Direct Farm Marketing Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). She provides business-related support to people selling

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agri-food products through all kinds of direct-to-consumer marketing channels, including farmers’ markets, on-farm markets, CSAs, and agri-tourism. Prior to joining the Ministry, Jessica taught a course in accounting and business at Western University. She studied business administration at the Richard Ivey School of Business and agricultural economics at the University of Guelph, where her thesis focused on the farmers’ share of the food dollar in Canada. Jessica and her family have a hog farm in Perth County.

Richard J. Kuntz

Martin L aforest After earning his PhD in molecular biology at Laval University in 1999, Martin worked for 15 years at DNA LandMarks, a BASF Plant Science subsidiary before joining Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the spring of 2015. Since then, he’s been characterizing herbicide resistant weeds with the aim of elucidating mechanisms allowing weeds to survive

herbicide application. This information is used to develop quick diagnostic genetic tests. Growers receive their resistance testing results within a week and can apply mitigation strategies in season.

Charlie L alonde Charles is the principal of CJ Agren Consulting providing project management and professional services in agriculture. A major focus is in projects relating to reducing the loss of phosphorus from agricultural lands through drainage and application of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program. In late 2014, Charles became the Project Manager for the Holland Marsh Growers Association Water Project where he has worked with growers, washing facilities to assess waste water technologies. Over 14 technologies were evaluated at various washing facilities. Charles is also managing the Soil De-dirting project as a complimentary project to the Water Project to address reduction of soil load at washing facilities. He currently manages a Sustainable Farming Project for the HMGA, funded through OMAFRA where nutrient stewardship and use of cover crops are the major areas of focus.

Tracy L amb Tracy has been promoting local food, farmers and agriculture for over 25 years. She is passionate about the connection between food and health, the need to appreciate and understand where our food comes from and the vital role that farmers’ markets play in that connection. Tracy and

her team develop and implement provincial and national programs to raise awareness, motivate shifts in attitudes and behaviours and increase production and consumption of locally-produced food. An expert in marketing communications in agri-food, Tracy has extensive knowledge of all parts of the value chain, from producer to retailer and from influencer to consumer. Her passion for promoting healthy eating has led to her involvement in countless local food and nutritional education programs across Canada, working collaboratively with all stakeholders to develop innovative yet practical solutions aligned with her clients’ business objectives.

Liette L ambert Liette is an agrologist since 1985, and holds a degree from Laval University in Plant Sciences. Since 1990, she has been working as a provincial greenhouse and berry crop specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, located in the Montreal area. Her expertise is mainly focused on IPM, biopesticides and biological control, having investing herself in the sector since 1992. She has been responsible for the provincial plant pest warning network in greenhouse crops for over 15 years. She is also the author of two posters on Biological Control in Greenhouse crops and two pocket guides on pests, diseases, beneficials, disorders, deficiencies and phytotoxicities in strawberry, raspberry and highbush blueberry. During her career, she has published over than 1000 articles and talks. She has been organizing the annual Berry Conference in the province of Quebec for the past 22 years. Ms. Lambert wishes to share her

expertise developed in the biocontrol of greenhouse vegetables for use in berry crops.

Daniel Lenko Daniel Lenko Estate Winery was founded in 1999 by Daniel Lenko.

Daniel is a 3rd generation grape grower and viticulturalist – winemaker. In 1959, Daniel’s grandfather John and father William planted some of the first Chardonnay vines in Canada, the vineyard thrived in this unique microclimate and at 53 years of age is the oldest Chardonnay planting in Canada. William was a pioneer in the Ontario vinifera wine movement also planting Merlot in 1974 and Viognier in 1990. Daniel leads by example and works daily with staff in all areas of the winery and farm business. By working together with employees, living onsite, and with the winery being his only occupation, Daniel creates a unique workplace culture. Daniel’s motto is “Enthusiasm and curiosity go hand in hand, not only are we excited with the wines we produce, we are always reviewing and improving our approach to create wines which exceed our customers’ expectations”.

Dr. Tracy Leskey Tracy holds a PhD degree in Entomology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, MA. She has been employed by the USDA-ARS, AFRS in Kearneysville, WV, USA, as a Research Entomologist since September 2000 and recently became Director of the Laboratory. Her research has focused on development of behaviorally-based management

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tools for invasive and native pests of fruit crops. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, two patents and over 40 other publications including book chapters and proceeding articles. She served as a liaison to the US House Agricultural Appropriations Committee, providing numerous updates on the pest status of and research progress on the invasive brown marmorated stink bug. She has served as a co-advisor or committee member for over 15 graduate students and post-docs. Dr. Leskey has been interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post and NPR and appeared live on Fox News and C-SPAN and has done several stories with National Geographic.

Kevin Lewis Kevin grew vegetables and cash crops for the past 30 years for a large fresh market operation specializing in all aspects of fertilizer and irrigation. Through field research and development, he created a field program that increased yield and quality steady. Kevin created and built equipment that made the injection of fertilizer into irrigation systems precise. Since 2017, Kevin works with Lakeside Grain & Feed to bring his experience and knowledge to other growers.

Mark Longstroth Mark is a Small Fruit Extension Educator for Michigan State University Extension. He has worked in the fruit industry since 1978. He has 24 years’ of Extension experience working in the Michigan fruit industry. Prior to 2010, he covered all tree fruit, grape and berry crops in southwest Michigan.

Mark now focuses on blueberries and other berry crops.

His main education efforts are in crop production, pest management and farm financial management. He has developed cost of production budgets for blueberries and other fruit crops. Mark is especially interested in the impacts of weather and climate on fruit production.

Mark’s wants to help growers remain profitable and adapt to changes in agriculture.

Frank Louws Dr. Louws has been associated with vegetable and fruit production agriculture since his youth. He studied at the University of Guelph and Michigan State University and then moved to North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, to become a Professor of Plant Pathology. Currently he manages a 25% extension/25% research appointment with a 50% commitment as Director of the Center for Integrated Pest Management. His research and extension program seeks to develop disease management strategies in strawberry and tomato production systems. Recent work has included fruit rot pathogens of strawberry, bacterial diseases of tomato, and soilborne diseases of both crops, among other problems. He also leads a USA-wide project to determine the role of vegetable grafting in open field systems to manage diseases and increase crop yield and fruit quality.

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Jeremy Lowe Jeremy is a horticulture research associate at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, KY. Mr. Lowe received a BS in Biology from University of Southern Indiana in 1999, and a MS in Aquatic Sciences from Kentucky State University in 2005. He specializes in fruit and nut crops, with a focus on pawpaw and blackberry, but also hazelnut, and persimmon. His research activities include pawpaw breeding, variety and advanced selection trials, propagation, orchard management, harvest and postharvest handling, fruit processing, value added product development, conducting farm visits, tours, and workshops, and assisting pawpaw and blackberry growers ranging from commercial orchards and nurseries to homeowners and hobbyists.

Bill MacDonald Bill is a graduate of the University of Guelph specializing in Soil Science/ Plant Nutrition and is presently a full time professor in the School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies at Niagara College. Over the past 30 years, he has gained extensive experience in the greenhouse industry, from being production manager of a large floriculture operation in Nova Scotia to owning a family run greenhouse to now teaching and conducting applied research at Niagara College.

Jennifer Manary Jennifer is 22 years old and currently working for Shore Fresh Packers Ltd., as the Food Safety representative in Port Burwell. She heads up the food safety program for both Shore Fresh Packers which operates under SQF, and Sandy Shore Farms which operates under Canada GAP. Jennifer went to the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus for Agriculture and graduated with a diploma. Before working at Shore Fresh Packers, she worked on her family’s farm, maintaining the Canada GAP for their asparagus.

Sarah Martz Sarah is the Risk Identification and Management Coordinator in the Food Inspection Branch at OMAFRA. She holds an honours bachelor of science in biology and pharmacology from McMaster University, and a master’s of science in biomedical and molecular science from Queen’s University. Her main role is to lead the development and implementation of food safety risk management programs for foods of plant origin. Prior to joining OMAFRA, she worked at the Public Health Agency of Canada and primarily focused on epidemiological, surveillance and prevalence projects from human, animal and food origin across Canada.

Annet Maurer Annet is the Market Manager of the Thunder Bay Country Market, one of Ontario’s largest year-round markets. She has been in the role since November 2016, having come to the market from her integral role in setting up Ontario’s newest law school at Lakehead University for the previous 4 years.

Annet is married to Kirk, an Australian (and now newly Canadian!) who has not fully embraced winters and they have a 9 year old son.

Margaret May Margaret has a long history of program delivery with OSCIA. She loves to interact with primary producers to find programs and projects that fit their needs to make changes to their businesses. She facilitates Growing Your Farm Profits workshops, Environmental Farm Plan workshops and Biosecurity workshops for all commodities. Her family farms near Glencoe, Ontario with beef cows, sheep and field crops.

Ian McDonald Ian has been the Applied Research Coordinator for the Field Crops Unit of OMAFRA since 2000 and Crops Innovations Specialist since July 2016, before which he spent 15 years in the agriculture industry as a researcher on new pesticides with Hoechst and Dupont. Ian holds a Bsc(Agr.) in Crop Science, an Msc in Weed Science and a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Guelph. He is involved in the coordination of research and demonstration activities within the OMAFRA Agriculture Development Branch (ADB) Field Crops unit and is involved in scientific review, protocol and project development, data analysis, and reporting among other functions within ADB. He works with colleagues and partner organizations to find technology tools to enhance producer and advisor knowledge and access to information through research projects, collaborations with academic and farmer partners, online resources and other outreach opportunities. He is co-chair of the FarmSmart franchise of events. He has a special interest in sustainable agriculture production systems and having the farm sector meet more of society’s needs and expectations.

Erin McLean Erin grew up on her family’s farm in Buckhorn, Ontario. After leaving the farm for school, work and travel, she came to realize how much she loved and missed the farm and farming. In 2009, she returned to work on the farm full time with her family where they expanded to farm a second nearby farm.

They grow a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that they sell directly from the farm, wholesale, at farmers’ markets and also host two on-farm festivals.

Bill Medel Bill is a second generation fruit grower from Ruthven, Ontario. He and his family operate E & B Medel Orchards Ltd., a 180-acre farm where they grow apples, peaches, pears and plums.

They have C.A. storages, as well as a packing line that allows them to market their own fruit. Recently, they have started a tree fruit nursery, Plantigro Ltd., which supplies the need for trees on their farm, as well as other fruit growers.

Carol Miles Carol is a Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Washington State University, and is the Horticulture Specialist located at the Washington State University, Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center. She specializes in vegetable crop production as well as cider apple production, and has a strong interest in alternative crops and organic production. Carol has her PhD in vegetable crops from Cornell University.

John Molenhuis John has been the Business Analysis and Cost of Production Specialist with OMAFRA for the past 17 years.

He has been involved with several cost of production studies for grapes, tender fruit and apples and the platform labour savings study with the Ontario Apple Growers. John has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business from the University of Guelph.

Gurvinder Mundi Gurvinder is finishing up his PhD in Environmental Engineering at the School of Engineering at University of Guelph. His graduate work entails fruit and vegetable wastewater characterization, treatment and reuse assessment, with a goal of identifying effective technologies for wash-water treatment and to develop mathematical models, such as regression and neural networks for predicting treatment

efficiency. His continuous involvement in technical conferences, workshops, research, networking and volunteering keeps him active in the field. He is highly motivated to learn about policy and matters in water conservation relating to Ontario’s agriculture and Agri-Food Industries.

Robert Nurse Robert is a Research Scientist in Weed Management at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Harrow Research and Development Centre. His current work focuses on the study of herbicide resistant weeds. His research aims at providing a better understanding of their mechanisms of resistance, and overall reproductive fitness. It is hoped that this research will lead to more efficient ways to identify herbicide resistance in the field and will improve management methods.

Another area of research that he is actively involved in is herbicide evaluations for both field and horticultural crops. Further to this, he is currently the Test Site Manager for the minor use pesticide program at Harrow. Robert holds a BSc Hons degree in Ecology and Evolution from Western University, an MSc degree in Weed Ecology from the University of Guelph and a PhD in Weed Ecology from Cornell University. He has served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Plant Science and is currently an Associate Editor for the journal Weed Technology. Since 2010, Dr. Nurse has also served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology at Western University and as a Special Graduate Faculty member at the University of Guelph in the Department of Plant Agriculture.

Kristen Obeid Kristen has a master’s degree in weed science from the University of Manitoba and an honors bachelor of science degree from the University of Guelph. As OMAFRA’s Weed Specialist for Horticulture crops, she leads the development, coordination and implementation of various programs related to weed management issues in Ontario. She is a past recipient of the Deputy Minister’s Award for her work as a provincial vegetable specialist. She previously spent several years with the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and in the private sector coordinating research trials in support of new product registrations.

Tom Plocher Tom has been involved in cold climate viticulture in Minnesota since 1980.

He is best known for co-authoring (with Bob Parke) the book Northern Winework: Growing Grapes and Making Wine in Cold Climates. Since 1996, Tom also has pursued his own grape breeding program, focusing on new grape varieties for red wine. T.P. 2-1-24 was named ‘Petite Pearl’ and entered the commercial market in 2010. Two new selections, Crimson Pearl (T. P. 2-1-17)USPP and Verona (TP 1-1-34)USPP were named and introduced into commercial propagation in 2015. Tom continues his breeding work, focusing on issues created by climate change.

These include resistance to late winter warm spells and late spring frosts, resistance to splitting and rots during late season bouts of heavy rainfall, and resistance to Japanese Beetles.

Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) is dedicated to advancing the Canadian grape and wine industry through: Research

Targeting industry priorities in viticulture, oenology, wine business, policy and wine culture

Outreach Services

Sharing information through industry conferences, workshops, lectures, events and analytical services

Continuing Education for wine, spirits and cider Whether it’s for professional or personal growth, CCOVI has course opportunities available both in-class and online in wine, spirits and cider

Learn more at

brocku.ca/ccovi

 @CCOVIBrockU 25

Dr. Kirk Pomper Dr. Pomper is Director of Land Grant Programs and a Professor of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture, Food Science, and Sustainable Systems at Kentucky State University. Dr. Pomper received both a BS and an MS in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota in 1985 and 1989, respectively. He received a PhD in Horticulture in 1995 from Oregon State University. Dr. Pomper serves as Research and Extension Program Director for the College.

He also serves as Curator of the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository for pawpaw species at KSU. His main research area is in pawpaw germplasm development, physiology, nutrition, and organic production. His program has released the pawpaw varieties KSU-Atwood TM and KSU -BensonTM to the public and these varieties are being sold by nurseries nationwide.

Dr. Sudarsana Poojari Sudarsana is a Research Scientist at the Summerland Research and Development Center (SuRDC). He earned his PhD in Plant Pathology from Washington State University (WSU) in 2013. His research at WSU was focused on biological, molecular and epidemiological aspects of viruses infecting grapevines and vegetable crops and development of advanced molecular diagnostics for plant viruses.

Dr. Poojari works closely with the Viticulture, Enology, and Entomology research team at SuRDC and his research focuses on epidemiology and disease management aspects of major grapevine virus diseases.

Josh Puckett Josh grew up in Poway, California. He attended Sonoma State University where he received an undergraduate degree in Plant Biology. Following graduation, he worked at a number of horticultural jobs before joining Foundation Plant Services where he is currently the Head of Production. He holds a masters in plant pathology from UC Davis. His responsibilities at FPS entail: coordinating introduction of foreign and domestic plant materials, managing department greenhouses, growing facilities and fields, overseeing the movement of selections through testing and treatment, and coordinating distribution of clean plant material.

Dr. Anu Rangarajan Dr. Rangarajan has been on the faculty of Horticulture at Cornell University since 1996. She serves as the Statewide Fresh Market Vegetable Specialist and conducts a grant-funded research and extension program focused on environmental and economic sustainability of vegetable farms in the Northeast. Her current research focus is on reduced tillage systems for vegetables to improve soil health while maintaining crop quality and yields. She also directs the Cornell Small Farm Program. The program’s mission is to help farmers get expert assistance to facilitate all phases of small farm business development, from startup to growth to maturity. Through collaborations with Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators and other

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service providers, the program provides online and face to face training on numerous topics, including new farm development, helping veterans enter agriculture, expanding wholesale marketing and local food systems, building soil health, and supporting mushroom and livestock production.

(1994-5), studying impact of yeast strain on flavor of Riesling, and implications of acetic acid for stuck fermentations; RH Philips Winery, Dunnigan Hills, CA (2004-5) studying new irrigation technology.

Judson Reid

Brian works on Dentz Orchards and Berry Farm Inc., with his wife’s father and uncle in Iroquois, Ontario, an hour south of Ottawa. They grow strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, apples, and peas for wholesale and various other fruits and vegetables for their on-farm market. Brian currently serves as a director for the Berry Growers of Ontario.

Judson is a Senior Extension Associate with the Cornell Vegetable Program.

In this position, he manages a series of research and education projects throughout New York State for greenhouse, high tunnel and field production of fresh market vegetables. Judson is involved in the evaluation of grafting on tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants; biological pest control, new cropping techniques and low temperature pest management concerns. Current projects examine the viability of grafting of cucumbers for cold soil hardiness, biological insect control in low temperature settings for mixed greens crops, PAR and yield influence of multi-story cropping as well as variety evaluations. Judson has conducted educational sessions with farmers in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Cuba on these topics. Having spent his youth on a northern New York dairy farm, Judson earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Cornell University in agriculture.

Dr. Bruce Reisch Dr. Reisch specializes in the development of new wine and table grape varieties, as well as modern grape breeding techniques using the tools of genomics, at Cornell’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY. He earned a BS at Cornell University, and a PhD in plant breeding and genetics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Since joining the Cornell faculty, his program has released 13 new wine and table grape varieties. Disease resistance is a high priority, along with low temperature tolerance and fruit quality. In addition to his research responsibilities, Dr. Reisch chaired the Grape Crop Germplasm Committee for over 10 years, a national committee advising the U.S. Department of Agriculture on efforts to preserve wild and cultivated grapevines. He currently leads the “VitisGen” project to apply next-generation sequencing tools to grape breeding programs across the United States. His studies have taken him to conferences and research stations in Australia, Chile, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Israel, Hungary, Turkey, China, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan.

Andrew Reynolds Andy has been conducting research in grapes and wines since MSc studies in 1978. Since 1997, he has been Professor of Viticulture, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON. His education includes: BSc (Agr.), horticulture (1978), Univ. of Guelph; MSc, plant breeding & genetics (1980), Univ. of Guelph; PhD (1983), Cornell Univ.; his thesis was: grapevine canopy microclimate in relation to wine quality. He was formerly a Research Scientist, viticulture & enology, Agriculture Canada Research Station, Summerland, BC (1983-97) and NSERC Research Chair in Viticulture, Cool Climate Oenology & Viticulture Institute (July 1997-2002).

Sabbatical leaves include: Washington State Univ. Pullman

Brian Rijke

El aine Roddy Elaine is involved in field research trials and extension. She specializes in sweet corn, cucurbits, beans, peas and asparagus. Her responsibilities include all aspects of crop production and pest management. Current projects include: soil quality and nitrogen efficiency in asparagus, vine crop disease management, native pollinators and IPM for legume vegetables. Elaine is also the editor of the Ontario Field Vegetable Guide (publication 839) and the Ontario Vegetable Crop Protection Guide (publication 838).

Dr. Nikki Rothwell Dr. Rothwell works as the Extension Specialist with Michigan State University Extension and as the Coordinator of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station. She has a split appointment between research, administration, and outreach. Dr. Rothwell received a BS from Western Michigan University in biology and chemistry and went on to receive a MS from Michigan State University and a PhD from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, both in entomology. Currently, she works with cherry and apple growers in northwest Michigan where she conducts applied research and outreach programming based on local and statewide needs. Her research interests include tree fruit training and irrigation systems, pest management strategies, and horticultural modernization.

Sara Rowl and Sara has worked for many municipalities in England and British Columbia. In 2011, she moved to the city of London where she worked as an Urban Forestry Planner implementing the city’s first urban forestry strategy. After her first year, she moved to a former gravel-quarry farm that was mostly restored to hay approximately 15 years ago in Elgin County.

Taking inspiration from what was already growing on the farm, her and her husband have added many things to the farm, including a perennial garden, fruit trees and most recently, 13 acres of hazelnut orchard with some pecan, chestnut and heartnut trees.

Luis Ruiz Luis is a highly passionate horticulturist and a team player, who is always pursuing effective ways of sustainable

food production. He holds a BSc in Agriculture (Catholic University of El Salvador C.A) and is a member of the Ontario Institute of Agrologist. In his home country, he worked at La Colina Farm (480 acres), where he was responsible for crop management on fruit trees and vegetables. He has worked for Algoma Orchards for the last five years, where along with his peers oversees field operations on +1,000 acres of a high density apple orchard in Newcastle, ON.

Eero Ruuttil a Eero is Johnny’s Selected Seeds R&D Station Operations Manager in Albion, Maine. Prior positions include Beginning Farmer Educator for UConn Extension, Incubator Farmer Coordinator for the New Entry Sustainable Farmer Project in Lowell, MA, and for 22 years, Director of the 65-acre certified organic nonprofit Nesenkeag Farm in Litchfield, NH.

Jean-Michel Salmon Jean-Michel, who is 59 years old, obtained a Master of Sciences in Industrial and Food Biochemistry (ENSIA-University Paris VII,) in 1981. After a PhD in microbiology (fermentation technology) held in 1986 (University of Montpellier), and a post-doc stay at the CSIC in Madrid (C. Gancedo’s lab), he joined the microbiology research team as a research scientist at INRA in Monpellier in 1983.

Since 2003, he has served as Research Director in this institute. His main research topic was the physiology of yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and more precisely the study of its interactions with oxygen during alcoholic

fermentation and wine ageing. Moreover, he has developed a practical knowledge on the use of yeast mixed cultures during alcoholic fermentation and of yeast lees for protection of wines against oxidation. Since 2011, he is deputy director of the INRA’s experimental winery of Pech Rouge in Gruissan (Aude, France), where he focuses his research topics towards the use of innovative technologies to reduce inputs during winemaking. His scientific production relies on 96 peer-reviewed papers, 70 wine-related professional papers, 10 book chapters, 70 international oral conferences, 50 posters in scientific congress and 4 patents.

Nichol as Schaut Nicholas is owner/operator of Bighead Hops, a certified organic hop farm and processing facility in operation for the past 10 years and a founding member/ past president of the Ontario Hop Growers Association. He has organized educational seminars for growers and coordinated research into Ontario hops cultural practices and post harvest processing.

Nicholas has liaised with other hop grower groups, co-ops and associations throughout eastern North America and was awarded the Premier’s Award for Agri-Excellence in Innovation 2015 and The Greenbelt Innovation Farm of the Year 2015. He is a full member of the American Organic Hop Growers Association.

Frank Schreurs Frank has more than 30 years of management and leadership experience in the food and beverage industry. He began his career in food manufacturing with the Kellogg Co., and transitioned

into the services sector with the Guelph Food Technology Centre. Over the course of 18 years, he established and grew the consultancy and auditing business units into the number 1 service provider to the F &B sector in Canada. In 2013, he successfully transitioned GFTC through a merger with NSF International. During his 18 years, Frank lead his team of seasoned industry professionals in the delivery of consultancy and auditing services to the entire supply chain. His knowledge of risk and quality management throughout the supply chain was illustrated through the hundreds of completed client projects. Food safety projects included systems auditing (HACCP, BRC, SQF) as well as development and implementation. Quality projects included SPC applications to overweight control, ROI on asset purchases and specification compliance as well as ISO 9000 systems development and implementation.

Frank is currently operating a consultancy business as well as being the Canadian and Pacific North West U.S.A. representative for the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI).

Marissa Schuh Marissa is a commercial vegetable production educator with Michigan State University Extension. She works with commercial vegetable growers in southeast Michigan to develop and maintain production strategies that are profitable and sustainable. She meets one-on-one with producers to perform pest and disease scouting and identification, as well as provides consultation on production concerns.

She also reports on emergent issues, creates educational resources, and organizes programming. She has a BA from Luther College (Decorah, IA) in Biology and English, and an MS in Entomology from Michigan State University.

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Dr. Jonathan R. Schultheis

Jerry Shields

Dr. Schultheis is a Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. He has research and extension responsibilities. The research he engages in is targeted to find better methods to produce vegetable crops. Key research areas are plant establishment; fertilizer considerations that evaluate types, rates and methods of application; grafting; cultivar evaluation; postharvest practices; and irrigation.

The primary crops he works with are sweet potato and cucurbits (watermelon, cantaloupe/melons, cucumber, pumpkin and squash). His research program complements his extension program in the subject matter areas specified and involves educational training of county agents; improving grower production practices by disseminating information through publications and regional, state and national meetings, and working closely with industry to discover and communicate cutting edge technologies and information. Dr. Schultheis also is involved in teaching and typically advises and serves on 4 to 8 graduate student committees at any given time.

Jerry is the Weather Systems Coordinator at the Ontario MNRF and has worked in the Ministry’s Emergency Operation Centre for the past 7 years. Jerry’s passion in operational meteorology and emergency management has led to a new forecasting methods and redefining the role that weather forecasters can play in providing services to emergency management stakeholders. He is also interested and has demonstrated success in the climatic interpolation of previous weather events and how that can be used to forecast future high impact weather.

Jerry’s background includes two decades of agronomy and has first-hand knowledge of the implications that weather can have on decision making in the agriculture sector. Much of his drive and commitment to improve and build meteorological forecasting services comes from his struggles in getting relevant, timely weather information for the management of pesticides, fertilizer, drainage and irrigation in his earlier career.

Rebecca Shortt

Since joining Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2007, Dr. Scott has been involved with several projects related to insecticide resistance, including neonicotinoids and Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata populations in potato, organophosphorus insecticides and codling moth Cydia pomonella in apple orchards and acaricides and two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae in greenhouse crops.

His research program also includes biopesticide discovery and development, specifically investigating the potential of plant-derived compounds as repellents, attractants and insecticide synergists for use in alternative insect pest management strategies. Dr. Scott has a BSc (Biology) and MSc (Environmental Biology) from the University of Guelph, and a PhD in Biology, University of Ottawa.

Rebecca is the irrigation/water management engineer with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Her role with the Ministry involves helping Ontario producers improve their production by providing irrigation and water management expertise to the province. She is also the co-author of many OMAFRA irrigation publications including the Irrigation Best Management Practices book.

Most recently, Rebecca has developed demonstrations and presentations on water efficiency and soil moisture monitoring. Her specialty includes water permitting and drip irrigation. In addition to irrigation, Rebecca develops solutions for other agricultural water uses such as fruit and vegetable washing. Rebecca holds a MSc and BSc from McGill University in Agricultural Engineering and has been active in water and irrigation associations across Canada and the U.S.

Dr. Bill Shane

Marie-Josée Simard

Bill is a senior Extension tree fruit specialist at the Michigan State University Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center.

He provides horticultural and pest management outreach to the Michigan tree fruit industry and conducts applied tree fruit research. Research areas include breeding and evaluating new peach and nectarine varieties, rootstock evaluation, peach training systems, predictive models, and plant disease management strategies. His breeding program focuses on improved new peach and nectarine melting flesh varieties for humid, cooler growing regions. Bill’s peach training work focuses on tree wall peach systems utilizing improved varieties and rootstock, mechanization, and tree training strategies for increased profitability. Dr. Shane has developed numerous crop loss and predictive models for fungal and bacterial diseases and crop development in sugar beets, small grains, turfgrass, and tree fruit. Bill holds a BS in botany and plant pathology (Michigan State University), MS in plant pathology (North Carolina State University), and PhD in plant pathology (University of Minnesota).

Marie-Josée is a weed scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She has a PhD in Environmental Science from the Université du Québec à Montréal. She worked for 14 years in field crops at the research centre located in Québec City, before moving to the research centre in Saint-Jean-surRichelieu in 2014. She is also adjunct professor at Laval University (Québec) and author or co-author of 38 scientific papers. Her research activities include the evaluation of the distribution, dynamic and fitness of problem weeds (hybrids with transgenic crops, allergenic weeds, herbicide resistant weeds and regulated weeds). She supervised a nation-wide project on glyphosate resistant weeds and is currently working on herbicide resistance in vegetable crops.

Dr. Ian Scott

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Charlotte Smith Charlotte owns Champoeg Creamery, a raw milk micro-dairy located in St. Paul, Oregon, producing raw milk, eggs, pork and poultry. She serves about 100 families per week out of

her farm store on the property. After witnessing too many farmers going out of business due to not being sustainable, she also founded 3CowMarketing.com, an online marketing training company helping farmers across the nation learn online marketing techniques to grow a successful business. Additionally, she hosts a private Facebook group, comprised of a community of farmers focused on connecting with others to learn, share and gain support.

Due to her dedication to improving the soil, animals and the people who eat their products, Charlotte was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Women in the World in Food and Agriculture by the non-profit, Food Tank, in 2016. Charlotte is also the proud mother of a United States Marine, lives in St. Paul, Oregon on the farm with her husband, Marc, (a teacher) and her 2 daughters.

Marian Statham Marian is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and a Certified Yoga Instructor with over 20 years experience in Brand and Marketing Management. She’s been a lifelong health, nutrition and fitness enthusiast and in the last 10 years has studied the power the mind and spirit has on our overall health and wellness picture. She has had first hand experience applying the power of holistic nutrition as she worked to overcome a debilitating autoimmune condition, resulting in her feeling as healthy and fit as ever and thriving in the many aspects of her life. In addition to graduating from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Marian has an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Guelph, and graduated from the Marketing Management Program at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. In addition, she achieved her Yoga Teacher Training Certification through the Awakened Life School of Yoga. After years of developing numerous consumer programs in leading consumer packaged goods corporations, she is excited to bring health and wellness programs and strategies to people of all ages, whose lives will benefit by applying the holistic approach to their health and wellness regimen.

Dr. Jayasankar Subramanian Dr. Subramanian (Jay) is a Professor with University of Guelph, working at the Vineland location. He has over 25 years of experience in fruit crop improvement, breeding, biotechnology and post harvest technology. He has worked with diverse crop species and for the past 12 years has been working with tender fruits- both using conventional and contemporary approaches. Currently he is leading a successful IDRC project involving researchers from 6 different countries and in over 100 farms in these countries. He has been invited to deliver talks in several countries including a recent one at the UN General Assembly’s Market Place event in September 2015 and at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Government of Canada, Ottawa in December. He has published over 60 research papers, released 15 improved crop varieties. He is a member of the editorial board in three International Journals and reviews manuscripts for several journals in plant sciences.

Dr. Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl Narongsak is Professor of Marketing and Product Innovation at Brock Universit y. Dr. Thongpapanl received his BS in Electrical Engineering, his MBA in Technological Entrepreneurship, and his PhD in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (USA). His main research interests include NPD, innovation management, and strategic marketing management in dynamic environments.

His ongoing research examines the factors influencing developers’ direct interaction with the marketplace as they advance innovations that potentially create both convergent and divergent values and interests for various stakeholders. The past and recent advances in the global wine industry, in fact, serve as good examples of the need for a better understanding of the intricacies involved in customer interaction and innovation outcomes. His research also investigates the exploration–exploitation tension that often presents problems in the implementation of both new-to-the-market and new-to-the-firm innovations, especially in highly dynamic settings, as is the case with the Ontario wine industry.

Bernard Tobin Bernard specializes in agriculture and food communications. He was raised on a dairy farm in Newfoundland. He’s a writer and journalist, and has also worked for two of Canada’s leading agricultural communications firms. Today, he works as a consultant to Guelph-based Synthesis Agri-Food Network and leads numerous communications workshops and training sessions for organizations such as Farm & Food Care Canada and Rural Ontario Institute. He’s also an active journalist in his role as Ontario Field Editor for RealAgriculture.com.

Dr. Jim Todd Jim joined the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), as the transition crop specialist in 2005. He began his career with a BSc from the University of Waterloo, followed by a PhD in plant physiology from the University of Guelph. After graduation, his research focused on plant wax and lipid metabolism and using microarrays to study large scale gene expression in plants.

As OMAFRA’s industrial crop specialist, Jim works on identifying crops with potential to serve as agricultural feedstocks for Ontario’s developing bioeconomy.

Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino Dr. Tomasino is an assistant professor of enology at Oregon State University.

Her work focuses on wine sensory analysis and wine chemistry analysis, as well as teaching undergraduate and graduate enology courses. Her academic background includes microbiology, winemaking, sensory science, chemistry and food science. A specific area of her work investigates the relationships between aroma chemical composition and sensory perception in wine. She has begun new research looking at these relationships in ciders.

Other projects include the impact of Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) on wine quality, measurement of chiral terpenes in aromatic white wines, differentiation of Pinot noir wines from Willamette Valley, and the impact of norisoprenoids to Pinot noir wine aroma. Dr. Tomasino runs the OWRI winemaker panel, consisting of winemakers from the area that conduct sensory analysis on research wines.

She is the main instructor for the cider classes at OSU.

Joe Turner Joe has been actively involved in the food industry for over 30 years.

He has held various senior positions in Operations, Procurement and Merchandising with one of Canada’s largest grocery retailers. Prior to joining the retail sector, he spent a number of years within the food manufacturing sector in administration, marketing, sales and product management roles. Joe’s strong passion for the Ontario Food and Agricultural industry lends itself well to his current business development role with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs.

Joe Uyenaka After graduating from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Joe worked for H.J. Heinz Company in Leamington, was a territory manager for Niagara Chemicals in Burlington and a Crop Advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food covering Halton, Wentworth, Peel, Wellington and York. Joe then became an Agronomy Specialist for Stoller Canada, followed by being an Agronomist for Cargill Ltd. Since 2012, Joe has been an Agronomist and Territory Sales Manager for NutriAg in Ontario as well as Michigan and New York. Joe is working to develop new nutrient packages to improve the yield and quality of all farm crops by cooperating with agricultural dealers and farmers assisting in production, nutrient and pest recommendations. He is also maintaining the apple IPM Program for Halton, Wentworth, Peel and York region and is a Certified Crop Advisor CCA (Ontario).

John Van de Vegte John has a Masters of Engineering degree from the University of Toronto and was registered as a Professional Engineer in Ontario in 1989. Since that time, he has filled roles of engineering and management roles in a variety of industries. These include environmental, automotive, custom automation, pharmaceutical and renewable energy. Most recently, John worked at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre as Project Manager, Robotics and Automation. It was during this time that John became more aware of the challenges facing the agricultural industry in Ontario.

John joined the Innovation, Engineering and Program Delivery Unit of Environmental Management Branch in August 2015. As an Engineering Specialist, John has been working on a variety of projects related to process optimization, technology development, live-stock welfare and barn fire reduction.

Peter van Weerden Peter has been with OMAFRA for 32 years and with the Food Inspection Branch for 25 years. As a Risk Management Specialist based at Vineland Station, Peter works primarily with the minimally processed and fresh fruit and vegetable sector in Ontario providing advice to help reduce microbiological, chemical and physical hazards.

Advice may include environmental swabs to check for the presence of indicator organisms on surfaces. Peter is also involved in wash-water projects that entails collecting wash-water and product samples to check for the presence of indicator organisms in the water. Advice is given based on environmental swab and wash-water results, and on-site observations.

Josh VanderWeide Josh is a PhD Graduate Research Assistant at Michigan State University in the Department of Horticulture working under Dr. Paolo Sabbatini.

He previously received his Bachelor’s Degree from MSU in Food and Fermented Beverage Science, and his experiences working in Dr. Sabbatini’s lab fueled his interest in research, and led him to continue his education. Currently, Josh is studying the viticultural practice of leaf removal (also referred to as defoliation), and its implications for mitigating bunch rot and improving fruit quality in cool climate growing regions. This involves two cultivars important to Michigan and surrounding regions, (Vitis vinifera L.) Pinot Grigio and Merlot, and compares mechanization of this practice with manual treatments at various timings.

Dr. L aura L. Van Eerd Laura grew up on a cash crop and finishing hog farm in near Ridgetown, Ontario. She earned a triple crown (BSc, MSc and PhD) at the University of Guelph. Laura is still there but located at Ridgetown Campus as an Associate Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences. With a focus on nitrogen and carbon cycling in agroecosystem soils, her research program has three complementary pillars: I) the role of cover crops and crop diversity II) impacts of management on soil health attributes and its link to primary productivity/resiliency and; III) methods to optimize nitrogen inputs. Her systems-based approach provides farmers and other decision makers (eg., crop consultants, policy makers) with information to make management choices based not only on crop yield and costs but also on potential environmental impact.

Dr. Elizabeth Wahle Elizabeth is a Commercial Agriculture Extension Educator for University of Illinois Extension. She provides leadership in food crop horticulture research and Extension programs, with an emphasis in commercial fruit, vegetable and horseradish production. She earned a PhD in horticulture with a focus in weed science from University of Illinois, which resulted in her dissertation entitled “Competition for Nitrogen between Eastern Black Nightshade and Fresh Market Tomatoes.” She holds a bachelor’s degree

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in commercial horticulture from Purdue University and a master’s degree in horticulture from University of Illinois.

She carries out applied research and demonstration trials on food crop horticulture in southern Illinois and carries her Extension program to a variety of horticulture related groups on fruit and vegetable production. In addition, she coordinates the Gateway Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference and the Horseradish Growers Conference and plays a key role with the Illinois Specialty Growers, Agritourism and Organic Conference.

Kelly Ward Kelly is the Supervisor of Brand Services with Foodland Ontario and is the face behind their social media channels where she manages interaction with over 210,000 Ontarians daily. Kelly is a self-proclaimed digital enthusiast and holds a Masters in Digital Experience Innovation from the University of Waterloo.

With Foodland Ontario, she oversees social media strategy development and execution, ad placement and consumer behaviour research to promote local food in Ontario.

Karen Whitt y Karen is passionate about family, the farm and Niagara. This passion is the foundation for her vision of creating an authentic and unique must see Niagara Winery destination in St. Catharines with her husband Doug and their three sons. In 2010, 13th Street Bakery was opened providing a year round retail outlet for Whitty Farms and continues to expand its product offerings with a focus on delivering an authentic Niagara experience. Community involvement is a core value. For Karen, it is a privilege as a business owner to participate in community events such as the CCS Grapes of Wrath fundraiser for the Niagara Wheels of Hope transportation program. Strong business partnerships within Niagara are integral in how Karen directs business at 13th Street. Philosophically she believes the wine industry and all Niagara businesses are stronger together as one community.

Dr. Jim Willwerth Dr. Willwerth is the Senior Scientist in Viticulture at the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) at Brock University. His responsibilities are to perform research and outreach services in the field of viticulture and to address the research priorities of the Canadian grape and wine industry.

His current research program is focused on grapevine cold hardiness and understanding how to maximize cold hardiness in V. vinifera including the use of better V.vinifera plant material. He also has numerous applied research projects ranging from new freeze protection methods to use of new bird deterrent methods. He spearheads large outreach initiatives including the VineAlert Grapevine Cold Hardiness Database and the Grape Preharvest Monitoring program for the Ontario Grape and Wine Industry. Jim works closely with the Ontario grape and wine industry on various technical committees and is a member of the Vintner Quality Alliance of Ontario (VQA-O) Standards Development Committee. He is Chair of the Animal Care Committee at Brock University and serves as Treasurer on the Board of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, Eastern Section.

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Julianna K. Wilson Dr. Wilson is a Michigan native and graduate of Michigan State University in Horticulture (BS), Plant Pathology (MS), and Entomology (PhD). In her capacity as Tree Fruit Integrator, she conducts collaborative applied research within the framework of whole farm systems resulting in extension programs and products that support the long-term sustainability of the tree fruit industry in Michigan. Recent projects include coordinating the statewide effort to monitor two invasive fruit pests, the Spotted Wing Drosophila and the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, identifying the factors that contribute to apple replant problems in Michigan, and working with growers to develop a set of best management practices for protecting bees in orchards.

Gail Winters Gail is Co-Founder, Director of Operations, and Head Grower at GoodLot Farm & GoodLot Farmstead Brewing Co. She manages overall operations on the farm and in the brewery. Gail is a former director of the Ontario Hop Growers Association and is an active participant in the hop industry. GoodLot’s diversity includes growing brewing ingredients, including hops and other specialty inputs, organic vegetable and herb gardens, chickens, ducks and sheep. Gail is an advocate of sustainable farming practices as well as a devout student, eager to learn and implement new practices that may improve soil health and increase yields while respecting and nurturing a holistic approach.

Barbara Yates Barb was born and raised on a dairy farm in southwestern Ontario.

She is a graduate of the University of Guelph with an undergraduate degree in Agronomy and a Master’s Degree in Crop Production and Physiology. Looking for a new challenge, Barb joined Ferrero Canada as Hazelnut Agronomist and Project Manager in the fall of 2016 with an eye towards the growth of a hazelnut industry in Canada.

Prior to Ferrero, Barb enjoyed a varied career in research, development and registration of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers for both and horticultural and row crops.

She has worked for Cargill, Dupont Canada, 3M Canada, Agrium and ADAMA Canada. Barb and her family currently live on a small farm west of London, Ontario where they raise sheep and keep a few horses.

John Zandstra John has been with the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus since 1994 and is responsible for conducting cropping systems research on fruit and vegetable crops in southwestern Ontario. He also teaches courses in fruit and vegetable crop management and is the coordinator of the Agriculture and Horticulture Diploma Programs at the Ridgetown Campus. John completed his BSc (Agr) and MSc at the University of Guelph. Research interests include season extension, environmental sustainability, and research to support the development of new crops. Current projects include evaluation of degradable mulch films in field

vegetables, development of ginger and hazelnut production systems in southwestern Ontario, phosphorous use in processing tomato, rootstock evaluation in Honeycrisp apple, and cultivar evaluations in plum, apple, sweet corn and processing peas. John also manages the University of Guelph’s Cedar Springs Fruit Research Station.

John Zekveld John and his wife Maxine, along with their 4 children, have owned Zekvelds Garden Market for the last 17 years.

The farm market is located in Lambton County, about 20 minutes from the city of Sarnia. The farm consists of 85 acres on which they grow 25 different fruits and vegetables. The Zekvelds have marketed their products through their on-farm retail store, pick-your-own, two farmers’ markets, an on-farm bakery, school fundraisers, class trips and a Produce Box Program.

John stays up-to-date on all the latest farming practices, spraying programs, cover crops, growing techniques, products, irrigations systems, etc. Maxine runs the Produce Box Program, markets the business through social media, and keeps the farm organized and neat.

Lincoln Zotarelli Lincoln has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomic Engineering and received the MS and PhD degrees in Agronomy-Soil Science from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

He was Assistant Professor in the Agronomy Department of State University of Londrina, Brazil between 2003 and 2005.

He is currently an Associate Professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. His research is focused in the development of best management practices (BMP) for sustainable production of potato and vegetable crops in Florida and increased crop diversification.

His Extension program has statewide emphasis on education and dissemination of science-based information on vegetable production, cultivar adaptability, BMP for fertilizer and water management.

Viliam Zvalo Viliam joined Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in 2014. In his role at Vineland, he investigates field and greenhouse production of world crops, develops new sweet potato slip propagation techniques and also works other new crop opportunities. Viliam brings a wealth of experience after spending 13 years at Perennia Food and Agriculture in Nova Scotia where he provided support to vegetable producers and managed numerous research projects in new vegetable crop development, cultivar testing, pest management and evaluation of different production systems and methods. At Vineland Research, he is leading World Crop Program with objective to develop production systems for non-traditional crops such okra, Chinese long and Indian round eggplants. Viliam holds a PhD in Plant Physiology/Soil Ecology from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia and an Executive MBA from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

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Farmers’ Markets Ontario founder instrumental in growing Ontario’s local food movement

By Lili an S ch aer

For the last 30 years, Ontario’s farmers’ markets have had no greater champion than Bob Chorney.

The recently retired Executive Director of Farmers’ Markets Ontario (FMO) was the driving force behind growing the number of markets in Ontario to 180 with annual sales of over $750 million – supporting community economic development, encouraging the local food movement, and giving farmers a place to sell their products directly to consumers.

Born in Timmins, Bob began his career working in the insurance business across northern Ontario and ultimately rising into management with The Co-operators at Sault Ste Marie.

After several years in the travel business in Sault Ste Marie, Bob’s turning point, unbeknownst to him at the time, came when he joined the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) in 1987 as a northern Ontario market development specialist to help farmers market their products.

During a contract assignment with Foodland Ontario, he was able to secure $5,000 to host a seminar in Sudbury about farmers’ markets for northern municipal politicians, community leaders and economic development staff.

“Sixty people showed up and voila, these people wanted farmers’ markets as they saw it as something that would help their communities,” he remembers. “So the decision was made to allow me to organize farmers’ markets across northern Ontario.”

From the beginning, his belief was that the community had to be the catalyst behind establishing a farmers’ market and that he would provide the support to help make it happen.

He knew markets needed seed money to get established and

32

photo : Harvest Ontario

was able to secure grants from Foodland Ontario’s Shared Cost program and the AgriNorth program for all new markets in northern Ontario.

In only 18 months, the number of farmers’ markets in the region rose from seven to 22 and gross sales increased from approximately $100,000 to well over $1 million annually.

According to Bob, the great interest in farmers’ markets, which continues to this day, can be traced back to three main driving factors: shoppers wanted local produced food, farmers wanted to market directly to consumers, and community groups were seeking worthwhile economic development projects.

Word began spreading across Ontario that there was a specialist who could help establish farmers’ markets, and by 1990, Bob, who was still working out of Sault Ste Marie, found himself travelling further and further afield to do startup seminars and help fledgling markets access funding.

An OMAFRA-supported networking symposium in Mississauga in late 1990 that attracted 160 farmers’ market enthusiasts resulted in the creation of a new provincial farmers’ market association with Bob seconded from the ministry to help get it off the ground.

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o : Tr ac

“What started with bringing some people together in Sudbury for a seminar has brought us to where we are today”

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left: Bob Chorney and friend working together at MyMarket ® Libert y Vill age, Toronto

“We found that if a farmers’ market had $100,000 in sales, this was worth $314,000 to $324,000 to the community,” Bob says. “What started with bringing some people together in Sudbury for a seminar has brought us to where we are today: over $750 million in annual sales and a provincial economic impact of $2.5 billion.”

“Suddenly I’m covering the whole province but still working out of Sault Ste Marie. Travel added a day to either side of a meeting and air fare was expensive, so I knew I should move to southern Ontario,” he says.

After a year-long search, Bob and his partner Catherine Clark settled in Brighton in 1992 and he began working directly with the newly formed Farmers’ Markets Ontario after an MOU between FMO and OMAFRA ended his employment with the ministry.

“We had to raise money through memberships, cookbooks and small grants, and we were also able to access funding for special projects,” he says, adding the provincial government also ended the grant program that had been invaluable in helping markets get started.

“All FMO signage had the Foodland logo on it; we gave credibility to OMAFRA and if FMO hadn’t been in place and someone called the ministry about starting a market, I don’t know what they would have done,” he recalls.

New markets were springing up at a rate of about 10 to 12 per year, eventually reaching about 180 across Ontario, and as sales continued to grow, FMO began doing economic impact studies to look at the wider impact a market had on its community.

One of his key achievements was setting up an insurance program for markets that remains a membership incentive for FMO to this day. Thanks to his background in that industry, Bob was able to set up a custom-prepared liability insurance policy for farmers’ markets that provides $5 million of coverage for vendors, leaders and volunteers.

Another career highlight a decade ago came in the form of a book Bob co-wrote called “Sharing the Harvest: how to build a farmers’ market and how farmers’ markets build community”. Published and sold out several times, it is the only Canadian book dedicated to farmers’ markets and attracted considerable interest.

He also always felt strongly that farmers’ markets should be a market place for farmers instead of resellers, which led to two big initiatives: the MyPick® program that provides verification of individual farmers, and MyMarket® which consists of three model markets in Toronto where all vendors are verified local farmers.

“In 2007 we started hearing a lot of rumbling about re-sellers and Bob was furious about what was going on. We knew we couldn’t get rid of re-selling but we wanted to turn a negative into a positive and promote our real farmers,” explains Catherine. “That’s how all this started and with a Greenbelt Foundation grant, we started doing positive identification of farmers and help consumers identify with “their” market.”

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phot photo

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& Cen tr

e ): T r ac

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o: H arv

est O n ta r

Above: Bob at an opening day kicking off another season ; Right: Bob presenting the McLean’s with their MyPick® certification poster

Another defining moment came when Bob heard Loblaw CEO Galen Weston tell an audience at the Conference Board of Canada that someday, farmers’ markets were going to kill someone. Weston left immediately after his speech, but Bob used the next session to respond – and attracted extensive media coverage as well as 41 million social media impressions, all positive towards farmers’ markets and local food producers.

In addition to FMO, Bob, as a member of Horticultural Crops Ontario was instrumental in working with the Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association to bring together two existing horticulture events to start the now hugely successful Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention.

The convention now attracts over 2,500 participants and over 300 exhibitors – and any profits are shared by the two founding organizations to invest back into the horticulture industry.

“I worked very hard, met a lot of people...

I have no regrets, none at all.”

Although he’s now retired, Bob’s still interested in what’s going on in the industry, and he doesn’t have to go far to find out the latest – Catherine, who has worked with FMO since its inception, was appointed as the new Executive Director of FMO last year.

“Farmers are great to deal with and it’s been a great opportunity to deal with wonderful people from farmers, shoppers and community leaders. That’s what makes it worthwhile,” Bob says. “I worked very hard, met a lot of people and made a lot of contacts in a lot of nooks and crannies in Ontario. I have no regrets, none at all.” n

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35

meet the new Ontario berry growers

By Lili an S ch aer

Ontario’s strawberry, raspberry and blueberry growers received the right to become a marketing board on November 1 this past year.

The Ontario Berry Growers Association (OBGA) and the Ontario Highbush Blueberry Growers Association have become a new organization called Berry Growers of Ontario (BGO) with marketing board powers granted by the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission (OFPMC).

revenues decline from the voluntary association,” he explains.

“The board over time had found different revenue streams that helped keep things going but some of these were slowing or phasing out.”

It’s the culmination of a three year process driven by the organizations’ need for stable funding, according to OBGA Executive Director Kevin Schooley, which included a grower “expression of opinion” vote overseen by OFPMC. Membership had been voluntary and fees were low, leaving the associations struggling to invest in their own industry.

OFPMC mailed out ballots and an information package in 2016; more than two-thirds of growers representing more than half of the eligible berry acreage had to be in favour of the proposal for it to pass. According to Schooley, there was broad –based support for the change with over 70 per cent of growers and close to 70 per cent of the eligible acres voting in favour.

“This really was the result of not having resources to carry on some of the mandates of the previous organization. We always looked to support research, marketing opportunities and programs wherever possible, but were challenged by seeing

Under the new regulations, any grower with two or more acres of strawberries, raspberries and/or blueberries in total is required to be part of the marketing board. The new fee is an acreage-based flat rate that growers will be expected to self-

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“We’re hoping this will provide some long-term stability for berry growers and let us invest in our future,” he adds. “It will also let us present a unified voice on behalf of berry growers to both government and other farm and commodity groups.”

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report. Other berry crops are not covered through the new organization and it is important to note that Berry Growers of Ontario will not have price-setting powers.

BGO officially came into being November and OFPMC appointed an initial board of directors on November 15.

Those directors are currently working on establishing by-laws and regulations that will allow BGO to operate under the mandate of the Commission.

The new board consists of nine members – three from each berry commodity – which is down from the 12 growers that served on the previous board; elections for new board members will be held in February.

According to Schooley, the new fee structure will give BGO the ability to invest in marketing and research programs.

Many grant programs are increasingly asking for a larger percentage investment from industry, he says, which makes it difficult for small grower associations to participate in funding opportunities.

There are about 700 growers of strawberries, raspberries and highbush blueberries in Ontario, with an annual farm gate value of approximately $30 million. n

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37

Uncertainty ahead

as growers contemplate farming with $15/hour minimum wage

By Lili an S ch aer

Despite the increasing popularity of locally grown produce, there’s uncertainty in the air as Ontario’s fruit and vegetable growers look to their future.

That’s due to new Ontario legislation that raised the provincial minimum wage from $11.60 to $14 an hour in January – and January 2019 will bring another $1 increase to $15 an hour.

For many growers, the change has created a wait and see attitude, and the next couple of years will determine the long term impact on the industry and local fruit and vegetable production in Ontario, says grower Morris Gervais of Barrie Hill Farms near Springwater.

“Instead of expanding fruit and vegetable production, growers are downsizing or at most maintaining their current production, but I don’t know of anyone looking to expand,” he explains. “If farmers decide to leave the industry because they can’t be profitable, what we’re going to see is Ontario becoming less food secure and depending more on other parts of the world for food.”

According to Gervais, he’s one of many growers who will be spending the winter “sharpening the pencils” to figure out how he can keep his farm business going in light of such a sudden and steep increase to his costs.

Manual labour, after all, is still essential in fruit and vegetable production, accounting for more than half of most growers’ annual costs. That’s because many crops are delicate enough that growing and harvesting can’t be mechanized the way farm work can be in other types of agriculture.

“We’re going to try for a year or two now but if it can’t be profitable, we will look at growing corn and soybeans instead that aren’t so labour intensive” 38

“We’re going to try for a year or two now but if it can’t be profitable, we will look at growing corn and soybeans instead that aren’t so labour intensive,” he admits. “There’s a limit to the efficiencies we can attain as most of the work we do can’t be mechanized. And even if we will one day have robots to pick strawberries or asparagus, will the relatively small scale of Ontario horticulture let farmers afford the cost of this type of technology?”

Gervais grows strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and asparagus on the farm started by his parents, as well as smaller crops like peas, beans, potatoes, flowers, pumpkins, tomatoes, and pickling cucumbers that let customers use his farm market as a one-stop-shop for their produce needs.

Responding to customer needs and looking to innovation for new market opportunities has long been a hallmark of Barrie Hill Farms, which was recognized with a Premier’s Award of Agri-Food Innovation Excellence in 2014. Gervais isn’t afraid of change, but he is worried that his increased labour costs will make his farm uncompetitive.

“Our food is fresh and people can trust the quality, but we won’t be there if we are forced to price ourselves out of the market,” he says, adding that Ontario fruit and vegetable growers are price takers who must compete with farmers from other countries who have lower production costs and warmer climates that allow for longer growing seasons.

So how is Gervais hoping to weather the minimum wage storm? He’s taking a careful look at his operation this winter to see where he can become more efficient. That includes getting a clear picture of the production costs for each of his crops so he can set his pricing as accurately as possible – and it may mean dropping some crops from his rotation if they can’t be profitable enough for his farm.

He’ll also be reviewing the farm’s labour processes to see where savings can be gained, and he’s involved with the Berry Growers Ontario looking at new packaging options that hopefully will help growers compete against lower priced imports.

And he’s hoping Ontario’s consumers will stand by growers and continue to support them by buying local product even if the prices are higher than at the supermarket. After all, he says, Ontario farmers are giving consumers what they’re asking for: local, healthy and sustainable food from producers they can trust.

“We will see how committed local Ontario consumers are to supporting us. We want to stay in business and we will try our best to become as efficient as humanly possible,” he says. “But we also need consumers to stick with us and pay a bit more for locally grown food.” n

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roundup social media advocate andrew campbell to headline young farmers’ forum

middlesex county student wins gary ireland memorial scholarship

By L i l i an S ch ae r

By Lil ian Sch aer

Young Ontario farmer and social media advocate Andrew Campbell is the lead speaker at a new edition to OFVC: Young Farmers’ Forum.

Colleen Crunican, a fourth year University of Guelph student from Denfield, is this year’s winner of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention Gary Ireland Memorial Scholarship.

The fruit and vegetable sector has seen an increase in young growers returning to their farming roots in recent years. That has lead to OFVC launching this new event as a way to bring those young farmers from across the province together and build networks with their peers who are also early in their farming careers.

Her family’s farm, Crunican Orchards, is located just north of London and is a fourth generation apple business that the family supplements with other crops such as pumpkins, squash and sweet corn. This produce is sold in their on-farm market alongside other local food items such as honey, jams and maple syrup.

This year’s guest speaker is no stranger to many both inside and outside of agriculture. Andrew Campbell of Fresh Air Media milks cows and grows crops on his family farm near London, Ontario. A long-time advocate for agriculture, he launched a photo a day campaign several years ago using the #farm365 hashtag to show non-farmers a year in the life of a Canadian farm.

Colleen is in her last semester of the Crop, Horticulture and Turfgrass Sciences program and will graduate this spring. Her goal is to work in the crop protection industry, hopefully with a focus on horticulture. To gain experience, she’s worked in agricultural research for the past three summers and will be doing so again this coming season.

Most recently, he completed 52 video profiles of Canadian farms and received a Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence in 2017 for his efforts to show Canadians where their food comes from and encourage farmers to tell their story.

The Young Farmers’ Forum takes place Thursday, February 22 from 11:45 am to 1:30 pm in Ballroom A. n

“I am honoured to be the winner of the Gary Ireland award this year,” Colleen says. “I believe that Gary and I shared similar interests in our love for apples. He was very involved in his community and this is something I also strive to do.”

The OFVC Gary Ireland Memorial Scholarship was established to honour the Norfolk County farm leader who passed away in 2012. A life-long apple grower, Gary was very involved in the horticulture industry, helping to found the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention, serving as chair of the Ontario Food Terminal Board, and as president of the Ontario Apple Commission and Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association.

The award is given annually to a University of Guelph undergraduate student with a demonstrated interest in horticulture/vegetable production. n

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Mary’s top tips for a great farmers’ market visit

By Lili an S ch aer

Go in with an open mind and get ready to chat: people are passionate about the food that they’re selling and they know what they’re talking about. They’re also generally friendly and interested in chatting with their customers.

Buy garlic: keep an eye out for fresh Canadian garlic and young

onions fresh out of the ground. Both are delicious and can’t generally be found in grocery stores.

Bring your own bags: Take that extra step for the environment and reduce the carbon footprint of local food even further.

According to Berg, her focus is on simple, classic recipes that highlight the goodness of what farmers have produced and she firmly believes that local is what food is all about.

“Someone puts their every single day into this food, which a lot of people overlook. When you’re shopping at farmers’ markets and meeting farmers and purveyors, you get the connection to the food you don’t get at the grocery store,” she believes.

Loving life in the local food lane

By Lili an S ch aer

Her focus is on simple, classic recipes that highlight the goodness of what farmers have produced and she firmly believes that local is what food is all about.

Cookbook author, recipe developer and TV personality Mary Berg has had a lifelong love affair with cooking – but didn’t make it her career until she became Canada’s first female Master Chef Canada winner in 2016.

An enthusiastic and unapologetic champion of local food, Berg had spent most of her working life in the insurance industry before deciding to pursue a more passion-based career.

“Since making the transition and winning Master Chef Canada, I’m working so much harder than ever before, but I love every second of it,” she says. “That’s similar to the work-life balance of a farmer, you have to have passion and drive and it’s a lot of hard work, but so fulfilling.”

42

Now working on the first of two cookbooks as well as maintaining her blog, Berg draws her culinary inspiration from a stroll around a farmers’ market or a visit to a local pick-your-own operation.

“Farmers’ markets are big community builders, especially in large cities where people don’t know their neighbours... Nobody is in a rush, it’s a leisurely shop and you can get amazing recipe ideas from the farmers selling what they’ve grown,” she adds.

Mary Berg can be seen regularly as a Food Expert on CTV’s Your Morning and The Marilyn Denis Show and can be found developing recipes for shows, food and beverage brands, and her blog A Small Stove. She will be speaking at OFVC on Wednesday, February 21 as part of the Farmers’ Markets Ontario program. n

Bringing the farm to consumers:

OFFMA 2018’s farm marketer of the year

By L i l i an S ch ae r

Hollis English of Murphy’s Farm Market & Bakery comes by her passion for farm fresh marketing honestly.

Above: Hollis English, Centre: The Murphy family; Right: Calder Murphy

Her parents started Murphy’s Farmstead, a small on-farm market, in the early 1980s and all five Murphy siblings grew up with the family business.

The focus gradually shifted towards potatoes and asparagus over the years, though, and in the early 2000s, the on-farm market was only open for a few short weeks during asparagus season.

That changed, however, when Hollis returned home after graduating from the University of Guelph and she and her siblings decided to take the plunge and re-open the farm market for a full season.

“We insulated the building to be used year-round and we added a from-scratch bakery which we’d never had before – and we opened in spring of 2010,” she explains.

She and her brother Calder are equal partners in the venture with Hollis running the bakery and store and Calder focusing on fresh produce and agri-tourism. Their other three siblings Secord, Jacey and Connor, still return to the farm during busy periods to help out.

The Murphys grow asparagus, pumpkins, potatoes and sweet corn, as well as a small selection of crops like beans and peas, and offer customers pick your own opportunities for strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

An early focus was on rebranding Murphy’s Farmstead into Murphy’s Farm Market & Bakery, according to Hollis, complete with new logo and new packaging featuring family photos – complementing the market that was built with wood and reclaimed barn beams to give customers a homey, nostalgic atmosphere.

Coupled with savvy digital marketing, a strong social media presence and a location on a busy main road connecting Toronto to cottage country, the business’ customer base is growing steadily. And the Murphys are always looking for new experience to offer visitors too, such as adding agri-tourism components to their business.

“Going into this next year, the biggest investment and expansion will be on the agri-tourism side of the business, such as new installations for kids’ play structures and landscaping,” she says.

“We are trying to make the agri-tourism experience really special because people want to come to the farm and experience it, whether birthday parties, picking berries, or playing outside. It’s the experiences we take for granted growing up on the farm.”

And their efforts have not gone unnoticed. The Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association (OFFMA) has selected them as their Marketer of the Year for 2018. Recipients are nominated and selected by their peers, which is part of what makes winning this award so special for Hollis and Calder.

Farming can be challenging, Hollis says, so it’s important to find additional activities that can complement agriculture. For Murphy’s Farm Market & Bakery, that was the scratch bakery and agri-tourism, both projects that they researched by visiting and speaking with other OFFMA members.

“I don’t feel deserving because I don’t think we’re ready for that yet. But it means a lot because it comes from such an incredible group of other farmers,” she says. “OFFMA is a family and a network of like-minded, hardworking, innovative people. I served six years on the board and we’ve been members for over 20 years and it’s been an incredible experience.” n

43

Award of Merit Ray Duc of Forrer Farms in Niagaraon-the-Lake is the 2018 winner of the Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (NPF & VGA) Award of Merit.

Duc spent more than a decade as a director with the Grape Growers of Ontario (GGO) and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA), including four years as GGO chair and two years as chair of the OFVGA. As well, he’s served on the boards of Farm & Food Care Ontario, Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Service and CANAG. “Once I started with the boards, one thing led to another, but I found them all very rewarding in different ways,” says Duc. “The best part was people I met right across Ontario. I made some good friends that I still have and it’s humbling and rewarding to realize that you are one of many people that work to advocate for agriculture in Ontario.”

7

By Lil ian Sch aer There are fantastic people that work in this industry and that’s always impressed me.”

The NPF & VGA award of merit, first awarded in 1957, is presented annually to an industry person who demonstrates an ongoing commitment and devotion to the agricultural community.

The Niagara Peninsula Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association (NPF & VGA) is made of elected directors who voluntarily represent approximately 700 growers who are engaged in the growing and marketing of fruits and vegetables in the region of Niagara. n

He had planned to scale back his volunteer commitments after stepping down from OFVGA in 2015 – but there’s always more work to be done so Duc continues to contribute his time and expertise to the industry.

He has just started his second two-year term as one of two horticulture representatives to the Agricultural Adaptation Council and he’s about to begin two new appointments, one with the Greenbelt Foundation and the other with the Greenbelt Fund.

Looking back on his tenure as Grape board chair, he’s most proud of being able to bring the industry together to establish the first-ever multi-year pricing agreement. As chair of OFVGA he helped lead efforts in 2013 to bring predictability to minimum wage increases for Ontario fruit and vegetable growers by linking them to the Consumer Price Index.

“You don’t go into this looking to be rewarded or acknowledged in any way, but it does feel good to be recognized,” Duc says.

“And I was always very appreciative of the competent staff I worked with at OFVGA and GGO that made me look good.

44

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By L i l i an S ch ae r

Could Ontario’s only native tropical-tasting fruit be your next crop?

It’s an unusual sounding name for a fruit and it’s one most Ontarians have probably never heard of even though it’s native to the southwestern part of our province.

Pawpaw is the largest edible tree fruit native to North America, a relative of the tropical custard apple family.

It’s also hard to tell when a pawpaw is ripe without doing a field test as the fruit doesn’t change colour on the outside.

It grows in the Carolinian forest areas of Ontario and could, given growing interest in locally grown foods, present new market opportunities for Ontario farmers.

According to Elford, plant breeders are working on new cultivars that will address these challenges by producing less perishable fruit with longer shelf life and a higher pulp to seed ratio.

“It has one of the most tropical flavours that can be grown in Ontario and can be used to make pawpaw beer, wine and liqueur, any range of baked goods and preserves or eaten fresh,” explains Evan Elford, New Crop Development Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Now that consumers are exposed to a lot of new flavour ranges from imported fruits, they’re more willing to try something different like this, giving more opportunity for it now than in the past.”

The three pawpaw program personnel from Kentucky State University, home to the only full-time pawpaw breeding program in the world, will be sharing the latest information from their program with participants at OFVC.

According to Elford, the flavour of wild pawpaw, which is about the size of a small mango, is generally described most typically as banana mango or banana coconut. Bred varieties are larger in size and have a wider range of flavours such as pineapple, jack fruit, mango, and cantaloupe with undertones of vanilla, custard and spices.

grown in the Great Lakes region, most of the crop is harvested, pulped and frozen for later use.

Associate Research Director and pawpaw program lead Dr. Kirk Pomper will talk about general pawpaw production in an orchard setting. Co-investigator Sheri Crabtree will discuss pawpaw processing, and co-investigator Jeremiah Lowe will address pest issues of pawpaw found through scouting.

Elford will follow that up with a presentation of some Ontario experiences and monitoring. n Learn more at the Pawpaw session, Thursday, February 22 Room 206 starting at 2:00 pm.

Pawpaw’s flesh is light yellow to dark orange with an avocadolike texture and large, inedible seeds.

“A few growers in Ontario are experimenting with a few trees, some which may be native or bred cultivars,” Elford says. “A lot of people have them as a curiosity or a landscape plant, and although some growers planted trees in the 1980s and 90s, they’ve never developed a commercial market for them yet.”

That’s largely because pawpaw has one big drawback – a very short shelf life. Once ripe and picked, a fruit will last three to five days at most, which means it can currently really only be sold to consumers straight from the farm or directly to culinary buyers. In the United States, where pawpaw is more widely 827 Line 4, Niagara on the Lake, ON L0S 1J0 / Canada Phone: (905) 468-5016; e-mail: info@vineyardmachines.com

45

Fresh Learning: The 2018 Poster Display

sponsored by:

Student Entries

Changes in behaviour of carrot weevil larvae in Ontario

Fumigant alternatives for ginseng replant disease Amy Fang Shi, University of Guelph Authors: Amy

Fang Shi and Sean Westerveld

Acute Oral Toxicity of Four Systemic Insecticides on the Common Eastern Bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) Kayla A. Mundy, University of Guelph Authors:

Kayla A. Mundy, Nigel E. Raine

Genotyping-by-sequencing and its application to asparagus (breeding program) Gurleen Sidhu, University of Guelph Authors:

Gurleen Sidhu and Dr. David Wolyn

The effect of environmental stressors on Brown Marmorated Stink Bug overwintering physiology John Ciancio, University of Western Ontario

John Ciancio, Dr. Brent Sinclair and Dr. Tara Gariepy

Authors:

Food Crops as Habitat for Insects – Assessing the Biodiversity and Density of Flower Visitors Katherine Fisher Authors: Katherine Fisher , D. Susan Willis Chan2, Melanie Vile1, Nigel E. Raine2 1

1. Department of Geography and the Environment, Villanova University; 2. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph

Ontario Yellow European Plums and their Market Avenues Andrea DiNardo, University of Guelph Authors: Andrea DiNardo, Jayasankar Subramanian, Ashutosh Singh

Better Berries; Improvement of strawberry post-harvest shelf life using hexanal vapour Rob Brandt, University of Guelph

The Diversity and Abundance of Wild Bees in Fall Raspberries, in Southern Ontario Eden Gerner, University of Guelph

Eden Gerner, Hannah Fraser, Dr. Nigel Raine

Authors:

Changes in the volatile composition of nectarines due to pre-harvest hexanal application to enhance shelf life Shanthanu Krishna Kumar, University of Guelph

Shanthanu Krishna Kumar, Thomas Hern, David Liscombe, Alan J. Sullivan, Gopinadhan Paliyath and Jayasankar Subramanian

Authors:

Fruit retention and shelf life extension due to hexanal application in fruit crops Karthika Sriskantharajah, University of Guelph

Karthika Sriskantharajah, Alan Sullivan and Jayasankar Subramanian

Authors:

Grapevine Clone and Rootstock Effects on Fruit and Wine Quality Andrea Barker, Brock University

Andrea Barker, Jim Willwerth, Debbie Inglis

Authors:

What controls stem and bulb nematode in garlic?

Lilieth Ives, University of Guelph

Michael Celetti, Katerina Jordan and Mary Ruth McDonald

Authors:

Timing is everything: forecasting leaf curl on celery Stephen Reynolds, University of Guelph Authors: S. Reynolds, Michael Celetti, Katerina Jordan, Mary Ruth McDonald

The impact of growing season on cold acclimation of Riesling and Sauvignon blanc clones Andréanne Hébert-Haché, Brock University

Andréanne Hébert-Haché, James J. Willwerth, Debbie Inglis

Authors:

R. Brandt J. Subramanian, G. Paliyath, J. MacKenzie and J. Alan Sullivan

Authors:

Remain calm and carrot on: Improving carrot weevil management

Survey of late Season and Postharvest Pests of Specialty Crops in Ontario

Alexandra Stinson and Dillon Muldoon, University of Guelph

Authors:

Dillon Muldoon, Alexandra Stinson, Mary Ruth McDonald, and C. Scott-Dupree

Authors:

Is it worth it? Mycorrhizae on vegetable crops Umbrin Ilyas, University of Guelph

Umbrim Ilyas, Mary Ruth McDonald, Lindsey J. du Toit and M. N. Raizada

Authors:

Application of light emitting diodes in the post-harvest management of Ontario tender fruits Ramandeep Kaur Sandhu, University of Guelph

Ramandeep Kaur Sandhu, Christopher M. Collier, Ashutosh Singh

Authors:

Mechanism of adaptation of twospotted spider mites to mustard plants: what we should know to control spider mites Golnaz Salehipour-shirazi, Western University

Golnaz Salehipour-shirazi, Kristie Bruinsma, Vojislava Grbic

Authors:

46

Sam Wilson, University of Guelph

Sam Wilson, Katerina Jordan, Cathy Bakker, Evan Elford, Jim Todd, Sean Westerveld, Melanie Filotas

UAV/UAS Remote Sensing in Precision Viticulture

Mitigation of fruit drop, bitter pit and prolonging of postharvest shelf life in ‘Honeycrisp’ apples using hexanal Erika DeBrouwer, University of Guelph

Erika DeBrouwer, Dr. Alan Sullivan and Dr. Jay Subramanian

Authors:

Evaluating Routes of Exposure for the Squash Bee, an Important Pollinator of Squash and Pumpkin Crops in Ontario D. Susan Willis Chan, University of Guelph

Lydia Collas, Brock University Author:

Lydia Collas

Utilization of remote sensing technologies to map zonal variability in Riesling vineyards

Valerio Primomo, David Liscombe, Amy Bowen, Rosalie Zielinski-Lawrence, Amy Blake, Michael Pavone, Denise Hostrawser

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

Time for concern? Brown marmorated stink bug distribution and reproduction in Ontario

Zach Telfer1, Mary Ruth McDonald1, and Cynthia Scott-Dupree 2

Kevin Scaife, University of Guelph

Integrated pest management of muck vegetable crops in the Holland Marsh, Ontario

Kevin Scaife, Andrew Frewin, Hannah Fraser, and Cynthia Scott-Dupree

Authors:

Optimization of hexanal concentration to develop nanomatrix for extending shelf life of fruits Syndhiya Ranjan, University of Guelph

Syndhiya Ranjan, Gopinadhan Paliyath, Loong-tak Lim and Jayasankar Subramanian

Authors:

Juice attributes of apple cultivars grown for hard cider Derek Plotkowski, University of Guelph Author:

Derek Plotkowski

Comparing apples and oranges (and blueberries and grapes): fruit type affects the efficacy of cold treatment used to control Drosophila suzukii Yanira Jiménez Padilla, Western University

Y. Jimenez Padilla, L.V. Ferguson, B.J. Sinclair

Authors:

It’s a Trap! But is it sticky enough to catch pepper weevils?

Cassandra Russell, University of Guelph Authors: Cassandra Russell, Rebecca H. Hallett

Development of a Novel food product from Ontario peaches Arshdeep Singh Brar, University of Guelph Authors: Arshdeep Singh Brar, Ashutosh Singh

Regular Submissions Impact of preharvest weather conditions on the incidence of many apple fruit storage disorders

Briann Dorin, Brock University

Gaétan Bourgeois, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Saint-Jean-surRichelieu)

Briann Dorin, Andrew G. Reynolds, Hyun-Suk Lee, Ralph Brown, Marilyne Jollineau, Adam Shemrock, Marnie Crombleholme, Emilie Jobin Poirier, Wei Zheng, Maxime Gasnier

Gaétan Bourgeois1, Jennifer R. DeEll2, Dominique Plouffe1, Maude Lachapelle1, Marie-Pier Ricard1, Virginie Grégoire1, Cyrille Viens1, and Antoine Plourde-Rouleau1 1. Agriculture and Agri-Food

Authors:

Developing new Sweet Potato varieties

Evidence of a second generation of carrot weevil in Ontario

Neal Pilger, Jennifer M. Pegg

Why do farmers decide to pursue different practices for maintaining soil health?

1. Dept. of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph; 2.

School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph

D. Susan Willis Chan, Beatrice J. Chan, Nigel E. Raine

Authors:

Neal Pilger, University of Guelph – Geography Authors:

Mary Ruth McDonald1, Zach Telfer1, Jason Lemay1, and Cynthia Scott-Dupree2

Authors:

Canada, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC; 2. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, Fresh Market Quality Program, Simcoe, ON

1. Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph; 2. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph

Zachariah Telfer and Mary Ruth McDonald

Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph

The 2017 Late Blight Outbreak: What Happened and What Do We Do? R.D. Peters1, K.I. Al-Mughrabi2, F. Daayf3, A. MacPhail1, and L.M. Kawchuk4.

1. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Charlottetown, PE, Canada; 2. Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Wicklow, NB; 3. University of Manitoba; 4.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB

Tannin Alert: Making Pinot noir wine based on skin and seed tannin concentrations Belinda Kemp, Fei Wang, Tony Wang, Steve Trussler, Margaret Thibodeau and Debbie Inglis

Brock University

CIPRA-2017 Software for Integrated Crop and Pest Management in Eastern Canada Gaétan Bourgeois, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Saint-Jean-surRichelieu)

Gaetan Bourgeois1, Dominique Plouffe1, Nathalie Beaudry1, Danielle Choquette1, René Audet2, and Gérald Chouinard3 Authors:

1. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saint-Jean-surRichelieu, QC; 2. Agriculture Agri-Food Canada, Québec, QC; 3. Institut de recherche et développement en agroenvironnement, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, QC

Efficacy of insecticides for management of brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) in Ontario

Angela Gradish1, Kevin Scaife1, Hannah Fraser2, and Cynthia Scott-Dupree1 1. School of Environmental Sciences, U of Guelph; 2. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

The changing face of clubroot in Ontario Fadi Al-Daoud 1, Meghan Moran2, Travis Cranmer 2, Bruce Gossen3, Albert Tenuta2, Mary Ruth McDonald1 1. U of Guelph; 2. OMAFRA; 3. AAFC

Spray coverage in carrot, onion and potato Dennis Van Dyk and Jason Deveau

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

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