Ontario Agricultural Conference 2025

AS ONTARIO FARMERS CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE EVOLVING CHALLENGES IN AGRICULTURE, the 2025 Ontario Agricultural Conference (OAgC) brings together the SouthWest Agricultural Conference (SWAC), the MidWest Agricultural Conference (MWAC), and the Eastern Ontario Crop Conference (EOCC) once again.

CONFERENCE EVOLUTION

The last four years have seen major successes for the joint regional conferences, with the OAgC joining the three conferences under one banner. With the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic largely behind us, and as the demand for flexible learning options grows, OAgC continues to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of Ontario’s agricultural community. EOCC, MWAC and SWAC continue to collaborate as they adjust and improve in response to participant feedback, refining planning and programming, resulting in some behind-the- scenes changes since the 2024 conference.

OAgC continues to be the hub for the virtual audience, with content supplied by the three conferences. The hybrid format allows more participants across the province to access information and insights virtually through livestreaming at SWAC and MWAC, and it makes recorded sessions from all three conferences available post-conference.

SWAC is again offering two great feature speakers and four consecutive sessions packed with topics to help plan for the 2025 season. There will be a planter workshop (sign-up needed), the popular Taste Ontario Reception, and numerous opportunities to socialize with friends and exhibitors at the trade show.

Formed in 2021 and with a new name in 2023, MWAC is fast growing out of its infancy. This year, the MWAC steering committee has taken significant steps toward establishing a stronger identity and improving internal processes, setting the stage for an even more successful event.

For EOCC, the changes resulted in an expanded capacity to welcome more people to attend in 2025.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

SWAC will provide 30 concurrent sessions over two days on January 7 and 8, 2025, at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus.

The 2025 feature speakers include Colonel Mark Gasparotto (retired) from Gasparotto Group with his talk titled ‘Struggle Well’ on January 7, as well as Greg Peterson/ Machinery Pete, who will take you inside the industry with his talk ‘What’s it Worth?” on January 8.

Other talks cover a wide range of topics, sure to interest attendees from different industries and backgrounds. Albert Tenuta from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) notes that “SWAC is a smorgasbord of knowledge, and 2025 is no different with topics ranging from ‘Wheat 101’ to ‘The Fertility Balance,’ ‘Tar Spot,’ and numerous research progress updates plus a lot more!”

This year’s MWAC includes six sessions at RIM Park Manulife Sportsplex in Waterloo on January 17, 2025. With the title ‘Beyond the Hype: Making Sense of Precision Ag,’ MWAC aims to bring precision agriculture to your doorstep.

Ian McDonald from OMAFA explained that the conference will focus on understanding when, where, and how precision agronomy brings value to cropping, guiding attendees through the process of starting precision agriculture on their farms, expanding its use, and optimizing data and decisions using validating techniques to ensure results are contributing to on-farm improvements. Dr. Scott Shearer, from Ohio State University, will end the day by offering a glimpse into the future of precision agriculture. Other speakers to look out for include Dale Steele from Steele Ag Insight, Cory Weber from FS Partners, and Dr. John Sulik from the University of Guelph.

EOCC will be back at Parish Hall, Kemptville, with 13 sessions on January 21, 2025. Some key topics you can look forward to include Corn Pests, Disease Pressures, an update on Agricultural Robotics, a look at Weed Resistance, and what to watch for in the east.

Dr. Jane Fife from Ohio State University will join EOCC with her talk ‘Biologicals as Part of a Soil Health System – Where to Start?’ Other speakers to look out for are Alex Barrie, Dr. Ian McDonald, Peter Archer, and Dr. Owen Wally.

Online: The recordings will remain on- demand to virtual-only and in-person registered attendees until March 31, 2025. Keep a look out in the mail and on the conference website (www.ontarioagconference.ca.) for the 2025 brochure listing all the in-person and virtual sessions.

The popular TEC Talk Tuesdays will be back starting January 14 and running till February 25, 2025.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

All in-person registrations include access to the virtual and on-demand sessions. Registration for all conferences opened on November 1, 2024, and closes on the following dates:

SWAC: December 9, 2024 www.southwestagconference.ca.

MWAC: January 12, 2025 www.heartlandsoilcrop.org/mwac.

EOCC: January 13, 2025 www.eocc.eastontcropconference.ca.

More information on the program and registration is available on the OAgC and individual conference websites.

Grain Farmers of Ontario is an OAgC24 virtual conference sponsor. •