GrainTALK for June/July 2025

Your Grain Farmers of Ontario Team

Here is our next installment of profiles of your Grain Farmers of Ontario Board of Directors to help introduce you to the team.

Ann Vermeersch
Director, District 5 (Elgin, Norfolk)

Ann Vermeersch is the director for District 5 (Norfolk/Elgin). She was elected as a director in 2025 after serving as a delegate for five years. She currently serves as chair of the Research and Innovation committee.

Ann and her husband, Jeff, own and operate Tillvalley Farms Inc. in Courtland, close to the north shore of Lake Erie in Norfolk County. Together, they farm corn, soybeans, wheat, rye and edible beans. Additionally, they operate a Pioneer Hi-Bred seed agency and custom application business. Vermeersch is actively involved in managing all aspects of the business.

Vermeesrch has a BSc. (Agr.) from the University of Guelph and an M.Sc. in Crop Science from Michigan State University. She is a graduate of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (Class 16), a past participant in the ASA-Corteva Young Leaders program, and is a Certified Crop Advisor with a 4R designation.

Before farming full-time, Vermeersch worked in the crop protection industry for seven years. She has also been involved in multiple organizations serving in different leadership capacities over the years, including Norfolk Soil and Crop, Norfolk Federation of Agriculture, Ontario CCA board, Norfolk County Council agriculture advisory, and Norfolk County Fair.

In her free time, Vermeersch enjoys spending time with her three children, Abbie, Aric, and Evelyn. The girls are very involved in competitive dance, and Aric plays rep hockey. Ann can be found on X @cheekyfarmgirl.

Jason Seed
Director, District 15 (Northern Ontario)

Jason Seed was elected director of District 15 (Northern Ontario in January 2025. After getting his start with Grain Farmers of Ontario on the Grains in Action tour in 2020, he first joined the District as a delegate in 2021. As a delegate, he has served as a member of the Market Development Committee.

Seed was born and raised on a beef farm outside Haileybury, Ontario. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University. During his time at university, he spent summers working at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Swift Current Research and Development Centre in Saskatchewan, where his love of all things agriculture flourished.

His time in Saskatchewan was spent focusing on native rangeland forages (including variety development and agronomic research). After graduating, he worked as an economist at the research centre supporting scientists in creating economic reports for their work, mainly focusing on risk analysis and disease pressures in pulse crops.

Seed moved home in 2020, and lives with his wife, Emily and son, Elliott, on their farm near Englehart, Ontario, growing 300 acres of grain and canola crops, where he has a passion for exploring new practices in crop production. Some of these practices integrate raising beef and poultry for direct-to-consumer sales to maximize production on their small farm. This is accomplished by utilizing crop residues and combining agri systems to support biodiversity, healthier soils, and a better overall economic outlook.

Seed enjoys spending time with his wife and son, as well as camping, fishing and keeping up to date with all things farming and economics on YouTube. He can be found on X @JasonSeed13. •

March Classic 2025 Leading the Way

More than 900 farmer-members, industry representatives, and government officials gathered at RBC Place in London, Ontario, on March 18 for Grain Farmers of Ontario’s annual March Classic. The event featured inspiring speakers, exceptional opportunities for networking, and a celebration of Grain Farmers of Ontario’s 15th anniversary.

Did you miss the event? Visit www.gfo.ca/ marchclassic to view recordings of speakers including MP John Barlow, Vance Crowe, the live taping of the U.S. Farm Report, and the Innovations in Agriculture Panel. •

ASA Corteva young leader program – applicants wanted

Grain Farmers of Ontario seeks a soybean farming couple or individual to represent Ontario in the 2026 Class of the American Soybean Association Corteva Young Leader Program. The Young Leader program enhances participants’ skills through leadership, communications, and issues-based training and builds a strong peer network, generating increased success in their businesses and communities.

Phase one of the program will be held at the Corteva Global Business Center in Johnson, Iowa, in November 2025. Phase two takes place in conjunction with the Commodity Classic in Denver, Colorado, February 25-27, 2026.

Young Leaders are not necessarily young in age but are new in their leadership development. The ideal candidate is looking to become more involved in Grain Farmers of Ontario. Applicants must ensure that they have the necessary documentation to travel to the U.S.

For more information on the program, read about 2025 Class participant, Tyler Robertson, at www.ontariograinfarmer.ca. Applications will open in July 2025 and can be submitted to the American Soybean Association directly at https://soygrowers.com/ or by contacting Rachel Telford, manager, member relations for Grain Farmers of Ontario, at rtelford@gfo.ca. •

Market report

by Phil Shaw

Spring is in full swing across the North American corn belt. As of May 4, the U.S. crop is in good shape and ahead of schedule. Forty per cent of the corn has been planted, which is five points ahead of last year. Thirty per cent of soybeans have been planted, six points ahead of last year. The April 10 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) WASDE report changed very little going into spring. Globally, the USDA actually boosted ending soybean stocks by 1.06 million metric tonnes (MMT) to 122.47 MMT. The Brazilian and Argentinian soybean production was left unchanged at 169 MMT and 49 MMT, respectively.

In Ontario, the corn and soybean crop is being planted in wet weather, causing some challenges. The Canadian dollar at 0.7240

U.S. is up three cents from the time when U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs were applied to Canada. This has had a dampening effect on Ontario basis levels. •

Women’s Grain Symposium

Save the date: The Women’s Grain Symposium will be held December 9-10 at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre in Guelph. •