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NEWS BITES THAT MATTER
Mitchell has served as a Parliamentary Assistant to both the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal. GFO is pleased to see someone with Mitchell’s background and leadership in agriculture appointed to one of Ontario’s most important roles.
GFO will be seeking a meeting with Minister Mitchell early in the next month to introduce the vision for our new organization and discuss how we can work together to support the success of Ontario’s grain farmers.
•Weed scientist, Dr. Peter Sikkema, was presented with the T.R. Hilliard Distinguished Agricultural Extension Award in front of a gathering of over 1,300 farmers and researchers at the Southwest Agricultural Conference in January.
The prestigious award, named in memory of the late T.R. Hilliard, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, annually recognizes an individual whose agricultural work and results are extensively shared with producers, students and/or researchers for the benefits of Ontario agriculture.
“Dr. Sikkema is highly regarded locally, provincially, nationally and internationally for his applied research in field crop weed management. His work is respected by his academic peers, but more importantly is valued by Ontario growers and agribusiness for its real impact on agriculture crop protection” said Dr. Rob Gordon, Dean, Ontario Agricultural College, who presented the award to Sikkema on behalf of the OAC Alumni Foundation. “For the past 20 years, Peter has annually made 25 to 30 presentations to grower organizations, academic conferences, and special agricultural events. It is truly a pleasure to have Peter as a colleague in OAC and the University of Guelph.”
Sikkema is a Professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph located at the University’s Ridgetown Campus. •
New research opportunities with GFO
Grain Farmers of Ontario is currently accepting submissions of proposals for funding through the Farm Innovation Program (FIP) with a focus on corn, soybean and wheat research starting in the 2010 crop year. FIP aims to increase the development, adaptation, assessment and adoption of on-farm innovative technologies that help respond to changing demands. Approved projects will undertake research and innovation to increase awareness and access to credible, Ontario-based information on applicable innovative on-farm technologies in each sector.
Through FIP, each crop received an allocation of funds. GFO is responsible for selecting and recommending projects for corn, soybeans and wheat.
Both researchers and farmers are welcome to apply. The deadline to apply is February 10, 2010. For more information on applying, please visit www.gfo.ca under research. •
