18 An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events YOUR GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO TEAM Here is our next installment of profiles of your Grain Farmers of Ontario staff to help introduce you to the team. ISABELLA MANGIAPANE, GRAIN DISCOVERYZONE AMBASSADOR Isabella Mangiapane joined Grain Farmers of Ontario in June 2022 in the role of Grain Discovery Zone ambassador. Mangiapane is a current student at the University of Guelph headed into her fourth year in September. She is working towards a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Honours Agriculture andminoring in Business. She brings a strong perspective from the food retail industry with previous experience working in her father’s grocery store franchise. She is also no stranger to the agriculture industry, having grown up helping her grandparents’ greenhouse operation and blueberry farm, where they also grow a variety of cash crops. As Grain Discovery Zone ambassador, Mangiapane supports Grain Farmers of Ontario’s public outreach brand Good in Every Grain by bringing the Grain Discovery Zone trailer to fairs, festivals, and events across Ontario. She is very excited to have joined the Grain Farmers of Ontario team and loves chatting about anything and everything grain related! If you see her at an event near you, please stop by the trailer to say hi, and feel free to come pick her brain with any questions you have about grain farming! WOMEN’S GRAIN SYMPOSIUM Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Women’s Grain Symposium returns as an in-person event this fall, to be held at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre in Guelph November 28-29, 2022. Focused on developing women leaders in Ontario’s grain and oilseed industry, the symposium will feature industry speakers, leadership development training, and networking opportunities. For more information or to register, visit www.gfo.ca/womens-symposium. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Grain Farmers of Ontario Annual General Meeting will be returning to an in-person format on September 13, 2022, at the Craigowan Golf Club, 595838 Hwy 59 N, Woodstock, from 8 a.m. — noon. Buffet breakfast and lunch will be served. The meeting will also be live-streamed. The business meeting will feature reports from the Board, staff, and a review of the 2021 Grain Farmers of Ontario financial statements. The meeting is in conjunction with Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, held at the Discovery Farm, Woodstock, September 13-15. AGM attendees will be provided with a ticket to the show. More information and registration details will be posted on www.gfo.ca. ANNUAL REPORT Grain Farmers of Ontario’s 2022 Annual Report is available online at www.gfo.ca, or you can request a printed copy by calling the office at 1-800-265-0550. The report contains a review of Grain Farmers of Ontario’s activities during the last fiscal year and the audited financial statements. Annual General Meeting attendees are encouraged to review the financial statements before attending the meeting to be prepared to ask any questions they may have. AGRONOMY RESOURCES Grain Farmers of Ontario offers a number of agronomy resources. Visit www.gfo.ca/agonomy for information on crop management, crop performance trials, apps and guides, soil leadership, and information on the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network project. The Grain Farmers of Ontario agronomy team, Marty Vermey and Laura Ferrier, publish a FROM THE CHAIR A Q&A with Brendan Byrne, chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario. As we head to the AGM and see our Annual Report released, what were some of the highlights for you? 2022 marked a year of change and returning to a more “normal” life. I started my remarks at the 2022 March Classic by reminding people that it had been over one thousand days since we had come together in that room. The reopening of the province, country, and beyond has been really welcome. It allowed us to start re-connecting with farmer members in person. We were also able to host a federal government reception near Parliament, and Grain Farmers of Ontario leadership was able to connect with a number of MPs, Senators and staff. Those inperson “hallway conversations” are vital for our relationship-building and influence. Returning to in-person meetings, events, and community fairs — you name it — also served as a reminder that we as farmers do find a way during times of strife or crisis. We made it through the lockdowns and a global pandemic and are still fighting and growing food for everyone across Canada and beyond. Do you have a question for our chair? Email GrainTALK@gfo.ca.
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