Central Ontario Agricultural Conference 2018
By Farmers For Farmers
PhD, Best for Bees
Dr. Erica Shelley has been immersed in the beekeeping world for six years with her company Best for Bees, including teaching private and college courses, consultations, hive management for individuals, and as the resident apiarist at RARE ecological reserve. She is looking forward to bringing more bee guardians into the world!
Equine Chiropractic Care
Dr. Ruth Pugh received her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1988. In 2001, Dr. Pugh combined her two passions, chiropractic and horses, by becoming certified as an animal chiropractor by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA). A few years later Dr. Pugh gave up her human practice to focus on an entirely equine clientele. Dr. Ruth, as she is most often referred by, has a very busy and diverse equine practice. She has enjoyed working on everything from the backyard pony to some of the best equine athletes in the country. Over the years she has also written several articles for journals and participated in numerous horse owner educational workshops as a lecturer or demonstrator. Dr. Pugh lives on a farm near West Lorne , Ontario with her husband Brad and their animal family including 4 horses, a mule, a German Shepherd and a couple of barn cats.
Ontario Farmland Preservation
www.ontariofarmlandpreservation.org
Bernard was raised on the family farm in Innisfil and currently controls the operation on this farm. Also included in the mix is a large Managed Forest, North of Huntsville, and the home farm at Bass Lake where Bernard lives with his wife Beverley. He worked for Western Mechanical – Barrie, for 26 years as a Construction Project Manager, until retiring in October 2011.
Having always loved the soil, Bernard was incensed when he heard about plans for the development of solar facilities in Simcoe County that would, if approved, remove 800 acres of food producing farmland from the county.
In May of 2010, he established Ontario Farmland Preservation, to bring awareness to the plight of rural Ontario. Deputations to municipal councils in Simcoe County and deputations to the Ontario Municipal Board and Queen’s Park have helped bring the message of the preservation of farmland to the policy makers.
As well as the responsibilities of Ontario Farmland Preservation, Bernard serves the following organizations:
Retired Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
Gord Miller is an ecologist and environmental policy analyst with many years of experience. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Guelph and has worked in the manufacturing industry and consulting business as well as in academia as a professor. However, most of his career has been spent in the public sector starting as a scientist with the Ministry of the Environment and concluding his career by serving three five year terms as Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner. In that role he was an independent Officer of the Legislative Assembly overseeing and critically evaluating government decision-making on the environment, climate change and energy conservation. Gord retired from that role in May, 2015. He now does public speaking on environment and energy topics and occasional consulting projects. He also chairs the Board of Directors for Earthroots the environmental group and the Public Advisory Board of the Canadian Electricity Association.
Founder, Wool 4 Ewe Fiber Mill
In 2010, as a second career for both Ann and her husband, they started raising sheep by purchasing pregnant ewes and learning from friends who had been raising sheep for many years. The duo learned the ins and outs and what to do with these great animals. Although the primary purpose of raising sheep was for meat, the first time they sheared, Ann knew she had to find a use for the fleece. So the process began, in small steps, and over the past 7 years, the venture gradually became, what is now, Wool 4 Ewe Fiber Mill. Phase one of the mill is now open and functioning both for their own use in felting, and also for producers who either want to keep the wool for comforters, insoles, or other products, or who are looking to sell it to hand spinners and weavers guilds.
Kula Permaculture Farm
Zach Loeks is an educator, designer/consultant and farmer in Ontario. He grew up in New Mexico on a permaculture homestead and now runs Kula Permaculture Farm, a Certified Organic and off-grid permaculture farm in the Ottawa Valley. The farm specializes in heirloom seed garlic, fresh produce/fruits and sustainable education/consulting.
Zach teaches soil science at Algonquin College and runs workshops on and off the farm on topics ranging from organic gardening, root cellaring and garlic production to off-grid living, edible landscaping and whole farm design/management. His book: The Permaculture Market Garden has received much attention and shares his method for permaculture gardening, property design and a vision for the future of food.
His research and farming practices work to integrate diversity, conserve soil and maximize farm ecosystem services without jeopardizing productivity. His next book is about the transition of entire communities and regions towards profitable, healthy and sustainable agro-ecosystems through small means and methods that bring about big change.
CAFA, Advisor, Farm Life Financial Planning Group
twitter: @FarmLifeFPG
Andrew Leach grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Lancashire, England. In 2004, Andrew and his family moved to the Lindsay, Ontario area and began cash cropping. Upon graduation, Andrew left the farm and went to Laurentian University where he got his Bachelor of Commerce Degree specializing in Sports Administration. He worked for the Ottawa Senators NHL Club and quickly realized a future in the city wasn’t for him.
Andrew decided to combine his passion for the agriculture industry with his business experience and joined Farm Life Financial in 2015. He currently spends his time working with farm families across Ontario find stability on their farm and ensure the farm can live on for generations to come. His role is to empower farm families to keep farming and ensure there is family harmony when building tax efficient succession plans. He specializes in working with young farmers interested in pursuing a career in the agriculture industry.
Andrew is certified through the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors. He lives in Lindsay with his wife and remains active on his family’s farm.
Business Manager – Branch Grain, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd., Eastern Grain Division
Steve Kell has been in the grain and feed business in Ontario for 26 years. For the past 17 years he has been a Grain Merchant for Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. After several years in grain trading he is currently the Business Manager – Branch Grain for P&H’s Eastern Grain Division.
In addition to working in the grain industry, Steve operates 1200 acres, partially as a cash crop operation south of Barrie, and also in share-cropping arrangements in Elm Creek, Manitoba, and Temiskaming, Ontario.
Steve is a graduate of both the University of Guelph, (BA), the Ontario Agricultural College, but most importantly, from the school of hard knocks.
Matchbox Garden & Seed
Hanna Jacobs is the founder and owner of Matchbox Garden & Seed, a small, certified organic seed farm that also produces a wide selection of bedding plants, and offers a modest summer CSA program.
Now located along the Grand River in Haldimand County, Matchbox began in a 1000 square foot raised bed garden in downtown Toronto. Over the past 12 years, Hanna has produced seeds, plants, and food on gardens and farms up to 4 acres. She has worked in partnership with the TRCA, Bauta Family Initiative For Canadian Seed Security, USC, and The Greenbelt Foundations World Crops Program, among others.
Hanna is a self taught farmer with a passion for biodiversity, seeds, and food. She operates a no till, market garden style farm producing food and seed 10 months out of the year. She is always striving to find better ways to adapt to the changing environment and produce crops that can manage and adapt “quickly” to our changing weather patterns. Her current focus is on seed production and adapting varieties to the Haldimand habitat. She operates her farm with the sometimes help of her 2 children, husband, dog, cat, and flock of chickens.
Executive Director, Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance
Janet is the Executive Director for the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance. The Alliance oversees the implementation of the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Action Plan by working with farmers, rural and urban municipalities, the province and industry to ensure that the Food and Farming Cluster in the Golden Horseshoe is growing and vibrant.
Janet’s skills lie in group facilitation and consensus building as she has trained adults and youth in small business start-ups and encourages dialogue between urban and rural residents on economic development, land use and food issues.
Janet is a partner in the family businesses, Whitfield Farms, a field crop farm in Dufferin County. For 30 years, she and her husband Brian operated Whitfield Farms Catering. In 2014 Janet was elected to the Mulmur Township Council and has been appointed as a Commissioner on the Niagara Escarpment Commission.
