2025 Ecological Day Presentations
Updates for the 2025 program will be made as they are available.
An overview of large acreage organic crop production
Presented by: Phil Oegema, President, Oegema Grains Ltd.
Presentation will include an overview of weed control techniques, available sources of nutrients including NPK, mirconutrients and biologicals. Included will be an explanation of technologies employed, including precision camera guidance, as well as using electricity for broad spectrum weed control. Presenter will explain tillage techniques, crop rotations, and cover crops employed.
Phil Oegema farms with his family in Talbotville Ontario, just south of London. After farming conventionally for most of his career Phil and his father made the decision to switch all of their 1200 acres farmed to organic production in 2015. Technological advances, new equipment and products becoming available, and an expanding market make this space a great opportunity for the right enterprising crop farmer.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 14th, 2025 at 10:00 am.
Maintain, Improve and Maximize Soil health Through Affordable and Efficient Practices
Presented by: Odette Ménard, ing. et agr., Soil Health Consultant, Action Semis Direct
The C.R.O.P. system Finding the right strategy to maintain, improve and maximize soil health is a real challenge. To be completely successful, any strategy has to respect every aspect of the CROP. Optimize soil COVER Maintain ROOT biodiversity Best level of OXYGEN Continuous POROSITY
Odette graduated from McGill University with an agricultural engineering degree, and then a master in engineering sciences. She also obtained a master in business administration. She has been working in soil and water conservation since 1988 for the ministry of agriculture, food and fisheries of Québec. In 2005, she became a member of the Soil and Water Conservation Hall of Fame of Canada. In Fall of 2014, Odette received the Medal of the Order of Agricultural Merit of Quebec. Her observations on earthworm behaviour and soil improvement under no-till with the combination of cover crops helped a lot of agricultural producers to implement no-till with success. The key to agriculture’s challenges is to believe in these soil living organisms, and all the microorganisms responsible to maintain high soil health. But it also prepares our soils for tomorrow’s challenge: energy costs, soil conservation, climate changes.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 14th, 2025 at 11:05 am.
Growing nut Trees
Panelist: Elisabeth Burrow, Owner/Roaster, Jewels Under the Kilt
Growing nuts in Ontario and creating a farm to table business a little differently.
Elisabeth and her partner moved to the Fergus area in 2010. They started out growing vegetables and flowers on their farm, but after a little research made the decision to transition to trees. In 2013 they planted 150 fruit and nut trees. Elisabeth created her own recipes and has a unique patent-pending process for roasting nuts.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 14th, 2025 at 1:15 pm.
Small Grains, Big Gains
Panelist: Jackie Clark, EFAO
Driving across Ontario, we see corn and soybeans dominate the landscape. However, researchers have documented the ecological and economic benefits of diversifying crop rotations with small grains and cover crops. EFAO's Small Grains Program aims to facilitate farmers in growing small grains through farmer-to-farmer education, network building and financial supports. Learn more about the program itself, the growers involved and the difference it's making.
Jackie Clark got her BSc (Agr) and MSc in sustainable cropping systems from the University of Guelph in 2015 and 2018. Since then she's worked in a biotechnology lab on drought resistant soybeans, and as an agriculture journalist telling farmers' stories. She's passionate about supporting farmers in Ontario farmers as they work to grow safe and nutritious food for a growing population while mitigating the impacts of climate change. When not at work, you can find her snuggling foster cats or training for ultra-marathons.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 14th, 2025 at 2:00 pm.
Panel: Pastured Pigs
Experienced farmers share their tips and tricks for success with pastured pigs.
Panelist: Lisa Peterson, Owner, Stone Horse Farm
With two young children and some dietary challenges 12 years ago, I needed a stay at home job and better quality food. After learning I did not react to pasture raised meats, I started with hens, then meat birds and finally pigs. Within two years, selling my farm pork has become my primary income. While my work background was in publishing and public relations, I had lifelong experience keeping horses, beef and chickens while growing up, to help me avoid major catastrophes. The prior jobs, applied to social media and emails, helped me build me local clientele for farm and market sales.
Panelist: Katrina McQuail, Owner/Operator, Meeting Place Organic Farm
Katrina returned to the farm in 2014 and took over the farm business in 2016. Born and raised in Huron County on the farm; Katrina took a round about way back to becoming a farmer. Spending over 10 years away, Katrina completed a degree in Business and Not For Profit Management and a minor in French at Earlham College in Indiana before going on to work in the culinary industry, traveling through Central America, working for government and corporate agencies before running a wonderful social change not-for-profit in Guelph for 4 years. Katrina does extensive volunteer work for a couple different organizations, mostly focused on youth and young adults as well as the environment. She is a PADI Open Water Scuba instructor and was the conference organizer for Pendle Hill's annual young adult Friend conference. Currently Katrina serves on the EFAO board as the President, and is the assistant clerk for Friends General Conference. Katrina is passionate about all things farmy - but especially pigs.
Panelist: Ted Zettel, Partner, Zettel Family Farms
Ted Zettel was one of the first farmers in Canada to transition from conventional to organic farming in the 1980’s. He helped to develop the organic standards, and served in a variety of posts within the organic sector, including president of the Organic Federation of Canada and Chair of the Standards Interpretation Committee. He was instrumental in the formation of a number of cooperative marketing ventures including Organic Meadow and FieldGate Organics. In 2006 he retired from dairy farming and devoted himself to full time consulting in organics. He returned to farming in 2015 when along with two sons, Samuel and Mark, they formed “Zettel Family Farms” producing certified organic pasture raised pork and chicken and grass-fed organic beef and marketing directly to families with an on-line store.
Facilitator: Devan Penney, Owner, Fair Fields Farm
Devan came to farming through a love of food, physical work, the outdoors and a desire to change the food system to be more fair and sustainable. After completing a BA in environment and development at Trent University, he spent time apprenticing on various organic fruit and vegetable farms in Southern Ontario. Together with family and 2-3 staff, Devan grows non-certified organic asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries and sweet corn. Reducing tillage, covercroping and soil health are all important goals at Fair Fields and with these in mind, the farm is trying to move into more perennials, such as raspberries, haskaps and tree fruit.
This presentation is CEU accredited under the Crop Management category.
Presentation begins Monday January 8th, 2024 at 3:35 pm.
And don't forget to take a look at the list of On-Demand presentations which you can watch throughout the conference and for the thirty days following! Use the button on the left to browse full details for those!
Check out the program for other conference days using the buttons below.
