ON Regional Economic Development

Join us virtually on November 3 & 4^th, 2021 for the 13^th annual Municipal Agriculture Economic Development & Planning Forum – Agri-Food Forum 2021– Innovation and Resiliency in the Agri-Food Sector, co-hosted by The Regional Municipality of York and OMAFRA.

Two half-day sessions will kick off with a keynote presentation Facing our Futures by Nikolas Badminton, Chief Futurist for Futurist.com. By 2050, the United Nations has stated that we will need to grow 60% more food than today. To do that we need to look to new innovative practices, exponential technologies, and diverse ways of thinking about food production to help us achieve that. Nikolas will take us from ‘what is’ to ‘what if…’ and help us imagine the potential for an incredible future for agriculture and agri-food sector. Other topics on day one: Accelerating & Incubating Agri-Food Businesses; Spotlight on Local Businesses; the Agriculture Systems Approach in Action and Event Barns as an On-Farm Diversification Use.

Day two will kick off with keynote presentation by Patti Thompson of King Cole Ducks.  Patti is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at King Cole Ducks. Patti has won the BMO “Celebrating Women in Agriculture Award” at the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference and is valued for her contributions and knowledge in the agricultural sector. King Cole is the only fully vertically integrated farm of its kind in North America, producing around 2.5 million ducks each year. Other topics throughout the second day: Creating a Regional Circular Economy in Guelph-Wellington; the Rise of Vertical Farming; Innovation & Resilience in Response to COVID-19; breakout sessions featuring 6 timely land use planning and agriculture economic development topics.

The forum will close with keynote Building Bridges to Public Trust in Food and Farming by Crystal Mackay of Loft 32 and Utensil.com. Crystal Mackay is a recognized leader in earning public trust in food and agriculture in Canada. She will share her insights on what it takes for individuals, companies, and municipalities to engage in and create better conversations about food and farming.

Before October 15, there is an early bird registration rate of $99 for both days of the Agri-Food Forum 2021– Innovation and Resiliency in the Agri-Food Sector.  For more information and to register visit www.yorklink.ca/agrifoodforum.