Ontario agri-food innovators celebrated in Cambridge

Nov 10, 2015

13 recipients were honoured in a ceremony Monday

Thirteen recipients were honoured at a ceremony in Cambridge, Ontario on Monday morning celebrating their contributions and innovations towards strengthening the province’s agri-food industry and economy.

The winners, representing the counties of Grey, Perth, Simcoe, and Wellington, as well as Waterloo Region, received the 2015 Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence.

Award

“I’m so proud to be part of today’s celebration and honoured to meet the entrepreneurial recipients of the 2015 Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence,” said Kathryn McGarry, MPP for Cambridge. “Each year, I am blown away by the fresh ideas our farmers come up with to make Ontario even better. These are creative individuals who are helping Ontario’s agri-food sector succeed with projects that are benefitting not only businesses and local communities, but Ontario as a whole.”

The winners included:

Beef Improvement Ontario
Best Baa Dairy
Bighead Hops
Clear Valley Hops
Escarpment Laboratories
Harvest Hop & Malt
Jewels Under the Kilt
Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency
Paul Bechtel
Perth County Ingredients
Rural Ontario Institute
Stratford & District Agricultural Society
The New Farm

In total, 50 recipients will take home a Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, reaffirming Ontario’s position as an agri-food leader in Canada.

“Ontario is known for its leading-edge agri-food sector that continues to grow and foster new innovation and ideas,” said Ontario Minister of Agriculture Jeff Leal. “The 2015 Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence recipients demonstrate creative and ingenious ideas and business concepts. By investing in the success of people and a dynamic and innovative business climate, our government is helping drive the sector’s growth and position Ontario for economic success both at home and abroad.”

Congratulations to the winners!

Video: Dr. Emerson Nafziger: Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Corn

The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!

"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."

Meet the guest:

Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.