Ontario government seeks nominations for Excellence in Agriculture Awards

Jul 15, 2025

The Ontario government is opening nominations for the 2025 Excellence in Agriculture Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations in the province’s world-class agri-food industry. These awards honour the farmers, food processors, businesses and industry organizations that are driving excellence, sustainability and long-term competitiveness in Ontario’s $51 billion agri-food industry.

“The Excellence in Agriculture Awards provide an opportunity to honour and celebrate our agri-food leaders,” said Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Ontario’s world-class agri-food leadership and talent are what gives us the edge in a competitive global environment, and we look forward to recognizing their innovation and success.”

This year, the province will recognize agricultural excellence in 12 categories:

Youth Excellence
Food Processing Excellence
Research and Innovation Excellence
Northern Business Excellence
Workforce Excellence
Women’s Excellence
Education Excellence
Supply Chain Excellence
Indigenous, Métis or Inuit-Owned Business or Community Excellence
Promotional Excellence
Farm Family Excellence
Urban Agriculture Excellence

Source : The Grower

Video: Sclerotinia and Lygus in Seed Canola: Field Update with George Lubberts, CCA | Enchant, Alberta

Join Certified Crop Advisor George Lubberts for this Prairie Certified Crop Advisor (Prairie CCA) field update from Enchant, Alberta. In this 12th video of the series, George takes us into a seed canola field where the male rows have been removed and the female plants are filling pods. This video was taken in the third week of August 2025.

George discusses the early signs of sclerotinia stem rot, explaining how infection begins in the stem, impacts pod development, and leads to premature ripening. He also shares insights on lygus bug management, including timing of spray applications to minimize feeding damage and maintain seed size and quality.

With cool, damp summer conditions, George notes that while disease pressure is present, overall field health remains good. The crop is just beginning to show early seed colour change, signaling progress toward maturity.

Topics Covered:

•Sclerotinia stem rot identification and impact

•Managing lygus bugs in seed canola

•Crop stage and seed colour change observations

•Timing insecticide sprays for optimal protection

•Insights from a CCA field perspective in southern Alberta