Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers appoints new general manager

Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG) are pleased to announce that Keith Robbins has been hired to lead the organization as its new general manager. Keith took over the role on Sept. 17, 2019, following the resignation of Cathy Lennon. A seasoned leader within the hog and poultry sectors, Keith brings more than 27 years of experience in management, communications, and marketing to the processing vegetable sector.

 

Keith grew up in rural southern Ontario and started his professional career as an information officer with the provincial government at Centralia College. He spent 19 years with Ontario Pork, leading the communications and marketing activities at a time that saw increased consumer-directed marketing.

 

For the past six years, Keith has been the executive director of the Poultry Industry Council- an industry-led, non-profit organization supporting Ontario's poultry sector. He has expanded education and outreach activities for the organization and strengthened the revenue stream for activities through strategic partnership.

 

"We welcome Keith to OPVG and look forward to his leadership and guidance as the organization faces changes to how we market Ontario's diverse range of processing vegetable crops," says Dave Hope, chair of the OPVG Board. "Keith's experience in other ag sectors will bring a perspective that will benefit our producer members, and we know his level-headed approach will be a tremendous asset to our organization."

 

Keith graduated from Centralia College with an agricultural business management diploma in 1989, graduated from Conestoga College with a certificate in volunteer board management in 93, attended the University of Waterloo for a bachelor of environmental studies in 93 and obtained his executive development program from the George Morris Centre in 2005. He also has his Incident Command System Level two training. Keith has a progressive approach to association management including education and extension activities, staff management, administration, finance, research experience and advocacy.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.