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Over $92, 500 raised at 2018 AALP Dream Auction

Mar 14, 2018

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GUELPH, ONTARIO – Over 250 people came out to support the Advanced Agricultural Leadership

Program’s (AALP) 2018 Dream Auction, which supports the current and future AALP classes. The gala

event, held on February 10, 2018, at the Delta Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre, raised over

$92,500.

Despite snowy weather conditions, AALP supporters, participants, alumni, family and friends gathered

for an evening of networking and live and silent auctions. This year’s Dream Auction theme was Your

Farm Market, with items ranging from sports tickets, weekend getaways, an outdoor oven, local

specialty food baskets as well as a six-day stay at an African Safari Lodge.

In support of the Farmers Market theme, Shaw’s Ice Cream, Your Farm Market, The Whole Pig, VG

Meats, Howell Road Cider Co and the Oxford County Cheese Trail were on hand with samples. Thirsts

were quenched thanks to the sponsorship of Beau’s Beer and Trius Winery.

“The night was a great success for many reasons. For the funds raised for the program, the networking

opportunity it provided and the wonderful atmosphere with a great time had by everyone who attended,”

said 2018 Dream Auction Co-Chairs, Andy McTaggart and Adrienne Houle, representing AALP Class

16. “We’d like to extend a huge thank you to all of our supporters and classmates for making it a

fantastic evening.”

Coinciding with the gala evening was an on-line auction hosted by Rapid-Sell.ca.

All those involved would like to thank the many generous donors and sponsors including the Delta

Guelph Hotel and Conference Center, David Moore & Associates, RKD Web Studio, Vinetech Canada

and Kahntact.

This Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program Dream Auction is held once every two years and is a

major fundraiser for the program.

AALP is a 19-month executive leadership program for individuals actively involved in the agriculture and

rural sectors in Ontario. Through a series of seminars, national and international study tours and selfdirected

learning, AALP prepares leaders to help shape the future of their businesses, organizations and

associations. In its 34th year, there are over 450 graduates of the program making a difference in the

agricultural and agri-food sectors and rural communities in Ontario and beyond.

Source : Rural Ontario Institute

Video: The Investment Opportunities of Industrial Hemp

The fledgling U.S. hemp industry is decades behind countries like Canada, France and China, but according to impact investor and this week’s podcast guest, Pierre Berard, it could flourish into a $2.2 billion industry by 2030 and create thousands of jobs.

To reach its potential, what the hemp industry needs most right now, Berard said, is capital investment.

Last month, Berard published a report titled “Seeing the U.S. Industrial Hemp Opportunity — A Pioneering Venture for Investors and Corporations Driven by Environmental, Social and Financial Concerns” in which he lays out the case for investment.

It’s as if Berard, with this report, is waving a giant flag, trying to attract the eyes of investors, saying, “Look over here. Look at all this opportunity.”

Berard likens the burgeoning American hemp industry to a developing country.

“There is no capital. People don’t want to finance. This is too risky. And I was like, OK, this sounds like something for me,” he said.

As an impact investor who manages funds specializing in agro-processing companies, Berard now has his sights set on the U.S. hemp industry, which he believes has great economic value as well as social and environmental benefits.

He spent many years developing investment in the agriculture infrastructure of developing countries in Latin America and Africa, and said the hemp industry feels similar.

“It is very nascent and it is a very fragmented sector. You have pioneers and trailblazers inventing or reinventing the field after 80 years of prohibition,” he said. “So I feel very familiar with this context.”

On this week’s hemp podcast, Berard talks about the report and the opportunities available to investors in the feed, fiber and food sectors of the hemp industry.

Building an industry around an agricultural commodity takes time, he said. According to the report, “The soybean industry took about 50 years to become firmly established, from the first USDA imports in 1898 to the U.S. being the top worldwide producer in the 1950s.”

Berard has a plan to accelerate the growth of the hemp industry and sees a four-pillar approach to attract investment.

First, he said, the foundation of the industry is the relationship between farmers and processors at the local level.

Second, he said the industry needs what he calls a “federating body” that will represent it, foster markets and innovations, and reduce risk for its members and investors.

The third pillar is “collaboration with corporations that aim to secure or diversify their supply chains with sustainable products and enhance their ESG credentials. This will be key to funding the industry and creating markets,” he said.

The fourth pillar is investment. Lots of it. Over $1.6 billion over seven years. This money will come from government, corporations, individual investors, and philanthropic donors.

The 75-page report goes into detail about the hemp industry, its environmental and social impact, and the opportunities available to investors.

Read the report here: Seeing the U.S. Industrial Hemp Opportunity

Also on this episode, we check in with hemp and bison farmer Herb Grove from Brush Mountain Bison in Centre County, PA, where he grew 50 acres of hemp grain. We’ll hear about harvest and dry down and crushing the seed for oil and cake.