Watch for travelling display of Eastern Ontario’s ag hall of famers

Aug 19, 2022

Four Eastern Ontario ag community leaders of the past and the present all have something in common. Dwayne Acres of Osgoode, Vera Mitchell of Metcalfe, Jack James of Russell and William Schouten of Richmond are among an impressive list of contributors to Ontario agriculture nominated by their peers and inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame (OAHF).

A common thread among inductees is their support and leadership of community organizations and activities. In their accomplishments, you will find details of years of involvement in soil and crop associations, producer and livestock organizations, junior farmers and 4-H, community events, cooperatives, research institutes, agricultural extension and more.

The Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Association was incorporated in 1979 as a charitable organization. It opened in June 1980 with the induction of nine pioneer agriculturists representing more than 100 years of combined efforts and initiatives in building a better agriculture for the province. To date 245 people, including 33 from Eastern Ontario, have been inducted into the hall of fame.

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.