Event Speakers (for 2018 conference)

Liberty Horse Trainer, Pair Bond Training

thewrightapproach.ca

[email protected] or [email protected]

Marina Wright has been studying horses for over 20 years, and is the creator of Pair Bond Training. At its core, Pair Bond Training is more about the human than the horse. Marina teaches people how to work with the horse’s natural instincts, and how to make passive leadership decisions that allow a deep bond, trust, and willing attitude to flourish between horse and handler. This is all done at liberty, in a large space, so that the horse can escape the human’s influence if desired. The end result is a horse that truly takes care of his or her human whether in the saddle or on the ground.

Executive Director, Huronia Transition Homes

Kathy Willis is the Executive Director of Huronia Transition Homes, the sponsoring organization for “Operation Grow”.  This innovative project in downtown Midland provides low-barrier opportunities for women who have experienced violence to develop skills in food cultivation and distribution.

Wand Family Livestock Farm

[email protected]

After graduating with a BSc (Agr) Honours from the University of Guelph in 2003, Markus returned home to the family farm in Powassan to farm in partnership with his parents Klaus and Ursula. The family farm was a dairy operation until 1996 and then a cow/calf operation. The first sheep were purchased in the fall of 2003, followed by the purchase of the neighbouring 100 acre farm in 2004. Since then, the farm has continually been expanding on the sheep side of the operation, while the cow herd has remained relatively static. Another 400 acre neighbouring farm was purchased in 2011 and another 200 acres of vacant land in 2017. The operation is on pace to have approximately 70 cows/calves along with 700 ewes due to lamb in 2018.

CAFA, FEA, Founder and Principal Advisor, Farm Life Financial Planning Group

www.farmlifefinancial.ca

Darrell Wade grew up on his family farm in Southern Ontario. This was until the year 2000 and the sudden loss of his father. He and his family realized the proper planning had not been in place prior to his father’s death and as a result, the farm was lost. Darrell then joined the financial services industry where he now dedicates his time to helping other family-owned farms implement customized succession plans. His mission is to ensure no other family experiences a loss like his family did.

Darrell is the founder of Farm Life Financial Planning Group, which currently helps clients across Ontario find stability on their farm and ensure the farm can live on for future generations to come. His role is to empower farm families to keep farming and ensure there is family harmony when building tax efficient succession plans.

He is certified through the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors and is a certified Family Enterprise Advisor.

Darrell enjoys spending time with his wife Liane and their 4 children, Dylan, Cameron, Sydney and Kayden. They live on a farm east of Peterborough.

Farmer & Canadian Nuffield Scholar

Blake Vince is a 5th generation farmer from Merlin, Ontario where he lives with his wife, Karen and their 2 children, Cora and Elliott.  Away from the farm, Blake is a charter member and past president of the Rotary Club of Chatham Sunrise. Blake is a past director of the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario. In 2013, Blake was awarded a Canadian Nuffield Scholarship.  Blake enjoys golf, curling, ice fishing and socializing with friends and family.

Blake works alongside his father Elwin and Uncle Tom Vince. Currently they produce corn, soybeans and winter wheat on approximately 1300 acres. The Vince family started no-tilling in 1983. Today they are using cover crops in various capacities. Blake has implemented planting green into an 18 way multi- species cover crop following winter wheat as part of their cropping system.

Blake’s claim to fame as a 45 year old farmer is that he has never used a moldboard plow.

Senior Dairy Specialist, Grand Valley Fortifiers

[email protected]

www.grandvalley.com

Henry has been with Grand Valley Fortifiers for over 30 years. He currently is servicing about 70 dairy farms throughout southwestern Ontario.  Henry graduated from the University of Guelph in 1986. His major was in Economics and for many years Henry spent a lot of time helping dairy operations expand their operations to allow the next generation to continue farming.  Over the last 5 or 6 years this has also included working alongside other professionals to help families work through succession planning.

Henry is married to a fellow “aggie”, Alison, and they have 4 grown children and 1 grandchild. In his spare time he’s hobbies include coaching and referring basketball and soccer.  He is also involved in leadership at his local church.

Market Development Agronomist, PRIDE Seeds

[email protected]

Aaron is the Market Development Agronomist for PRIDE Seeds, covers west central Ontario. He received Associate diploma in Agriculture & BSc in Agriculture from the University of Guelph.  Aaron’s main focus is in agronomy and has a keen interest in precision agriculture & profitability.

Maizex Agronomy Lead

Greg Stewart, Maizex Agronomy Lead, was born and raised on a farm near Peterborough, Ontario.  He attended the University of Guelph and worked there as a research assistant during the 80’s and 90’s.  Stewart farmed and sold farm equipment for four years before joining OMAFRA as the Corn Specialist in 1998.  In 2015 Stewart left OMAFRA to join Maizex Seeds as an agronomist. Greg can be reached at [email protected].

Peter Johnson, @WheatPete, is the agronomist for RealAgriculture.com and he loves to talk WHEAT!  His weekly update, “Wheat Pete’s Word”, gives timely tips and answers to questions that growers ask.

Peter was the Provincial Cereal Specialist, part of the Field Crop team, with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for 30 years (retired 2015). He is treasurer and past-chair of the Ontario Cereal Crop Committee.  He co-founded the Great Lakes Wheat Workers group. His specialties are cereal crops, production systems, fertility management, conservation tillage (no-till), cover crops and site specific management.

Peter was an integral part of developing the SMART Wheat program that has significantly increased Ontario wheat yields. He works closely with local and regional Soil & Crop Improvement Associations to improve agricultural productivity, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impact.  He believes strongly in on-farm evaluation of new technologies.

Peter is interviewed and quoted regularly in the farm press, radio and TV.  He is highly sought after as a speaker at farm meetings, often being given the challenging after dinner slot.  He has been the feature speaker at a number of large agricultural venues over many years.

Peter is a University of Guelph graduate with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture receiving the Allied Farm Services Scholarship and the OAC Proficiency Award.  He was the 1997 recipient of the T R Hilliard Agricultural Extension Award. He received the President’s Technology Award from Oxford County Federation of Agriculture in 2013. Peter and his family operate a small farm near Lucan and to Peter “this is where the rubber hits the road”!

Partner, Cedar Creek Charollais & Ontario Director, Canadian Sheep Breeders Association

[email protected]

After graduating with his OAC Diploma in 1970, Ted Skinner worked for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture in its livestock branch for 4 years.  Next he managed a 300 sow farrow to finish farm in Nova Scotia before returning home to Ontario to start his own purebred swine herd. Ted finished with pigs in 1988 when he got started raising purebred NCC flock. Thus making Ted the 5^th generation of sheep farmer on his family’s farm. In 1994 he imported Charollais embryos and was involved in a A.I. program along with Dr Brian Buckrell, Dr Ileana Wenger, Dr Lynn Tait and Dr Chris Bushbeck.  The start of the purebred Rideau Flock was in 2006. Ted was elected Ontario Director on CSBA in 2014.