Hold the Date

OIA 2015 Conference and 56th Annual General Meeting

Hosted by: OIA Niagara Branch

Friday, April 17 & Saturday, April 18, 2015

Hilton Garden Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

Towards a Sustainable Agriculture and Food System – Agrologists Driving the Process

Pre-Conference Tour Experience some of Niagara’s unique agriculture by joining the Pre-Conference Tour on the afternoon of Friday, April 17th. Visit Trend Aquafresh Hydroponics, a 2 ha combined fish culture and vegetable greenhouse operation recently converted from cut flowers; Park Lane Farms/ Tweed Inc. a licensed producer and seller of Medicinal Marijuana; and Niagara College Teaching Brewery and Winery, combining teaching and research with an apprenticeship program for students in beer making and/or oenology (wine making) and research conducted in cooperation with industry partners. Professionalism and Ethics Pre-Conference Workshop, Friday, April 17th 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. led by Bruce Hobin, P.Ag. is supported as an accredited professional development course by the OIA (equivalent to 3 hours of CPD). Reception and Awards Banquet: Guest speaker is Ed Madronich, President Flat Rock Cellars winery near Jordan, Ontario who will be sharing his passion for why Ontario is a great place to grow grapes and make superb wine. Towards a Sustainable Agriculture and Food System, Saturday, April 18th conference program focuses on sustainability in the agriculture and food system from field to consumer with Dr. Ralph Martin, Dr. Martin Gooch and a discussion panel of Niagara and area sustainability initiatives. OIA 56th Annual General Meeting, Saturday, April 18th 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.