Jan 19th 2024 Meeting
AgRobotics Working Group Meeting Agenda, January 19, 2024
New Members: Nadine Taft and Martin Savard, Algonquin College; Sabine Bouchard, College Boreal
Presentations: Chris Bunio, CEO of Theory Mesh Agriculture, Technology and Business Experts | Theory Mesh
Conferences/Meetings/Field Tours/Demonstrations
Guelph Organic Conference January 24-27, 2024, Guelph, ON Guelph Organic Conference
Lower Mainland Horticulture Conference January 25-27, 2024, Abbotsford, BC Home | Lower Mainland Horticultural Conference (pheedloop.com)
AgTech Conference in Quebec February 6, 2024 https://www.communauteagtech.ca/fr/evenements/detail/4e-edition-du-grand-colloque-agtech-du-quebec/48202
The Canadian Agri-Food Automation & Intelligence Network is pleased to invite you to The Future of Agriculture – An Evening with McKinney and McConnell at the Ottawa Westin Hotel, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM on February 12, 2024.
British Columbia Organic Conference February 16, 2024 BC Organic Conference - Organic BC
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention February 21-22, 2024 – Niagara Falls
ofvc - Home Mary Ruth McDonald to present on new Agri-Tech.
2024 IFAO Conference: The Future-Ready Farm, hosted February 21–22, 2024 at the Crowne Plaza in Kitchener-Waterloo IFAO - Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario
A meeting is being set up with Farm-Ng with the Ontario International – San Francisco Trade & Investment Office farm-ng (squarespace.com)
New York State Organics Summit, April 3-5, 2024, Syracuse New York NYS Organics Summit (nysar3.org)
Project Updates
Chuck Baresich, Haggerty AgRobotics
Garson Law, CAAIN – Data platform development with TheoryMesh and CAAIN
New Projects
Funding Announcements/Opportunities –
OMAFRA/SCAP Funding Announcement and Program Details Link - Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership | ontario.ca
Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative The Canadian and Ontario governments are committing up to $7.5 million to help eligible agri-food businesses enhance animal health and welfare, plant health and food safety in their sector. Cost-share funding will be available to producers, processors and other industry partners at various levels based on program stream.
Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) The Canadian and Ontario governments are investing up to $16.5 million to support agri-food research and innovation that will help Ontario develop new cutting-edge technologies, practices and solutions to enhance the strength, resilience and competitiveness of the agri-food sector.
Information on these funding opportunities can be found on the OAFRI homepage. FIRST ROUND CLOSED JANUARY 11, 2024
The Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub : Bioenterprise is OPEN for applications as of January 15, 2024.
Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) The Canadian and Ontario governments are investing up to $20 million to support the adoption of land-based improvements that will: reduce greenhouse gas emissions, store carbon, enhance other ecological good and services
Funding will be provided to eligible farmers to help improve on-farm productivity and increase the resilience of agricultural landscapes in response to a changing climate.
Agriculture Technology Innovation Initiative
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $25 million, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, to expand capacity and realize efficiencies in the agriculture and food sector through the Agri-Tech Innovation Initiative. The Initiative will include a funding opportunity for eligible businesses to increase their efficiency and productivity by investing in new technology, equipment, as well as building or facility modifications.
Links to News Release – issued at 9:30am on November 20, 2023:
EN: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003847/governments-driving-innovation-in-food-production
ATII will be administered by the Agriculture Adaptation Council
Applications for the Initiative will be accepted starting on February 15, 2024
Round Table
Other Items