Meeting Notes - Updates and New Opportunities - December 13th, 2024

Dec 30

Written By Dan Woods

New Members:

Stanley Baer – Werkr Tractors

Kimberly Knowles – Werkr Tractors

Craig Harvey – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

John Hanson – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Adan Ahmed – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Kaitlyn Allen – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Virginie Rochet – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Chengsong Liu – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Nicole Hamel – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Tanya Gadzos – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

New members, please be prepared to briefly introduce yourselves and touch on why you joined the group.

Presentations:

This week, we’ll be presenting an updated Action Items Report to group members, based on the 2024 report. We’ll also be discussing research opportunities for this coming Summer.

Conferences/Meetings/Field Tours/Demonstrations

· Grand River Agricultural Society Spark V4 Symposium – April 15, 2025. https://gras.blitzen.com/form/SPARK-V4?_kx=gv4KhsjF7Taf829EsAP_FBSQc6SwAbP_wM0LpF8ox-PLjhd-etCIX4l20HUQLINo.UUrNv6 Applications Close January 10, 2025

· AgRobotics Working Group Demo Day – Bradford Research Station – July 8, 2025. Registration details to come

· AgRobotics Working Group Demo Day – Simcoe Research Station – July 22, 2025. Registration details to come

Attendees at recent conferences, please be prepared to provide a brief update to the group.

Project Updates

Call for speakers/presentations – If you are interested in giving a presentation or have a recommendation of someone who you think would be a valuable speaker, please email Dan or Bridget.

Funding Announcements/Opportunities –

Canada Business App https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en/canada-business-app

Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs/canadian-agricultural-strategic-priorities - Open until March 2029

COLLABORATE 2 COMMERCIALIZE https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/collaborate-2-commercialize/ - Ongoing

Emergent Horticulture Opportunities Fund – https://www.vinelandresearch.com/work-with-us/emergent-horticulture-opportunities-fund/ - Open until February 2025

Agri-Innovate - AgriInnovate Program: Step 1. What this program offers - agriculture.canada.ca - Open until March 2028

OMAFRA/SCAP Funding Announcement and Program Details Link - Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership | ontario.ca - Open until March 2028

The Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub : Bioenterprise - Round 2 Intake opening Spring 2025

OCI Critical Industrial Technologies Initiative - https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/cit/ - Ongoing
CAAIN Open Competition - https://caain.ca/funding-calls/2024-open-competition/ - Open Intake

· Ontario Agri-Food research Initiative – Deadline December 4 for commercialization, January 13 for all other streams https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-agri-food-research-initiative?utm_campaign=%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1005018%2Fgovernments-investing-in-innovation-to-strengthen-ontarios-agri-food-sector&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsroom&utm_term=ops

· Agriculture Clean Technology Program Research and Innovation Stream - https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs/accelerator - Deadline January 10, 2025

Round Table

Other Items/Articles

Ontario Agri-Food Research & Innovation Portal (OAFRIP)

The Expanding 2024 Crop Robotics Landscape, Navigating to Commercialization

Robotics Gaining Momentum in Horticulture Crops

New System a “Bringer of Rain” – and More

A Significant Shift in the World of Livestock Feed

Farmer Vs Robot – Farm of the Future

Addressing Labor Shortages in Agriculture: The Role of AgTech Innovations and Government Support

Hybrid robot Icaro X4 combats vineyard fungi without chemicals

South Korea becomes first nation to replace 10% workforce with robots

Technology is Taking Farming Into a Brave New World