More Berry sessions at OFVC in 2025!

The Berry program at OFVC has been extended to offer an extra 1/2 day session, for a total of 3 sessions full of berry presentations, including grower profiles, pest management research, breeding updates, marketing, and labour. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from these knowledgeable speakers!

The program for the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention, held in Niagara Falls, February 19-20, 2025, is now available at ofvc.ca, or see the berry program below.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 – Niagara Falls Convention Centre, Niagara Falls

Chair: Victoria Buma, BGO; Erica Pate, OMAFA

9:25 am	Introduction and Welcome
9:30 am	Taylor Farms Muskoka Grower Profile	Sarah Shaw and Aaron Shaw, Taylor Farms Muskoka
10:00 am	Optically-Targeted Herbicide Application in Highbush Blueberry	Thierry E. Besançon, Rutgers University
10:30 am	Soilborne Disease Management	Marvin Pritts, Cornell University
11:00 am	Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission 101	Amy Cronin, OFPMC
11:45 – 2:00	Lunch and Visit the Trade Show
2:00 pm	Best Use of Biological Solutions in Crop Protection and Plant Health for Berries	Pam Marrone, Invasive Species Corporation
2:30 pm	Anthracnose Resistance Issues and Neopest Management in Strawberry	Guido Schnabel, Clemson University
3:00 pm	Getting More Ontario Berries into the Shopping Cart	Peter Chapman, SKUFood
3:30 pm	Field Release of the Asian Parasitoid, Ganaspis kimorum, for Biological Control	Tara Gariepy, AAFC

Thursday, February 20, 2025 – Niagara Falls Convention Centre, Niagara Falls

Chair AM: Victoria Buma, BGO; Erica Pate, OMAFA

9:25 am	Introduction and Welcome
9:30 am	Wilmot Blueberries Grower Profile	Courtney Stevens, Wilmot Blueberries
10:00 am	Berry Variety Trials and Breeding Updates from AAFC	Beatrice Amyotte, AAFC
10:30 am	Employment Standards for Employers	Valerie Henschel, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Trade, and Skills Development
11:00 am	Understanding Carrier Volume to Optimize Coverage	David Manktelow, Applied Research and Technologies Ltd., New Zealand
11:45 – 2:00	Lunch and Visit the Trade Show

Additionally, BGO is excited to announce a new format for the AGM:

Dinner & AGM

Join us in the evening of Tuesday, February 18th at the Embassy Suites, for dinner and entertainment. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a social hour, followed by a buffet dinner featuring roast beef, grilled chicken, and a variety of sides. After dinner, we’ll hold our AGM and present the Award of Merit. Entertainment is provided by the band Doppelganger and the evening will conclude around 9 p.m.

Hospitality Suite

After the Dinner & AGM, please join us at our Hospitality Suite, where members can continue to mix and mingle.

For more information and to register for the BGO Dinner & AGM, please contact Victoria Buma at victorialeastman@gmail.com.

To register for the OFVC, visit ofvc.ca.