2010 Guelph Organic Conference A Big Success

Guelph, February 17, 2010

January’s just-completed Guelph Conference drew another strong crowd approaching 1800 people. With 155 Expo booths, a wide array of farmers, traders & students foraged the show for organic samples. Meetings, food events, trainings & AGM’s spanned 5 days.

The activity whirlwind included close to 200 guests at the Organic Dinner; a large Keynote guest audience; an estimated 425 Expo booth participants; incredible volunteer efforts; a key Sunday a.m. Organic Trader meeting; several spontaneous organic farmer training & advocacy meetings.

Highlights for attendees included the Food Inc. showing in downtown Guelph hosted by organic yogurt giant, Stonyfield Farm’s Gary Hirshberg. Margaret Webb’s ‘Think Big Canada’ Keynote presentation packed the house.

Vermont success story, Pete Johnson and partner/co-presenter Meg Gardner of Pete’s Greens’ talk on organic market gardens was a sold out workshop of 100+ registrants. The University Centre was vibrant and lively on Saturday and Sunday with a vast array of organic trading companies & non-profits exhibiting at the Expo. The show drew a lot of inquisitive consumers this year, proving that the organic business is really drawing the attention of the mainstream. The trade show is ideal for consumers to meet organic suppliers in person.

One particularly exciting highlight of the day was the presentation of a $5000 cheque to Ann Clark and the University of Guelph’s Organic Agriculture Program by Organic Advocates/Feast of Fields, a non-profit organization of organic producers, environmentally concerned chefs, food professionals, and enlightened consumers.

By far, the most popular workshops in 2010 were the ‘Organic Market Managers’ & ‘New Farmer Panel’. Many attendees and organizers felt that the time allowed was only enough to graze the surface of the depth of the issues.

Referring to the Organic Farmers Market Networking room, a popular multi-booth display and demonstration room, Carrie Ann Watson stated “As a long-time organic market supporter and organizer, this Networking Room was a fabulous idea. I think its popularity was a remarkable example of the booming desire to strengthen the connection between our food, our environment and the people who grow it.”

Everyone involved – the many volunteers, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and an extremely dedicated staff, deserve high praise for contributing to a very successful event. Conference Manager, Tomas Nimmo in his humble fashion commented, “Every year this show attracts such an exciting crowd that you know you’re at Organic Central. Guelph 2010 met all my goals.”

A sincere thanks to all the non-profit organizers of the 29th Guelph Conference:

• Canadian Health Food Association
• Canadian Organic Growers
• CSI – Centre For Systems Integration
• Ecocert Canada
• Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario
• International Organic Inspectors Association
• National Farmers Union
• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs
• OCIA-International
• Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
• Organic Council of Ontario
• Organic Trade Association In Canada
• ProCert Organic Systems
• Quality Assurance International
• Resource Efficient Agricultural Production
• Society For Biodynamic Farming & Gardening In Ontario
• University of Guelph Organic Agriculture Program

For a copy of the Conference Proceedings including a summary of the 35-workshops and a “guide to organic marketers” trader list, please mail a cheque payable to ‘Organic Conference’. Organic Conference, Box 116, Collingwood, Ontario, L9Y 3Z4. $10 postpaid to Canada or $15 to the U.S.

Watch for news of the 30th Annual Conference, late January, 2011 at the Guelph University Centre.

Photo Caption: Receiving a welcome $5000 donation. Posing for the photo: students of the Organic Agricultural Program; holding the cheque from left to right Feast of Fields chair Daniel Gilbert, Professor Ann Clark, Conference Manager Tomas Nimmo.

Photo credit: © 2010 Heather Osborn, Crave Images.