OAC Dean to Open National Farm Show
September 04, 2008 - News Release
The new dean of the University of Guelph's Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) will open the 2008 Canada's Outdoor Farm Show Sept. 9. Robert Gordon was asked to kick off the 15th annual event in recognition of the significant role that OAC continues to play in Canadian agriculture.
Gordon will greet visitors at noon at the Special Events Tent. He will also unveil a stone monument and waterfall that is being dedicated in memory of the farm show's founder and U of G friend, the late Ginty Jocius. The monument is intended to give visitors a place to sit, think and enjoy the beauty of rural Ontario.
Known as the nation's premier outdoor agricultural trade show, Canada's Outdoor Farm Show, which runs through Sept. 11 at Canada's Outdoor Park in Woodstock, attracts upwards of 40,000 visitors annually and includes more than 650 exhibitors showcasing the latest agricultural products and services. More information is available at www.canadasoutdoorshows.com.
Gordon took over as OAC dean Aug. 1. He spent nine years at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) as a professor, department head and dean of research. A leading authority on climate-related issues in Canada, he served as the provincial climatologist for Nova Scotia and holds the Canada Research Chair in Agricultural Resource Management, which focuses on identifying adaptive resource management issues at the farm level. He is also an adjunct professor of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and Dalhousie University and an honorary research associate at the University of New Brunswick.
Gordon earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering and a master's degree in agricultural physics from McGill University and a PhD in land resource science from U of G. He also holds an engineering diploma from NSAC.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338/l.hunt@exec.uoguelph.ca, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982/d.healey@exec.uoguelph.ca.
