Strengthening Sector Partnerships and Agricultural Extension in Ontario

Hosted by the University of Guelph (U of G) and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) through the Alliance.

Every year, this symposium brings together participants from government, academia, industry and regional communities to support networking and capacity development in the agri-food Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) community, and to learn more about ongoing KTT projects funded by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.

Join us on May 12, 2026 at the Arboretum at the University of Guelph and online to:

• Explore the role of sector partnerships in supporting an innovative, resilient, and sustainable agri-food sector in Ontario.
• Learn best practices for strengthening extension and on-farm adoption of best management practices.
• Hear perspectives from Alliance researchers on successful collaboration and extension work.
• Connect with peers and partners across the agri-food and rural sector and research ecosystem.

Register for the 2026 KTT Symposium

Agenda

8:30-9:00 a.m. Registration and Networking

9:00 - 9:15 a.m. Welcome and Introduction

Dr. Rebecca Hallett, Interim Associate Vice-President Research 
(Agri-Food Partnership), University of Guelph 

9:15 - 10:15 a.m. Keynote Address: Effective Extension - Engaging Producers and Fostering Collaboration Across the Agri-food Industry

Dr. Andrea Gal, Director, Data & Marketplace Strategy at the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-food; Farm Manager at Morning Glory Stream Farming

10:15 - 10:45 a.m. Networking Break

10:45 - 11:30 a.m. Panel Discussion: How are agri-food researchers engaging with partners to enhance research impact?

Dr. Terri O’Sullivan, Associate Professor, Ontario Veterinary College, Department of Population Medicine 

Dr. Jay Subramanian, Professor, Ontario Agricultural College, Department of Plant Agriculture

Dr. Kelsey Spence, Assistant Professor, Ontario Veterinary College, Department of Population Medicine

Dr. Majid Iravani, Research Manager for Climate Action Through Grazing (CAT-G), Agricultural Genomics Action Centre (AG-Act) 

11:30 - 12:15: Fireside Chat: Exploring the agri-food KTT ecosystem and the role of sector partnerships in supporting an innovative, resilient, and sustainable agri-food sector in Ontario

Fireside chat with Kelly Somerville, Chief Executive Officer at Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC)

Moderated by Jessica Bowes, Assistant Vice-President, Research (Innovation & Knowledge Mobilization), Research Innovation Office, University of Guelph

12:15 - 12:30: Closing Remarks

Dr. John Kelly, Deputy Minister of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA)

12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch and Networking

Online participants will be provided with a Zoom link in their registration e-mail.