News

A strong agri-food system begins with strong, resilient communities—and supporting rural Ontarians is at the heart of a new gift to the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC). The $1.65-million gift from the McCall MacBain Foundation will support a data-driven initiative led by Dr. Leith Deacon that aims to improve the health and well-being of rural communities across Ontario, with plans to expand data collection and impact throughout Canada.

The venture between University of Guelph researcher Dr. Joshua Nasielski and Ontario-based ag-tech company Susterre Technologies Inc. was facilitated by the University’s Research Innovation Office. It’s a compelling example of how academic-private partnerships can drive innovation while reducing risk for farmers.

Read the story: Cultivating Innovation—How Academic-Private Partnerships Are De-Risking Agri-Tech for Ontario Farmers

University of Guelph researcher Dr. Elijah Kiarie helps Ontario poultry farmers produce birds that are healthy and feed-efficient and raised in a more sustainable way, supporting the province’s more than 2,000 poultry and egg farmers who contribute roughly $1.8 billion to the provincial economy.

A new study led by University of Guelph researchers and funded in part by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance is the first large-scale project to assess antibiotic usage trends and their impact on honey bee health in Canada.

The withdrawal of antibiotics, following recent regulation changes, was one of the top predictors of honey bee overwintering mortality — a result that surprised lead author Dr. Brendan Daisley.

Renaud, a veterinarian and researcher at the University of Guelph, has spent years digging into how transport affects calf health, growth and disease. His research is supported in part by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, and shows just how quickly stress can pile up and why the choices made before, during and after a calf hits the road really matter when it comes to raising strong, healthy animals.

Researchers at the University of Guelph have been awarded over $25.4 million in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).

A strong local food supply that protects farmers, the environment and the supply chain: that’s the goal of $5.4 million in provincial funding for 28 University of Guelph research projects. 

The investment comes from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the University of Guelph, the Government of Ontario and its agency Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO).

Saputo is making another investment in the dairy welfare program it initiated a decade ago at U of G. Former Alliance tour guide Anne Schwanke is the new, full time Saputo Dairy Care Program Manager.

Read the story on the Ontario Veterinary College website: Celebrating 10 Years of the Saputo Dairy Care Program.

Dr. Fatemeh Fazel left her home in Iran to research avian flu at U of G. Now she’s working on what could be a game-changer for vaccines.

In January 2021, Fazel arrived in Canada to complete her PhD in pathobiology under the guidance of Dr. Shayan Sharif, one of the world’s leading avian flu researchers, in pursuit of a vaccine capable of protecting birds.

A University of Guelph research team has made it to the third and final Scaling Phase of the Weston Family Foundation’s $33-million Homegrown Innovation Challenge.