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students standing in a bean field

Online Agri-Food Learning Resource Now Available to OAC Students

Looking to brush up on your agri-food terminology? The Ontario Agricultural College has launched a new collaboration with UTENSIL, an online learning platform designed to support students prepare for careers in Canada’s agri-food sector.

photo of three new fare faculty members side by side

Meet the three new food, agricultural and research economics faculty at OAC

The Ontario Agricultural College’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) is welcoming three new faculty members whose work examines some of the biggest challenges facing food systems today: how food gets from farm to table, how climate change is affecting agriculture and communities, and how environmental and agricultural policy can better protect natural resources and improve human welfare. 

OAC Alumni Honoured Among 2026 Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductees

The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) is proud to celebrate four alumni who have been named among the 2026 inductees to the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame, recognizing their lasting contributions to the province’s agri-food sector. 

This year’s alumni inductees are Dr. Helen Fisher (posthumous), Percy Hodgetts (posthumous), Brian O’Connor, and The Honourable Robert Black.

wyatt standing in a barn with cows and a tractor behind him. he's wearing a black leather jacket with the oac crest on it

5 Questions with Ridgetown Campus Agriculture Student Wyatt Brauer

Wyatt Brauer is an agriculture student at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus who comes from a family-owned farm in Prince Edward County, Ontario. In this #CanadaAgDay feature, Wyatt reflects on the resilience and dedication of Canadian farmers and why recognizing those who put food on the table matters to him. He also shares what drew him to the Ridgetown Campus and how those experiences have shaped his education and future plans in agriculture.

Two new faculty members standing in a lab, wearing white lab coats

New Faculty Join OAC’s Groundbreaking Waterborne Pathogen Team

The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) is elevating its leadership in water safety and health with the addition of two new faculty members in the School of Environmental Sciences. Drs. Shadman Khan and Wenxi Liao will join the research program of Dr. David McCarthy, the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Waterborne Pathogens: Surveillance, Prediction and Mitigation. The researchers will help build one of North America’s most advanced teams focused on protecting communities from waterborne pathogens.

Our Sympathies: Earle Muir

The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) community mourns the passing of Earle Muir, a proud member of the OAC Class of 1956 Bachelor of Science in Agriculture - BSA (major Horticultural Science), who passed away peacefully on December 19, 2025, at his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in his 93rd year.

A fourth-generation fruit farmer in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Earle devoted his life to farming and was known for his strong work ethic, fairness, and kindness. After many years farming alongside his daughter, he proudly passed the farm on to her. 

afshin ashair, standing in front of his artificial intelligence tool

Designing with intelligence: OAC prof explores how AI can shape the future of landscape architecture

From parks to restored natural habitats, landscape architects help sustainably shape the outdoor spaces that connect people and land. While the discipline has traditionally relied on hands-on, human-centered methods, it has been slower to adopt emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) or augmented reality. OAC’s Afshin Ashari, assistant professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, is working to change that.

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