Features

For more than three decades, retired OAC professors Tom and Jane Funk played an instrumental role in shaping the future of agricultural business education at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC). As dedicated educators, mentors, and innovators, their careers were defined by a shared passion for student success and a tireless commitment to bridging the gap between learning and real-world applications.

Now, with a generous gift of $50,000, Tom and Jane are continuing their legacy by establishing the Tom & Jane Funk Agri-Marketing Bursary to support OAC students in the Bachelor of Commerce (Food and Agricultural Business) program, awarded based on financial need.

Canadian Canoe Museum earns international spotlight thanks to alumni from U of G’s landscape architecture program

Vedika Nair came to Canada from Kenya with a passion for environmental protection and a goal of making a global impact. Now studying in the Bachelor of Environmental Science, majoring in Environmental Science at OAC, she’s putting that passion into action through a co-op position with the Treasury Board of Canada in Ottawa, where she’s helping shape sustainable government purchasing policies. Her journey—from Kenya’s natural beauty to Canada’s capital—has been shaped by U of G’s supportive faculty, welcoming student community, and a program that blends science, policy, and hands-on experience.

Dr. Peter Sikkema, a renowned weed scientist and long-time researcher and educator at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus, has been named one of six 2025 inductees into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.

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. 

University of Guelph soybean breeder Istvan Rajcan received the NAPB Public Sector Impact Award for his global contributions to soybean genetics, including 87 cultivars and extensive mentorship in the field.

A strong agri-food system begins with strong, resilient communities—and supporting rural Ontarians is at the heart of a new gift to U of G’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 U of G’s Ridgetown Campus is pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Vanhie as the new Technical Foreperson at the Ontario Crops Research Centre at Huron. Vanhie will oversee all activities at the 61-hectare facility, managing day-to-day operations and maximizing the Centre's research programming, supporting faculty led and external research at the site.

Climate change is reshaping farmland - influencing crop yields, water availability, overall productivity and land values. Understanding these changes is crucial for farmers, policymakers, and economists alike. Two recent graduates of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) have published their research in the Journal of Land Economics, exploring the impact that climate change might have on farmland values – the results are surprising.