News

Formal agricultural research is often conducted by professional researchers, however, recently there has been an increase in farmer-led initiatives such as the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario’s (EFAO) Farmer-Led Research Program (FLRP). The Connecting the Dots initiative is excited to share a research summary about the impacts of the FLRP – Farmer Knowledge as Formal Knowledge: A Case Study of Farmer-Led Research in Ontario, Canada. The summary highlights the value of the EFAO’s FLRP and how it has been beneficial for ecological farmers in Ontario.

Kamshajini Raveenthiran, a current doctoral student and a graduate from the Capacity Development and Extension program in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, shared a thoughtful and inspiring reflection on her participation in the first international conference of the Canadian Agri-food, & Rural Extension, Advisory and Education (CAREE) conference held at the University of Guelph during October 29- 31, 2025.

A newly published chapter in Critical Futures: Community-Engaged Research in a Time of Social Transformation (University of Toronto Press) invites readers to rethink what it means to live, work, and thrive in rural places today.

October 20-26, 2025, was International Open Access Week – a global event dedicated to openness in scholarship and research. This year’s theme, “Who Owns Our Knowledge?”, invited all of us to reflect on who controls the production and sharing of knowledge—and how we might open it up for the wider public good.

On September 29, 2025, students in School's RPD*6250 Foundation: Planning Practice class (taught by Prof. Mollie Kuchma), were welcomed to the Wellington County Administration and Planning Office by Aldo Salis, Director of Planning and Development. The visit provided students with an opportunity to understand how local planning departments function and to gain deeper insight into the diverse responsibilities planners undertake at the county level.

On October 6, 2025, graduate students in the Rural Planning and Development (RPD) program’s Foundations of Planning Practice (RPD*6250) course (taught by Prof. Mollie Kuchma) had the opportunity to meet with the City of Guelph’s Mayor, Cam Guthrie, for an engaging discussion on municipal planning and decision-making in Guelph.

In the Winter 2025 semester, the second-year Master of Landscape Architecture students in the Community Design studio course participated in a community design competition organized by the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), founded and supported by architects and artists Robert Ferry and Elizabeth Monoian.

Ontario’s food story is written by passionate entrepreneurs, dedicated farmers, and innovative businesses who believe in the power of local. With support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agri-business (OMAFA), the Local Food Champions initiative—launched in partnership with the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA), a non-profit organization, principal investigators Dr.

The 2025 Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) Symposium: 'Integrated Planning' was held Thursday, September 18 and Friday, September 19, 2025.  Thursday was filled with informative panel discussions, with an optional guided excursion scheduled on Friday. The Symposium was attended by rural planning and development students from the University of Guelph, both virtually and in person at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener, Ontario.