AAC Website  |  Contact Us

IN THIS ISSUE:

• BUILDING BRIDGES AND BEYOND: A MESSAGE FROM JENN MACTAVISH
• AAC FUNDS THREE NEW FARMFOOD360 PROJECTS
• THE FUTURE HERD PODCAST: TUNE IN AND EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF AGRI-FOOD
• CAAIN LAUNCHES $9M AG TECH PROJECT FUNDING COMPETITION
• AAC MEMBER NEWS AND EVENTS

BUILDING BRIDGES AND BEYOND: JENN MACTAVISH

The work shows up in what our staff and Board deliver every day. Programs like the Veterinary Incentive Program, the Agri-Tech Innovation Initiative, and the Rapid Response to Business Development Initiative reflect AAC’s longstanding ability to respond to real industry needs with practical, meaningful action. That kind of delivery, grounded in what the sector needs, is something we’re committed to building on.

At the same time, we are focusing on today’s priorities. Through Agri-Food 2050, AAC is helping the sector think more deliberately about the future, shaping Ontario agri-food and the steps that we can take now to strengthen resilience, competitiveness, and innovation over the long-term.

Looking ahead, we’ll be applying that same thinking as we develop a new strategic direction for AAC.

In the coming months, you’ll start to see some of that take shape. Our goal is to be deliberate about where AAC can create the greatest value, for our members, our partners, and for the sector, through strong engagement, effective delivery and practical leadership. We’ll do that work grounded in AAC’s 30+ year history as an industry-led organization. That experience matters, and we’ll draw on it as we chart the path forward. I look forward to sharing more and connecting with you along the way.

-Jenn

AAC FUNDS THREE NEW FARMFOOD360 VIDEOS

Coming soon – three new FarmFood360 virtual reality videos that will showcase:

• Northern Ontario agriculture

• Greenhouse vegetables

• Ontario grapes

The FarmFood360 program is an initiative that helps AAC members develop behind-the-scenes experiences about Ontario’s agri-food industry. The videos are created by Farm & Food Care Ontario and connect consumers through immersive videos. The new videos will be produced in 2026 and launched at the Royal Winter Fair in November.

The funding will support projects being developed by AAC member organizations Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance, Grape Growers of Ontario and Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.

The impact of these videos is significant. They provide virtual reality tours of Ontario farms and food processing facilities to promote Ontario agriculture and food practices to help build consumer confidence in the food grown and prepared in our province. This partnership is funded through AAC’s Strategic Initiatives Fund and supports up to half of the cost for approved AAC members to develop and promote these tours highlighting their commodities or industries.

FUTURE HERD PODCAST: CONVERSATIONS SHAPING AGRI-FOOD

The Future Herd is a podcast focused on how the agri-food sector can navigate long-term change through leadership, collaboration, and shared thinking. AAC is proud to be a founding partner, supporting this work as part of our commitment to promoting conversations about the future of agriculture and food in Ontario.

What sets The Future Herd apart is its focus on conversation over commentary – bringing together diverse voices from across the value chain to explore big-picture challenges and opportunities.

The podcast is sparking important discussions on leadership, culture, innovation, trust, and how the sector adapts to change. These conversations are being distilled into emerging themes, like:

• The need for stronger, more coordinated sector leadership
•  Importance of collaboration
•  Shifts toward more networked, inclusive approaches
• ·Building skills and the next generation workforce
•  Strengthening public trust and industry narratives

These insights are helping to identify priority areas for the sector and will be used to inform Agri-Food 2050 discussions.

We encourage you to tune in and be part of the conversation.

CAAIN LAUNCHES $9M AGTECH PROJECT FUNDING COMPETITION

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) recently launched its latest funding call, a $9M open competition designed to foster advances in a sector of critical importance to the safety and sovereignty of Canada’s agri-food value chain.

The funding will support collaborative activities that will bridge the gap between the development of new Innovations in agriculture and their adoption in the commercial space. CAAIN is seeking applications for research and innovation projects that:

• Advance the development, use and value of automation and robotics in agri-food production and primary processing;

• Support the creation of data-based decision-making tools that can be applied to improve knowledge, reduce risk or optimize production; and/or

• Contribute to the implementation of smart farm platform or smart farm networks to support tech adoption through fulsome integration of partners; creation of frameworks for validation, demonstration and scaling; and training of a technologically proficient agricultural work force.

CONNECTING WITH OUR AGRI-FOOD SECTOR

April was a busy month for the Ontario agri-food sector. AAC staff were pleased to attend a variety of events, the fifth annual Grow Ontario Food Summit, the Farm & Food Care Ontario 2026 Annual Conference and Speakers’ Program, the Canadian AgRobotics & AI Summit and the SPARK V5 Symposium coordinated by Grand River Agricultural Society..

UPCOMING AAC MEMBER EVENTS