Ontario Forage Network

Forage Focus
2025-12-02 19:30 - 2025-12-04 20:30 (America/Toronto)
Mark your calendar! Ontario Forage Council’s popular Forage Focus webinar series will be happening December 2 – 4, 2025. Each night a webinar will be held at 7:30pm EST.

More details will be coming soon. Subscribe to our newsletter to be kept up-to-date.

Learn more about last year’s Forage Focus (a special in-person event) here.

2025 Innovation Exchange - Cover Cropping
2025-12-03 14:00 - 15:00
The 2025 Innovation Exchange: Living Lab–ON Research Forum is a four-part virtual series exploring climate-friendly solutions co-developed by farmers and researchers.

December 3rd – 2:00pmCover Cropping Innovation

Living Lab – Ontario researchers are exploring innovative practices for cover crops in two different ways. Join Jake Munroe (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness) to learn about drone seeding cover crops into grain corn and soybeans, and Kim Schneider (University of Guelph) to learn about the benefits of cover crop grazing. The researchers are joined by farmer-cooperators participating in each of the trials who will share their experiences with trialing these practices.

APPROVED CEU CREDITS: Crop Management CEUs: 1This session is also an approved OFCAF KSEParticipants must attend sessions to receive these credits

Understanding Farming as a System for Sustainable Management
2025-12-09 12:00 - 13:00
Understanding Farming as a System for Sustainable Management

Farms are complex, interconnected systems where soil, water, crops, livestock, and people all play a role. Join Northern Roots Soil Solutions’ Claire Coombs, Certified Crop Advisor, and Laura Niell, Soil Health & Field Advisor, as they introduce the principles of systems thinking in farming, looking at how soil health, water, biodiversity, crop and livestock production, and economic decisions are all interconnected.

Join the Ontario Farmland Trust in a series of free online webinars to explore pressures on farmland, learn about solutions, and share innovative ideas. There will be a new topic each month, and we will be joined by professionals from across Ontario, including land-use planners, lawyers, conservation organizations, and more. Join us over your lunch break from the comfort of your home, field or office.

2025 Innovation Exchange - Nitrogen Management
2025-12-10 14:30 - 15:30
Dec. 10th – 2:30pmNitrogen Management

Optimizing your nitrogen applications is a complex management decision. Apply too much and lose returns on your investment or increase the loss of nitrogen as nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas). Join Living Lab – Ontario researchers, Craig Drury (AAFC) studying nitrification and urease inhibitors to understand how these products can benefit the environment and your crops. We will also hear from Researcher, Aaron Delaporte (AAFC) on how these practices can improve your ROI and a Living Lab farmer-cooperator exploring ways to optimize nitrogen management using plant-available nitrogen from cover crops. Hear how their first set of trials has gone, and how they are adapting their management strategies on their farm going forward.

APPROVED CEU CREDITS: Nutrient Management CEUs: 1This session is also an approved OFCAF KSEParticipants must attend sessions to receive these credits

2025 Innovation Exchange - Managing Marginal Lands
2025-12-17 12:30 - 13:30
The 2025 Innovation Exchange: Living Lab–ON Research Forum is a four-part virtual series exploring climate-friendly solutions co-developed by farmers and researchers.

December 17th – 12:30pmManaging Marginal Lands

While marginal lands are unsuitable for crop production, they can offer a range of environmental benefits – which if managed well, will still benefit your agricultural operations. Living Lab researchers, Lauren Des Marteaux (AAFC) and Kara Looyenga (UofGuelph) are studying field boundary areas to assess how different boundary types affect carbon sequestration, and how habitat restoration can support beneficial insect populations, like pollinators. Aaron Breimar from MooseAg will also share how tools like profit maps can provide field specific guidance to optimize management of low value areas and how to decide whether marginal lands are worth keeping in production.

APPROVED CEU CREDITS: Soil & Water Management CEUs: 1

Grey Bruce Farmers' Week
2026-01-07 08:00 - 2026-01-12 17:00
Celebrate 60 years of Grey Bruce Farmers Week! Happening January 7th to 12th at the Elmwood Community Centre. Attend in-person or online. Visit www.gbfw.ca to register.

Farmland Protection and Policy: An Introduction
2026-01-22 12:00 - 13:00
Farmland Protection and Policy: An Introduction

Join the Ontario Farmland Trust’s Executive Director, Martin Straathof, and Board Chair, Margaret Walton, for an accessible introduction to municipal planning processes and farmland protection policies. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of how municipal decisions impact farmland, what tools exist to influence those decisions, and which levels of government and departments are responsible for decisions affecting farmland.

Join the Ontario Farmland Trust in a series of free online webinars to explore pressures on farmland, learn about solutions, and share innovative ideas. There will be a new topic each month, and we will be joined by professionals from across Ontario, including land-use planners, lawyers, conservation organizations, and more. Join us over your lunch break from the comfort of your home, field or office.

Understanding Urease and Nitrification Inhibitors
2026-01-28 13:00 - 14:00
Webinar: Understanding Urease and Nitrification Inhibitors with Dr. John Lauzon.CEU: 1.0 NM (Pending Approval). Nitrogen Management OFCAF KSE available for live webinar only.January 28, 2026. 1:00 – 2:00 PM.Visit the event page HERE for more details.

The Ontario Certified Crop Advisor Association (CCA) and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) have partnered to deliver training and educational resources to Ontario agrologists. With a focus on cover crops, nitrogen management, and rotational grazing, these sessions will support the objectives of the On-Farm Climate Action Fund.

Virtual Beef Symposium
2026-01-29 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-02-05 19:00 - 21:00
Beef Symposium 2026 will take place this year on Thursday, Jan 29th and Thursday, February 5th, 7 pm to 9 pm each evening via Zoom.

This year line up of speakers and topics includes:

Research updates from Dr. Heather Murphy, (One Health), Moriah Crevier, (Pain Management in Young Calves), and Hannah McCarthy, (Alternative Feeds Research),

Pasture Measurement Research with Caroline Reisiger, (PhD student, U. of Guelph),

Acidosis and Fibre Inclusion with Dr. Gabriel Riberio, University of Saskatchewan, and

Cost of Production of Feeding Cattle with John Molenhuis, OMAFA.

Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/n6ISapkdTK-fYoE_4YAxcA#/registration#.

Northern Ontario Ag Conference
2026-02-06 08:00 - 2026-02-07 12:30
Returning to Sudbury in 2026, join NOFIA to Celebrate the North at the Northern Ontario Ag Conference!

Where: Holiday Inn Sudbury

When: February 6 & 7, 2026

See the agenda and register here.

Introduction to Rotational Grazing and Pasture Crop Production
2026-02-11 13:00 - 14:00
Webinar: Introduction to Rotational Grazing and Pasture Crop Production with Christine O’ReillyCEU: 1.0 CM (Pending Approval). Rotational Grazing KSE available for live webinar only.February 11, 2026. 1:00 – 2:00 PM.Visit the event page HERE for more details.

The Ontario Certified Crop Advisor Association (CCA) and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) have partnered to deliver training and educational resources to Ontario agrologists. With a focus on cover crops, nitrogen management, and rotational grazing, these sessions will support the objectives of the On-Farm Climate Action Fund.

Advancing Agrivoltaics for a Sustainable Future
2026-02-13 08:00 - 17:00
Farming the future: growing food and generating clean energy together.

Join Agrivoltaics Canada for Advancing Agrivoltaics for a Sustainable Future, a one-day event focused on how solar panels on farmland can boost farm income, crop health, and energy security.Hear from experts who are turning sunlight into opportunity, for both the land and local communities.

When: Friday, February 13th, 2026

Where: Federation Hall, University of Waterloo

Early Bird Tickets: $250 (+tax) – available until 31st January!

Student discounts available!

Profitable Pastures
2026-03-03 19:30 - 2026-03-05 20:30
SAVE THE DATE! OFC’s annual Profitable Pastures webinar series is happening March 3 – 5, 2026 from 7:30pm EST to 8:30pm EST each night.

More details coming soon.

Forages for Tomorrow: Ontario Forage Council AGM
2026-03-10 09:00 - 14:30
Come to The GrandWay in Elora on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 from 9am to 1:30pm for a day of everything forages! Learn more about the Community Pastures Initiative, hear from speakers on grazing and hay topics, and network with producers and others in the forage industry. Don’t miss the trade show and our first Wall of Fame presentation!

Anyone interested in learning more about the Ontario Forage Council is welcome to stay for the business portion of the day at 1:30pm.

Agenda to come.

Register here.

Learn more about OFC here.

Get the latest updates by subscribing to our email newsletter.

Ontario Biomass Producers AGM
2026-03-17 09:00 - 15:00
Join us on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 from 9am to 3pm to learn about about the latest research and market updates. Chat with fellow producers and researchers.

OBPC members can run for a position on the Board of Directors.

Agenda to come.

See presentations from previous AGMs here.

Learn more about OBPC here.

2026 Farmland Forum
2026-03-19 09:00 - 16:00
The Ontario Farmland Trust is pleased to invite you to our annual Farmland Forum on March 19, 2026. Join farmers, planners, municipal leaders, conservation organizations, and community members from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Grandway Events Centre in Elora, ON, for a day of learning, connection, and conversation.

This year’s theme, Municipalities & Farmland Protection, focuses on the critical role municipalities and communities play through land-use planning, zoning, and policy decisions. Through an inspiring keynote, a panel featuring farmer perspectives, a hands-on workshop, and informative sessions, the 2026 Farmland Forum offers a space for meaningful dialogue, shared learning, and practical action. Participants will leave with new connections and clear tools to champion farmland protection in their own communities.

You can learn more about the day’s program here.

Bale Grazing Webinar
2026-04-09 19:00 - 20:00
Bale grazing webinar with Dean Cober, Chris Moore, and Christine O’Reilly from OMAFA

Get tips and tricks from Ontario Grazing Mentors on extending your grazing season with bale grazing.

This webinar is FREE.

Cover Crop Grazing Webinar
2026-04-15 19:00 - 20:00
Find out how to extend your grazing season with cover crop grazing. This webinar features Ontario Grazing Mentors Birgit Martin, Joe Dickenson, and Mike Swidersky

Cost: FREE

Profitable Pastures Webinar
2026-04-22 19:30 - 20:30
Dr. Murphy will present results from a 3-year rotational grazing of beef cattle project where her team intensively studied 5 rotational farms and 4 conventional farms over 3 grazing seasons in southern Ontario. She will present findings on pathogen presence in soil, water and cattle fecal samples and management factors that seemed to influence presence of pathogens in cattle environments.

Dr. Murphy has over twenty years of experience in water-related research in both North America and abroad. Dr. Murphy obtained her PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Guelph, Canada. Following her PhD, she worked for the United Nations International Emergency Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist in Mali and Madagascar. In 2015 she joined Temple University’s College of Public Health where she was an Assistant Professor for 5 years. In 2020, she joined the Department of Pathobiology, in the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) as Tier II Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor working in the area of One Health. She was recently inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in their College of New Scholars and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2025 for her research and mentorship of female scientists. Dr. Murphy’s work seeks to identify and understand the ways pathogens move through water and the environment, and propose appropriate interventions needed to protect human and animal health.

This webinar is free.

Demo Day at Grey Dufferin Community Pasture
2026-06-13 10:00 - 13:00
Join OFC and the Grey Dufferin Community Pasture for a Demo Day! Mark you calendar for June 13th.

Registration and more details coming soon! Make sure you’re subscribed to OFC’s newsletter to find out more in the May issue.

Forage Expo
2026-07-09 10:00 - 15:00
Forage Expo is coming to Peterborough County in 2026! Find all the details here.
