Feeding Your Future
Promoting agri-food jobs and training opportunities across
Ontario.
Making connections in the agri‑food workforce.
Employers are seeking qualified candidates for Ontario’s food, beverage and agri-products sector. Feeding Your Future wants to make it easier for employers to find, train, and retain the workers they need, and help employ Ontarians with meaningful jobs during COVID-19 and beyond.
Want to learn more?
Explore these project toolkits to learn more and register for upcoming events.
Employer Toolkit Job Seeker ToolkitJob Matching Concierge Service
OFA is partnering with AgCareers.com and CareersInFood.com to help agri-food businesses set up an account online, post job openings, and manage applications.
Streamlining the process of connecting job seekers with agri‑food employers
Through webinars, agri-training opportunities and virtual career fairs, Feeding Your Future allows candidates to learn more about agriculture, enter the workforce feeling prepared and confident and bridges the gap to new employers and job opportunities.
Webinars
Free webinars for job seekers and employers to learn about opportunities in agri-food, health, safety and workplace cultureAgri-training
A new online certificate for employees and job seekers as an introduction to agri-food safety and awarenessCareer Fairs
Free online events hosted across the province to connect agri-food employers and job seekersFacebook Posts
"Everyone was really surprised with my decision to pursue agriculture which made me work twice as hard to get where I am now"
This week meet Maddi Reid from Ridgetown, Ontario!
Maddi has recently graduated from the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, with an Associate Diploma in Agriculture. She is currently employed by Corteva Agriscience as an Area Supervisor in the seed corn fields. Through this role, she is able to interact and assist farmers directly which aligns with her goals of getting more hands-on learning and expanding her network within the agriculture industry to expand her knowledge.
Before moving from Windsor to Ridgetown 15 years ago, Maddi's family had no agricultural background. Yet, her dad soon started working for Corteva Agriscience on the harvest team which has turned into 14 years of employment within the company. Maddi has always thought she would have pursued something in the healthcare field but through the influence of her Grade 11 & 12 Biology teacher, she was challenged to step outside of her comfort zone and try new things.
She is very grateful for choosing an education and career path in agriculture as it has surprised her with the number and variety of opportunities. Shortly after graduating college, she wasn't sure what type of jobs to expect but soon realized there were many from both the livestock and crop production sides. Even starting college, Maddi was nervous about the judgement she would face with no agricultural background. Yet, her professors & classmates were always very happy to clarify things from their own experiences and knowledge. Before becoming involved in the agriculture industry, Maddi never thought twice about this sector and didn't care to know where her food was coming from. Now however, she has a completely different outlook and realizes how vital it is to support the food system!
#FeatureYourFuture #FeedYourFuture
Hire for personality over skill - One of the takeaway messages from our Webinar this morning!
Our experienced panelists revealed that when hiring employees, they seek individuals with a positive and buoyant personality, believing that skill can be taught later. Having a pleasant personality makes a very good impression and contributes to a strong workplace culture.
Stay tuned for the recording of this webinar on our website!
We would like to thank these panelists for joining us this morning for an awesome discussion! This conversation included very valuable and diverse perspectives from experienced employers.
If you missed the conversation, stay tuned for it to be uploaded to our website!
Our final introduction goes to panelist Julie Salonin!
Julie is currently the HR Manager for Sysco in Southwestern Ontario. She graduated with Honours in HR Management from McMaster University and has worked in Human Resources for various retail industries over the past 10+ years.
Joining Sysco in 2018, Julie is responsible for HR in the Woodstock site which staffs over 200 people. This includes associate relations, recruitment and onboarding, compensation and benefits management and talent/performance management.
With her wonderful husband, Julie has three great kids and enjoys kayaking and taking spontaneous road trips to find little hidden gem restaurants!
To ask Julie any questions, make sure to register for the webinar today! us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Yfr_riNSTRqVI8crVuFnbg
Next up, meet panelist Jodi Roelands!
Along with her husband (and business partner), Jodi is the co-founder and owner of Roelands Plant Farms. This is a greenhouse operation that grows seedlings for greenhouse vegetable growers and sells garden ready seedlings online at plantables.ca. Jodi and her husband have worked to grow the company from the ground up since 2013. They were named Ontario's Outstanding Young Farmer's in 2016 and Report on Business Magazine listed them as one of Canada's Top 400 Growing Companies of 2020.
Jodi has been involved in agriculture since her childhood, being a part of her family's poultry operation. At the young age of 12, she gained the experience of training her first employee in the poultry barn! Fast forward and she now employs 120 people from five different continents and knows what it takes to hire a stellar team.
For the chance to ask Jodi about hiring or working in the industry, don't forget to register for the webinar at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Yfr_riNSTRqVI8crVuFnbg
October is small business month🏦
Through the impacts of the pandemic, it is essential to recognize the small business owners who need local support, now more than ever!
Learn you can do your part with this resource provided by @GKWCC greaterkwchamber.com/how-to-support-small-businesses-during-the-covid-19-coronavirus-pandemic/
How to Support Small Businesses During the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic - Chamber of Commerce KW
greaterkwchamber.com
It’s an unsettling time right now for many small business owners and our community. With frequent (yet necessary) updates surrounding COVID-19 Coronavirus, it can be difficult to focus on anything e...Introducing our next panelist, Christine Schoonderwoerd!
Christine's passion for agriculture stems from her childhood, growing up on a hog and cash crop farm near Mitchell. With her husband and four children, Christine now owns a farm outside of Sebringville, where they grow apples and grain and raise beef cattle.
Christine earned a Diploma in Agriculture, B.Sc. in Agriculture and a Post Graduate in Agricultural Communications all from the University of Guelph. She transitioned to the role of Communications Specialist at Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd., and has recently joined the WFS team as Assistant Manager.
Christine is an active member of her community and currently serves as Past-Chair of Farm & Food Care Ontario.
Join us in welcoming Christine for our panel discussion tomorrow!
Meet panelist Teresa Van Raay!
Teresa and her husband, Martin, have been farming for 38 years in Dashwood, Ontario. Together, they produce pork and grow corn, wheat, soybeans and garlic. They also operate the Whole Pig Company to market their high quality pork directly to consumers. In 2017, Teresa and Martin built a plant on the farm to package garlic for grocery stores.
Teresa represents Ontario Pork as Chair with the London Swine Conference and as a Director of AgScape. In November 2019, Teresa was elected as Director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
Make sure to have all questions ready for Teresa at tomorrow's webinar @ 10am!
"As industries have shifted in Ontario, and agriculture has become the strongest sector in the Canadian economy, I couldn't be happier about my gamble to get involved."
Introducing Mark Torrey who grew up in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario!
Mark is a Member Service Representative with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, covering the areas of Kawartha Lakes/Haliburton, Durham Region and Peterborough County. With his wife and children, Mark also owns and operates his family cash-crop and beef farm that has been in the Torrey family since 1863!
Mark attended the University of Guelph, graduating in 2000 with an Associate Diploma of Agriculture from the Ontario Agricultural College. Until he started post-secondary schooling, he didn't have a major interest in pursuing a career in agriculture. Mark almost attended college for graphic design and music but decided against this after completing a high school placement at a print shop. His father encouraged him to consider a career pathway in agriculture which Mark is very happy he chose to pursue.
With ties to his family farm, Mark was happy to discover the number of opportunities that existed beyond the 'hub' of agriculture in central Ontario. Over the years, he was able to gain experience at a fertilizer and seed retailer as well as in the seed industry where he helped develop seed varieties for sale in Canada. Mark studied for and earned his Certified Crop Advisor's certificate which led to a position in Agronomy and Sales.
Through these opportunities, he quickly learned the diversity within each sector of agriculture from primary production, to marketing, to biotechnology, agronomy and even the people! He is grateful for the community in the agriculture sector and that he can remain in touch with and continue to build connections with the people he met through school 20 years ago.
#FeatureYourFuture #FeedYourFuture
Congrats Mark!
It's #worldfoodday! 🍇🧀🥖
Explore a new resource created by @UtensilDotCA. From acres to zest, the Utensil Guide has over 500 terms available to improve communication of farm to kitchen jargon.
Check it out for yourself and don't forget to share! utensil.ca/guide/
"Workplace culture starts with the employer but we hire individuals that will perpetuate that culture"
Spoken from this week's Ask the Agri-Food Employer panelist @JodiRoelands, owner of @RoelandsPlant Farms 🌱 It takes two sides to create & maintain the right workplace culture!
It's the little things that can go a long way! Support your small business with these #SmallBusinessWeek tips.
#SmallBusinessWeekTip:
Sometimes a checklist can go a long way. ✅ Here are a few checklists for employers looking to keep their workplaces safe:
http://www.forms.ssb.gov.on.ca/mbs/ssb/forms/ssbforms.nsf?OpenDatabase&ENV=WWE
We are excited to be a part of this year's virtual @THERAWF with @AgCareers to host not 1 but 2 virtual career fairs!
Join us on November 10th & 12th from 11am-2pm for the chance to connect with an employer or a job seeker. Registration is open here https://royalfair.vfairs.com/en/registration
Don't miss out on this information session to learn how to apply for the Winter semester! Share with anyone you think this program would be perfect for🚜
Applications are now being accepted for Conestoga's full-time, funded Agricultural Equipment program starting January 2021.
A virtual information session on October 27 will provide an overview of the program and the application and acceptance process: http://ow.ly/wU4T50BYyPf
Get ready for the 2020 virtual AgriTech Hackathon- a 3 day virtual event from November 6-8th!
Teams of 4 will work together to solve one of 5 challenge questions and pitch it to a panel of judges. Visit the @AgritechH page for more info & register here https://agritechhackathon.ca/register/
To address the need for skilled equipment operators to support the agriculture industry, @ConestogaC has developed a NEW program called Agricultural Equipment Operator with hands-on learning!
Visit this link for upcoming information sessions
Conestoga College Accepting Applications for Agriculture Equipment Operator Pilot Program
Conestoga College is accepting applications for our Agricultural Equipment Operator Pilot program. The program is funded by the federal and provincial...
ow.ly
We would like to thank these panelists for joining us this morning for an awesome discussion! This conversation included very valuable and diverse perspectives from experienced employers.
If you missed the conversation, stay tuned for it to be uploaded to our website!
Our final introduction goes to Julie Salonin!
Julie is currently the HR Manager for Sysco in Southwestern Ontario. This includes associate relations, recruitment and onboarding, compensation and benefits management and talent/performance management.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Yfr_riNSTRqVI8crVuFnbg
Next up, meet panelist Jodi Roelands!
With her husband, Jodi is the co-founder and owner of Roelands Plant Farms, a greenhouse operation. Jodi has been involved in agriculture since her childhood through her family's poultry farm.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Yfr_riNSTRqVI8crVuFnbg
October is small business month🏦
Through the impacts of the pandemic, it is essential to recognize the small business owners who need local support, now more than ever!
Learn you can do your part with this resource provided by @GKWCC
How to Support Small Businesses During the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic - Chamber of Commerce KW
It’s an unsettling time right now for many small business owners and our community. With frequent (yet necessary) updates surrounding COVID-19 C...
greaterkwchamber.com
