Grey County to again explore innovation in agriculture | Owen Sound Sun Times
Grey County’s exploration of innovation in agriculture is returning for a third year with a focus on how agri-food innovation and sustainability will help feed the world in the future.
Ag 4.0.3 will be held at the Hanover Civic Theatre on Friday where attendees will take part in a morning session of speakers and panels, and then head out in the afternoon and visit some of the innovative projects underway in the area. The theme of this year’s conference is World Food 2050: Where do we go from here?
Grey County economic development officer Philly Markowitz said the event will try to forecast some of the challenges and opportunities agri-food producers can expect to face in the future.
“How do local agri-food producers prioritize decisions in a complex changing world? What are the trends we need to watch locally and globally? How can agri-food producers make more from less in a sustainable manner?” Markowitz said in a news release. “These are just some of the questions we’ll address at the conference and on the innovation tour.”
The event will begin in the morning with a keynote address by Dr. Robin White, a published researcher and assistant professor of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech University, who has extensive experience with sustainable beef production. His research considers human and animal nutrition, climate change and environmental consequences, social justice, animal welfare, and the impacts of emerging ag-tech, it said in the news release.
The morning sessions will also include a discussion on applying lean principles in agri-food; a panel featuring representatives from Yes Crickets, The Frauxmagerie, and Ripple Farms; a resource recovery project from Lystek International and updates on Grey County’s climate change action plan, economic development and Sydenham Campus.
The afternoon tour includes a stop at Cedar Crest Trout Farms, which is entering into a partnership with Ripple Farms aquaponics who are building a cannabis production facility on the site. The tour will also visit the Launch Pad to learn about youth programming there, while Chef Shahir Massoud will give a food demo. The tour’s final stop will be MacLean’s Ales for a tour of the craft brewery.
“We have a full day planned for guests, but we’re also leaving time between sessions for networking and asking questions. It’s one of the most valuable parts of the day,” said Markowitz.
The conference runs from 9 a.m. To 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $50, which includes refreshments, the bus tour and lunch prepared by Massoud. Tickets for high school and post-secondary students are $30. They are available until Thursday through Eventbrite at https://ag-4-0-3.eventbrite.ca