(Guelph, ON) – With the conclusion of the Agricultural Adaptation Council’s (AAC) annual summer board meeting held in June, the AAC Board of Directors have allocated more than $39.0 million approving over 417 projects under two of the AAC’s funding programs, CanAdvance and the Canada-Ontario Research and Development (CORD) Program.

The June AAC Board meeting saw 10 CanAdvance projects and 24 CORD projects approved. Included in the approved CanAdvance projects is an International Goat Symposium. With a funding grant of $15,437 the City of Kawartha Lakes will host a three day International Goat Symposium that will bring together North American goat farmers and world-class speakers on topics of importance to the goat industry.

In conjunction with the summer board meeting, AAC Board members partake in agricultural related tours and an evening reception. The AAC summer meeting, tours, and reception are held annually in different location across Ontario. This year, the summer meeting and reception was located in Richmond Hill at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel and Conference Centre. “By holding the summer meeting in different locations across Ontario, this gives AAC Directors the chance to visit AAC funded projects and provides Directors with an opportunity to see first hand how Adaptation funding is being implemented.” explains Bette Jean Crews, AAC Chair. “Holding the summer meeting in the Richmond Hill area gave AAC Board members an opportunity to better understand ethnic diversity and agriculture within an urban population.”

This year, the AAC Board of Directors had a chance to participate in two tours. AAC Board members had an opportunity to visit Longo’s, a grocery store located in Maple that focuses on selling Ontario grown products at each of their 15 locations across Ontario. The AAC Board also visited the University of Guelph’s Muck Research Station located in the Kettleby area. The Muck Research Station focuses on a wide variety of vegetable crops grown in the region. Collaborative work with seed companies, the crop protection industry, plant breeders and other scientists continues every year to research and evaluating the various vegetable crops.

The Agricultural Adaptation Council is a non-profit, grass roots coalition of 64 agricultural, agribusiness and rural organizations dedicated to providing financial resources to assist Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food industry remain profitable, grow and maintain its economic strength. The Agricultural Adaptation Council, based out of Guelph, is responsible for delivering the CanAdvance Program, the Canada-Ontario Research and Development Program, the Canada-Ontario Water Supply Expansion Program, the Agricultural Management Institute, and the On-Farm Biosecurity Initiative. For information on the AAC please contact the AAC at (519) 822-7554, or visit the website at www.adaptcouncil.org.


-30-

Nadine Buitenhuis,
Communications Manager
Agricultural Adaptation Council
Phone: 519-822-7554
Fax:     519-822-6248
E-mail: nbuitenhuis@adaptcouncil.org
Website: www.adaptcouncil.org