2024 Crops Day Presentations
Updates for the 2025 program will be made in the fall of 2024.
Macroeconomic Uncertainty - What is the Impact on Ontario Agriculture
Presented by: Justin Shepherd, Senior Economist, Farm Credit Canada
What should we expect in 2024 when it comes to commodity prices, farm revenues, interest rates, and global economic growth? Learn the economic trends to uncover opportunities.
Justin Shepherd is a Senior Economist at FCC. He joined the team in 2021, specializing in monitoring agricultural production and analyzing global supply and demand trends. In addition to his speaking engagements on agriculture and economics, Justin is a regular contributor to the FCC Economics blog. Justin grew up on a mixed farm in Saskatchewan and remains active in the family operation. He holds a master of applied economics and management from Cornell University and a bachelor of agribusiness from the University of Saskatchewan.
This presentation is CEU accredited under the Professional Development category.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 9th, 2024 at 9:45 am.
Improving Phosphorus Use with Non-Traditional Fertilizer Sources
Learn the latest on phosphorus fertilizer products from this panel of industry representatives. They'll share details about new technologies, how they work, and where they might fit on your farm.
Panelist: Christopher Pertschy, Product Manager, Timac Agro Canada
Chris grew up on his family’s dairy and cash crop farm in the Champlain Valley south of Montreal on the Vermont Border. With a passion for how soil health and soil fertility are essential for sustainable economic performance he pursued his Dip Ag at McGill University. After an internship at Synagri he had a decade-plus long career in ag retail with La Coop Fédérée (or Sollio as it is now known) and William Houde serving Eastern Ontario and Quebec before becoming Product Manager at Timac Agro in 2020. Chris is a member of the ATA branch of the Québec professional order of technologists and is working on completing his Ontario CA accreditation in his spare time.
Panelist: Jonathan Zettler, Agronomist, Fieldwalker Agronomy Ltd.
Jonathan is a fee for service agronomist servicing Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth and Wellington counties. Prior to setting up Fieldwalker Agronomy, he worked in crop input retail from 2002 to 2018. He is also active with both the Bruce Soil and Crop and the Ontario Certified Crop Advisor boards.
Panelist: Bryce Geisel, Senior Agronomist, Koch Agronomic Services
Bryce grew up on a mixed farm in Manitoba and has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Science, both in Agronomy. He is a Professional Agrologist, Certified Crop Advisor and is a 4R Certified Agronomist.
Panelist: Doug Sibbitt, Regional Sales Manager, Ostara
Doug has a passion for agriculture. He was raised on his family’s farm in North Central Indiana. Doug has a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University in Plant Pathology/Entomology. He has over 35 years of experience in agriculture. Prior to his current position as a Regional Sales Manager for Ostara, he worked on the family farm in Indiana, was an agronomist for AgMax Cooperative, a District Sales Manager for Crow’s Hybrids, a Sr. Sales Representative for Bayer CropScience, and a Marketing Representative/National Accounts Manager for Nutrien. Doug and his wife, Tamara, live in Marseilles, IL. They have 2 sons, 2 daughter-in-laws, and 4 grandchildren. He enjoys watching college football and basketball, travelling, collecting Civil War period antiques, and just recently, rockhounding.
Facilitator: Colin Elgie, Soil Fertility Specialist, OMAFRA
Colin Elgie has been involved with agriculture his entire life. He is the 6th generation on the family farm in beautiful Dawn Mills, ON, and farms part time with his father, uncle, and brother. After graduating from the University of Guelph in 2009 with a B.Sc. (Agr.) degree, he worked as an agronomist for an ag retailer for 13 years, and obtained his CCA-ON with 4R NMS specialty. He has a thirst for knowledge, and his current position at OMAFRA allows him to learn from farmers and researchers across Ontario, and share advice to improve soil and crop fertility.
This presentation is CEU accredited under the Nutrient Management category.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 9th, 2024 at 11:05 am.
Land Values
Presented by: Ryan Parker, Partner/Appraiser, Valco Consultants
This presentation will give an overview of farmland values across Southwestern Ontario since 2010.
Ryan is a partner at Valco in London, and he specializes in appraising agricultural and agri-business properties across Southwestern Ontario. Ryan specializes in livestock and poultry sectors, as well as having a niche in grain elevator, feed mill and gravel pit appraisals. Ryan produces a Land Values Study for Southwestern Ontario annually which highlights and studies the land value market. Ryan has a Commerce degree from the University of Guelph, is an accredited appraiser with the Appraisal Insitutue of Canada, as well as a Professional Agrologist, a CAFA member and the Chair on the National Board for CAFA. Ryan and his family have a small cow-calf farm in Middlesex County.
This presentation is CEU accredited under the Professional Development category.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 9th, 2024 at 1:15 pm.
Changes in the Grain and Oilseeds Markets
Presented by: Tyler Denham, Merchandising Manager, Snobelen Farms Ltd.
A look back on grain prices, supply and demand. What has changed, and what changes might we see in the coming years.
Tyler Denham is the Merchandising Manager at Snobelen Farms Ltd. Where he oversees grain origination, logistics and domestic sales. Before joining Snobelen Farms in 2020, he has purchased feed ingredients for feedmills and traded soybeans and soymeal for oilseed processors both in Canada and the United States.
This presentation is CEU accredited under the Professional Development category.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 9th, 2024 at 2:00 pm.
From Nutrients to YEN
Presented by: Peter Johnson, Agronomist, RealAgriculture
From understanding nutrient uptake to maximizing yield potential with YEN, the latest in wheat management for your best yields ever!
Peter Johnson, @WheatPete, is the resident agronomist with Real Agriculture, where he posts a weekly podcast “Wheat Pete’s Word”. He is a regular on “Agronomy Monday” on Real Ag radio, Siruis Satellite Radio 147. Peter spent 30 years as the Ontario Cereal Specialist, and loves to talk anything agriculture, especially wheat! He leads the Middlesex Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s applied research program, is the Environmental Advocate for the Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario, and is a member of the Ontario Compaction Team. Peter operates a small farm near Lucan, Ontario, where he constantly tries out new production ideas, and where the “rubber hits the road”! He is enthusiastic and passionate about agriculture, and loves to be challenged by growers. So “have at him”!!!
This presentation is CEU accredited under the Crop Management category.
This presentation is an OSCIA recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for Ontario On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) applicants.
Presentation begins Tuesday January 9th, 2024 at 3:15 pm.
And don't forget to take a look at the list of On-Demand presentations which you can watch throughout the conference and for the thirty days following! Use the button on the left to browse full details for those!
Check out the program for other conference days using the buttons below.
