Ag 4.0 Summit Returning – Early Bird Deadline Approaching

Technology continues to have a huge influence on the worlds of agriculture and food. On November 24, 2017, Grey County is hosting Ag 4.0, a one-day summit that will educate and inspire people who work in the agriculture, food and technology industries.  Attendees will learn about latest trends and how they are impacting farm practices.

“Agriculture and food have deep roots in Grey County and are major drivers of our local economy,” said Grey County Warden Alan Barfoot. “Technology is playing a bigger role than ever in farming, food production and distribution. Ag 4.0 is a great opportunity to listen to experts and learn about new technologies that can help strengthen our businesses.”

Grey County is excited to continue the conversation started at last year’s inaugural event. This year, Ag 4.0 will shine a spotlight on global challenges and local opportunities. Topics of the day include:

• Grey County’s Agri-Food Asset Map – Philly Markowitz, Grey County
• Using data for small farm decision making – Karen Hand, Ontario Precision Agri-Food
• Incubation Hub and Brainstorming – Bernie Blakeney, LaunchPad
• Ontario’s Ag Portal – Cheryl Brine, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
• Farm Trends and Cutting Edge Tech – Gregor MacLean, Niagara College; Russ Cavanagh, Partner Ag Services; Gemma Menddez-Smith, Four County Labour Market Board
• Success Stories – Deb Campbell, Agronomist; Brett Marie Freeman, Free Ridge Farms LTD
• Technology and Sustainability – Tyler Whale, Agri-Food Technologies; Sara Rotz, University of Guelph; Jane Farrow, LLB Mass

OMAFRA will also be present at the event with a soil health display. Representatives will be sharing information about the ministry’s draft Agricultural Soil and Conservation Strategy.

Early bird tickets are available until October 31 for just $50. On November 1 prices will rise to $85. Tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite. A link can be found on the homepage of www.Grey.ca.

In addition to buying tickets for Ag 4.0, the public has the opportunity to donate and sponsor a youth seat at the event. Funds will support students who are interested in careers and the agriculture, food and technology fields.

“Ag 4.0 is a great way to get our youth excited about the career opportunities available, right here in Grey County. We want to keep young people in our community. The public’s generous donations to the Ag 4.0 scholarship fund can help make that happen,” said Philly Markowitz, economic development officer and Ag 4.0 project lead for Grey County.

The first Ag 4.0 event was held in November of 2016. It was extremely well received by attendees and was a major reason why Grey County was named to the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2017 by the Intelligent Community Forum.  

“We were blown away by the enthusiasm and participation in last year’s event. The community has shown their support for this movement and it helped put Grey County on the map. We’re very excited to carry this moment forward and to continue to inspire our industries,” said Markowitz.

For more information about the Ag 4.0 Summit contact Philly Markowitz at philly.markowitz [at] grey.ca (philly[dot]markowitz[at]grey[dot]ca) or call 519-372-0219 ext. 6125.

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For media inquiries, contact Rob Hatten, Communications Manager, at rob.hatten [at] grey.ca (rob[dot]hatten[at]grey[dot]ca) or call 519-372-0219 ext. 1235.