AgScape recently completed a successful virtual Annual General Meeting. The meeting featured videos and interactive events which celebrated Agscape’s accomplishments and welcomed new Board Directors.
To align with this year's AGM theme of Farm, Food and Beyond, the organization recognized how building partnerships is crucial to enhancing the organization’s capacity and overall impact on agriculture and food literacy in Ontario classrooms.
AgScape’s Board Chair, Audrie Bouwmeester, and Executive Director, Glenna Banda, kicked off the AGM by highlighting AgScape’s impressive progress achieved over 2019 on its strategic plan. The pair also shared the exciting impact made in Ontario classrooms over the past year, including that AgScape had reached 750,037 students with objective, science-based curriculum that linked agriculture and food programs and resources.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to support AgScape as Chair through an exciting transition to new leadership and our new strategic plan. I look forward to watching the organization continue to flourish,” said Audrie Bouwmeester who has completed a two-year term as Chair of AgScape’s Board of Directors.
Via a video update, Mercedes Unwin, Program and Resource Manager at AgScape, provided an update on the organization’s tremendous reach and impact in 2019, including: • The delivery of 607 teacher ambassador lessons – a 166% increase from 2018. • A 72% increase in resources distributed – 36,625 resources in total. • Innovative partnerships that helped us increase our capacity and expertise including new initiatives with the Ontario Aquaculture Association and Farm & Food Care.
Viewers also engaged in a live presentation given by Vanessa White, Chief Human Resources Officer at Maple Lodge Farms Ltd., who provided insight on how employers can attract the next generation of workers. Vanessa shared that today’s workers expect purpose, transparency, and sustainability from the organizations they work for. This sparked a panel discussion on employment in the 21st century, where panelists agreed that more stories about agriculture need to be shared to help us “break out of the box” of inaccurate perceptions toward our industry and careers in it.
During the financial portion of the meeting, Jennifer Peart, Treasurer of the Board, provided an overview of the organization’s fiscal year. AgScape was able to achieve exceptional growth of its program impact, with only a 1% increase in expenses. For the first time in several years AgScape closed the expense and revenue gap and ended the year with a small operational gain.
To close off the meeting, AgScape was excited to elect and announce the new Board of Directors. Jim McMillan representing McMillan Farms, Charlotte O’Neill representing Trouw Nutrition Canada and Steven Roche representing Agricultural Communications and Epidemiological Research (ACER) were elected to corporate seats and Katelyn Larmer was elected to a community seat.
Following the business meeting, the Board of Directors held a meeting to elect the Executive for 2020/2021, including Kathryn Doan as Chair, Jennifer Kyle as Vice Chair and Jennifer Peart as Treasurer.
“I am honoured to be the incoming AgScape’s Chair of the Board,” said Kathryn Doan, “Food offers a wealth of opportunities for multidisciplinary education that supports the full agriculture value chain. We can all do our part in supporting agriculture & food education in the classroom. Join me in supporting AgScape, the vehicle which delivers this valuable information into Ontario classrooms.”
Source : AgScape