Announcing AALP Class 19

Oct 29, 2021

GUELPH, ON – The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is excited to announce the nineteen current and emerging leaders from across the province selected for Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) Class 19. The program for Class 19 will begin November, 2021.

“The ag-sector is a powerhouse for Ontario economic development. This will be supported by leaders with foresight and the skills to manage change,” says Gabe Ferguson, Leadership Programs Director. “Congratulations to the participants of Class 19 who have committed to professional development that will help strengthen the ag-sector and rural communities provincially and internationally.”

Nine Class members are primary producers or involved in family-run farming operations. The remaining ten come from agri-business and agri-food, financial sectors, non-government and commodity associations and government. The Class ranges in age from 24 to 54.

Each AALP Class is chosen with attention to creating a team that can provide peer-to-peer mentorship, diverse viewpoints and a broad network. “It’s exciting and affirming to see the high caliber of talent in Class 19,” says Ferguson. “With their experience of a world pandemic this past year, I’m anticipating a keen group of leaders ready to share new ideas about the future of the agri-food industry.”

During the 18-month program, AALP participants will come together in both in-person seminars and online webinars. Class members will learn about leadership and organizational excellence practices, government and political processes, economics, social and environmental issues, trade policy, global affairs, sector and industry-related issues. The context will include Ontario, North American and international study travel components.

AALP is delivered by the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) a non-profit organization committed to developing leaders and facilitating collaboration on issues and opportunities facing rural and northern Ontario communities. Established in 1984, the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) has graduated almost 480 leaders who are making a positive difference across Ontario and beyond.

Source : ROI

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.