MATTHIAS OPPENLAENDER RE-ELECTED CHAIR OF THE GRAPE GROWERS OF ONTARIO

St. Catharines, ON : Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario, is pleased to announce that Matthias Oppenlaender was re-elected Chair of the Board of Directors on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, for a second three-year term.

 

“Our success as an organization is reflected through the on-going dedication of the Board of Directors. Our focus in 2019 is to continue to work with our partners and government to ensure we secure and strengthen the future of 100% Ontario-grown wines as part of the Province's modernization of retail wine sales,” commented Matthias Oppenlaender.

 

Matthias was born in Germany where he studied agriculture and viticulture before emigrating to Canada in 1984. Matthias, his wife Monica and their five children live in Niagara-on-the-Lake where they farm over 500 acres of vineyards. Matthias was elected Grape King by his fellow grape growers in 2006, and the following year was elected to the Grape Growers of Ontario’s Growers’ Committee and to the Board of Directors. In 2009 Matthias was elected Vice Chair of the Board, a position he held until first being elected Chair in 2016.

 

Bill Schenck, a fourth-generation grape grower in St. Catharines, has been re-elected Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. Bill has served on the GGO Growers’ Committee and Board since 2009, the same year he was Grape King, and represents the Grape Growers of Ontario on a number of industry committees including the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network, Niagara Regional Agricultural Policy and Action Committee, and Brock University’s CCOVI Advisory Committee.

 

The Board of Directors includes representation from across Ontario including Steve Pohorly and Erwin Wiens of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Jim Morrison of Lincoln, Brock Puddicombe of Winona, Robert Peck of Prince Edward County and Scott Wilkins of Amherstburg, who are all part way through their terms as Directors. Kevin Watson of Niagara-on-the-Lake and Doug Funk Jr. of Lincoln were also both re-elected to the Board.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.