Farms.com Home   News

Teresa’s Summer Update

Teresa, our summer Communications and Community Engagement Assistant, has created a blog post detailing her time working to support OFT’s mission! Read all about her experience below.

With a background in sustainable agriculture, conservation, and a passion for community and storytelling, I was thrilled to join OFT this summer as their Communications and Community Engagement Assistant.

While much of my work with OFT was spent behind a screen, I explored how to best serve our community through our communication efforts. The OFT staff were incredibly supportive, helping me navigate the intricacies of farmland conservation, administration, and effective communications. One highlight was assisting with the execution of OFT’s 20th-anniversary celebration, which took us all to GoodLot. There, I witnessed the dedication of those who have amplified farmland protection in Ontario. It was a refreshing change of scenery from my home office, and I felt proud to contribute to this important movement, no matter the scale of my role.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.