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Dr. Peter Sikkema Named to Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame

The renowned weed scientist and long-time Alliance researcher, based out of the University of Guelph's Ridgetown Campus, has been named one of six 2025 inductees into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Known for his grounded, extension-focused approach, Sikkema has earned numerous accolades for research, teaching, and outreach. He was nominated for this honour by the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO).

Building More Inclusive Agricultural Futures Through Networks of Care

U of G Master’s student Francis Jabile’s research improves support for queer and racialized farmers.

Through a series of in-depth interviews with queer and racialized farmers in Ontario, Jabile is uncovering the ways these individuals conceptualize and practice care, both for one another and for the land they steward. His research draws on feminist and queer theory to frame care as an ecological and social practice that enables farmers to thrive. 

OAC Agri-Food Economics Grads Examine Farmland Values; MSc Eases Transition to Industry Careers

Climate change is reshaping farmland - influencing crop yields, water availability, overall productivity and land values. Understanding these changes is crucial for farmers, policymakers, and economists alike. Two recent graduates of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) have published their research in the Journal of Land Economics, exploring the impact that climate change might have on farmland values – the results are surprising.

Four beekeepers fill shoebox-sized bee boxes on picnic tables outside

Hive of Knowledge: Paul Kelly’s Impact on Ontario Beekeeping

Honeybees are called “social” creatures, and the same could be said for the community that research technician Paul Kelly cultivates at the University of Guelph’s Honey Bee Research Centre (HBRC).

Kelly, an Alliance-funded research technician and a 37-year veteran of the HBRC, ensures that investigators have the hives they need to conduct future-focused pollinator research – a lifeline to our local food supply.

Dr. Shayan Sharif and six members of his lab pose in lab coats

Predict, Prevent, Contain: Inside U of G’s Fight Against Avian Flu

At the University of Guelph, the fight against avian flu is campus wide. It’s underway in virology and animal health labs, in offices and lecture halls, across training platforms and AI solutions and in test tubes filled with innovative vaccines.

Investment into research, laboratory testing and infrastructure from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance helps put U of G researchers everywhere they can be: in labs and on farms, developing new vaccines, analyzing bird samples and using AI to forecast outbreaks.

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