Rural Ontario Institute

AALP Class 20 Seminar 7 - Graduation and Celebration

Date: April 16, 2025

For the final seminar of AALP Class 20, this diverse group of farmers and agriculture professionals gathered in Kitchener-Waterloo to reflect on our past year and a half together, while preparing for the future. The seminar was once again designed to expose participants to the full scope of our agricultural system, while also reflecting on our personal growth during this leadership experience.

AALP Class 20 International Study Tour: Lithuania

Date: April 10, 2025

Lithuania, the country of amber, basketball, innovative agribusinesses and cold pink soup, marked the culmination of AALP Class 20’s ten day journey in the Baltic States. Our first stop as we entered Lithuania was the Hill of Crosses, a national symbol of defiance and endurance for a country that fought continuously for its independence...

AALP Class 20 International Study Tour: Latvia

Date: April 9, 2025

On our fourth day of AALP’s International Study Tour, Class 20 traveled by bus to Latvia’s capital Riga. The first stop was Absolūts Ēd with husband and wife team Ilza and Juris Lipska. The couple explained how their direct-to-consumer greenhouse operation runs and how they have grown from 2 small greenhouses to plans for 14 since opening the farm in 2009 and through an unfortunate job layoff in 2012...

AALP Class 20 International Study Tour: Estonia

Date: April 8, 2025

AALP Class 20 spent the first few days of our IST touring Estonia, exploring agriculture and leadership in a unique part of the world. It’s been wonderful to learn the stories of the business and farm owners. Stories of overcoming adversity and adapting to the massive changes in their country as freedoms were won and lost and the economy shifted from communism to free market...

AALP Class 20, Seminar 6 – LeadNY and Parliament

Date: December 17, 2024

The AALP 20 class caravanned into Ottawa Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning for an early afternoon start, as most participants came from the western part of the province. The seminar started with some sponsor spotlights – Farm Credit Canada and the Grand River Agricultural Society – before we were joined by our counterparts from LeadNY...

AALP Class 20 Seminar 5 - Eggs, Chickens and Technology

Date: September 30, 2024

AALP Class 20 recently completed seminar 5 - with three days in London and the surrounding area. We started out at the Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock at the 40th anniversary of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program, celebrating 40 years of agriculture leadership development...

From Letterfrack to Rural Ontario: Sharing Ideas from the 2024 North Atlantic Forum

Date: September 30, 2024

Researchers, policymakers and practitioners recently gathered in Letterfrack, Ireland for the 2024 North Atlantic Forum. The Forum focused on sustainable livelihoods and sought to engage new ideas in rural development, policy practice, and the social economy.

Local Innovation and Agricultural Leadership

Date: August 21, 2024

The Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) continues to provide participants with invaluable experiences that highlight the diversity and resilience of Ontario’s agricultural sector. During Class 20's fourth seminar in Thunder Bay, we explored a range of local businesses, organizations, and farms that exemplify the strength and ingenuity within our industry.

Finding Workers: Online Survey of Labour Force Shortages in Rural Ontario

Date: July 24, 2024

The future of rural businesses and communities is dependent on appropriate and effective workforce development strategies. Rural businesses and communities are confronted with challenges in accessing relevant human capital to support, maintain, and grow their operations. Without deliberate and place-based strategies, rural businesses and rural economies will be negatively impacted.

Bringing National and International Rural Research to Ontario

Date: July 18, 2024

Rural development practitioners are at the front line of facilitating prosperous rural communities, places, and environments across Ontario. Ensuring rural development practitioners have access to the most up to date knowledge is critical to facilitating decision-making on the future of rural places.

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