Blog

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. Each participant had been communicating with an assigned pen pal and now was our opportunity to break the ice by formally introducing each other to the rest of the group. After these entertaining intros, the group enjoyed a charcuterie board networking break sponsored by Mariposa Dairy.

Monday was a busy day spent across Parliament Hill to focus on the role of our federal government. We learned how the public relations process works, what current priorities relate to agriculture and the Canada/USA trade dynamic. We were joined by speakers from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Fertilizer Canada, Chicken Farmers of Canada, L’Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA), and the US Embassy. We also had a panel of MPs with representation across four governing parties, and tours of both the House of Commons and the Senate with Speaker Greg Fergus and Senator Rob Black, respectively. The highlight of the day for many was attending question period which was a first for most in the group. That evening, we hosted a dignitary dinner were pleased to see many MPs and staff join us. It was great to have AALP Alumni join us for good conversation. 

Tuesday, we boarded a bus and toured various farm operations around the Ottawa Valley. The day started with a tour of North Gower Grains, before moving to Carleton Mushrooms, Area X.O., and finally, some tastings at Vodkow. The day was jammed packed, and we covered many topics, including family succession planning, entering new markets and ways to foster innovation within the ag sector. That evening, the AALP class hosted our LeadNY colleagues for dinner on the town, followed by some late-night karaoke. 

Our final day, we participated in the “Competing Commitments” workshop that was led by Executive Director LeadNY, Larry Van De Valk. It was an interactive session that encouraged many of us to dive deep to discover what we are making priorities in our lives and how this influences our behaviour, stress level and whether we achieve our life/career goals. It was a great opportunity and most of us were left wishing we had more time. We said goodbye to our new friends at LeadNY and it was back to our respective homes. It was a wonderful four days, and our group is thankful for the experience.