The Ottawa Valley Seed Growers is a unique, dynamic volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the Ottawa Valley and surrounding ag community. This year marks the 97th year of OVSGA volunteers working together to make a difference. The flagship OVSGA event is the Ottawa Valley Farm Show, Ontario’s longest running agricultural trade show. Hosted annually each March with 360 exhibitors, it welcomes 13,000 visitors over three show days. Managed and implemented fully by volunteers with the assistance of two part time staff, it utilizes all the available indoor and outdoor space at the EY Centre, Ottawa’s largest trade show venue. In 1927, a group of Ottawa Valley farmers banded together to help one another merchandise their field crops. The board of directors was comprised of farmers and representatives from the federal and provincial departments of agriculture and had a purpose to assist in producing, grading, selling and distributing high class and registered seed grown by members of the organization. This was facilitated through holding educational meetings, conducting member competitions such as seed shows with prize offerings, and collecting and disseminating technical information. Today, this still thriving organization is driven by a volunteer board of 20 farmer directors representing each of the local counties, plus the at-large agricultural community. The seed show component continues, with 10 county seed shows held across Eastern Ontario. These county shows are hosted annually by local chapters of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association and top entries are forwarded to the Ottawa Valley Championship Seed, Feed and Forage Show where over 600 entries are received from more than 100 exhibitors. It is amazing that the numbers of entries from the farm community continues to hold steady and/or grow with time. OVSGA volunteers regularly review the classes and entries, however this slate of classes has remained for decades. Hay, silage, coarse grains, and small seeds, as well as 4-H life skills and field crop classes are regulars, with organic classes and maple syrup options recently added. A group of seasoned judges share their expertise to place the seed show entries. OVSGA hosts regular seed show judges training workshops to ensure there will be a pool of expertise for future seed shows and other field crop events. From the very beginning, the seed show proved its value to local farmers. With the addition and growth of the farm show, the reach has expanded to farmers and ag businesses from throughout Ontario, Quebec, and well beyond. In the early days, the championship seed show moved around each OTTAWA VALLEY SEED GROWERS : MORE THAN JUST A FARM SHOW Supplied by the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers After 97 years, seed shows continue every year in the Valley. promotional Supplement
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