year to the home community of the current OVSGA president. In 1959, the trade show component was added, and the event found a home in the Ottawa Coliseum. The show continued to grow and expanded into the Ottawa Civic Centre and the adjacent buildings. It remained there until 2012 when the newly built EY Centre become the current home. The success of the annual Ottawa Valley Farm Show allows OVSGA to deliver on its mission to support the agriculture community, and this philanthropy comes in many ways. When exhibitors, visitors and partners support the show, they are not only contributing to the show, but are also supporting the entire agricultural community. OVSGA is dedicated to supporting youth, the future of the ag sector. Annual scholarships are available for those pursuing a career in agriculture. Since the inaugural presentation in 2017, $70,000 in scholarships have been awarded. OVSGA also regularly supports grassroots 4-H with grants for local county 4-H initiatives and support for field crop clubs and other 4-H district and regional events. Support has also been provided for further education programs such as the newly developed Agriculture Business Certificate at Algonquin College. Recognizing the benefits of research under the conditions of the Ottawa Valley geographic territory, OVSGA supports crop and soil research projects. Recently funded projects have included effects of soybean aphid control, corn hybrid response to VT-tassel fungicides, how corn hybrids react to stress at different growing periods, soybean yield response to starter fertilizer and effect of planting date and row width by soybean variety. OVSGA welcomes proposals for future research projects. Partnering with organizations promoting agricultural education is important to OVSGA. They have partnered many times with Farm and Food Care Ontario to bring Breakfast on the Farm to the Eastern Ontario community and host SpeakUp training sessions. Recognizing the good work agricultural societies do to educate the community about food and farming, OVSGA has a grant program to support their public education initiatives. A signature event at the Ottawa Valley Farm Show is the Prestigious Pedigreed Seed Auction. Originating in 1992, with pedigreed seed growers donating seed lots for auction, the first seed auction was held with proceeds donated to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Over the past 33 years, with donations added from ag businesses and the farm community, the total donation to CHEO has climbed to more than $280,000. Jeff Waldroff, OVSGA Past President says “it is an honour to partner with ag community people and organizations to support these essential networks we all need at some time in our lives – volunteers working together can make a difference, and we are proud to participate.” When you see the farm show truck or the burgundy shirts and smiles of the OVSGA volunteers in your community, you know there is another project in the works. There is excitement for the future of the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers, not only for the farm show but also for all the other ways these volunteersi continue to make a difference in the agricultural community. It’s the camaraderie, the shared interests and commitment to common goals that guide the success of this volunteer organization. promotional Supplement
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