Excellence in Agriculture Awards

Overview

The people within Ontario’s agriculture and food industry have always demonstrated excellence in running their businesses, adopting innovative practices and creating a safe and stable supply of food.

To help showcase the outstanding efforts that have made this a $48.8 billion industry, the Ontario government created the Excellence in Agriculture Awards.

The purpose of the Excellence in Agriculture Awards is to:

• recognize and encourage outstanding efforts that drive the agriculture and food sector forward
• raise awareness of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector and its impact on the provincial economy

All eligible individuals and businesses can apply or be nominated for an award.

About the awards

Top award recipients receive:

• a plaque in recognition of their achievement
• an Excellence in Agriculture wordmark to be used for marketing and promotional purposes

Honourable mention recipients receive:

• a certificate in recognition of their achievement
• an Excellence in Agriculture wordmark to be used for marketing and promotional purposes

Eligibility

To meet the eligibility criteria, applicants and nominees must:

• be an eligible applicant
• demonstrate how they’ve met at least 1 of the priority outcomes

Eligible applicants

Primary producer

A farm business that is a legal entity and produces agricultural commodities in Ontario under a valid Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN), or an allowable exemption.

The farm business operator/producer must:

• reside in Ontario
• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Processor

A processor business that is a legal entity that handles agricultural commodities, food, beverages or agriculture-based products in Ontario and is operated by a wholly Canadian-owned company.

Agriculture and food organization

An agriculture and food organization that is a not-for-profit and Ontario-based (that is, located in Ontario and, where applicable, has a membership composed primarily of Ontario residents/businesses/organizations) with a direct relationship or mandate to the agriculture and food sector.

Educational institution

An educational institution that is an Ontario-based high school or accredited Ontario university or college.

The institution must demonstrate excellence, awareness-building, innovation training and/or skill development directly related to the Ontario agriculture and food sector.

Agriculture and food innovator

An agriculture and food innovator that is an individual or agriculture and food business that is not a processor or farm business. They must also be:

• a resident of Ontario
• demonstrate a direct relationship to the agriculture and food sector
• a citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• if an agriculture and food business, the primary business must be a Canadian-owned company located in Ontario with fewer than 100 permanentfull-time salaried and non-salaried employees (if applicable)

Indigenous, Métis or Inuit-owned business or community

An Indigenous, Métis or Inuit community includes groups associated with one or more of these communities.

An Indigenous, Métis or Inuit business must be wholly owned and operated by Indigenous, Métis or Inuit peoples.

Businesses and communities must demonstrate a direct relationship to the agriculture and food sector.

Ineligible applicants

Applicants and nominees are not eligible if they are:

• an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA)
• a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation and any combination of agriculture and food business or agriculture and food related organization in which OMAFA employees are owners, members or have a controlling and/or financial interest

Outcomes

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate how they have met at least 1 of the priority agriculture excellence outcomes:

• strengthening Ontario's agriculture and food supply chain
• attracting, growing and retaining Ontario’s agriculture and food workforce
• enhancing food safety, traceability and/or stewardship practices in the Ontario agriculture and food sector
• increasing or maintaining access to high-quality, local and nutritious food
• supporting agriculture and food market development and trade (intra-provincial and international trade)
• increasing public engagement and support for agriculture, local food and knowledge of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector
• building leadership capacity and increased involvement of women and youth in the agriculture and food sector

Award categories

Indicate which award category you are applying to or nominating for on the application form (refer to How to apply).

Research and innovation excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in research and innovation and identify how those efforts are supporting the efficiency and/or effectiveness of Ontario’s primary production or processing/manufacturing agriculture and food sector.

Food processing excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in food processing and identify how those efforts are supporting the efficiency and/or effectiveness of the Ontario agriculture and food processing sector.

Education excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in awareness building, innovation, training and/or skill development and identify how those efforts are supporting growth within Ontario’s agriculture and food sector.

Promotional excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in promotion and identify how those efforts are encouraging consumers to buy Ontario grown and made agriculture and food products.

Supply chain excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in managing the journey from farm to fork and identify how those efforts strengthen and provide improved stability to Ontario’s agriculture and food supply chain.

Workforce excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in workforce attraction, growth and retention and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector workforce.

Urban agriculture excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in bringing the farm to the city and identify how those efforts are adapting agriculture technology to an urban setting, increasing access to local food and increasing urban participation and support for Ontario’s agriculture and food sector.

Northern business excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. The business must be located in the geographic area set out in the northern processor boundaries map.

Indigenous, Metis or Inuit-owned business or community excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector.

Women’s excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and/or excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector.

Youth excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and/or excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. The applicant/nominee must be 28 years old and younger.

Farm family excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. Regional awards will be distributed based on geographical location within the province.

How to apply

Make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader. You need this software to complete the form.

1. Download the application form.
2. Gather optional supporting documentation.
3. Submit the application and any supporting documentation to excellenceinagriculture@ontario.ca by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 22, 2024.

If you need the application in an alternative format, please email excellenceinagriculture@ontario.ca.

Supporting documentation

Supporting documentation for your application is optional, but we strongly encourage you to include:

• letters of support
• photos (in JPG format) of the achievement if available
• reports
• news articles

After you apply

After you submit your application, we will send you an acknowledgement email.

Ministry staff review the applications for eligibility, and make award recommendations to the deputy minister and minister.

The minister reviews the recommended applications and in their sole discretion, select the recipients of the top awards and honourable mentions.

Assessment criteria

The following criteria is used to assess applications.

Award outcomes

How well the achievement aligns with the Excellence in Agriculture Awards’ purpose, priority outcomes and chosen award category.

Impact and benefit

Overall relevance, contribution and impact to Ontario's agriculture and food sector such as economic, environmental and community benefits in the last 3 years or less.

Leadership

Demonstrated leadership that supports the Ontario agriculture and food sector.

Terms and conditions

• Applicants and nominees must be in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal legislation.
• Applicants and nominators must choose 1 award category on their application.
• Applicants and nominees must be willing to participate in virtual interviews, site visits, photographs and video recordings at the discretion of the ministry.
• The ministry has reserved the right to refuse an application where concerns have been identified with respect to, without limitation, non-compliance with regulatory legislation and requirements, undue influence and/or misleading and inaccurate information.
• The minister, in their sole discretion, may for any reason and at any time retract an award, including the use of the Excellence in Agriculture wordmark, and affected award winners will unconditionally follow all directions issued to them thereafter concerning the same.