For the first time in over 40 years, Canada will be the host of the annual congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. The congress will be held September 14-18, 2011. The five-day event will start with delegates in the city of Guelph for a day and half, followed by two days of regional tours across Ontario that will end with everyone meeting in Niagara Falls on Friday evening followed by a final day of activities on Saturday.

Tuesday, September 13 (Guelph)
IFAJ executive meeting, committee meetings
Optional day trips from Guelph:
1. Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock
2. Toronto
Hotels: Delta Guelph and others close by

Wednesday, September 14 (Guelph)
Morning: IFAJ general assembly/delegate meeting, including presentation of Star prize awards
Afternoon: Speaker program - introduction to Canadian agriculture and issues
Evening: Official welcome event

Thursday, September 15 (tours)
Tours begin, departing from Guelph. Tours will run three directions from Guelph, all ending on a different Great Lake, with one overnight stay enroute.

Lake Ontario Tour
This tour will run east through Toronto to the Prince Edward County region. The county has become synonymous for Canadian food tourism, with restaurants run by famous chefs who have driven the demand for local food and many family farms involved in marketing directly to consumers. There also is a growing base of wineries, theatre and cultural venues and small cheese plants, including a “green” goat cheese producer. The overnight stop enroute is tentatively planned for Belleville, Ontario.

Lake Erie Tour
This tour will move southwest from Guelph toward the city of Chatham and the Leamington area which includes the largest greenhouse industry in North America. Southern Ontario is the home of much of the province’s livestock production, including dairy and there is a large assembly of Dutch farmers in the region. As the tour moves further southwest, there are family-run identity preserved crop elevators and sugar beet production. The overnight stop enroute is currently planned for Chatham, Ontario.

Lake Huron Tour
This tour will go northwest from Guelph through Ontario's agricultural heartland, Wellington, Perth and Huron counties. This region has become home to many farm families from the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. A produce auction has revitalized old-order Mennonite farms by giving them markets for produce. There are also leading hog and dairy farms, along with one of the largest edible bean processors in the world. There are also some farmer-owned dairy and meat processing plants on the way, along with corn mazes that cater to the agri-tourism audience. The overnight stop enroute is likely to be in Grand Bend, Ontario.

Friday, September 16 (tours, Niagara Falls)
Tours continue with all delegates arriving in Niagara Falls in the late afternoon. There will be an evening event in the Niagara region. Hotel: Sheraton Fallsview.

Saturday, September 17 (Niagara Falls)
Morning: Professional development workshops – focus on soil
Afternoon: Professional development and/or free time to explore Niagara Falls
Evening: Finale event

Sunday, September 18 (Niagara Falls, Toronto)
Delegates depart Niagara Falls for home or post-congress tour(s).


For more information:

Kelly Daynard, Registration Chair This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Owen Roberts, Congress Co-Chair This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Lilian Schaer, Congress Co-Chair This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it