As Canada’s Premier Horticultural Event, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention (OFVC) provides an excellent learning and networking opportunity for both new and established lavender growers. The convention will be held February 22 and 23 at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario. It provides numerous concurrent educational programs on a wide range of crop-specific and general topics as well as a large trade show of agricultural service and product suppliers (e.g., financial resources, equipment, supplies, pest control products, fertilizers etc.). There is also a Farmers and Friends networking event at 5:00 pm on February 22.

Registration Details (includes parking, trade show access and drink tickets for Farmers and Friends Event – lunch not included):

Full 2-day registration: $120 per person (until Feb 15)

1-day registration: $80 per person (until Feb 15)

Hotel – Embassy Suites: $125 per night + taxes and fees (about $155 total) – includes breakfast – ROOMS AT THIS RATE ARE LIMITED, BOOK NOW (Use the link from www.ofvc.ca for the convention rate)

As part of OFVC this year, the OLA Education Committee has organized a session “Creating an Agritourism Experience” designed to help lavender and other agritourism-based farms go beyond traditional agritourism to create an experience that attracts more customers and keeps them on the farm longer and spending more. Here is an overview of the session:

Creating an Agritourism Experience – Wednesday, February 22

2:00 pm Experiences in Agritourism on a Lavender Farm – Bill Mansfield, Lavender Hill Farm, Boyne City, Michigan.

2:30 pm The Case for 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusivity – Loren Christie, Canadian LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce

3:00 pm Experiences Can Help Boost Your Bottom Line – Kim Clarke, Regional Tourism Organization 7 Bruce/Grey/Simcoe

3:30 pm Adventures in Agritourism at Brantwood Farms – Kara Pate, Brantwood Farms, Brantford, Ontario

4:00 pm Q&A Session with all Speakers

There are numerous other general topics that may be of interest to lavender growers. Here are a few examples

Wednesday AM

9:30-10:30 Stress Mastery, You Have More Control than You Think  (Farm Fresh Ontario Session)

11:00 Navigating the Red Tape Roundabout (Farm Fresh Ontario Session)

9:30-10:30 Soil Moisture Monitoring – Experiences in Quebec and grower panel (Irrigation Session)

Thursday AM

9:30 – 11:30 Business Session – New Programs, Overcoming Business Challenges, and Farm Business Update

9:30-11:30 Drip Irrigation Workshop

9:30-10:30 Adversity Doesn’t Build Character, It Reveals Character (Farm Fresh Ontario Session)

11:00-12:00 Social Media Strategy. Is Facebook dead? Is Tiktok just for kids? (Farm Fresh Ontario Session)

9:30-10:00 The Value of Social Media (Farm Markets Ontario Session)

10:00-11:00 Navigating Ontario’s Food Premises Guidelines (Farm Markets Ontario Session)

Thursday PM

2:00-3:00 Mental Health Session

2:00-3:00 Public Relations 101: How to Develop and Share Your Store; Engaging with Media, Building Your Social Media Presence and Engaging with your Community (Ontario Produce Marketing Association Session)

2:00-4:00 Soil Health Session

There are numerous other sessions that may be of interest depending on what you grow or process on the farm. For the full program and to register, please visit the OFVC website at www.ofvc.ca.