OSCIA

Webinar: Grazing cover crops Partnerships in practice / Pâturage des cultures de couverture : des partenariats en action
2026-08-20 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Toronto) | Ontario
Join Farmers for Climate Solutions for a 60-minute free webinar.
Are you a rotational grazer looking for more options to extend your grazing season? Or are you a cash cropper looking to get more value from your cover crops or crop residue? Join FaRM’s webinar for a practical conversation on how cover crop–livestock grazing partnerships actually work, with a focus on logistics, coordination, and keys to making these arrangements a win-win. Hear lessons learned from farmer panellists in Ontario and Manitoba who’ve put these partnerships into practice. Our two panellists: – Mike Swidersky, Ontario Sheep Farmer, Riverview Ranch Meat Co. – Marika Dewar-Norosky, Manitoba Grain and Beef Farmer and Executive Director of Manitoba Organics
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Êtes-vous un·e producteur·rice pratiquant le pâturage en rotation à la recherche de plus d’options qui vous permettraient de prolonger la saison de pâturage? Ou êtes-vous un·e producteur·rice de cultures commerciales cherchant à valoriser vos cultures de couverture ou vos résidus de culture? Dans un cas comme dans l’autre, assistez au webinaire du Programme MFR pour comprendre comment fonctionnent les systèmes combinant les cultures et le pâturage du bétail. Lors de ce webinaire mettant l’accent sur les aspects pratiques, vous en apprendrez davantage sur la logistique, la coordination et les secrets qui vous permettront de tirer tout le parti de ces combinaisons qui sont bénéfiques à la fois pour votre exploitation et pour l’environnement. Venez écouter nos panélistes parler des leçons qu’ils ont tirées en mettant ces combinaisons de pratiques en œuvre. Nos deux panélistes : – Mike Swidersky, éleveur de moutons de l’Ontario, Riverview Ranch Meat Co. – Marika Dewar-Norosky, productrice de céréales et de bœufs du Manitoba et directrice générale de Manitoba Organics. Ce webinaire se déroulera en anglais; un service d’interprétation en français sera également offert.

When? August 20 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

REGISTER HERE
Sowing solutions: Why these cover cropping BMPs? is an OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for farmers with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Cover Cropping category.

Grazing Cover Crops: Partnerships in Practice (VIRTUAL)
2026-08-20 12:00 - 13:15 | Virtual
Grazing Cover Crops: Partnerships in Practice

Thursday, August 20 @ 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM

Are you a rotational grazer looking for more options to extend your grazing season? Or are you a cash cropper looking to get more value from your cover crops or crop residue? Join FaRM’s webinar for a practical conversation on how cover crop–livestock grazing partnerships actually work, focusing on logistics, coordination, and keys to making these arrangements a win-win. Hear lessons learned from farmer panelists in Ontario and Manitoba, including sheep and beef producers and cover croppers who’ve put these partnerships into practice.

To register, click HERE
*this live webinar event, Grazing Cover Crops: Partnerships in Practice, is an OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for farmers with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Rotational Grazing and Cover Cropping categories.
Please note, if a recording becomes available following the event, viewing the recording will not be eligible towards KSE credit.

Norfolk SCIA Bus Tour
2026-08-26 12:00 - 17:30 | Ramblin Road Brewery, 2970 Swimming Pool Road, Norfolk, Ontario, N0E 1H0, Canada
Join us on the NSCIA Bus Tour
Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Time: 12pm to 5-5:30pm
Location: Bus departs from Ramblin Road Brewery
Tour stops include:

Emre Farms
Schooley Orchards
Strawberry Tyme Farms
Windward Drone Demo

Cost: FREE for OSCIA Members ($40 for non-members) *includes boxed lunch provided on bus
PLEASE RSVP:
Phil Burley (phil.burley@belchim.com)
Brian Woolley (woolleyword@gmail.com) or
Jason Robinson (robinson.agraservice@gmail.com)

Cow-Calf Management Tour
2026-08-28 12:00 - 2026-08-29 15:00 | Ontario
August 28, 2026 and August 29, 2026
Join BFO as we travel across Lanark County touring purebred and commercial cow-calf operations. This event will provide the opportunity to network with other cow-calf producers with a focus on herd health management, risk mitigation strategies, and cattle performance.
Save the date! Registration will open soon: https://www.ontariobeef.com/farmer-hub/events/cow-calf-management-tour/
Cow-Calf Management Tour is an OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for farmers with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Rotational Grazing category.

Rotational Grazing in Ottawa Valley with Dobson’s Grassfed Beef and Opeongo Springs Homestead
2026-09-12 13:00 - 17:30 | Dobson’s Grassfed Beef, 1907 Snake River Line, Cobden, Ontario, K0J1K0, Canada
Join two fantastic farms to learn how their rotational grazing and environmental stewardship practices intersect in the holistic management of their farms.
Bob Dobson has spent nearly 50 years planting trees on his family farm near Cobden. What began as a memory of trees providing shade on a farm laneway has grown into a passion for reforestation, and influenced his farming practices along the way. Bob and his partner Eva manage Dobson’s Grassfed Beef, which currently has about 50 head of cattle but over the years has had as many as 400. Their farm management practices include restoration of a riparian buffer to protect water quality, solar watering systems to keep cattle out of the creek, rotational grazing, and planting up to 1000 trees each year – adding up to over 40,000 trees planted and counting. Participants will hop on a wagon and learn how for this farm, environmental stewardship, human and animal health, and food production are inextricably linked through their ecological practices.
Opeongo Springs Homestead came to rotational grazing from the other end of the farming spectrum, purchasing their farm outside of Eganville and taking over a herd of 20 Texas Longhorn cattle just four years ago. They have since grown their herd to 54. Natalie and Kyle emphasize sustainable and ecological grazing practices – including rotational grazing and silvopasture – ethical treatment of animals, and local, healthy food production. They recently received Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) funding to improve their rotational grazing system. With this funding, they added a solar powered water trough that moves with their herd and temporary fencing materials, all of which will be included in the tour. These allow them the flexibility to move their herd more frequently, giving pastures more time to recover. The organic matter in their pastures is extremely low, but in the short time they have been rotational grazing in this location, they have seen it improve.
The tour will also include a look at their recent addition of pigs to their grazing system, who are working hard to clear an overgrown area to become additional pasture, and highlighting this farm’s emphasis on matching animals to environments that suit their needs while also improving the land. In addition to their livestock, visitors will have the opportunity to visit their self-designed one of a kind (and beautiful!) barn and farm store.
Driving time between the two farms is approximately 35 minutes. Participants are responsible for their own transportation.
Ticket price includes participation in both tours and light refreshments.

12:45PM – 1:00PM: Arrive to Dobson’s Grassfed Beef, 1907 Snake River Line, Cobden
1:00PM – 3:00PM: Farm tour at Dobson’s Grassfed Beef
3:00PM – 3:45PM: Travel to Opeongo Springs Homestead, 2290 Opeongo Road W, Eganville
3:45PM – 5:30pm: Tour at Opeongo Springs Homestead
5:30 pm: Departures

This event is offered in partnership with the Farmers for Climate Solutions’ Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM) is an OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for farmers with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Rotational Grazing Category.
Please visit the EFAO event website to register.

Canada's Outdoor Farm Show - Rotational Grazing Demo
2026-09-15 10:00 - 10:30, 2026-09-15 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-09-16 10:00 - 10:30, 2026-09-16 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-09-17 10:00 - 10:30, 2026-09-17 14:00 - 14:30 | Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show
Join Tim Prior at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show for a demonstration of the rotational grazing technologies Brussels Agri Services has to offer.
Date(s): Sept 15, 16, and 17
Time(s): 10:00 am and 2:00 pm Daily
Attendees will need to purchase a ticket to Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show to attend this event.
Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show – Rotational Grazing Demo is an OSCIA recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for farmers with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Rotational Grazing category.

A Flower-filled Field Day in Grey County
2026-09-17 10:00 - 12:30 | Sideroad Farm, 805092 Sideroad 5, Markdale, Ontario, N0C1H0, Canada
Join Amy Kitchen of Sideroad Farm and Annabel Por of Twig and Brindille Flower Farm in Grey-Bruce county for a flower focused day hosted in collaboration with Grey Bruce Flower Growers and the Local Flower Collective.
We will start the morning with a KSE session with Amy and Patrick Kitchen at Sideroad Farm, where they have farmed with their family for 13 years. Amy will lead a tour of their flower production that supplies their markets, DIY events and wholesale florist buyers at the Local Flower Collective and the Grey Bruce Flower Growers. They also have a robust organic vegetable production, raise pastured chicken and pork, and have an active on-farm store. Her tour will include a look at her current production systems and crop rotations; including cover crop strategies to boost productivity, and a conversation about lessons learned and scaling different types of production.
Following the tour and KSE session, participants can enjoy their packed picnic lunch before travelling to Twig and Brindille.
In the afternoon we will visit Twig & Brindille Flower Farm for a contrasting take on cut flower farming on a smaller scale. Annabel Por has been farming her 3 acre parcel since 2020 and practicing no-till techniques since the beginning. She will touch on the challenges and successes of running the farm as a one woman operation with over half of the production area growing perennials. We will conclude the tour with a hands-on floral activity.
Agenda for the day:
*KSE SESSION: 10:00AM – 12:30PM: Tour with Sideroad Farm (805092 Sideroad 25, RR3, Markdale)
12:30PM – 1:15PM: Bring your own picnic lunch at Sideroad Farm
1:15PM – 2:00PM: Packing up and travel to Twig and Brindille Flower Farm (423475 Concession 6, Markdale)
2:00PM – 4:00PM: Tour and activity at Twig and Brindille Flower Farm
This event is also offered in partnership with the Farmers for Climate Solutions’ Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM)
Please visit the EFAO event website to register.
*The tour with Sideroad Farm event is recognized as OSCIA OFCAF KSE under BMP category Cover Cropping.

Fieldwalker 2026 Sandbox Field Day
2026-09-18 09:30 - 14:00 | Formosa, ON, Address Provided w/ Registration, Formosa, Ontario, N0G2S0, Canada
Fieldwalker 2026 Sandbox Field Day: Dialing in crop nutrition plans and application along with a
tillage demonstration
9:30 AM – 2 PM, a final agenda will be distributed shortly.
Jonathan Zettler, CPA, CMA, CCA-ON
Key Details:
• Location – Formosa (meal) and local fields to Formosa, ON
• Date – Friday, September 18, 2026, ~9 am Coffee to 2 pm
• Lunch – Pineridge BBQ
Sandbox (noun): a place, area, or environment that provides opportunities for variation and
experimentation in a way suggestive of children playing in a sandbox
Why Sandbox?
Many have learned more through play and hands on learning than other methods and feel this
best reflects where learning, interested and fun meet.
Current speaker lineup:
• Jonathan Zettler, Fieldwalker Agronomy
• David Simard, Metos Canada
• Travis Grubb, Kubota Canada
• Taylor Jeffery, Yara Canada
Topics/Stations:
• Weather Station/Weather Data/SWAT Water – How to use it as an in-season decision aid when
it comes to nitrogen rates, how leaf sensors can measure plant stress/crop response to
environmental conditions.
• Soil Sampling Methodology – P&K Grid vs SWAT vs Split depth sample (reduced tillage fields);
Nitrate sampling by landscape position – what’s in a nitrate test, how does it vary by landscape
position, what do the numbers mean?
• Nitrogen sources and the nitrogen cycle – a pound of N is not a pound of N!
• Managing soil compaction with the Kubota CU – working long term no-till/strip till fields – good,
the bad and the ugly
There is a small nominal fee of $25, mainly to ensure the people attending want to participate
and contribute to this type of event. A portion of this fee is donated to 4-H Ontario.
To participate, drop Jonathan Zettler an email by clicking on the link below or at jz@fieldwalker.ca.
Payment – if you are an existing Fieldwalker customer I’ll invoice your account. If not, you can etransfer $25 to jz@fieldwalker.ca. RSVP by August 30th, 2026 for food!
*This event is recognized as OSCIA OFCAF KSE under BMP category Nitrogen Management

Seed Farming & Farmer-Led Research at Persephone Market Garden and Luna Mia Farm
2026-09-26 10:00 - 16:00 | Persephone Market Garden, 241063 Concession 3 Keppel, Allenford, Ontario, N0H 1A0, Canada
A full day tour of two seed saving farms with EFAO farmer-researchers? Sign us up!
Join Kristine Hammel of Persephone Market Garden and Rony Lec of Luna Mia Farm in Grey-Bruce to hear more about their seed and vegetable production and farmer-led research.

We will start the morning at Persephone Market Garden, run by Kristine Hammel and Thorsten Arnold. They have been farming on this land for 17 years. Kristine will lead a tour of the market garden, which includes a growing seed garden and an expanding native seed orchard. She’ll share some of her motivations, challenges and joys with growing seed on contract, alongside a fresh vegetable CSA. Kristine is also a long time no till practitioner who using switch grass straw mulch in her gardens. Following the tour, participants can enjoy their packed picnic lunch with soup from Kristine before travelling to Luna Mia Farm.

In the afternoon, we will see Luna Mia Farm, run by Rony Lec and Myriam Legualt who have been farming and seed saving for 20 years. Rony and Myriam ran the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute together in Guatemala for many years then moved to Canada and started a regenerative farm. Today, they continue to use regenerative practices based on traditional knowledge, save their open-pollinated seeds, and share about their lessons learned along the way. Participants will join Rony and Myriam for a farm tour with a focus on traditional grain and seed crops.

Agenda for the day:
Arrive to Persephone Market Garden: 9:45-10 (241063 Concession 3 Keppel, Allenford)
Tour Persephone Market Garden: 10-12
Bring you own picnic lunch: 12-1
Drive to Luna Mia: 1-1:30(135038 Concession Road 8 RR 1, Desboro)
Tour Luna Mia: 1:30-3:30
Departures: 3:30-4
Please visit the EFAO event website to register and purchase tickets.

This event is funded in part by the Governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
Funding for the project has also been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program and by the following partners: Beef Farmers of Ontario, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario Pork and Ontario Sheep Farmers. The project is coordinated by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.

OSCIA 2027 Annual Meeting and Deep Dive
2027-02-02 - 2027-02-03 | Elora Grand Way Events Centre, 7445 Wellington County Rd 21, Centre Wellington, Ontario, N0B 1S0, Canada
Enriching Soil. Empowering Farmers. Knowledge and practices for sustainable and thriving agricultural communities.

Tuesday, Feb. 2nd—Annual General Meeting: Clear Leadership. Strong Direction. Renewed Connections. Our members are the foundation of OSCIA. The 2027 AGM will highlight member achievements and share organizational progress and priorities for the future.
Wednesday, Feb. 3rd—Deep Dive Event: More info to come

OSCIA’s Annual General Meeting & Deep Dive events are a unique opportunity to connect with Ontario farmers and agricultural leaders in a learning-focused environment. This two-day event brings together producers, researchers and industry partners to share knowledge and explore practical solutions for on-farm success.
Location: The GrandWay in Elora.
