Meeting Notes - AAFC, Shaun Sharpe - May 9, 2025
New Members:
Leia Weaver - NOFIA
Vivek Rajakumar - PickIT
New members, please be prepared to briefly introduce yourselves and touch on why you joined the group.
Presentations:
Presenter: Shaun Sharpe
Organization: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Presentation: Physical Weed Management: Principles and Applications for Precision Agriculture
Conferences/Meetings/Field Tours/Demonstrations
· Vineland Research: Critical Technology Demo Day – Lincoln, ON – June 20, 2025 – Registration
· TCS Webinar on AgTech Opportunities in Australia – June 23, 2025 - Registration
· AgRobotics Working Group Demo Day – Bradford Research Station – July 8, 2025. Registration
· ASABE Annual International Meeting – Toronto, ON – July 13-16, 2025. https://www.asabemeetings.org/#two
· AgRobotics Working Group Demo Day – Simcoe Research Station – July 22, 2025. Registration
Attendees at recent conferences, please be prepared to provide a brief update to the group.
Project Updates
Action Items From Previous Meeting(s)
Job Board
If you know of any job opportunities, please send the information to us so that we can add them on our website at the below link.
https://www.agroboticswg.com/job-board
Funding Announcements/Opportunities –
· Canada Business App https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en/canada-business-app
· Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs/canadian-agricultural-strategic-priorities - Open until March 2029
· COLLABORATE 2 COMMERCIALIZE https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/collaborate-2-commercialize/ - Ongoing
· Agri-Innovate - AgriInnovate Program: Step 1. What this program offers - agriculture.canada.ca - Open until March 2028
· OMAFRA/SCAP Funding Announcement and Program Details Link - Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership | ontario.ca - Open until March 2028
· OCI Critical Industrial Technologies Initiative - https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/cit/ - Ongoing
· CAAIN Open Competition - https://caain.ca/funding-calls/2024-open-competition/ - Open Intake
· FoodTech Next Program – Program Guide – Intake opens February 24, Deadline May 26, 2025
· THRIVE Global Impact Challenge - https://thriveagrifood.com/thrive-global-impact-challenge-2025/ - Deadline May 25, 2025
Round Table
University of Guelph - Help shape the future of communication in Ontario agriculture. If you work in the agricultural sector, we want to hear from you! The University of Guelph is studying how the agricultural sector uses social media to connect, share information, and deal with misinformation.
The survey takes approximate 20 minutes and the first 40 participants will receive a $25 gift card as a thank you.
Your experience matters – add your voice to this important conversation.
Link: https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEGJXO1LkuanLp4
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Rory Ring from the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Canadian Chamber Executives of Ontario, and Director with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is looking for any contacts or leads that could assist OCC with investigating the use of Artificial Intelligence in the greenhouse industry, cash crop, ag sector in general, or even a developer of technology for the AG sector.
He can be reached at rory@chatham-kentchamber.ca or by phone at 519 352 7540 ext 2213
Other Items/Articles
Smarter Farming: Autonomous Robots for Precision Cultivation
What farmers want from tech – put producers at heart of R&D to drive innovation, report demands
US engineers transform oyster farming with robotic tech that promises 10% yield increase
Monarch Tractor partners with Dairy Farmers of America for autonomous feed pushing
New Study: How AI-Guided Greenhouses Can Help Growers Boost Profits and More
Oishii introduces the Nikko Berry: “Our most affordable berry yet”
Farmers develop 'autofill' tech so agricultural robots can operate around the clock
Meeting recordings will be posted to our website approximately 4 weeks later. https://www.agroboticswg.com/meetings
*Call for speakers/presentations – If you are interested in giving a presentation or have a recommendation of someone who you think would be a valuable speaker, please email Dan or Bridget.