Discovery Farm Woodstock, a new initiative from Glacier FarmMedia, is designed to strengthen Ontario’s agriculture sector.
Discovery Farm Woodstock launched in the beginning of September 2020 thanks to the proposed purchase of 100 acres by Glacier FarmMedia, the parent company of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show (COFS). The land is being bought from the province and is the current site of COFS.
Glacier FarmMedia is Canada’s leading agriculture publishing and information company, and is known for high-quality, independent farm journalism. The establishment of Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm Woodstock provides COFS with a permanent home while expanding its farmer-driven applied research and innovation in sustainability and soil health through a new centre for applied agriculture research.
A world-class collaboration site for agriculture
Discovery Farm Woodstock will showcase farmer-led and industry-partnered research to transfer in-field research to farmers, with the ultimate goal of helping farmers succeed and strengthening Ontario’s agriculture sector.
Through the planned development of a new sustainability and soil health centre, the organization aims to bring industry, government, and research groups into collaboration within a classroom and research framework. The goal is to advance soil health information and to find practical solutions for the problems of today and tomorrow to support farmers in Eastern Canada.
“Through the proposed sale, COFS will continue to provide farmers with the vital opportunity to learn about the latest and greatest farming practices and technology,” says the Honourable Ernie Hardeman, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. “The announcement is good news for Ontario’s agriculture sector, which will have expanded access to that research, and good news for our community and local economy, which will benefit from year-round activities on the site.”
Discovery Farm Woodstock will also feature a student demonstration farm that’ll be run in partnership with strategic partners, including Grain Farmers of Ontario. The on-site demo farm will include classroom and workshop space.
