Canada's Virtual Outdoor Farm Show Officially Starts Today

Tuesday, 15 September 2020 11:31

During the opening ceremonies of Canada's Outdoor Farm Show today, it was announced that Glacier Farm Media had purchased the site with the intention to keep the farm show in Woodstock for years to come.

WOODSTOCK - Canada's Virtual Outdoor Farm Show officially kicked off today in Woodstock.

The opening ceremonies included remarks from Woodstock Mayor Trevor Birtch and local MPP and the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Ernie Hardeman.

They kicked things off with an announcement that Woodstock will be the permanent home of the farm show. Glacier FarmMedia announced its intention to establish Discovery Farm Woodstock at the current site of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show (COFS) as the permanent home of the show and an applied research facility designed to strengthen Ontario’s agriculture sector.

GFM President Bob Willcox said the company is working with the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario on an agreement to purchase the current 100-acre site of the annual farm show and lease some adjacent lands. The sale is expected to be finalized in 2021.

“Through this proposed agreement, we will not only secure the future of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show but also bring new research and innovation infrastructure to southern Ontario. Our intention with Discovery Farm Woodstock is to bring together key players from industry and science to find practical solutions to the key questions facing farmers today.”

Wilcox says they couldn't have done this without the support of Minister Hardeman.

"I would like to thank Mayor Trevor Birtch, Keith Currie and of course Minister Hardeman and Minister I would just like to thank you, the farm show family would sincerely like to thank you for joining us today to make this announcement, but especially for all your efforts over the years that have lead up to this special day. So today we launch Glacier Farm Media Discovery and we are celebrating this site as being the permanent home for Canada's Outdoor Farm Show."

Wilcox also wanted to thank Mayor Birtch for his unwavering support and the Mayor of East Zorra-Tavistock Don McKay who first came up with the idea. Minister Hardeman also spoke at the event and he says Oxford County is the perfect place to host this farm show every year.

"The first show was not in Oxford County, it wasn't until after they started that they realized the best place to build this facility was in Oxford County. Ensuring that Canada's Outdoor Farm Show can continue to grow longer term is why we are here today. I am pleased to announce the Government of Ontario and Glacier Farm Media are working together to ensure the long term growth of the Canada's Outdoor farm show through the proposed sale of a portion of the Woodstock Research Station."

The virtual farm show starts today. You can still register online here.