2025 Digital Agenda
Pre-Conference Extension Workshops
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Breakfast Provided
Grasslands Stakeholder Summit - Hybrid Session, Junior Ballroom
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. To register, click here!
Advanced Grazing Mentorship Workshop - In-Person Only, Garrison Room
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Registration available via conference registration
Breaks and Lunch Provided
Conference Welcome Reception, Junior Ballroom
7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Hosted by the CFGA and NBSCIA
Agenda is subject to change. All times are Atlantic Standard Time.
Location, unless otherwise noted, is the Ballroom on the main floor.
Breakfast and lunch served in the Ballroom and breaks in the Junior Ballroom (where the tradeshow can be found), unless otherwise noted.
CFGA Conference Day 1
Theme: Smart Tech & Pasture Strategies
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
7:30 - 8:45 a.m. Breakfast Provided
8:30 - 6:00 p.m. Conference Trade Show, Junior Ballroom
8:30 - 6:00 p.m. Academic Poster Showcase
Technology on the Landscape
9:00 - 9:15 a.m. Welcome Messages
9:15 - 10:15 a.m. Opening Keynote: Everything that can be measured can be improved!
Jean-Philippe Laroche, Lactanet
Jean-Phillipe’s keynote, Everything that can be measured can be improved!, will focus on the importance of data. Without data to guide our decisions, it can be difficult to improve. Even today, the forage sector uses relatively few performance indicators, which limits progress compared to other agricultural production. For forage crops to maintain their place of choice on our farms, we need to measure ourselves more and, above all, leverage this data to identify opportunities for improvement.
10:15 - 10:45 a.m. How data is powering grassland conservation and stewardship: Examples of habitat identification, farmer incentives and remote monitoring to restore Bobolink Populations in the Maritimes
Sean will share experiences of how data is being used for habitat identification, farmer incentives and remote monitoring to restore Bobolink Populations in the Maritimes. The talk will include the role of farmers, farming organisations, eNGOs and the governments to support grassland programs that benefit farmers and at-risk species.
10:45 - 11:15 a.m. Break
11:15 - 11:35 a.m. Tomorrow’s Prairies: Baselines and projections for grasslands change in Canada
Ronnie Drever, Bronwyn Rayfield and Negar Tafti with Nature United
Tomorrow’s Prairies is a collaborative research project to map grasslands and forecast future changes in their biodiversity and carbon based on socio-economic scenarios of conversion to cropland or settlements. Hear about this three-year effort funded by the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund unites 39 experts from government, academia, and conservation organizations.
11:35 - 12:00 p.m. Agriculture Drone Use: Opportunities, Strategies, Limitations
Joseph Graham, New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association
Joseph’s session will help attendees understand the licensing and rules of agricultural drones and how to make use of this technology on their farms.
12:00 - 12:15 p.m. Panel Q&A with Speakers
12:15 - 1:30 p.m. Lunch Provided
Pasture System Strategies
1:30 - 1:40 p.m. Welcome Back and Sponsorship Message
1:40 - 2:15 p.m. Building resilient pastures: Species selection and population dynamics
Marie-Pier Landry, Le Centre d’initiatives en agriculture de la région de Coaticook (CIARC)
A pasture is like a hockey team: Each species has its role and victory depends on teamwork. Marie-Pier’s presentation will discuss how to create a balanced plant lineup, anticipate replacements throughout the seasons and keep the field in shape, game after game.
2:15 - 2:40 p.m. Measuring pasture productivity: Turning instinct into an indicator
Marie-Pier Beaulieu, Conseil québécois des plantes fourragères (CQPF)
During her presentation, Marie-Pier will share approaches and tools used in various projects in Quebec to quantify the yield of grazed grasslands and promote the transfer of these practices to the field.
2:40 - 2:55 pm Panel Q&A with speakers
2:55 - 3:15 p.m. Break
3:15 - 3:50 p.m. Canadian virtual fencing showcase
Provincial representatives from BC, AB SK, QC
AAFC Virtual Fencing Demo Sites
3:50 - 4:50 p.m. Closing Keynote: Measuring Progress in the Sustainability of Canadian Beef
Andrea White, Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
The CRSB’s National Beef Sustainability Assessment measures the sustainability performance of the Canadian beef value chain from environment, social and economic perspectives. Hear results from the 2024 assessment, where we have seen progress against the 2014 baseline and how to contribute to our Sustainability Strategy on the road to the industry’s 2030 goals.
4:50 - 5 p.m. Panel Q&A with speakers
5 - 5:05 p.m. Panel Q&A with speakers
Conference Dinner (RSVP at registration)
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The CFGA Leadership Award Dinner
Planning for Tomorrow’s Harvest: Farm Succession Made Simple
featuring Danielle Walsh, of Meyers Norris Penny (MNP).
Join us for an engaging evening of dialogue and discovery as we unpack the complexities of succession planning in agriculture. From national policy frameworks to the realities of farm-level transitions, this interactive session invites producers, industry leaders, and community stakeholders to explore the challenges and opportunities that shape legacy-building across generations. Through participatory discussion, we’ll examine practical approaches, emerging models, and the cultural and economic factors that influence succession success. Whether you’re planning your own transition or shaping sector-wide strategies, this conversation is designed to spark insight, connection, and action.
Agenda is subject to change. All times are Atlantic Standard Time.
Location, unless otherwise noted, is the Ballroom on the main floor.
Breakfast and lunch served in the Ballroom and breaks in the Junior Ballroom (where the tradeshow can be found), unless otherwise noted.
CFGA Conference Day 2
Theme: Innovations in Forage Management Systems
Thursday, November 20, 2025
7:30 - 8:45 a.m. Breakfast Provided
8:30 - 5:30 p.m. Conference Tradeshow, Junior Ballroom
8:30 - 5:30 p.m. Academic Poster Showcase
8 - 8:30 a.m. CFGA Operational Update
Cedric MacLeod, CFGA Executive Director
Join Cedric as he presents the CFGA’s annual operational report, highlighting the many projects and initiatives the CFGA is working on.
8:30 - 8:50 a.m. New Brunswick Projects Update
Jason Wells, Crop Development Specialist at Province of New Brunswick
Forage System Innovation
8:55 - 9 a.m. Welcome Message
9 - 9:45 a.m. Opening Keynote: The Role of Grazing Livestock in Supporting Sustainable Soil Management: Examples from Ontario
Kim Schneider, University of Guelph
Regenerative agriculture and best management practices for supporting soil health promote the integration of livestock on cropland, however challenges exist for producers to do this and relate to training, equipment and infrastructure needs and high land costs. In Ontario, perennial forages, and in particular, grazed pastures have scored highly in soil health scores compared to other agricultural land uses, supporting the importance of animal agriculture in the landscape. Among grazed pastures, rotational grazing is often touted for its ability to increase carbon sequestration on pastures. However, little Ontario data is available to support this claim. This presentation will outline the scientific results obtained from an Ontario grazing management study using data from five across-the-fence comparisons of beef farms managed according to adaptive multi-paddock grazing principles or continuously grazed. Results found rotational grazing affected not only the quantity of soil organic carbon, but also its quality, which has suggested implications for soil carbon stability. The integration of livestock on annual cropland is also gaining interest among beef and sheep producers in Ontario to be more economically viable and to potentially increase soil health. Preliminary results from soil health testing from grazed versus ungrazed cover crops in an annual cash crop scenario will be presented with future work and implications discussed.
9:45 - 10:25 a.m. Achieving Forage Quality Through Technology
Achieving proper forage harvest timing and forage quality is a critical part of a dairy farm’s success. There are many ways to predict and achieve correct timing at harvest. John’s presentation will show some successful methods to ensure that we harvest our forages at the correct time and correct moisture for proper fermentation and quality.
10:25 - 10:40 a.m. Panel Q&A with speakers
10:40 - 10:55 a.m. Break
10:55 - 11:20 a.m. The future is digital: Digital agriculture and Canadian agriculture policy
Tyler McCann, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute
Farmers and farm policy face a critical decade. Digital and smart agriculture can strengthen Canadian agriculture amid rising costs, trade pressures and climate challenges. However, Canadian ag policy has largely overlooked digital agriculture. The next policy framework is one of several opportunities where governments will be able to pivot so that Canada can catch up and lead on digital and smart ag development and adoption. There is a generational now-or-never moment to usher in a digital revolution within Canada’s agriculture sector.
11:20 - 11:40 a.m. From Sensors to Silage: Precision Agriculture in Forage & Grassland Management
Liv Walker, Green Diamond-John Deere
During Liv’s presentation, conference attendees will discover how precision agriculture is transforming forage and grassland systems. They will explore the tools and technologies that help producers monitor pasture health, optimize input use and boost forage quality and yield. Whether you are managing grazing systems or harvesting silage, you will learn how data-driven decisions can lead to more efficient and sustainable management.
11:40 - 12:00 a.m. Turning Yield Data into Decisions: A Producer’s Perspective
Wietze will share his experience on his farm where they milk 170 cows twice a day in a parlour set up and where, he says, having his crops custom harvested has changed their life on the farm.
12:00 - 12:15 a.m. Panel Q&A with speakers
12:15 - 1:10 p.m. Lunch Provided
Markets and Export Impact
1:10 - 1:15 p.m. Welcome Back and Sponsorship Message
1:15 - 1:45 p.m. Status of U.S. Hay Markets and International Export Markets
Josh’s presentation will provide an in-depth look at current trends shaping the U.S. alfalfa and grass hay sectors, from dairy-driven domestic demand to evolving export flows. It will examine regional price dynamics, production shifts and the influence of factors such as currency exchange, shipping logistics and global feed demand.
1:45 - 2:15 p.m. Canadian Economic Outlook
Aaron will discuss the outlook for the Canadian economy in an environment of heightened trade uncertainty, touching on growth, the labour market, interest rates and the Canadian dollar.
2:15 - 2:40 p.m. Export Market Support Structures When Facing Turmoil
Bryan Nugent, Export Development Canada
Bryan’s presentation will give an overview of EDC’s programs, which are designed to help you go, grow and succeed internationally.
2:40 - 2:50 p.m. Panel Q&A with speakers
2:50 - 3:10 p.m. Break
3:10 - 4:10 p.m. Closing Keynote: Canadian Digital Agriculture - Perspectives on Successes, Challenges and Opportunities
Digital agriculture is transforming how Canadian producers, researchers and agri-businesses make decisions, from precision input management to data-driven sustainability metrics. Craig’s presentation explores Canada’s progress in digital agriculture adoption, highlighting real-world successes, persistent barriers to scaling innovation and emerging opportunities across research, technology and policy.
4:10 - 4:20 p.m. Conference Closing Remarks
Building Bridges Social
6 - 10 p.m. Bringing together those who have impact on forage, pasture and grasslands to network and build stronger connections.
Food & Drink Provided
Agenda is subject to change. All times are Atlantic Standard Time.
Location, unless otherwise noted, is the Ballroom on the main floor.
Breakfast and lunch served in the Ballroom and breaks in the Junior Ballroom (where the tradeshow can be found), unless otherwise noted.
Post-Conference Tour (RSVP at registration)
Friday, November 21, 2025 - 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
7:30 - 8:45 a.m. Breakfast Provided
8:00 a.m. Meet at CFGA Reception Table for 8:00 a.m. check in.
8:15 a.m. Shuttle Leaves Hotel at 8:15 a.m.
Shuttle bus transportation is provided for Conference registrants to/from the Hotel
Attendees must pre-register for tour.
Lunch will be provided.
Agenda is subject to change. All times are Atlantic Standard Time.
Location, unless otherwise noted, is the Ballroom on the main floor.
Breakfast and lunch served in the Ballroom and breaks in the Junior Ballroom (where the tradeshow can be found), unless otherwise noted.