Organized in partnership with the Ontario Forage Council, the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association’s (CFGA) 15th Annual Conference took place in Guelph, Ontario, Dec. 3 to 6. With the theme Roots to Success: The Foundation of Resilient Agriculture, this four-day event celebrated the important environmental and economic role forages and grasslands play in Ontario, across the country and around the globe. 

Registrants for the event now have access to conference speaker recordings, resources and sponsors materials until July 30, 2025. People who did NOT register for the conference, can now purchase access to the recordings of the sessions presented on Dec. 4 and 5. If you have questions or need help accessing the recordings, email [email protected]. 

Conference sessions 

Dr. Ralph Martin, retired from University of Guelph, kicked the event off with his keynote address on perennial forages as key contributors to sustainable agriculture. He was followed by the Honourable Senator Robert Black, who presented the findings and recommendations of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry Soil Study Report, while discussing the importance of soil and the work that led to the study and final report.  
 
Other topics covered in day one included: 

• the Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Tool (HBAT) 
• national grassland inventories 
• grazing tools, tips and new techniques including virtual cattle fencing 
• rotational grazing 
• using decision-support tools for dairy cow pasture 
• drones as a sustainable solution for forage and grassland agriculture 
• Canadian beef sustainability over the past 10 years and opportunities for the future. 

Closing out the day, Dr. Angela Straathof with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), gave a keynote on advancing grassland management through research and producer support based on lessons from Ontario initiatives. 
 
Day two was just as jam packed with Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada’s (AAFC) Dr. Martin Chantigny discussing the numerous advantages of perennial crops to improve soil structure, the formation and stabilization of soil organic matter (carbon capture) and nitrogen use efficiency and their consequences on soil fertility, crop productivity and yield stability under a changing climate. He was followed by John Winchell from Alltech, who provided a very informative session on advances in forage quality. 
 
Other topics covered on day two were: 

• advances in forage breeding in Canada 
• the status of forage export markets 
• financial markets and projections 
• transformational adaptation in central and southern U.S. agriculture and identifying future challenges and opportunities 

Maggie van Camp with Loft32 provided the closing keynote with a discussion on building a farm’s future with the next generation. This session, which looked at how collaborative transition and business planning can help develop needed skills in the next generation and build trust for a successful transition, included special guests Marc and Nia Jones from New Zealand on their farming succession experience. 
 
Purchase access 
If you did NOT register for the CFGA’s 2025 conference in Guelph, you can purchase access to the recordings here. If you have questions, email [email protected].