Overview

The people within Ontario’s agriculture and food sector make our province a global leader in food production, demonstrating excellence through innovation, leadership, and resilience. Through these efforts, they continue to strengthen Ontario’s food independence, ensuring communities across Ontario can rely on a safe supply of fresh, local food year-round.

To help showcase the outstanding efforts that have built this $53 billion sector, the Ontario government created the Excellence in Agriculture Awards.

The purpose of the Excellence in Agriculture Awards is to:

  • recognize and encourage outstanding efforts that drive the agriculture and food sector forward
  • raise awareness of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector and its impact on the provincial economy

All eligible individuals and businesses can apply or be nominated for an award.

About the awards

Top award recipients receive:

  • a plaque in recognition of their achievement
  • an Excellence in Agriculture wordmark to be used for marketing and promotional purposes

Honourable mention recipients receive:

  • a certificate in recognition of their achievement
  • an Excellence in Agriculture wordmark to be used for marketing and promotional purposes

Eligibility

To meet the eligibility criteria, applicants and nominees must:

  • be an eligible applicant
  • demonstrate how they’ve met at least 1 of the priority outcomes

Eligible applicants

Primary producer

A farm business that is a legal entity and produces agricultural commodities in Ontario under a valid Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN), or an allowable exemption.

The farm business operator/producer must both:

  • reside in Ontario
  • be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Processor

A processor business that is a legal entity that handles agricultural commodities, food, beverages or agriculture-based products in Ontario and is operated by a wholly Canadian-owned company.

Agriculture and food organization

An agriculture and food organization that is a not-for-profit and Ontario-based (that is, located in Ontario and, where applicable, has a membership composed primarily of Ontario residents/businesses/organizations) with a direct relationship or mandate to the agriculture and food sector.

Educational institution

An educational institution that is an Ontario-based high school or accredited Ontario university or college.

The institution must demonstrate excellence, awareness-building, innovation training and/or skill development directly related to the Ontario agriculture and food sector.

Agriculture and food innovator

An agriculture and food innovator that is an individual or agriculture and food business that is not a processor or farm business. They must also be:

  • a resident of Ontario
  • demonstrate a direct relationship to the agriculture and food sector
  • a citizen or permanent resident of Canada
  • if an agriculture and food business, the primary business must be a Canadian-owned company located in Ontario with fewer than 100 permanent full-time salaried and non-salaried employees (if applicable)

Indigenous, Métis or Inuit-owned business or Indigenous, Métis or Inuit community group

An Indigenous, Métis or Inuit business in which at least 50% of the voting shares are owned and controlled by Indigenous, Métis or Inuit individuals or a Band Council.

An Indigenous, Métis or Inuit community includes groups associated with 1 or more of these communities.

Businesses and communities must demonstrate a direct relationship to the agriculture and food sector.

Ineligible applicants

Applicants and nominees are not eligible if they are:

  • an employee of the Ontario Public Service (OPS) or associated Agency, Board or Commissions, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA)
  • a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation and any combination of agriculture and food business or agriculture and food related organization in which OMAFA employees are owners, members or have a controlling and/or financial interest

Additional eligibility conditions

  • Only 1 application per organization across all award categories will be considered.
  • Projects that have previously received an award under any category are not eligible.

Outcomes

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate how they have met at least 1 of the priority agriculture excellence outcomes:

  • strengthening Ontario’s agriculture and food supply chain;
  • attracting, growing and retaining Ontario’s agriculture and food workforce;
  • enhancing food safety, traceability and/or stewardship practices in the Ontario agriculture and food sector;
  • increasing or maintaining access to high-quality, local and nutritious food;
  • supporting agriculture and food market development and trade (intra-provincial and international trade);
  • increasing public engagement and support for agriculture, local food and knowledge of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector; or
  • building leadership capacity and increased involvement of women and youth in the agriculture and food sector.

Award categories

Indicate which award category you are applying to or nominating for on the application form (refer to How to apply).

Research and innovation excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in research and innovation and identify how those efforts are supporting the efficiency and/or effectiveness of Ontario’s primary production or processing/manufacturing agriculture and food sector.

Agribusiness excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence across agribusiness operations and identify how those efforts are supporting the efficiency and/or effectiveness of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. This includes achievements in food processing, agri-business and supply chain management, encompassing the journey from production to market, workforce development including attraction and retention, and operational performance improvements.

Education excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in awareness building, innovation, training and/or skill development and identify how those efforts are supporting growth within Ontario’s agriculture and food sector.

Promotional excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in promotion and identify how those efforts are encouraging consumers to buy Ontario grown and made agriculture and food products.

Urban agriculture excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate excellence in bringing the farm to the city and identify how those efforts are adapting agriculture technology to an urban setting, increasing access to local food and increasing urban participation and support for Ontario’s agriculture and food sector.

Northern business excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. The business must be located in the geographic area set out in the northern processor boundaries map.

Indigenous, Metis or Inuit-owned business or Indigenous, Métis or Inuit community group excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. The candidates must meet the eligibility requirements for Indigenous, Metis or Inuit-owned business or Indigenous, Métis or Inuit community groups noted above.

Women’s farming excellence (to recognize the International Year of the Woman Farmer)

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and/or excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector.

Youth excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and/or excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. The applicant/nominee must be 28 years old and younger.

Farm family excellence

Applicants and nominees must demonstrate leadership and excellence and identify how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agriculture and food sector. Regional awards will be distributed based on geographical location within the province.

How to apply

Make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader. You need this software to complete the form.

  1. Download the application form.
  2. Ensure your submission contains sufficient and complete information for evaluation. No supporting documents will be accepted. We reserve the right to follow-up for clarification or additional information if needed.
  3. Submit the application to excellenceinagriculture@ontario.ca by 11:59 p.m. ET on September 4, 2026.

If you need the application in an alternative format, please email excellenceinagriculture@ontario.ca.

After you apply

After you submit your application, you will receive an acknowledgement email from us.

Ministry staff:

  • review the applications for eligibility
  • may follow-up for clarification or additional information if needed
  • make award recommendations to the deputy minister and minister

The minister reviews the recommended applications and in their sole discretion, selects the recipients of the top awards and honourable mentions.

Assessment criteria

The following criteria is used to assess applications.

Award outcomes

How well the achievement aligns with the Excellence in Agriculture Awards’ purpose, priority outcomes and chosen award category.

Impact and benefit

Overall relevance, contribution and impact to Ontario’s agriculture and food sector such as economic, environmental and community benefits in the last 3 years or less.

Leadership

Demonstrated leadership that supports the Ontario agriculture and food sector.

Terms and conditions

  • Applicants and nominees must be in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal legislation.
  • Applicants and nominators must choose 1 award category on their application.
  • Applicants and nominees must be willing to participate in virtual interviews, site visits, photographs and video recordings at the discretion of the ministry.
  • We have reserved the right to refuse an application where concerns have been identified with respect to, without limitation, non-compliance with regulatory legislation and requirements, undue influence and/or misleading and inaccurate information.
  • The minister, in their sole discretion, may for any reason and at any time retract an award, including the use of the Excellence in Agriculture wordmark, and affected award winners will unconditionally follow all directions issued to them thereafter concerning the same.