Thank you for your interest in the Excellence in Agriculture program. The program’s application intake is now closed. Please visit this page again for information about future intakes.

Overview

The agriculture and food sectors in Ontario has always been innovative in running their businesses, adapting practices and looking for partners to compete in the global economy. To help drive this innovative spirit, the Ontario government created the Excellence in Agriculture program.

The purpose of the Excellence in Agriculture program is to:

  • recognize and encourage innovators in the agri-food sector
  • foster innovation in the agri-food sector which has an effect on farms
  • raise awareness of the importance of the agri-food sector and its impact on the Ontario economy

About the awards

Program awards include:

  • top awards for each category
  • honorable mentions for each category

The top achievement in each category will:

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

Honourable mention recipients will receive:

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

Eligibility criteria

To meet the eligibility criteria, you must:

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

Eligible applicants

You are eligible to apply under the program if one of the following apply to you.

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:

  • 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 agri-based products in Ontario.

The processor business operator must be a Canadian owned company with fewer than 100 permanent full-time salaried and non-salaried employees.

Agri-food organization

An agri-food organization 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 agri-food sector.

Educational institution

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

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

Agri-food innovator

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

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

Indigenous community

An Indigenous community is one of Ontario's 133 First Nations communities or a group associated with one or more of these communities.

Ineligible applicants

You are not eligible to apply to the awards if you are:

  • an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
  • a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation and any combination of agri-food business or agri-food related organization in which OMAFRA employees are owners, members or have a controlling and/or financial interest

Outcomes

You must demonstrate how you’ve met at least 1 of the priority agriculture excellence outcomes.

Priority outcomes include:

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

Innovation is defined as the application of new ideas to solve problems and to address challenges. Here are some examples of how you might demonstrate innovation:

  • An invention, new technology, new process, new product or new service that is not currently available in the Ontario marketplace.
  • Significant modifications to the application of existing technologies, products, processes or services that are applied in a setting or condition for which current applications are not possible or feasible in Ontario.
  • An improvement to an existing technology, process, product or service that represents a significant (generally patentable) improvement in functionality, cost or performance of goods and services that are considered state of the art or new to Ontario's industry/sectors.

Award categories

You must indicate which award category you are applying to on the application form (refer to How to apply).

Excellence in food processing

Applicants have demonstrated how innovation has supported the efficiency and/or effectiveness of the Ontario agri-food processing sector.

Excellence in research and innovation

Applicants can demonstrate how innovation has supported efficiency and/or effectiveness of Ontario’s primary production or processing/manufacturing agri-food sectors. There is also limited adoption of the identified innovation in Ontario’s agriculture sector.

Women’s excellence

Applicants have demonstrated agri-food leadership and/or innovation and how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Youth excellence

Applicant is under 29 years old and has demonstrated agri-food leadership and/or innovation and how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Excellence in agri-food education

Applicant demonstrates efforts to increase industry awareness, innovation, training and/or skill development that supports growth within Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Northern business excellence

Applicant has demonstrated agri-food leadership and/or innovation and how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agri-food sector. The business must be located in the geographic area set out in the northern processor boundaries map.

Indigenous-owned business or community excellence

Applicant has demonstrated agri-food leadership and/or innovation and how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agri-food sector.

An Indigenous business must be wholly owned and operated by Indigenous peoples and demonstrate a direct relationship to the agri-food sector. An Indigenous community is one of Ontario's 133 First Nations communities or a group associated with one or more of these communities.

Farm family excellence

Applicant has demonstrated agri-food leadership and/or innovation and how those efforts are supporting the growth and development of Ontario’s agri-food sector. There are 4 regional awards based on geographical location within the province.

Agri-food promotional excellence

Applicant demonstrated innovation in promotion that encourages consumers to buy Ontario grown and made agri-food products.

Supply chain excellence

Applicant has implemented innovative solutions to strengthen and provide improved stability to Ontario’s agri-food supply chain.

Excellence in agri-food talent recruitment

Applicant demonstrated innovation in agri-food sector labour force recruitment.

How to apply

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

  • Download the application form.
  • Gather optional supporting documentation.
  • Submit the application and any supporting documentation to excellenceinagriculture@ontario.ca by 11:59 p.m. ET on September 14, 2023.

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

Supporting documentation

Supporting documentation for your application is optional, but we strongly encourage you to include:

  • letters of support
  • photos (in JPG format) of the achievement if available

Selection process

The following process will be used to select the Excellence in Agriculture award recipients:

  1. We receive the applications.
  2. We send an acknowledgement email to each applicant.
  3. We review the applications for eligibility.
  4. We evaluate all applications and make award recommendations on the top applications to the Deputy Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
  5. The Minister reviews the recommended applications and in their sole discretion, select the recipients of the top awards and honourable mentions.

Assessment criteria

The following criteria will be used to assess applications.

Impact and benefit

How do the outcomes of your work positively impact Ontario’s agri-food sector through economic, and/or social/community benefits?

Uniqueness and originality

How new or novel is your achievement within Ontario’s agri-food sector? Did you develop it yourself, modify existing technology/processes or did you adapt this technology/process from elsewhere to make it more relevant to the Ontario agri-food sector?

Adoption and/or commercialization

Does this achievement have potential for broader use beyond your business, organization or community? If so, how has it been or how could it be adopted for broader use by other farms, businesses, organizations or communities?

Terms and conditions

  • Applicants must be in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal legislation.
  • Only 1 application per eligible applicant can be submitted during the intake.
  • Applicants must choose 1 award category on their application.
  • Applicants must be willing to participate in virtual interviews, site visits, photographs and video recordings at the discretion of the ministry.
  • The ministry has 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 of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 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.