On March 20, 2025, farmers, conservationists, policymakers, land use planners, and community members gathered at The GrandWay Events Centre in Elora, and virtually to tackle one of Ontario’s most pressing agricultural challenges: ensuring water security for agriculture. This year’s Farmland Forum marked 21 years of bringing together diverse voices to drive action on farmland conservation.
Under the theme Watershed Wisdom: Water Protection’s Role in Farmland Conservation, the 2025 Farmland Forum sparked inspiring discussions on cross-disciplinary approaches to agricultural water management, stewardship, and restoration, highlighting the urgent need for collaboration across farmers, municipalities, scientists, and conservation and agricultural organizations. Marsha Paley, Principal Planner for Peel Region and a Director of the Ontario Farmland Trust (OFT) acted as the morning MC.
Jeremy Pittman, Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo and the event’s morning keynote speaker, highlighted the reliance of Ontario’s farmland on precipitation for crop production, which under more frequent erratic weather events such as drought or flooding, puts farmers on the front lines of climate change. His address underscored the urgent need for collaboration between federal, provincial, and municipal governments, alongside farmers, to develop resilient, climate-adaptive solutions for the future of agriculture.
Our morning panel, Flowing Together: Collaborative Approaches to Agricultural Water Planning featured the diverse expertise of Martin Keller, Senior Manager, of Watershed Planning and Source Protection at Conservation Halton, Jack Imhof, past Aquatic Ecologist & Watershed Scientist for Freshwater Conservation Canada, and Merrin Macrae, Professor at the University of Waterloo’s Department of Geography and Environmental Management. Drew Spoelstra, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture moderated the discussion. Their panel explored how conservation authorities, scientists, and farmers can support one another in stewarding healthy watersheds and water availability on farms through financial support, knowledge transfer, and relationship-building.
Eli Enns, Co-Founder and CEO of the IISAAK OLAM Foundation joined the forum online, offering foundational and historical context to Indigenous land and water protection within Canada. He emphasized the importance of reciprocity and relationship with Mother Earth, offering a perspective essential to shaping informed and relational conservation efforts.
Following lunch, Sara Epp, Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph’s School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, and a Director of OFT took over as MC. She welcomed Martin Straathof, Executive Director of OFT to the stage, where he shared updates on the organization’s current projects and initiatives. A highlight of his presentation was the announcement that OFT had received a Conservation Certificate of Excellence from the Centre for Land Conservation, recognizing its ongoing commitment to protecting Ontario’s farmland.
The afternoon panel, Farming with Water: Stories of Restoration, Protection and Resilience brought Drake Larsen, Farmer at Three Ridges Ecological Farm, Jackie-Kelly Pemberton, Owner/Operator of Pemdale Farms, Alyssa Cousineau, Senior Hub Manager (Great Lakes) for ALUS and Rick Kootstra, Farm Manager of the Huronview Demonstration Farm to the stage. Tori Waugh, Executive Director of the Ontario Soil Network moderated the discussion. Together, they shared their experience and expertise on on-farm water stewardship & management. From tile drainage to wetland restoration, this panel focussed on the need to keep water and nutrients on farmlands, and how farmers can implement better water management strategies through programs, monitoring, and farmer-to-farmer support.
David R. Lapen, Research Scientist for Agri-food and Agriculture Canada, closed out the afternoon session with a keynote address titled Tools and Strategies for Agricultural Water Management.
With breakout sessions for online participants and in-person roundtable discussions, the forum fostered dynamic conversations between professionals working at different scales of farmland and water protection. Connections were made, ideas were exchanged, and new partnerships took shape. The energy and momentum from this year’s event will continue to fuel OFT’s ongoing efforts to protect Ontario’s farmland and the ecosystems that sustain it.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who presented, attended, volunteered, participated, and contributed to making the 2025 Farmland Forum a success. Whether you joined us in Elora or online, your engagement and passion are what drive farmland protection forward for today and for our future generations. We hope to welcome you next year.
Lastly, this event could not have been made possible without the support of our sponsors:
- BetterFarming
- Farmtario/Glacier FarmMedia
- Grand River Agricultural Society
- Blazing Star Environmental
- Dr. Barry and Dr. Sean White Orthodontics
- Ontario Professional Planners Institute
- Beef Farmers of Ontario
- Jackie Ramler – Raymond James Executive Wealth Advisors
- Ontario Federation of Agriculture
- Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario
- Agriculture Wellness Ontario
- Collette Aeschimann
- Ontario Headwaters Institute
- Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario
