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CEO commentary: If research doesn't reach the farm, does it count?
This past fall, LRIC brought farmers together for research priority-setting sessions focused on forages and beef respectively. As those conversations unfolded, a clear theme emerged: in many cases, the research already exists. The real challenge isn’t a lack of knowledge, but that the knowledge too often fails to reach the farm in a practical, usable way that supports on-farm decisions.
One producer cut straight to the point by asking why we fund research at all if we aren’t equally committed to funding the knowledge transfer needed to put that research to work.
It’s a fair question and one our sector needs to take seriously. Too often, we call these issues research gaps, when in reality they are extension gaps. If impact is the goal, then getting research into practice cannot be optional or secondary; it has to be treated as essential.
At the end of the day, accountability for member and public dollars means more than counting projects funded. It means ensuring those investments actually change outcomes on the farm. That requires treating knowledge exchange not as an add-on, but as a core part of the research process from day one.
That’s why getting research into practice – also known as extension or knowledge transfer – is a core pillar of LRIC’s activities. That includes a research project into global best practices in this field to determine what we might be able to adapt for the Ontario industry; you can read more about this in a separate article in this newsletter
Kelly
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Developing a new strategic plan for LRIC
The LRIC board and staff have been busy reviewing LRIC’s strategic plan as part of a commitment to the best practice of keeping the plan as a living document. This is part of what will be a larger opportunity this winter for LRIC’s members to give feedback on the plan. Results will be incorporated into the workplan for the coming year and presented at the annual general meeting in June.
What’s the board up to: strategic planning – reviewing the plan as a best practice to keep as a living document – part of a larger opportunity end Jan/early Feb for members to give feedback – incorporated into the workplan for the next year and presented at the AGM.
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Board profiles - meet LRIC's board members
To help you get to know our board members better, we’re going to be running director profiles in the next few editions of this newsletter. In this issue, we’d like to introduce you to RJ Taylor, Sonya Fiorini and Jim White.
RJ Taylor: science, fish, and a knack for bridging worlds
LRIC Vice-Chair RJ Taylor has been a director on the board for four years, r epresenting Ontario’s aquaculture sector. A second-generation fish farmer, he owns Springhills Fish, raising trout, salmon, and Arctic char across Grey County and Manitoulin Island, including a partnership with Sheshegwaning First Nation. He also serves as Managing Director of the Ontario Aquaculture Association and sits on the board of Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario, championing practical, on-farm innovation.
Joining LRIC’s board appealed to him because it sits at the crossroads of his two passions: science and food production. Before returning to the family farm in 2017, he spent more than a decade in science advocacy with organizations including Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, the University of Toronto, and Dyson, making LRIC a natural fit to keep one foot (or fin) in both worlds.
He sees climate change and the spread of misinformation about agriculture as the biggest challenges ahead, reinforcing the need for organizations like LRIC to connect research, policy, and producers with clear, science-based leadership.
When he’s not farming, he enjoys exploring Ontario — hiking, river tubing, discovering great food, and catching Stratford shows. As for his bucket list? A return trip to Newfoundland to finally see puffins. CODsider it a future priority.
Sonya Fiorini: collaboration-focused and future-minded
Sonya Fiorini, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Investment at Burnbrae Farms and Executive Director of the Burnbrae Farms Foundation, has been a director with LRIC since the end of 2024, representing the poultry and egg sector. She brings a strong perspective shaped by her work in sustainability and community investment, with a clear focus on how interconnected the agri-food system truly is.
She was drawn to LRIC because of its emphasis on collaboration and innovation to strengthen Ontario’s livestock sector. Sonya wanted to help advance a research-driven approach that supports producers while contributing to a more resilient, forward-looking agri-food system.
Looking ahead, she sees one of the sector’s biggest challenges as balancing resilience with rising expectations — around sustainability, animal welfare, labour, and climate impacts — while producers face rapid change and global uncertainty with limited resources.
Outside of work, Sonya enjoys spending time outdoors, volunteering in her community, and recharging with her family. Travel is a long-standing passion, and she makes it a goal to visit at least one new destination each year to experience new cultures and environments.
Jim White: experience-driven and innovation-focused
Jim White joined the LRIC board as an appointed director in the spring of 2020. He brings decades of experience from the animal health industry through his consulting work focused on pharmaceutical and vaccine applications across livestock and companion animals. His career has centred on turning scientific discovery into regulated, adopted innovations that support animal health, food safety, and the production of high-quality animal protein for domestic and global markets.
Jim came to LRIC after being approached by former LRIC CEO Mike McMorris, with whom he had built years of positive professional interactions. Having served on several boards throughout his career, he values the challenge and impact of board governance and saw LRIC as a natural fit for his expertise and interests.
He sees one of the sector’s biggest challenges as aligning diverse livestock species and stakeholders to speak and act with a common voice — particularly when each sector faces its own “crisis” issues. While the innovation process can be messy, Jim remains confident that producers will adopt new practices when the risk–reward balance makes sense, underscoring the importance of coordination across the innovation system.
Outside the boardroom, Jim’s “retirement” is anything but quiet. Between time with his family — including grandchildren and a 92-year-old mother – he enjoys cross-country skiing, biking, canoeing, kayaking, hobby beekeeping (including extension work in East Africa), amateur forestry, restoring antique farm tractors with his son, and travel adventures with close friends. Still on his bucket list: touring Australia and New Zealand.
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Emerging Trends and Opportunities Committee (ETOC)
Perspectives from animal nutrition: how research can help address disruptors in the livestock value chain
LRIC’s Emerging Trends and Opportunities Committee (ETOC) includes members from across the livestock industry from farm to retail, using their backgrounds and experiences to help identify big pictures issues for the sector.
In this article, we speak with Stuart McGregor, Vice President of Commercial Business with Alltech Canada, about his thoughts on the biggest disruptors facing the livestock value chain and how research can help address them. McGregor oversees Alltech’s Canadian business, including sales and marketing, and providing key account support
Q: How long have you been involved with LRIC, and what drew you to the ETOC?
Alltech has been a partner member of LRIC from early on, and I’ve been part of ETOC since its inception a couple of years ago. What first drew me in was a conversation with Ian Ross about the committee’s focus — everyone in the livestock sector is looking for new opportunities to strengthen Canada’s brand through sustainability, animal health, and productivity. Being part of a group where we can regularly sit around the table, share ideas, and discuss what’s coming next for Ontario and Canadian agriculture is an incredible opportunity.
Q: What do you see as the biggest disruptors facing the livestock value chain?
One of the biggest challenges is maintaining competitiveness — both within Canada and in export markets. Issues like tariffs, shifting political landscapes, and upcoming policies such as Voluntary Country of Origin Labelling in the U.S. all have ripple effects that influence how competitive we can be.
Ongoing disease pressures are another major disruptor, creating both challenges and opportunities for innovation.
Q: From the animal nutrition perspective, what is the biggest priority?
At the end of the day, our goal is to ensure that our customers and producers see a strong return on investment for what they put into nutrition, genetics, and management. We need to make sure Canada remains sustainable and self-reliant while continuing to access diverse markets so that our products — from ingredients to meat, milk, and eggs — remain affordable and appealing to consumers.
Q: How can LRIC and research help – and what research gaps do you see?
We need fundamental research that continues to drive sustainability, efficiency, animal health, and innovation so Canada can stay competitive on the local and global stage. At Alltech, our logo includes a microscope — a reminder that science and discovery are at the core of who we are. But research can’t happen in isolation.
There’s incredible work being done by private companies and universities across the country, yet too often those efforts happen independently. That’s where LRIC plays such an important role — bringing people together from across sectors to collaborate, share ideas, and identify common priorities so we can foster stronger partnerships between private industry and public research.
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International Research Advisory Committee (IRAC)
Getting Research into Practice: Learning from global leaders
LRIC’s international Getting Research into Practice (GRIP) project got underway last fall, an initiative focused on learning how leading global institutions successfully translate research into real-world impact for livestock producers.
The project builds directly on recommendations from LRIC’s International Research Advisory Committee (IRAC): how to move research into practice in a province without a formal, publicly funded extension system.
ACER Consulting is leading the project on LRIC’s behalf. According to consultant Dr. Claire Windeyer, the team has been refining objectives and identifying international organizations recognized for excellence in research translation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. These include Teagasc in Ireland, Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, Scotland’s Rural College, and select land-grant universities in the United States.
Through individual and group interviews, expected to start within the next few months, the team will work to understand best practices for cross-disciplinary research, effective extension models, and getting best management practices adopted on farm — along with common pitfalls to avoid and how successful systems could be adapted to Ontario’s context.
Running through December 2026, the GRIP project will include interviews, analysis, and practical recommendations, followed by knowledge-sharing activities with industry, government, and academic partners.
Together, this work reinforces LRIC’s commitment to ensuring research doesn’t stop at publication—but reaches the farm gate, where it can make a real difference.
Funding for the project comes from the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) – Knowledge Translation and Transfer stream, supported by the governments of Canada and Ontario through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year federal-provincial-territorial partnership.
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Getting research into practice
Guelph puts spotlight on extension
For three days last October, the University of Guelph was the site of the first international conference on Canadian Agri-Food & Rural Advisory, Extension and Education (CAREE).
According to LRIC’s Director of Operations, Jean Howden, it was one of the first conferences she’s attended in the past 25 years where agricultural extension was the focus: noted, highlighted and discussed.
Conference Chair Dr. Ataharul Chowdhury noted that extension is not merely a concept, it’s a living, evolving practice that bridges research, policy, and community to facilitate real change. He added that the conference has started is a path forward, where extension and the advisory profession are recognized as a vital force for collaboration, learning, and transformation across the agri-food and rural landscape.
It was a conference with insightful presentations, panels, with opportunities for connections and networking.
Check out John Greig’s Farmtario article https://farmtario.com/news/integrated-scottish-system-makes-for-efficient-agricultural-extension/ and Ataharul Chowdhury’s conference reflection https://farmtario.com/news/extension-4-0-and-the-digital-age-transformation-of-canadas-agri-food-and-rural-advisory-services/
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Mentorship
Mentorship program cohort is underway
The latest cohort of early career faculty has started LRIC’s Mentorship Program. Activities kicked off with a tour of the Ontario Dairy Research Centre at Elora last fall. In January, participants had an overview session of Ontario’s livestock and poultry sectors, and more farm tours will be coming up in the spring.
The cohort includes faculty and graduate students from University of Guelph as well as a staff member from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.
More information is available at https://livestockresearch.ca/early_faculty_mentorship_program.
Since the program’s launch in 2021, about two dozen early career faculty at Guelph and one from University of Waterloo have completed the program, gaining first-hand insights into agriculture and building connections that help shape more relevant and practical research.
The program is complemented by an annual industry-supported research award for faculty participants who are engaged in cross-sectoral work. Through these two initiatives, the goal is to give researchers a stronger start in their careers and help ensure that tomorrow’s livestock research is practical, relevant, and useful on the farm.
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Thanks for reading. We'd love to hear your feedback about LRIC - both about what we're doing and what you think we should be doing! Please contact us at info@livestockresearch.ca with any questions or comments.
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The Livestock Research Innovation Corporation is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a 5-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a 5-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri?food and agri?based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
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For more information
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Call us: Kelly - 519 831 1719 or Jean - 519 767 8583
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