Canadian Organic Growers Annual General Meeting June 19th, 2018 Ottawa

CANADIAN ORGANIC GROWERS Agenda   Call to Order Welcome from the President Motion to approve the Agenda Motion to approve minutes of 2017 AGM Presentation of the Financial Results Motion to approve WPG Professional Corporation Chartered Accountants for 2018 Audit Election of 2018 Board of Directors Review of election process Nomination of Directors Election (Approximately 10 minutes or until counting is completed) Announcement of results after ED report Executive Director’s Report Question and answer forum between Members and the Board of Directors and Staff Motion to adjourn

CANADIAN ORGANIC GROWERS Motion to accept Agenda for 2018 AGM

CANADIAN ORGANIC GROWERS Motion to accept minutes from 2017 AGM

2017 Financial Statements

2017 Financial Statements

Thank you to everyone from the COG Chapters who helped with the audit! 2017 Financial Statements Thank you to everyone from the COG Chapters who helped with the audit!

Motion to appoint WGP as COG’s Auditors for 2018 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Motion to appoint WGP as COG’s Auditors for 2018

Current Board of Directors Marilyn Crowley Treasurer Rochelle Eisen President Av Singh Vice President Janine Gibson Secretary Trevor Aleman Georgina Bencsik Sarah Dobec Sheila Hamilton Niki Jabbour Shannon Jones Jordan Marr Tara Scott Maryruth Thiong’o

Election of 2018 Board of Directors

A very special thank you to Board Member Outgoing Board Member A very special thank you to Board Member Niki Jabbour

2017 BOARD NOMINEES Katharine Herringer Allison Squires Gillian Flies Georgina Bencsik

Results will be announced before the meeting is adjourned. BOARD ELECTION Please finish submitting your electronic ballots now – the voting period will close at the start of the next slide. Results will be announced before the meeting is adjourned.

2017 Year in Review

COG National Sponsors

COG National Sponsors

2017 National Office Highlights Thank you Ashley St. Hilaire Director, Programs and Government Relations Eric Ochaya Graphic Designer Sarah Chisolm Ryder Project Coordinator

2017 National Office Highlights New Staff for 2018 Marketing and Communications Coordinator Stakeholder Relations Manager

2017 Year in Review Program Delivery Launched the third edition of the Organic Field Crop Handbook

Launched of the first edition of the Organic Backyard 2017 Program Delivery Launched of the first edition of the Organic Backyard

Completed the Trillium funded Organic Success project in Ontario 2017 Program Delivery Completed the Trillium funded Organic Success project in Ontario

2017 Program Delivery Transition to Organic Production: Understanding Risk and Identifying Mitigation Strategies

Forty case studies of organic farms Nine focus groups across Canada 2017 Program Delivery Forty case studies of organic farms Nine focus groups across Canada Project completed in March 2018 Includes a new Handbook on Organic Vegetable Transition Total budget of the project is $704,000

Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and expertise 2017 Program Delivery Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and expertise Thank you to the Project Management Team Publishing results in July

Project Management Team 2017 Program Delivery Project Management Team Jérôme-Antoine Brunelle Coordonnateur au développement de l’agriculture biologique Tara Scott ACORN Becky Lipton Organic Alberta Karen Snethum Prairie Organic Grain Initiative Keith Everts Owner, Producer

Project Management Team 2017 Program Delivery Project Management Team Rob Wallbridge Organic Specialist Carolyn Young Organic Council of Ontario Paddy Doherty Organic Value Chain Round Table Jen Gamble Executive Director Janine Gibson Manitoba Organic Alliance

Project Management Team 2017 Program Delivery Project Management Team Marla Carlson SaskOrganics Cody Straza Board Vice President, Producer Marion McBride TCO Cert Joanne Johnson Jackson Owner/Operator, Karen Murchison Organic PEI

Final Report to be published early July 2017 Program Delivery Final Report to be published early July

COG library continues to grow! 2017 Program Delivery COG library continues to grow!

Launched of the Canadian Organic Grower Magazine website 2017 Program Delivery Launched of the Canadian Organic Grower Magazine website

Delivered the first Organic Vegetable Seed Production Course 2017 Program Delivery Delivered the first Organic Vegetable Seed Production Course

Worked on new COG website (now launched!) 2017 Program Delivery Worked on new COG website (now launched!) Developed the User’s Guide to the Canadian Organic Standards

Manage the online bookstore 2017 Program Delivery Manage the online bookstore Produce the Canadian Organic Grower magazine.

Stakeholder Relations 2017 Year In Review Stakeholder Relations COG informing you, listening to you and representing you to our partners and the government L to R: Ashley St Hilaire (COG), Paddy Doherty (Organic Farmer), Minister Lawrence MacAulay, Nicole Boudreau (OFC), Tia Loftsgard (COTA), Francois Handfield (Organic Farmer).

2017 Stakeholder Relations Safe Foods for Canadians Act consultation with membership Standards Funding Initiative Next Agricultural Policy Framework

2017 Stakeholder Relations Member of the Organic Value Chain Round Table Presented before the Standing Committee on Agriculture and AgriFood

2018 Stakeholder Relations Continue to inform and engage our membership on important issues Upcoming Standards Review Communicate with federal government on issues important to COG’s membership

2016 National Office Highlights Marketing and Communications COG has a large and influential following 1,100 members 5,000 e-news subscribers 10,000 supporters on email 10,000 followers on facebook 7,700 followers on twitter

Updates from our Chapters CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Updates from our Chapters 6 Senior Organic Garden (SOG) locations involving diverse seniors from many cultures with language interpreters as needed. 350 participants at Eco Farm Day. Growing Up Organic in 20+ schools and built 5 new gardens in Ottawa, in collaboration with and funded by the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. 50+ participants in 2017 Urban Organic Gardening Seminars

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS OSO Chapter Senior Organic Gardeners (SOG) is in 9 locations this year gardening with diverse seniors. We offer two models of program delivery: gardening on-site and offering workshops to seniors who use that knowledge to garden at home.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS OSO Chapter Over 350 participants at Eco Farm Day. Saturday workshops, Saturday evening movie night, 2 Sunday all day workshops 60+ participants in 2018 Urban Organic Gardening Seminars Growing Up Organic in 20+ schools and built 6 new gardens in Ottawa

COG Island Natural Growers CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS COG Island Natural Growers Hosted another successful Seedy Saturday in February, their biggest education and fundraising event Sponsored the organic certification of the Salt Spring Abattoir

COG Island Natural Growers CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS COG Island Natural Growers Monthly meetings with farm tours & guest speakers Hosted tour for Canada C3 expedition participants

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Toronto Chapter COG Toronto continues to be an advocate for organics in Toronto by attending trade shows and events where we provide information and field questions about the current state of organics in Ontario, Canada and the world. 

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Toronto Chapter We send out information about organic related events in the GTA We were part of the Big Carrot’s courtyard event for Organic Week, Attended Whole Life Expo Presented at Mackenzie House in the fall, Had information available for the Gen-Earth event at City Hall on Earth Day in April. We continue to hold space for any members interested in organizing organic related events

Organic Food Council of Manitoba CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Organic Food Council of Manitoba COG Book Sales & distribution of “Our Nature is Organic” Activity book at Brandon AG Days, Think Whole Farm Conference, Gardens MB event, Direct Farm Marketing event . Free pdf on COG website! Organic Week 2017- Talk on “Healthy Eating, Healthy Growing” opened Organic week & closed with Indian Cooking class with chef/speaker Nandita Silvanathan. Responded to questions and email from our face book page & www.organicfoodcouncil.org gr with COG book sales

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! Motion that the COG 2018 AGM be Adjourned