{"id":92178,"date":"2024-04-12T16:54:34","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T20:54:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=92178"},"modified":"2024-04-12T17:07:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T21:07:25","slug":"ministers-visit-highlights-brocks-commitment-to-sustainable-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2024\/04\/ministers-visit-highlights-brocks-commitment-to-sustainable-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Minister\u2019s visit highlights Brock\u2019s commitment to sustainable agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brock\u2019s research contributions to Ontario\u2019s agricultural sector were in the spotlight as the University welcomed the Honourable Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to campus Tuesday, April 9.<\/p>\n

\"Malkie<\/a>

Malkie Spodek (left), Entomology Scientist with Brock\u2019s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute and Adjunct Professor in Biological Sciences, explains her research to Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Lisa Thompson (right), who looks through a microscope at grape mealybug eggs. The grape mealybug is an insect vector of grapevine viruses.<\/p><\/div>\n

An interest in Brock\u2019s leadership in the grape and wine sector prompted Thompson to tour the University\u2019s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI). While on campus, the Minister also visited the Brock-Niagara Validation, Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute<\/a> (VPMI) to gain insight into how the University contributes to the advancement of the bioproducts, bioscience, bio-agriculture and chemical manufacturing sectors in southern Ontario.<\/p>\n

The visit included a meeting with President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg to further highlight Brock\u2019s capabilities. Rigg shared insight into the future of Brock\u2019s state-of-the-art research farm<\/a>, an innovative farm-based research centre set to transform Ontario agriculture into a self-reliant and eco-friendly production system.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Brock research farm will not only expand the University\u2019s research expertise and capacity, but it will help reshape the future of sustainable agriculture in Ontario,\u201d said Rigg. \u201cWe were thrilled to be able to share this exciting project with Minister Thompson and have our researchers showcase their work supporting growth and innovation in this sector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t