Armed with a warm coffee in hand, the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) Class 21 travelled through a significant snowstorm to reach Sarnia, Ontario. The primary theme of this seminar centered on developing awareness of self and others to support our individual leadership journeys.
The session began with an exploration of DISC personality profiles, enabling participants to strengthen self-awareness and better understand differing communication and leadership styles. This exercise allowed us to reflect on our own personality profiles and recognize how they influence communication, decision-making, and interactions with others.
The group began the site tour day at Podolinsky Equipment, where discussions focused on equipment innovation, specifically See & Sprayâ„¢ technology, and the evolving needs of modern agriculture. The next stop was Walnut Acres Farms, where Dave Ferguson the current Mayor of the Municipality of Brooke-Alvinston, Ontario, shared insights into rural municipal politics and governance. Participants also heard from Chuck Baresich of Haggerty AgRobotics, who discussed the impact and emerging innovations associated with robotic agriculture.
The tour continued at Truly Green Farms, where the group toured a 90-acre greenhouse dedicated to tomato production. Collaboration and sustainability were highlighted during the subsequent visit to Greenfield Global, where participants learned about the large-scale processing of alcohol used in beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial applications. Excess waste heat and COâ‚‚ generated from the process are transferred back to Truly Green Farms across the street and reused to heat the greenhouse, demonstrating an integrated and environmentally sustainable approach.
The day concluded with a visit to Walpole Island First Nation, providing perspective on community-based governance, land stewardship, and the integration of agriculture within broader economic and cultural frameworks. Collectively, these site visits reinforced the interconnected nature of the agricultural sector and communities.
The class also took part in an Indigenous blanket exercise led by Adrian Jacobs and Dr. Kenny Wallace which allowed the group to explore the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. The exercise allowed for a visual representation of story telling with full participation of all involved which added context and insight for all.
The final two days of the session focused on identifying individual strengths and translating learning into action through the development of SMART goals. The exercise made us focus on the things we do well, human nature usually focuses on the flaws we have within ourselves rather than our strengths. This process ensured participants left with clear, measurable objectives to support continued leadership growth.
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