Richard Worzel
Topic: Growing Issues: The Future of Mushroom Farming and Agriculture
Richard Worzel is a futurist, a
professional member of the World
Future Society. He helps corporations
and industry associations plan
intelligently for the future. His focus is
North America, but deals with global
issues. His client list includes Ford,
IBM, Bell Canada, Xerox, Nortel, and
Lucent Technologies.
The unprecedented convergence of
change in demographics, science,
technology, government, and public
attitudes is radically changing life on
Earth, in Canada, and in the farming
community. In this fast-paced and
entertaining presentation, Richard
Worzel explores the topics that will
affect our lives, our businesses, and
our society, including:
Biosciences - New advances, especially
in bioinformatics, genetics, and
proteomics, offer new opportunities,
as well as new threats and challenges
in the physical world, in competition,
and in the expectations of the public.
Ecology and the environment - As
we learn more about how the earth’s
ecology works, we have a greater
responsibility to measure and monitor
our actions. The rise of the antiglobalization
movement has raised
the stakes for anyone interested in
science-based policy. What can the
industry do to anticipate and forestall
the dangers of junk science attacks,
as well as real world problems?
Governments are going to be
more erratic and less predictable.
How can you prepare for this
and work successfully with
unpredictable regulators?
To prosper, you need to prepare
intelligently for the changes ahead.
Richard will hand you a road map of
the future to help you navigate the
difficult times. www.futuresearch.com
David Sparling, Ph.D.
Topic: Adapting to a new Industry Environment
David Sparling is Associate Dean of
Research and Graduate Studies in the
College of Management and Economics
at the University of Guelph. In 2006 and
2007, he was the Executive Director
of the Institute of Agri-Food Policy
Innovation examining issues related
to agriculture and food policy. David
has also been president of a farming
company, an agri-business insurance
company and a biotechnology startup.
David is a Senior Associate at the
University of Melbourne and has taught
at the Australian Graduate School of
Management in Sydney. His research
is in the areas of the new bioeconomy
and agri-food policy, value chains and
commercializing new technologies.
John Kelly, Ph.D.
Topic: Linking Agri-Food Innovation
to Health
John Kelly is the Executive Director
of MaRS Landing, a joint project
partnered by the University of Guelph,
the City of Guelph, Ontario Agri-Food
Technologies (OAFT), Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and
the MaRS Discovery District.
He has a wealth of experience in the
private and public sectors having held
various positions with start-ups and
multinational companies, including Land O’ Lakes, Ralston Purina, Rhone-
Poulenc Canada Inc. and Aventis
CropSciences Inc., as well as the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs.
John works towards removing barriers
to growth in the agriculture & food, life
science and biotechnology sectors.
His primary focus is to foster the
linkage of agriculture/food and health,
connecting rural Ontario with the MaRS
Discovery District. John builds on the
fact that there is more synergy today,
than ever before, among traditional
agriculture, food, medical sciences
and manufacturing.
Kevin Stewart
Topic: Crisis Management: The Cost of Doing Nothing
ACTION always follows BELIEF!
Communicate with the public prior
to a crisis as an insurance policy
for disasters. Build a Brand Trust
with the public. Facts never counter emotional messages. Facts do no
good when people are upset in spite
of low risk. Acknowledge and control
people’s rage by preparing to answer
the tough questions. Collaborate
or die, agriculture is not prominent
in the media, media carry negatives
messages about food. But, “Farmers
Feed Cities” means you are in-thegame
and LOCAL means food safety,
environment, taste, health, and trust.
Although Kevin has a degree in
Economics and Political Science, his
real interest has always been the media.
In 1999, Kevin and his wife Debbie
founded AGVISION Inc. AGVISION
TV; a 30 minute, weekly television
series focuses on farm management
strategies. The AGVISION series airs
across Canada in 20 CTV, CBC, and
CHUM / City TV markets and 2 satellite
carriers. AGVISION Inc. has won
awarded for Media Excellence from the
Canadian Agri Marketing Association
and for Excellence in Electronic
Education from the National Agri
Marketing Association (U.S.). www.
topmanagers.ca, www.growourfarms.
ca, www.agvisiontv.com
C. Peter Romaine, Ph.D.
Topic: Underground Drugs:
Manufacture of Biopharmaceuticals
in Mushrooms.
Dr. Romaine is professor and John
B. Swayne Chair in Spawn Science
in the Department of Plant Pathology,
Pennsylvania State University. Peter
strives to apply new technologies
emerging from the field of molecular
biology to solving practical problems
confronting the mushroom industry.
His research interests include the
transgenic breeding of Agaricus
bisporus for germplasm enhancement
and production of biopharmaceuticals,
molecular biology of La France disease,
molecular characterization of Agaricus
viruses, nucleic acid-based diagnostic
tests for viral and fungal pathogens,
molecular genetics, epidemiology,
control of Trichoderma green mold
and innovations for mushroom
cultivation.
Peter has more than 85
publications and five patents related
to the field of mushrooms. He is the
Scientific Editor-in-Chief of Mushroom
News, and a co-founder and Chief
Scientific Officer of Agarigen Inc., a
newly formed Penn State spin-out
company utilizing biotech mushrooms
as workhorses for a broad range of
industrial processes. Apart from his
activities in the mushroom arena, Peter
instructs a graduate course in plant
virology, and has advised more than
60 students in dissertation research
for advanced degrees.
Ron McDonald
Topic: Energy Efficiency in Mushroom Production
Ron MacDonald is president and owner of Agviro, Inc., a consulting agricultural engineering company based in Guelph, Ontario. Before establishing Agviro, in 1993, Ron was employed with Ontario Hydro, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the University of Guelph/OMAF as a researcher in energy efficient technologies and alternative fuels/energy sources. Ron has been recognized numerous times for his contributions to energy efficiency, such as receiving two Energy Efficiency Awards in March 2006 from Natural Resources Canada for energy savings achievements in Alberta. One of the mushroom facilities audited by Agviro in 2005 also received national recognition by NRCan for energy savings.
Ken Lomax, Ph.D.
Topic: Odour Measurement and Control
Dr. Lomax has been a faculty member at University of Delaware since 1979. He has taught undergraduate courses in Engineering Technology, including Electricity, and Instrumentation. His Research and unofficial Extension/Outreach efforts have been with engineering aspects of mushroom growing. His emphasis has been the indoor air conditions of temperature, humidity and air velocity (flags). Dr. Lomax has also worked with mushroom farmers on the outside environment including the Best Practices Manual and studies of odor emissions. His home is in Chester County, Pennsylvania – Mushroom Country.
Terry O'Reilly
Topic: Age of Persuasion
Terry has won over 400 national and international awards for writing and directing. Consults with advertisers on effective strategic and creative solutions. Delivers keynote speeches on branding and the power of creativity across Canada. Featured on cover of Marketing Magazine in 2004. Chosen as one of Canada’s “Most Influential” marketing people in Marketing Magazine’s “Power 100 List.” Chosen as the sole Canadian judge for the inaugural year of Radio at the 2005 Cannes Advertising Festival in France. Picked as Radio Chairman at the 2006 International Clio Awards in Miami. Hosts the popular radio series, “The Age of Persuasion” airing on CBC Radio One in Canada and across North America on Sirius Satellite.
Was given the 2006 Les Usherwood Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the advertising industry’s highest honours.
Is being inducted into the Marketing Hall of Legends in January
2009.
Dr. Ron Pitblado
Topic: On-Line Training of Mushroom Growers
Dr Ron Pitblado has been advising mushroom growers since 1970. In 2006, he retired as the Director of the Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph. Since 1991, he had been the Coordinator of the Mushroom Education Centre at Ridgetown and developed the undergraduate course in mushroom production. That course attracted over 20 students per year. At least 16 students, from that program, found careers in the mushroom industry in Canada. At the request of the mushroom growers, Dr. Pitblado conducted a two-week night-school course in October 2007, for employees of mushroom farms in Ontario.
Dr. Pitblado has authored over 14 popular articles in Mushroom World on topics from Indoor Composting to Casing Soil to Pest Management and Farm Safety. He has conducted seminars and produced video tapes on every phase of mushroom production. Mushrooms Canada has recruited Dr. Pitblado to produce two on-line training programs for mushroom growers.
Ken Wong
Topic: Marketing & Strategic Planning
Professor Wong has taught strategic planning, marketing and business strategy at Cornell, Radcliffe College, the Harvard Continuing Education Program, and Universities of Toronto and Alberta. He has advised corporations such as Hoffman-La-Roche, General Electric and Xerox. His speaking engagements include American Express, Campbell’s Soups (Canada), Canon, Deloitte, General Mills, KPMG, Microsoft and Starbuck’s. His current research involves assisting organizations in becoming more market-oriented and enhancing their ‘marketing productivity’. Professor Wong is listed in the International Who’s Who of Business Professionals.
Arpad Mutsy
Topic: Phase II/III Systems
Since childhood, Mr. Mutsy has lived and worked on mushroom farms. After graduating from the Horticultural University of Budapest, he was the Regional Manager for Sylvan in Central & Eastern Europe.
In 2000, he returned to the family business, Bio-Fungi Ltd, as Managing Director. Bio-Fungi Ltd. started compost production in 2000 with 3 tunnels and added an additional 21 tunnels over the past 5 years. Today, they operate a modern indoor compost facility with Phase II/III production. In 2008, they finished one of the most modern Dutch-type mushroom farms in Central Europe.
Mr. Mutsy has worked as an independent compost and mushroom growing adviser in Canada, Indonesia, Spain, and the USA.
Hennie van den Einde
Topic: Pinning for Optimal Stagger
Mr. van den Einde spent many years as a teacher and farm manager at the mushroom school in Horst, Netherlands. That was followed by nine years as a representative of spawn companies in Europe.
Presently, he is quality manager for Walkro Compost Company in Holland, Belgium and Germany. That involves consultation with the mushroom growers.
Theo M. Haegens
Topic: “Optimal Results, it’s all about timing”
Mr. Haegens was trained as a technical engineer. He managed and owned mushroom farms in The Netherlands for 20 years. Then, he was harvesting manager in Pennsylvania for 4 years. For the past 2 years, he has worked as a consultant on harvesting operations.