Canadian Organic Growers Annual General Meeting June 27 th, 2017 Ottawa

Canadian Organic Growers Annual General Meeting June 27 th, 2017 Ottawa

CANADIAN ORGANIC GROWERS AGENDA 1. Call to Order 2. Welcome from the President 3. Motion to approve the Agenda 4. Motion to approve minutes of 2016 AGM 5. Presentation of the Financial Results a. Motion to approve WPG Professional Corporation Chartered Accountants for 2017 Audit 6. Election of 2017/2018 Board of Directors a. Review of election process b. Nomination of Directors c. Election (Approximately 10 minutes or until counting is completed) d. Announcement of results after ED report 7. Executive Director s Report 8. Agri-Risk Presentation 9. Question and answer forum between Members and the Board of Directors and Staff 10. Motion to adjourn

CANADIAN ORGANIC GROWERS Motion to accept Agenda for 2017 AGM

CANADIAN ORGANIC GROWERS Motion to accept minutes from 2016 AGM

2016 Financial Statements 2016 Financial Results

2016 Financial Statements

2016 Financial Statements

2016 Financial Statements

2016 Financial Statements

2015 Financial Statements Thank you to everyone from the COG Chapters who helped with the audit!

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Motion to appoint WGP as COG s Auditors for 2017

Election of 2017 Board of Directors

Shannon Jones Jordan Marr Tara Scott 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 Maryruth Thiong o

Outgoing Board Member A very special thank you to the following outgoing Board Member Sheila Hamilton.

2017 BOARD NOMINEES Sam Appleby Owen Madden

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.

2016 Year in Review

Special thanks to Emily McTaggart, and Anouk Mackenzie who were staff during 2016 and contributed immensely! COG NATIONAL STAFF Wayne Adams, Executive Director Ashley St Hilaire, Director of Programs and Government Relations Sarah Chisholm Ryder, Organic Success Coordinator (part time) Kayla Kazda, Program Coordinator Rachael Muller, Project Manager, AgriRisk Project (contract) Cristina Scaini, Administrative Assistant (3days/wk) Heidi Oran, TCOG Ad Manager (part-time) Julia Dupuis, OMG Course Coordinator (contract)

2016 National Office Highlights Communications and fundraising Projects and programs

2016 National Office Highlights Communications and fundraising

2016 National Office Highlights Communications and Fundraising Improved the quality and increased the frequency of our member communications

2016 National Office Highlights Communications and Fundraising Increased the frequency of communications Increased awareness of issues (more on that later!) COG s May This month in Organics 2017 2016 Sent 3,993 1,786 Viewed 1,208 730

2016 National Office Highlights Communications and Fundraising Launched a membership donation option in September 2016 COG supporter can become a member or donor or both vs member only Launched successful fall 2016 fundraising campaign which raised $65,577

2016 National Office Highlights Communications and Fundraising 2016 2015 Members 607 664 Donors only 119 n/a Total Supporters 726 664 Contributed by members and donors $87,791 $76,165

2016 National Office Highlights Thank you to our Leadership sponsor Kroeker Farms

2016 National Office Highlights Projects and programs

2016 National Office Highlights COG staff participate at Guelph Conference (2016)

2016 National Office Highlights Launched Canada s First, academically rigorous Curriculum on Organic Vegetable Seed Production In partnership with:

2016 National Office Highlights

2016 National Office Highlights

2016 National Office Highlights The Guide to Understanding Canadian Organic Standards and Supporting Resources Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Growing Forward 2 $72,500

2016 National Office Highlights Organic Lending Library 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Number of requests Number of items lent out 99 n/a 93 80 121 143 280 n/a 214 181 276 291 115 requests have been received year to date.

TCOG Magazine Joanne Thiessen Martens, Co-Editor Stephanie Wells, Co-Editor Special thanks to Amy Kremen, past Co-editor, TCOG

2016 National Office Highlights COG s Distribution Network for books 1,027 books sold in 2016 1,160 books sold in 2015 Ordered online or over the phone, packed and shipped from National Office and sales recorded in our accounting system. Sold across Canada, the US and around the world.

2016 National Office Highlights COG s enhanced focus on Federal Policies, Programs and Regulations affecting organic stakeholders

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS OSO Chapter 6 Senior Organic Garden (SOG) locations involving diverse seniors 350 participants at Eco Farm Day. Growing Up Organic in 20+ schools and built 5 new gardens in Ottawa,. 50+ participants in 2017 Urban Organic Gardening Seminars

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 Monthly meeting with farm tours & guest speakers Sponsored survey to determine amount of organic produce grown on Salt Spring Advocated for protection of farmland on Salt Spring Island

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Toronto Chapter COG Toronto's 11th annual organic consumer conference Keynote speakers Dr. Carlo Leifert of Newcastle University who led an international team of scientists conducting a major review about the nutritional value of organic food

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Toronto Chapter COG Toronto has reached out to the public this past year: Through attendance at health shows where we provided information and answered questions about organics We have collaborated with other organizations in the Millions Against Monsanto annual march and festival drawing attention to the problems with genetic engineering and glyphosate. We attended a presentation by Stephanie Seneff on the dangers of glyphosate, transcribed it and posted it on our website. We also held a gardening workshop last year and presented a screening of Symphony of the Soil.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Toronto Chapter Conference coordinator, Tanmayo Krupanszky, has stepped down after spearheading the Toronto conference creatively, administratively and financially for the past 11 years. We have valued her dedication for the growth and integrity of organic food and agriculture and her conviction of the importance of an informed consumer, and thank her for all her hard work which made the conference such a success

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Organic Food Council of Manitoba COG Book Sales & distribution of Our Nature is Organic Activity book at multiple Co-Hosted Organic Sessions Brandon Ag Days launched new Organic Field Crop Handbook 3 rd Edition Jan 21 Organic Week 2016 presented Dr. Martin Entz with gift basket honoring 25 years of organic research at the University of Manitoba! Responded to many calls and email from www.organicfoodcouncil.org!

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS COG would not have the same reach without the amazing work done by the Chapters, their staff and volunteers! It s inspiring to witness the commitment of people who work so hard to sustain COG s efforts across the country and support the organization s mission to lead local and national communities towards the sustainable organic stewardship of land, food and fibre!

2017 promises to be an exciting year!

What is exciting for 2017? An awesome new practical skills handbook

What is exciting for 2017? Our new TCOG website has launched

What is exciting for 2017? Our new COG website is coming..

What is exciting for 2017? Our new project stream in: Understanding the Organic Experience

Understanding the Organic Experience $ 704,418 Project Budget April 2017 to March 2018 Core Activities & Deliverables: Literature Review Detailed pan-canadian Case Studies Focus Groups Transition to Organic Vegetable Production Report and risk management tool development

Under Development Expanding the U of M Nutrient Management Program to Eastern Canada Organic Sector Labour Study

2017 Annual General Meeting Concludes formal presentation Announcement of Board of Directors Question and Answer Session

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! Motion that the COG 2017 AGM be Adjourned