Left to right: Jacqueline Toews, Chelsea Gruber and Michelle Ross at the Grow Canada Conference.

Networking for the future

For AgBio students Chelsea Gruber, Jacqueline Toews and Michelle Ross, attending the Grow Canada Conference in Ottawa, Ont. December 6-8, 2016 was an enlightening experience.

“Attending the conference was an amazing experience and opportunity as a student,” said Jacqueline Toews, crop science student. “This conference made me realize that students, like myself, are the future of this industry as producers, researchers, executives, and consumer outreachers.”

For the past few years, the College of Agriculture and Bioresources has been sending three students to the Grow Canada Conference. Attending a conference like Grow Canada gives students the opportunity to network with experts in the agriculture industry. 

“One of the most important things in the agricultural industry is networking. You can have the best, most cutting edge idea, but if you do not have a way to spread information or to find support for your idea, it will not get off the ground,” said Toews.

This year’s conference theme was “Up to the Challenge” and featured several motivating and educational speakers. 

“The wide array of topics covered from experts across North America was thought provoking and motivating for me as a young person just beginning a career within the industry,” pointed out Michelle Ross, agronomy student. “The opportunity to network and learn from the agricultural leaders of Canada was a very humbling and inspirational experience.”

For Chelsea Gruber, an agribusiness student, the conference was a look into the agribusiness world.  “Through the sessions and the conversations I had, knowledge I have been gaining through school was applied to real-life situations,” said Gruber.  “I saw how relevant the business side of the industry is to the whole agriculture sector, and it made me very excited to see where my degree in agribusiness will take me.”