Ginty Jocius, creator of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and a renowned pioneer in Canada’s agriculture communications sector, died Wednesday in Guelph of complications from brain cancer.
Jocius, 61, founded his self-named marketing and communications company in Guelph in 1982, specializing in agricultural products and services and including a roster of well-known clients across the continent.
For his efforts in the industry, he was named agri-marketer of the year by the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) in 1995 and an alumnus of honour by the University of Guelph in 1996.
Friend and consultant Len Kahn was quoted in Thursday’s Guelph Mercury as saying Jocius built up his firm during a time when many Canadian ag companies had to look to U.S. communications and P.R. firms for help.
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Jocius “understood the need for agriculture to explain itself to the public,” said communications instructor Owen Roberts of the Ontario Agricultural College in the Mercury article.
Jocius in 1994 founded Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, held annually in September at Canada’s Outdoor Park at Woodstock, Ont., and now considered Canada’s largest outdoor ag trade show. His event management business also included the Great Canadian Outdoor Expo, which he launched in 2004.
According to an obituary posted Thursday at the Outdoor Farm Show web site, Jocius was always looking for the “next big idea.” He helped launch Strategic Research Associates (SRA) at Guelph, as well as the web company Agribiz.net, now part of Farms.com.
Before entering the communications field, Jocius’ resume included stints with CBC Radio and as executive assistant to Ontario provincial agriculture ministers William Stewart and William Newman. After leaving the Ontario ag ministry he helped launch the Ontario Beef Exchange video auction service.
According to the obituary at the Outdoor Farm Show home page, a memorial will be held Jan. 11 at Guelph’s River Run Centre. The site provides links and forms to donate to specified charities in lieu of flowers, as per the family’s wishes.
