Another major event on Eastern Canada’s fall farming calendar has halted its up-close-and-in-person plans for 2020 but expects to follow its western sister event into virtual space.
Glacier FarmMedia, the owner/operator of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and of this website, announced Monday it will cancel its event scheduled for Sept. 15-17 at Canada’s Outdoor Park at Woodstock, Ont., due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Instead, we are exploring how we can deliver a digital experience to connect farmers with new innovation in a reimagined format,” GFM said.
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The company recently announced similar plans in lieu of its Saskatchewan-based summer outdoor event, Ag in Motion.
GFM said it expects to release further details to exhibitors next month on its plans “to build connections and transfer knowledge through a new digital event.”
Ontario on May 19 started its first phase of loosening emergency rules related to preventing the spread of COVID-19, with certain specific exemptions for gatherings of more than five people outside individual households.
However, restrictions on larger public gatherings won’t be relaxed until Phase 2, and concerts and other even larger events won’t resume until Phase 3. No dates have yet been announced for either Phase 2 or 3.
Since the start of the pandemic, the province has confirmed over 25,900 cases of COVID-19, including 2,188 deaths.
Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, founded in 1994, became part of Glacier FarmMedia in 2011. The event in recent years has hosted about 750 exhibitors and over 40,000 attendees per year.
The 2021 edition of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show is scheduled for Sept. 14-16 next year. — Glacier FarmMedia Network
