The Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG) Bursary Program was created to support and encourage students pursuing a career in the processing vegetable industry and to ensure there are new individuals who will have the interest, skill and ability to further develop and grow this sector of Ontario’s agri-food economy.

The program allows for three bursaries to eligible college or university students studying commercial field agriculture/horticulture or food manufacturing. One bursary is awarded to a student in their 2nd year at Ridgetown Campus, with a value of $2,000 in memory of former OPVG Director Jim Whitson. The second bursary is awarded to a student in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th or post-graduate year of study at an eligible college or university, with a value of $2,000 in memory of former OPVG Director Ken Epp. The third bursary is an Industry award with a value of $1,000 for a student in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th or post-graduate year of study at an eligible college or university. Applicants must be registered as a full-time student in a program which relates to the processing vegetable industry.

Eligibility details and a Bursary Application Form are available on our website at www.opvg.org or by request via email at opvg@opvg.org. Applications must be received at OPVG no later than January 5, 2024.

The Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG) is a marketing board regulated under the Farm Products Marketing Act and represents nearly 350 Ontario processing vegetable growers producing crops such as tomatoes, onions, sweet corn, carrots, cucumbers, green & wax beans, lima beans, green peas, squash and pumpkin. Farm gate sales for our processing vegetable crops in 2022 was $144 million. OPVG members are family-owned and operated businesses, growing vegetable crops for Ontario food manufacturing companies.

 Source:  Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers November 9, 2023 news release