The Board of Directors for the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers elected their vice chairs for 2022: Ron VanDamme as 1st vice chair and Chris Stewart as 2nd vice chair. The Board also welcomes director Tracy Gubbels who was elected in District 2 to serve a two-year term. Acclaimed directors are Dan Froese from District 3, and Ron VanDamme and Ryan Leclair both from District 1. 

“We appreciate Ron’s and Chris’ commitment to serve as vice chairs. We are also pleased to welcome Tracy to the Board. We are confident the Board will continue serving the growers well with purposeful leadership and success,” stated Dave Hope, chair. 

Tracy has served on the District 2 Committee for several years and farms with her husband in the Mount Brydges area. The Board thanks outgoing director/vice chair Mike Lenders for his commitment to the Board and the processing vegetable sector. 

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 2020 was $97.8 million. OPVG members are family-owned and operated businesses, growing vegetable crops for Ontario food manufacturing companies. 

Source:  Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers December 17, 2021 news release