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2026 MARCH CLASSIC

 

Breaking New Ground

EMBRACING CHANGE

Tuesday March 24, 2026

Niagara Falls Convention Centre
6815 Stanley Ave Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3Y9

Registration to open January 2026

The world is evolving and changing faster than ever. Technologies, economies, governments, and agriculture – they are constantly shifting and changing the way we live and work. The 2026 March Classic – Breaking New Ground: Embracing Change will look at the opportunities that come with change and show how leaders embrace change and help others benefit from it. We will showcase speakers from a wide array of backgrounds to discuss how we can find opportunities for success, growth and prosperity in new ideas, new ways of working, and new global partnerships.

For March Classic sponsorship & exhibitor opportunities, please contact:

Joanne Tichborne
Advertising Sales Representative
jtichborne@gfo.ca
226-332-3637

Thanks for joining us for the 2025 March Classic

See 2025 event information below.

Featuring these guest speakers

Arlene Dickinson

“Dragon”, CBC’s Dragons’ Den | General Partner, District Ventures Capital | Bestselling Author

Arlene Dickinson is a visionary entrepreneur and leader with a remarkable track record of success. One of CBC’s preeminent “Dragons”, Dickinson has over 35 years of experience launching, operating, and managing businesses, growing them from early-stage startups to multi-billion-dollar corporations. She is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work, determination, and vision, and her unwavering commitment to excellence, passion for innovation, and deep dedication to her community has made her a true Canadian icon.

Dickinson is the founder and general partner of District Ventures Capital, a venture capital fund that invests in innovative companies in the food and beverage and health and wellness sectors. Under her leadership, they have become a leading force in the industry, with a portfolio of ground-breaking companies transforming the way we live and eat.

In recognition of her leadership and entrepreneurial prowess, Dickinson has been honoured with numerous awards and accolades. She has been inducted into the Southern Alberta Business Hall of Fame and the Marketing Hall of Legends, recognized as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100, and honoured with the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and Platinum Jubilee medals. Dickinson also served as an honorary captain of the Royal Canadian Navy for over 10 years.

Beyond her business ventures, she is a sought-after speaker, three-time bestselling author, and philanthropist. She has starred on CBC’s Dragons’ Den for over 16 seasons and is known as “the funder”.

Catherine Murray

Global & Canadian Business Analyst, Former Anchor of BNN Bloomberg’s The Close

Catherine Murray is a  Canadian television business news anchor, best known as the host of BNN Bloomberg’s The Close, and Market Call Tonight.  She currently hosts a Sunday morning business and markets focused program on the National broadcast, The News Forum. Having spent 15 years on Wall Street, at Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, and William Blair, she has garnered extensive knowledge on global, sector and industry analysis, merger and acquisitions, and the evolving world of Fintech, Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.  Catherine’s passion is cutting through the noise to find out what really matters.

Eric Termuende

Experienced voice on leadership, culture, and the Future of Work

Eric Termuende is on a mission to discover and share industry-leading practices that help leaders and their teams thrive in the future of work. After years spent surveying tens of thousands of people, working with hundreds of category-leading companies, and authoring a bestselling book on the world of work, Eric has firmly established himself a trusted expert, delivering a refreshing, actionable message for leaders at every level, as we navigate the future of work together.

George Stroumboulopoulos

Host, MADE | NOUS, Apple Music, & Ambassador, World Food Programme

George Stroumboulopoulos (C.M.) is a multifaceted storyteller, broadcaster, producer, and filmmaker with unparalleled Canadian media experience and one of North America’s most popular and respected broadcasters. He produces and hosts STROMBO on Apple Music’s global radio platform, and is a curator for Apple’s book club, Strombo’s Lit.

Throughout his career, George has interviewed an impressive lineup of icons world leaders, respected thinkers, music & entertainment icons, and sports superstars, including Prime Ministers and Presidents, King Charles III, Michael J. Fox, Gore Vidal, James Cameron, U2, Pearl Jam, Wayne Gretzky, Oprah, Stephen King, Margaret Atwood and so many others. Over 10,000 conversations in 30+ years—all to share the human experience and see the good in each other.

With Entertainment from

Colin Mochrie and Deb McGrath

Famed dynamic duo of improv, Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath bring their customized, quick-witted, and uproariously entertaining show to conferences, galas, and other events everywhere. Guaranteed to have your audience in stitches, their show proves why – when it comes to improv — it’s “best to say yes”.

Colin Mochrie came to international prominence for his memorable appearances on both the British and American versions of the top-rated improv series, Whose Line Is It, Anyway? He is a 25-year acting veteran and an alumnus of Toronto’s famous Second City, the comedy training ground of the likes of Martin Short, John Candy, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, and Dan Ackroyd. 

Mochrie has also appeared on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Getting Along Famously, Are You Smarter Than A Canadian 5th Grader, Living in Your Car, Men With Brooms, Death Comes to Town, The Ron James Show, Degrassi High, and She’s the Mayor. Recently, he appeared in the independent films Young Triffie, Inconceivable, Surviving My Mother, Puck Hogs, and Gravy Train. He is also the author of Not Quite the Classics, a book of stories that takes the first and last lines from familiar classics and re-imagines everything in between.

Mochrie was named Canadian Comedy Person of the Year at the Canadian Comedy Awards and has won a Writer’s Guild of Canada award, the “Male Improviser of the Year Award” from the Chicago Improv Festival, and a Gemini Award for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series. He also received the Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre and Advocacy from the Dora Mavor Moore Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Actra Awards.

Debra McGrath also honed her comedy skills at Second City Toronto. Her work has included the Baroness Von Sketch Show, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Single White Spenny, and The Ron James Show. McGrath also created, co-wrote, produced, and starred in CBC’s Getting Along Famously with Mochrie. Together, they have played a husband and wife in Love Letters, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, and Living in My Car.

Also featuring entertainment from OWEN Reigling!

Agenda

Monday March 17, 2025

7:00 PM
9:00 PM

Join us for the 2025 March Classic Welcome Reception to celebrate the March Classic and 15 years of Grain Farmers of Ontario.

Location: 2nd Floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel

Tuesday March 18, 2025

7:00 AM

Attendee Breakfast
Sponsored by John Deere Canada

8:00 AM

Registration and exhibit hall opens

9:00 AM

Opening remarks from Grain Farmers
of Ontario

9:30 AM

The U.S. Farm Report with host Tyne Morgan
The U.S. Farm Report returns to the 2025 March Classic to record and host a panel discussion on prices, markets, and hot-button issues for agriculture.

10:30 AM

Break
Sponsored by Syngenta

11:00 AM

Vance Crowe, Communications Strategist
My Grandfather’s Axe: The Art of Passing Down Something You Have Built
Your most important work in succession starts long before hiring lawyers and accountants. Being prepared to pass down your organization, business, or family farm comes down to conversations.

12:00 AM

Lunch
Sponsored by Syngenta

1:30 PM

Linda Nazareth, Economist, Futurist and Author
Economorphics: The Economic Trends Changing Today Into Tomorrow
Linda Nazareth talks about the dozens of things she sees happening, and the challenges – and opportunities they present to the economy, the labour market and the financial markets – and to agriculture as well.
Sponsored by Desjardins

2:30 PM

Break
Sponsored by Syngenta

3:00 PM

Innovation in Agriculture panel with moderator Joe Dales, RHA Ventures 
Join us for an engaging panel discussion on the future of innovation in agriculture, where industry leaders and visionaries will explore cutting-edge advancements shaping how we grow, produce, and sustain the world’s food supply.
Sponsored by Farm Credit Canada

4:00 PM

Pre-banquet Reception
Sponsored by Bayer CropScience

6:00 PM

Banquet ($75, tickets required) with entertainment from a special, Canadian musical guest.
Sponsored by SeCan

9:00 PM

Conference end

Sponsors

Supporters

Exhibitors

  • A&L Canada Laboratories
  • ACC
  • Ag Business & Crop Inc.
  • Agricorp
  • Agriculture Wellness Ontario
  • Agro-100
  • Alco Energy Canada
  • Alpine
  • ALUS Middlesex
  • BASF Canada Inc.
  • Bayer CropScience Inc.
  • Belchim Canada
  • Broadgrain
  • C&M Seeds
  • Canadian Foodgrains Bank
  • Canadian Grain Commission
  • CanGrow Crop Solutions
  • Cargill Sarnia
  • CASA/WSPS
  • CASE IH
  • Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario
  • Corteva Agriscience Canada
  • De Dell Seeds
  • Desjardins
  • DG Global
  • Farm Credit Canada
  • Fieldwalker Agronomy
  • FMC
  • FS Co-operatives
  • G3 Canada Limited
  • Ganaraska Systems Inc.
  • Gowan Canada
  • Grain Farmers of Ontario
  • Hensall Co-op
  • Horst Systems
  • Ingredion Canada Corporation
  • John Deere Canada
  • Josslin Insurance
  • Koch Agronomic Services
  • LAC
  • Libro Credit Union
  • Maizex Seeds
  • Meridian Manufacturing
  • Montag
  • Nexeed Inc.
  • Nicola Wealth
  • Nutri -Pel
  • OMAFA
  • Ontario Federation of Agriculture
  • Ontario Plowmen’s Association
  • OSCIA
  • Parrish & Heimbecker
  • Pioneer Hi-Bred Canada
  • Pride Seeds
  • Prograin
  • RBC
  • Roberts Farm Equipment
  • Scotiabank
  • SeCan
  • SGS Canada
  • TD Agriculture Services
  • The Andersons
  • The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group
  • UAP Canada

More information to come.