Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Honoured with Ontario’s 2025 Excellence in Agriculture Award

November 18, 2025

LEAMINGTON, ON - The Government of Ontario has awarded Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) the 2025 Excellence in Agriculture Award for Promotional Excellence at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. This prestigious recognition celebrates individuals, businesses, and organizations that demonstrate innovative and impactful promotional efforts encouraging consumers to choose Ontario-grown and -made agri-food products.

OGVG launched its Greenhouse Goodness digital campaign to connect with consumers with a content-driven strategy that emphasized the nutritional value and sustainability of greenhouse-grown vegetables. Using insights from the Market Development Index, OGVG identified underserved markets and strategically deployed the campaign across 11 priority commodity categories.

This initiative featured a redesigned, immersive website showcasing member products, complemented by dynamic social content and broad-reach advertising. The integrated approach was designed to educate, inspire, and motivate consumers to choose fresh greenhouse produce. Seasonal landing pages, supported by this strategy, achieved a 450% increase in performance compared to the previous year’s benchmarkshighlighting the effectiveness of content-driven storytelling within the Greenhouse Goodness initiative.

“Our growers are committed to delivering consistently fresh, high-quality greenhouse produce to markets across North America that are often within 24 hours of harvest,” said Richard Lee, Executive Director of OGVG. “We are honoured that the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness has recognized our Greenhouse Goodness campaign with the Excellence in Agriculture Award. This recognition affirms the innovation standards behind our greenhouse operations, while promoting the role of greenhouse-grown produce in fostering healthier, more sustainable eating habits.

The Greenhouse Goodness campaign delivered strong engagement metrics, demonstrating its effectiveness in reaching and resonating with consumers:

• 279,841 unique visitors to seasonal landing pages

• 323,885 total page sessions

• 977,537 tracked events, averaging three interactions per session

These results reflect the campaign’s success in driving consumer interest and interaction through targeted, content driven storytelling.

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About OGVG

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers represent more than 170 greenhouse farmers cultivating more than 4,300 acres of fresh and nutritious peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers, forming the largest cluster of greenhouse vegetable producers in North America. Over the past decade, the sector has achieved an average annual growth rate of 6%. Looking ahead, it is projected to sustain a growth rate of 5% annually for the next ten years. As leaders in agricultural innovation, OGVG members continue to invest in research and the development of novel technologies and applications. These efforts are strengthening Canada’s domestic food supply system and positioning the sector as a key contributor to global food security.

About the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness helps to build a stronger agri-food sector by investing in the development and transfer of innovative technologies, retaining and attracting investment, developing markets, providing regulatory oversight, and providing effective risk management tools. The ministry also helps enable rural Ontario to build strong, vital communities with diversified economies and healthy social and environmental climates. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness is Ontario’s lead agency for advancing the province’s agri-food sector. Its mandate includes:

• Supporting farmers and processors with programs that strengthen competitiveness and sustainability

• Driving innovation and research to improve productivity and resilience

• Promoting local food and rural development through the Grow Ontario Strategy

• Ensuring regulatory compliance and food safety while fostering trade opportunities

Under the leadership of Minister Trevor Jones, the ministry works closely with industry organizations, educational institutions, and communities to maintain Ontario’s reputation as a global leader in agriculture and food production.

Media Inquiries

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers

Richard Lee, Executive Director

Email: lee@ontariogreenhouse.com