Annual General Meeting - Ontario Bean Growers

2026 Ontario Bean Growers
Annual General Meeting
February 24, 2026
Best Western, The Arden Park Hotel – Stratford

Draft Agenda – Coming Soon

2024-25 Financial Statements – Posted

Annual Report – Coming Soon

Registration

The 2026 Ontario Bean Growers Annual General Meeting will be held at the Best Western Plus, The Arden Park Hotel on Tuesday, February 24 beginning at 9:00am. Registration table opens at 8:00am.

Pre-registration is required.

You must register for the meeting by Friday, February 20, 2026 at midnight.

Elections

In 2026, membership will elect three directors to the Ontario Bean Growers Board of Directors to a two-year term – one from each of the three districts.

A grower is eligible to vote and run for a director position on the Board of Directors if they grew dry edible beans of any market class in 2024 and/or 2025 and paid their annual license fees, or if they have a contract to grow beans in 2026. New growers who plan to grow beans in 2026 and who wants to vote at the AGM will be asked to complete an affidavit signed by their bean dealer as an indication of their commitment to grow beans in 2026 and pay board license fees. These can be emailed in advance to olivia@ontariobeans.on.ca.

If the farm is not individually owned, only one person may represent that farm entity. This can be an employee, shareholder, director or partner in the business. In order to vote on behalf of a farm with multiple owners, the individual voting on behalf of the business must identify themselves as such on the online registration form.

A grower who produces beans in more than one district may vote and run for the position of director to the OBG Board of Directors in only one district. If a grower wishes to vote and/or be nominated to run for the position of director to the OBG Board of Directors, in a district other than the district in which they reside, that grower must make declaration to the OBG Board Office in written form on or before January 13, 2026. Such a declaration will change the grower’s district designation in the OBG database until such time as a different written declaration is received by the OBG Board Office. Otherwise, each grower will be assigned to the district in which they reside according to the current OBG database.

Nominations

Director Nominations

Nominations for District Directors and Director-at-Large must be made using the online nomination form at the link below. All nominations must be submitted by the deadline of 4pm EST on February 10, 2026.

Director Nomination Form

For those who have previously served as a director on the Ontario Bean Producers’ Marketing Board and/or the Ontario Coloured Bean Growers Association, there is a maximum 15 combined years of service after which a grower is not eligible to run for a director position on the OBG board. Years of service as a delegate and/or committee man do not count in this aggregate.

District Delegate Nominations

There are six positions open for each of the three districts.

In an effort to streamline the election process, we are strongly encouraging that nominations for District Delegates to be made in advance of the AGM. Nominations can be made using the online form available on the OBG website. There will also be a call for nominations from the floor. If any elections for the board of directors are held, unsuccessful candidates can choose to have their names added to the Delegate ballot for their district.

Delegate Nomination Form

Become an Ontario Bean Growers Delegate

District Delegates are the grassroots voice of Ontario’s bean industry. They help shape research priorities, guide annual planning, and bring real grower perspectives to the board. It is a low-time, high-impact way to get involved, meet other growers, and influence the future of beans in Ontario.

What Delegates Do?

Join a few key meetings each year, including Research Day and the AGM.
Bring forward district ideas, concerns, and resolutions.
Contribute to research, marketing, and promotions discussions.
Support OBG outreach by helping at events or flagging opportunities in your area.

Why It Matters
Delegates help drive acreage growth, strengthen research, and ensure OBG stays grounded in on-farm realities. If you want a simple, meaningful way to shape our sector’s future, nominate yourself and get involved.

2026 Election Process

Elections will be held at approximately 11:30am on Thursday, February 24, 2026. Elections will be conducted by secret ballot. Each voting delegate will receive a ballot for their district upon check in at the registration table.