The Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) is for executive leaders in agriculture, but you don’t need to be an executive to join the program, says program administrator Gabrielle Ferguson.
Established in 1984, AALP has been helping to develop leaders in agriculture for 40 years. At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture annual general meeting last month, Ferguson noted that three of the four executive members of the OFA, as well as its general manager, are AALP graduates and so is Lisa Thompson, Ontario’s past Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Ferguson says the program boasts alumni throughout provincial farm organizations as well as agribusiness, but she stresses that AALP draws participants from all sectors of the value chain, including many primary producers.
“There are top leaders that are at the front of the room, but there’s also top leaders that are at the back of the room and the sides of the room and the middle of the room, because we need all people to show up in the way that’s comfortable for them to show up, but also in a way that challenges them,” notes Ferguson.
In this interview with RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin, Ferguson breaks down the AALP curriculum and how it’s structured to allow busy people to fit the program into their busy lives. The first year includes three seminars and a North American study tour. In year two, participants attend three seminars, an international study tour and a graduation seminar.
“The curriculum has leadership skills and knowledge,” stresses Ferguson. “It’s about self awareness. It’s about team development, problem solving and theory, negotiation and debates — all those types of things.”
There’s also global awareness and the political workings of the Ontario legislature at Queen’s Park and the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. “It’s about giving people the depth that they need to act in the way they want to act in agriculture and rural sectors.”
In the report, Ferguson breaks down the key dates for application to join the 2025 class. Application deadline is later in December, interviews take place in January and February, successful applicants are notified in March and April, and the class is officially announced in June.
Curriculum, applications and all program information is available at the Rural Ontario Institute website. Listen to the interview below.
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