AgPrize 2020: First Round of Winners Announced!

October 28, 2020

Huron County, Ontario – Earlier this year, the County of Huron Economic Development Department introduced a challenge question competition, AgPrize 2020, which invites participants to submit their proposals on innovative solutions for the agri-food sector. Strong submissions for each question category are eligible to win a cash prize.

The first round of challenge questions closed earlier this summer with submissions received from across the country. The County congratulates the following winners:

Category: Communicating with Customers

The dairy industry has a great story to tell, but communicating effectively with consumers remains a challenge. Kate Ayers wins this category for her work on the website www.renudefood.com and her proposal to develop innovative podcast content as a way to help the industry connect with local communities and all Canadians.

Category: Recyclable Maple Syrup Tubing

Ontario’s maple syrup producers need to find a home for their used sap tubing. The tubing is technically recyclable, but it can be difficult to do so profitably and efficiently. A four-person team of Julie Marocha, Gokulan Thedchana, Yohannes Wondimu, and Minh Nguyen wins this category for their in-depth research on best practices for the maple syrup tubing recycling process. This team was able to develop a list for recycling companies on the end products that this tubing can be recycled to.

The next round of challenge question categories opens on November 9th with the opportunity for anyone to participate. All submissions must propose a technically feasible, economically viable solution to the chosen challenge question. Winning submissions for each category will be eligible for a prize of up to $2,020.

When designing AgPrize, the Economic Development Department looked for real-world problems that required creative, outside-the-box solutions. AgPrize 2020 will help generate opportunities to resolve longstanding challenges in agriculture, while building a culture of innovation and encouraging Canadians to think about where food comes from.

For a list of challenge questions, FAQs and details on how to enter AgPrize 2020, visit https://www.huroncounty.ca/economic-development/agprize2020/.

The County of Huron asks the community to continue respecting all public health guidelines, including performing hand hygiene, practicing physical distancing, wearing masks and staying home if ill. Stay informed on the COVID-19 situation in Huron County by visiting the Huron-Perth Public Health website.

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For more information contact:

Jim Ginn, Warden
519.524.8394 (ext 3224)
warden@huroncounty.ca