By Michael Bennett
Local Journalism Initiative
The Ridgetown Independent
Tickets are available for the 62nd annual Southwestern Ontario Pork Conference (SWOPC) at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus.
‘Let’s Talk About Pork’ is the theme of this year’s conference, which takes place on Feb. 18.
Industry sponsors help SOPC organizers put together an afternoon and evening of socializing and informative sessions for area producers.
“It’s all about keeping the producers informed in a social environment and providing a place for industry reps to visit with their customers,” said Darren Sloan, chair of the 2026 SWOPC planning committee.
The conference will provide guests with new ideas in competitiveness, benchmarking and up-to-date pork production information they can take back to their operation.
The 2026 conference program features several guest speakers and question and answer periods.
- ‘ROI – It’s All That Matters!’ with feature speaker Dan Bussieres;
- ‘Maximizing Manure Value – Transforming Animal Waste Into Field Profit,’ with Christine Brown;
- ‘Producer Profile’ with John and Dirk Homan of Hihojo Farm;
- ‘Building a Sustainable Workforce’ producer panel Q&A, featuring Scott Leystra, Cam Farrell, TJ Klopp, Phillip Wiedrick and Mark Chambers;
- ‘Health Talk – Improving Your Performance,’ with Ryan Tenbergen.
The event begins with an open house from 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m., with visits to the Swine Barn.
Registration begins at 2 p.m. in the Rudy H. Brown Rural Development Centre, while the Meet & Greet Sponsors Trade Show runs from 2-4 p.m.
The conference begins at 4 p.m. in the Pestell Auditorium, with the first set of guest speakers and panel discussions.
Guests will be treated to a pork loin dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the Willson Hall Dining Room.
Feature speaker Dan Bussieres takes the stage at 7:30 p.m., followed by an evening social.
Registration is now open as the cost is $30 (plus HST) or $20 (plus HST) for students aged 18 and under, until Feb. 7.
The registration fees rise to $45 (plus HST) between Feb. 8-16.
Registration, along with conference information and sponsorship opportunities, are available online at www.ridgetownc.com/about/swopc
For information on conference registration is available by calling 1-866-222-9682 or by contacting Ilona McNulty by email at [email protected]
