The Bacon Maker Classic 4-H swine show returned to the Ontario Pork Congress in 2024.

Ontario Pork Congress: Disease updates, Quebec processing ramifications and the return of the pigs

The 51st Ontario Pork Congress, and the second since a two-year COVID break, returned to Stratford, Ont. June 19 and 20. Hog farm numbers continue to decline, while hogs produced in Ontario grow. Farmers are gradually converting their barns to group sow housing, or are building new barns, usually with greater production capacity, resulting a […] Read more

VIDEO: Taking the pulse of Ontario’s pork sector

VIDEO: Taking the pulse of Ontario’s pork sector

Senior Livestock Editor John Greig is at the Ontario Pork Congress reporting on the status of pork markets, where the province is at in terms of processing capacity and the current status of disease risk of hog farms in Ontario. Watch here for this, and more, from the Ontario Pork Congress in the coming days.

Past OPC presidents gathered for a special luncheon on June 22. They posed together for a commemorative photo.

PHOTOS: 50th Ontario Pork Congress held in Stratford

Annual pork show celebrates with special display, events

The Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) celebrated its 50th anniversary June 21 and 22 at the Rotary Complex in Stratford, the first in-person show since 2019. Back this year were many events regular attendees have come to expect, such as educational programming, the pork quality competition, taste the best pork sampling, and a large industry trade […] Read more

The 2023 OPC executive. From left to right: Joe Dwyer (secretary), Victoria Stewart (director), Kristy Perrin (first vice-president), and Kirk McLean (president). Absent: Marsha Chambers, Frank Wood, Drew DeBruyn and Henry Groenestege.

Ontario Pork Congress returns in-person this June

Congress will celebrate its 50th anniversary

The Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) will be returning to the Rotary Complex in Stratford to celebrate its 50th anniversary June 21-22, 2023.  It will be the first in-person Congress since 2019. A 2020 virtual option was held, but show organizers said that “didn’t go well” at the OPC’s annual meeting last month at the Mitchell […] Read more

Ontario Pork Congress

Pork Congress latest COVID-19 cancellation

It is hoped that the event will continue as a virtual show

The largest annual gathering of Ontario pork producers will not be happening in person in 2020 due to COVID-19 health concerns. The Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) board of directors has announced that the 2020 Ontario Pork Congress will not be held in its traditional in-person format. The show was scheduled for June 17 and 18. […] Read more


In 2012, Dennis Aarts and family purchased McCully’s Hill farm and roadside market and began direct-marketing their pork.

Aarden Farms handed Pork Industry Leadership Award

Ontario Pork Congress recognizes owners of McCully’s Hill Farm Market

A St. Marys-area farm family that, in 2012, moved beyond pork production and cash cropping to take control of a long-established direct-to-consumer roadside market was awarded the 2019 Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) Pork Industry Leadership Award. The award was presented by outgoing OPC President Kirk McLean to Dennis Aarts, of Aarden Farms — the only […] Read more

The Canadian Pork Excellence program aims to bring several quality assurance requirements together into one audit and process.

Canadian Pork Excellence launched after five-year review

After some backlash from producers and a pilot test period, the program is better adapted for pork producers across Canada

In December of 2014 the Canadian Pork Council decided to update and review the Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program to continue supplying foreign markets with high quality Canadian pork. Five years and an extensive process later, on April 1, Canadian Pork Excellence (CPE) was launched. It is a national platform demonstrating Canadian pork producers’ commitment […] Read more

The Pork Quality Competition is one of the many events at the Ontario Pork Congress.

Ontario Pork Congress going ahead as planned

Decision follows cancellation of World Pork Expo due to disease threat

The 46th annual Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) will go ahead as planned on June 19-20 in Stratford – a decision reached after event organizers consulted with “veterinarians and industry professionals” about the risk of African swine fever (ASF). “As always, the strength of the Ontario swine industry is our main concern,” stated an OPC news […] Read more


A deal to send Canadian sow genetics to China was signed at the Ontario Pork Congress.

Canadian pigs sold to China

Canadian swine genetics continue to compete well around the world and especially recently in China where the hog production sector is rapidly modernizing. Evidence of the trend was on display at the recent Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) where Alliance Genetics Canada (AGC) and Donaldson International announced a deal with a Chinese delegation to send $2.5 […] Read more

A speaker addresses a crowd at last year’s Ontario Pork Congress.

Exhibitor numbers up for this year’s Ontario Pork Congress

The event runs June 20 and 21 in Stratford, and is now surrounded by public celebrations of pork

The Ontario Pork Congress once drew 10s of thousands of farmers to Stratford to learn about the industry and improve their farms. As the number of hog farmers has plunged, the event has spawned a week-long celebration of pork as a food. The Ontario Pork Congress continues to grow, with more exhibitors than last year […] Read more