Tech Beyond Tractors: Making Organic Reporting Easier
Organic farmers are already collecting large amounts of information, yet reporting, inspections, and access to useful insights often remain time-consuming and fragmented.
This session explores practical digital tools that help farmers record field activities, inputs, and management decisions in ways that support organic certification and on-farm decision-making. Using real examples such as field-recording apps, we will look at how technology can reduce paperwork, improve record quality, and simplify preparation for inspection.
Certifiers will share what types of digital records are most useful during certification and where current reporting systems create unnecessary burden. The session will also introduce how initiatives like AskAgriWise aim to connect farm-level data with broader sector insight, helping organic data work harder for farmers, certifiers, and the organic community as a whole.
This is a practical conversation about technology that supports organic farming beyond machinery, focusing on tools that save time, improve clarity, and strengthen the organic system.
Meet the Panelists:
Len Van Hoffen is the Vineyard Manager at Southbrook Organic Vineyards, a pioneering 57- acre biodynamic, organic, and regenerative organic vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake. A lifelong horticulturist, Len has extensive experience growing a variety of crops, including nursery stock, greenhouse plants, athletic turf, and wine grapes. A graduate of Niagara College with a background in Horticulture, Viticulture, and Winemaking, Len combines traditional expertise with innovative sustainable practices. Since joining Southbrook in 2019, he has been dedicated to enhancing biodiversity, improving soil health, and implementing low-impact farming techniques to produce premium wine grapes while preserving the vineyard ecosystem. His initiatives include introducing a wildflower habitat to support beneficial insects, advancing cover cropping strategies, and increasing carbon sequestration through regenerative farming. And definitely isn’t tech savy!
Erica Shelley brings together science, storytelling, and systems thinking to strengthen the future of organic agriculture in Ontario. As a scientist, inventor, and long-time advocate for pollinators and ecosystem health, she believes that organic farming isn’t just a certification — it’s a powerful pathway to a more resilient and connected food system. With a PhD in Molecular and Medical Genetics and over a decade of experience working in sustainable agriculture, Erica now leads the Organic Council of Ontario with a focus on transparency, trust, and impact. She works closely with organic producers, policymakers, researchers, and consumers to support a thriving organic sector that centers climate action, soil health, and meaningful change. Erica is an award-winning agricultural inventor who has developed science-backed tools and biological solutions for pest and disease management — including the innovative use of fungi to support pollinator health and reduce chemical inputs in farming systems.
with more to be announced!