Vineland ON,– A new Chair and Vice Chair have been elected to lead the Ontario Apple Growers (OAG). Brian Rideout of Blenheim steps into the Chair’s role after serving as Vice Chair since 2019, taking over from outgoing chair Cathy McKay of Port Perry. Chris Hedges of Vanessa is the new OAG Vice Chair.
“I’m looking forward to serving Ontario’s apple growers as chair of this organization,” says Rideout. “Ontario apples continue to be a popular choice with our consumers, and we are committed to encouraging the continued growth of our sector and working with government to ensure we have the needed legislative support to foster that growth.”
Rideout farms in Chatham-Kent with his wife and her family at Manitree Fruit Farms where along with apples, they grow peaches, nectarines, pears, cherries, strawberries, tomatoes, melons, and squash. His children are the fifth generation on the family farm.
He has been a director on the OAG board since 2014, serving as a member of the organization’s research committee as well as the first chair of the OAG’s Young Apple Grower group. In 2022, he was elected as the chair of the Crop Protection Section at the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association.