The 67th Ottawa Valley Farm Show (OVFS) has maintained a consistent theme throughout its decades: farm families, technology and community service.
“Our show is very cozy, it’s almost like a homecoming,” said Lauren Casselman, OVFS 2026 coordinator. “Last year was my first year. I was walking around and seeing the camaraderie — everyone hadn’t seen each other for a year. It’s lots of traditions too.”
Why it matters: Farm shows provide a place to view the latest technology, but the Ottawa Valley Farm Show has unique events centred around community building for the agriculture sector.
Whether raising money for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, accepting Ottawa Mission donations, highlighting agriculture and rural communities, or showcasing new technology or research, the OVFS provides something for everyone.
“Brand new this year, we’re bringing in some live music, not necessarily agriculturally related, but trying to add to the atmosphere and continuing with a homecoming kind of party feel,” said Casselman. “And Drone Spray Canada is going to talk about best practices and optimizing drone use for their crops (on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.).”
Tickets are available online for $12 and $15 at the gate. Children 12 and under are free, for the show held at the EY Centre near the Ottawa airport.
Of the changes impacting the Farm Show this year, the most talked-about is the local school board’s decision to move March break to a week after the show’s March 10 to 12 dates.
Casselman said the holiday shift has upset farm families, who regularly attend as a spring tradition, but it has created new opportunities for student participation.
“We’ve got five or six (high school) school buses coming,” Casselman said. “A lot of the local schools have ag programs, specialty programs, so now those kids get to come and check it out.”
To minimize parking pressure, the Farm Show offers a $500 bus grant, which, apart from the school, people have yet to fully access, said Casselman, adding that, at a minimum, carpooling is highly recommended because the free parking fills up quickly.
Tuesday at 10 a.m. and Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Event Hall B, Moe Agostino will deliver a “Making Soybeans Great Again” presentation on how to manage markets and handle inputs and basis in 2026.
Innovation Alley will showcase the latest Area X.O agri-tech innovations from robots to new methods to track crops and livestock in real time, along with ARIO Winchester Research Station’s latest trials and projects.
Young farmers can pre-register for free tickets to the “Growing Ag Social: For young, new and aspiring farmers” on Thursday at noon, which includes a free lunch and features Kelsey Banks, who will share how her brain cancer journey helped reframe her future as an independent agronomist.
Sowing deep roots
The Seed Show and Award of Excellence on Wednesday at 11 a.m. pays tribute to the farm show’s origins and to how the land has been woven into its 67-year history.
“The Seed and Forage competition has been going on for over 100 years, and that’s what grew into the farm show,” said Casselman.
The Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association will celebrate its 100-year anniversary at the 2027 “A Century of Cultivating Excellence” themed OVFS. The group is planning commemorative events and projects throughout the year, including a memorial video, an anniversary book and a gala.
Casselman said the Farm and Food Care video booth will be available for people to share farm show memories, whether as individuals, families, exhibitors or competitors for the memorial video.
Raising funds for children’s care
In anticipation of the anniversary, the Seed Growers sold special block quilt kits to create a 12-inch quilt block for a memorial quilt. The king-size quilt, featuring pieces from Alberta and across Ontario, will be auctioned off in 2027, with proceeds donated to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
This is in addition to the Prestigious Pedigreed Seed auction, held on the last day of the Farm Show at 2 p.m., which has been fundraising for CHEO since 1992. This year’s proceeds are going towards the new Children’s Integrated Treatment Centre (1Door4Care).
For those interested in scale-model iron, the Vintage Iron and Traditions of Eastern Ontario (VITEO) will send you down memory lane in Hall D with an International 1256 as the 2026 collectible tractor display and the annual Toy auction, March 11 at 7 p.m.
VITEO, whose aim is to protect, conserve, restore and promote the preservation of artifacts related to early Eastern Ontario rural life, will display an array of antiques and collectibles, including antique toys, historical gate signs, antique tools and milking equipment.
The Farm Show is held at the EY Centre near Ottawa International Airport, with advance online ticket sales available for $12 or $15 at the gate; children 12 and under are free.
Doors open daily at 9 a.m., closing at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10th, 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and 4 p.m. on Thursday. Free parking and Wi-Fi are available at the EY Centre.
Catch all of Farmtario’s coverage of events at the show on our special show page.
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