Pork producers from across the region are being invited to attend the 62nd annual Southwestern Ontario Pork Conference, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus.
This year’s conference carries the theme “Let’s Talk About Pork” and will focus on new ideas around competitiveness, benchmarking and current issues affecting pork production. Organizers say the event is designed to keep producers informed while also providing opportunities to connect with industry representatives in a social setting.
“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 is supported by industry sponsors and will include a trade show area where attendees are encouraged to spend time visiting industry partners. Complimentary coffee and refreshments will be available before the program begins at 4 p.m.
The 2026 program includes sessions titled “ROI – It’s All That Matters!” with feature speaker Dan Bussieres, “Maximizing Manure Value – Transforming Animal Waste Into Field Profit” with Christine Brown, and a “Producer Profile” featuring John and Dirk Homan of Hihojo Farm. The agenda also includes a producer panel question-and-answer session, “Building a Sustainable Workforce,” with Scott Leystra, Cam Farrell, TJ Klopp, Phillip Wiedrick and Mark Chambers, as well as “Health Talk – Improving Your Performance” with Ryan Tenbergen.
Organizers say the conference is intended to provide practical, up-to-date pork production information that producers can take back to their operations and emphasize that the event has something to offer producers at all stages.
Registration opens Dec. 1, 2025. Conference details, sponsorship opportunities and registration information are available online at http://www.ridgetownc.com/about/swopc. Registration includes access to all conference activities as well as a pork dinner.
