Lauren Casselman says that her strength is connecting with people and it is something that should help her out in her new role as the Ottawa Valley Farm Show Coordinator. Courtesy Photo
OTTAWA – The Ottawa Valley Farm Show is one of the largest shows in eastern Ontario and when it sets up at the EY Centre, it takes up much of the facility’s 220,000 square feet with everything from craft beverages up to and including some of the largest pieces of farm equipment able to fit through the centre’s bay doors without hitting the 23-foot ceilings.
In 2025 the show will take place March 11, 12, and 13, and this year it will be under the direction of a new Show Coordinator, Lauren Casselman.
Casselman has broad work background that enables her to bring a wide range of skills and experience to the position. Over her career she has been directly involved in event organization, tourism, marketing and customer service. Her employment history includes time spent with Upper Canada Village, the St Lawrence Parks Commission and Old Fort Henry. She has also worked in the education field, for a semester as an ESL teacher overseas as well as acting as a substitute teacher (bilingual) for the Upper Canada District School Board.
“I learned so much doing that just customer service basics,” said Casselman in a phone interview recently. Knowing what visitors are looking for and giving them that good experience. It was very rewarding, but I think this is going to be fun. I’m already realizing there’s so many different aspects to it, and more decision making than I ever had to do.”
Casselman grew up on a cash crop farm in Eastern Ontario, but she says she moved away from agriculture for a while. She currently operates her own homestead, raising vegetables, livestock and bees. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with the Dundas County Players where her role includes community outreach, website development, newsletter preparation and youth engagement. These interests all connect with her interest in people.
“I’m a big people person,” said Casselman. “My background is actually being in front of visitors, and communicating, and performing arts. Actually, I went to school for music and then worked as a performing artist for a while. So, you know, I have the people skills, and then also just a fresh perspective, because a lot of people on the board have been there for a while. I’m a younger demographic, kind of giving that viewpoint and being creative. I think we can come up with some neat new ideas, modern ideas, modern marketing approaches and that sort of thing.”
Casselman admits that there will be a lot to learn and is looking at this year more as one of observation than change. The show has been very successful. Last year there were 369 exhibits, located both indoors and outdoors and attendance almost reached record levels with 12,830 visitors passing through the turnstiles over the three days of the event.
“That’s my plan: To get at least one show under my belt, you know, like learning from the expertise of the group that’s been doing it for a while now,” said Casselman. It’s always a hugely successful show, and, as I’m realizing now, just learning from the previous coordinator, it’s been very well organized and very well run, so, you know, probably keeping things the same for now. But then, from there, everything can always be improved, and we can always learn from an event, even if it’s a really great event. We’ll just be exploring different ways to engage visitors or draw maybe new people to the show, new themes, expanding the exhibitor base, diversity.”
So, what can people expect from the show in 2025?”
“This year, our theme is the Showcase for Ag Innovation,” said Casselman. “We’re hoping to do a large segment on what’s new and innovative in the in the ag industry right now. We’re going to focus on that kind of a group of vendors along those lines.
“And then we’ll have a lot of the favourites, you know, like meal opportunities, and hopefully, a couple special events, an opening ceremony, that sort of thing.”
There have been so many technological changes in the past few years, and agriculture is not immune to these changes, but Casselman believes that is a positive and a way to attract vendors who typically might not have considered expanding into the ag industry to consider it. There is also the need to educate the average person better in what agriculture is all about.
“It’s come so far and, and every couple years, there’s all these brand-new technological advances that are just kind of mind blowing,” said Casselman. “And then I think, it would be neat to draw people from Ottawa that aren’t farmers. You know, it’s just the challenge is figuring out how to do that. Because I think people need to be better educated on what we do, what we grow in Canada, what we produce, how we do it.”
For a show of this scale, timing is everything, and the first day of the show, March 11, 2025, really isn’t that far away. Until then for Casselman it will be a case of watch, learn, ask questions and look for ways to provide a better experience for everyone involved.
