Mid-Western Ontario Ag Expo returns to Clinton for second year with close to 100 vendors

Nicole Toebes showcases the Agpro Women’s overalls – comfort meets workwear.

The Mid-Western Ontario Ag Expo returned to Clinton for its second year, bringing together producers, businesses, and community members under one roof at the REACH Huron facility. 

After initially launching at Memorial Hall in Goderich, General Manager Nick Cadotte said the Expo quickly outgrew its original venue, prompting a move to a larger, agriculture-focused space.

“The Mid-Western Expo is our second year in Clinton,” Cadotte said.

“We started off the first year at Memorial in Goderich, and then unfortunately that facility closed, but we've grown and exceeded that space anyways.” 

This year’s Expo featured close to 100 vendors representing a wide cross-section of the agricultural industry, including swine, dairy, poultry, and cash crop operations. Attendees could also connect with insurance providers, agri-business services, and other companies supporting rural communities.

“Agriculture plays a huge role in our economy,” Cadotte added.

“We're just here to highlight the businesses — from women's clothing to Farmers Gold snacks that are 100 per cent produced chips from Canada — We have a wide variety of vendors.”

The REACH Huron facility, an equestrian center hosting academic programming and riding operations, was selected for its strong ties to the agricultural community.

“Ridgetown College and the University of Guelph have their equestrian program here. There’s a riding stable out back and roping. Fanshawe is next door with some programs, and the REACH Centre just made sense,” Cadotte explained.

“It’s a very big industry and the facility suits us perfectly to bring in everybody celebrating agriculture. We have businesses from Quebec, Chatham-Kent, and Toronto all represented here in Huron County.”

In addition to vendor booths, the Expo included live entertainment.

The Expo also aims to bridge the gap between producers and consumers by promoting education and awareness, particularly among youth interested in agricultural careers.

“It’s an ever-evolving industry that technology plays a big role in, so it's good to connect with the ever-changing industry,” Cadotte noted.

“We have schools coming, and we want to expand on that next year to promote farm safety and education of what careers could be in agriculture.”

Inside the Expo stood a vendor tailored to women’s clothing. Nicole Toebes, CEO and founder of Agpro Workwear Inc, showcased a line of overalls designed specifically for women. She built from the ground up to meet the unique fit and functional needs of those working within the industry.

“I’ve been farming my entire life and firefighting as well. I couldn’t find any workwear that fit,” Toebes said.

“I was wearing men’s clothing and making do. When I did purchase women’s workwear at a premium price, the quality wasn’t there, and the fit certainly wasn’t either. It was like a petite men’s size, and as a six-foot-tall woman, I’m not a petite man. I was finding this huge gap in the market.”

Discussions with friends and other women in agriculture revealed that this was a shared concern. Inspired by those conversations, Toebes moved forward with developing a clothing line tailored to better suit women’s bodies without compromising durability or performance.

Another clothing vendor that sparked attraction at the expo was Jody Fulton’s, owner of Jody’s Junction Co., a handmade millinery business specializing in custom felt hats.  

“I mainly make handmade felt hats,” Fulton explained.

“I’m a self-taught milliner. I started getting into Western wear as well, but the hats were my focus when I began.”

Fulton brings style and craftmanship together in every hat. Her collection ranges from soft wool felts to beaver and rabbit fur felts.  She offers customized designs for those truly looking for one – of -a kind hat.

The REACH Centre also serves as a regional hub for post-secondary students pursuing careers in agriculture, hosting programs from both Fanshawe College and the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus.

Samantha Green, Student Services Coordinator for Ridgetown, said the Expo provided a unique opportunity to welcome members of the public into spaces that are not normally open.

“Having the Ag Expo here is a really nice opportunity because it’s our home base,” Green expressed.

“We’re able to invite people into the barn, which isn’t something we normally do, and it allows them to meet the horses and talk to us about all of the programs we offer.”

Green added that visibility within the local agricultural community is essential for connecting students with future career opportunities.

"It's a really big agricultural community,” she said.

“Almost all of our programs offer a co-op option, so it’s about making those connections with local farmers and agricultural businesses to give our students more opportunities for co-op placements in the future.”