January 19, 2016
Newsletter ArticleLiving and working on a cranberry farm for more than 30 years hasn’t quenched Wendy Hogarth’s thirst for cranberry juice — she drinks her farm’s own brand every day. As co-owner of Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh in Bala, Ont., with her husband, Murray Johnston, she’s always looking for new ways to bring visitors to their farm — about 40,000 of them each year. Whether it’s touring the 27 acres of cranberry bogs or sampling the cranberry wines made by their Muskoka Lakes Winery, there’s always something to see, do, eat or drink.
When Wendy looked to expand their farm and winery operations, Guelph’s MBA program was an obvious choice. “The MBA program at Guelph allowed me to bring more tools to the business to help us grow”, said Wendy. “What I love about Guelph’s program is that it you can specialize in both agribusiness as well as tourism and hospitality. It really hit both major aspects of our business”.
The University of Guelph Experience
The University of Guelph has a long history in food and agribusiness. The two-year MBA program combines unique face-to-face and interactive online learning with world-class professors; this MBA program is Canada’s only MBA in food and agribusiness. The program has graduated many industry leaders over the past two decades.
The College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph attracts students, like Wendy who has a social conscience, a desire to support environmental sustainability, and a commitment to community involvement. The program is designed to be flexible enough to allow participants to develop their managerial and leadership potential without having to interrupt their careers.
The majority of the innovative program is facilitated online, allowing participants to maintain their busy personal and professional life. The online learning is further enhanced by three brief, yet intensive, in-classroom courses that allow participants to engage face-to-face with classmates and our renowned faculty. Wendy appreciated her in-class experience as it “allowed for more in-depth classroom sessions and gave me an opportunity to network and learn from my peers”. Wendy sought out Guelph’s MBA in Food and Agribusiness as she recognized a need for growth in her business, and desired a program that would offer her relevant and meaningful experiences.
“My undergrad was in recreation and tourism, so the agri-tourism side of things interested me and I developed them at Guelph: the expansion into farm-gate sales, value-added production and tours. We have a pretty small farm, so to stay in business and remain competitive, we’ve had to diversify and create extra value for the fruit that we grow...”
To see what an MBA in Food and Agribusiness Management can do for you please visit www.mba.uoguelph.ca
