OGIRC

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

2013

The OGIRC is pleased to have participated again at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair for the full week of the fair, November 1 – 10, 2013. 

This year, OGIRC took part in the Future of Food & Farming Exhibit in the For the Love of Food feature that helped link farmers and producers, scientists, health professionals and chefs. The display was staffed by various OGIRC staff and students and Mary Alton Mackey, an international consultant in food and nutrition was also on hand to help. Throughout the fair these knowledgeable people were available to answer questions and provide information to fairgoers about the health benefits of ginseng and discuss ongoing research. The exhibit featured posters and hand-outs describing health benefits; live ginseng micropropagation samples from embryo to shoot production; preserved ginseng root; samples of sliced ginseng root; and some samples of fruity ginseng tea.

This year, Dr. Ed Lui showed off his cooking skills at the Delicious Made Easy chef station on November 6th. Dr Lui demonstrated how to make Ginseng Chicken Soup and explained the significance of each ingredient and its role in healthy living.

2012

The Ontario Ginseng Innovation & Research Consortium (OGIRC) was an active presence at the prestigious Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto for the week of November 4 to 11, 2012.

The OGIRC exhibited in  the Journey to Your Good Health Research for Your Good Health pavilion which links  food, agriculture and health themes together by focusing on education, health protection, research, healthy meals and farming.   The Journey attracts upwards of 200,000 visitors each year including more than 4,000 youth and is always a good opportunity for OGIRC to bring our research to the general public.

On Sunday, November 4, 2012, Dr Ed Lui represented the OGIRC under the Research for Your Good Health banner.  The OGIRC exhibit featured pickled ginseng root, samples of ginseng root, our Ginseng Fun Facts poster, and other materials giving details on the project and North American ginseng.  Ed provided fairgoers with a delicious ginseng drink combining ginseng powder, citron honey and flavoured black tea.

A large poster prepared for the event offered insights into the health benefits of Ontario-grown North American ginseng, and featured the latest scientific progress in a variety of areas of interest to the public, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer therapies, immune system functioning, athletic performance, muscle injury, etc.

Mary Alton Mackay, a renowned consultant and speaker at our recent Cultivating Natural Bioactives conference, monitored the OGIRC display so fairgoers had an opportunity to access the OGIRC poster and information until the Fair wrapped up on November 11.

2011

With the assistance of the Ontario Ginseng Growers’ Association (OGGA), the OGIRC exhibited at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair for the third year in a row for the full week of the fair, November 4 – 13, 2011.  The 2011 display was located in the Emerging Science booth in the Journey to Your Good Health section and was staffed by students from University of Guelph.  The ginseng exhibit featured a number of posters, pictures and hand-outs to provide fairgoers with an overview of the interdisciplinary nature of the project and ginseng agriculture in Ontario.  Dr Ed Lui was on hand at the booth on Sunday, November 13 to provide interested fairgoers with additional insights and information.

2010

The Ontario Ginseng Innovation & Research Consortium (OGIRC) exhibited in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair’s "Health Professionals' Salon in the “Journey to Your Good Health” exhibit.
The objective of the exhibit was to introduce our research project to the Health Professionals’ Community and provide information on the traditional/cultural uses of North American ginseng, cutting-edge research on the effects of ginseng on health and future research directions. Another priority was to launch our survey “Health Care Providers’ Perspectives on Standards of Evidence in TCM and Ginseng Use”. This survey (expected to be conducted in early 2011) will explore in depth the knowledge base, attitudes and experiences of diverse health care providers in integrating ginseng alone or in combination with other medicinal products in their therapeutic activities. Please email ogirc@uwo.ca for more information!

A highlight was our participation in the “Functional Foods & Natural Health Products: Staying Ahead of the Curve” themed Health Professionals Day on November 10. Dr. Lui participated in the event along with more than 100 dieticians, naturopaths and other health professionals, and we contributed ginseng tea to the Functional Foods Lunch. Dr. Lui also gave a 30-minute presentation on the Be Healthy Stage on Health Professionals’ Day titled “What every health care provider should know about ginseng the miracle herb!”

 

2009

The Ontario Ginseng Innovation & Research Consortium (OGIRC) participated in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair’s “Journey to Your Good Health” exhibit on November 10, 11 and 12, 2009, where OGIRC staff, researchers, trainees and associates interacted with about three hundred people every day.

The objective of our exhibit was to promote the practice of science to the general public with a focus on youth; highlight Ontario’s significant contribution to the global ginseng market; and provide information to the general public about the OGIRC. We described our research to improve ginseng agricultural methods, elucidate the health effects of ginseng, and to develop new dosage forms. Visitors to the OGIRC display included agriculturalists, health professionals (dieticians, naturopathic doctors), school-age children with their teachers and parents/guardians, and members of the general public.

We were especially pleased to participate in the “Food for Healthy Aging” themed Health Professionals Day on November 11. Dr. Lui interacted with over 80 dieticians, naturopaths and other health professionals, and we contributed ginseng tea to the Functional Foods Lunch. On November 12, Dr. Lui gave a 30-minute presentation on the Be Healthy Stage titled “Ginseng: Facts and Myths”, and took questions from the Royal visitors for the subsequent hour at the “Ask an Expert” booth.