05/25/2022
"Not all facets of agriculture will pique someone's interest, but there are ample opportunities to put yourself out there and find what fills your cup."
Meet spotlight Emily Sousa!
Emily's family immigrated from the Azores in Portugal, now residing in Cambridge, Ontario. Her family was involved in smallholder agriculture in the Azores and is proud to see Emily working in agriculture and agri-food in Ontario.
As part of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) team, Emily is a Farm Policy Analyst, leading the land use and farm property file for OFA. Emily graduated from the University of Guelph, first obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in International Development with an emphasis in rural and agricultural development, then going on to pursue a Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development. With a passion for responsible land use planning, Emily is also a Candidate Registered Professional Planner with the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.
Gaining her first on-farm work experience at the age of 15, everything Emily knew about agriculture was quickly challenged. The diversity of responsibilities in this role piqued Emily's interest in agriculture, food systems, and sustainability overall. Beyond primary production, Emily also has experience in agricultural science, international agriculture and policy which has served to her advantage, increasing her understanding of the industry as a whole.
In Emily's current world of land use planning, she is continuously amazed by the different opportunities and existing connection between land use planning and agriculture which she is excited to continue exploring. Everyone she has engaged with in agriculture and agri-food is very open and supportive when bringing individuals with non-agricultural backgrounds on board. Everyday she feels lucky to work alongside all kinds of people that are just as eager to champion the success of agricultural and rural communities.
