Ralph C. Martin grew up on a beef and hog farm in Wallenstein, Ontario, where he learned the essentials of agriculture from his grandfather. Dr. Martin’s formal education includes a B.A. and M.Sc. in Biology from Carleton University and a PhD in Plant Science from McGill University.

In 1990, he began teaching at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and grew to love it when he realized how much he actually learned from his students. In 2001, he founded the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada to coordinate university research and education pertaining to organic systems across Canada.

In 2011, he was appointed Professor and given the Loblaw Chair in Sustainable Food Production at the Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph (www.plant.uoguelph.ca/rcmartin).

He is currently conducting research on reducing food waste, adapting agriculture to climate change and preserving farmland while improving soil.