Inductees

---

Percy W. Hodgetts was the father of Ontario’s modern fruit industry. Through leadership in science, legislation, grower enablement and co-operation, he established enduring systems that shaped Ontario’s commercial fruit sector.

Hodgetts graduated from the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) in 1897 as the first student to specialize in horticulture. He received the Silver Medal in General Proficiency and multiple George A. Cox scholarships for top academic standing and maintained strong ties to OAC throughout his career.

He joined the Ontario Department of Agriculture and devoted more than four decades to public service including 35 years as the founding Director of the Fruit Branch. He professionalized the sector by appointing the province’s first specialized apiarist and entomologist from the OAC faculty and by establishing the Horticultural Experimental Station at Vineland as a centre for innovation.

He championed legislation that protected Ontario’s fruit growers. Through the Fruit Pests Act, he advanced science-based inspection and spraying systems against pests such as the San José Scale and established province-wide orchard inspection and nursery-stock certification, while also advocating reforms that strengthened grading and packing standards and encouraged grower co-operation.

Hodgetts built the commercial foundations of the fruit sector. His work in pre-cooling cold storage and cooperative shipping helped establish Ontario’s modern fruit supply chain allowing fruit to move efficiently from orchard to market while preserving freshness and quality.

He advanced cooperative marketing and grower education introducing standardized box packing and developing the “Big O” brand. Through demonstration trains packing schools and field programs he ensured scientific knowledge reached growers across the province.

A trusted leader and respected expert, Hodgetts served 34 years on the Executive Committee of the Ontario Fruit Growers’ Association while experimentation at his Clarkson orchard kept his work grounded in practical experience.

Hodgetts transformed Ontario fruit growing from fragmented orchards into a coordinated commercial industry and laid the foundation for a century of success. The systems he established continue to shape Ontario’s fruit industry today.

Percy W. Hodgetts is a very valuable addition to the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame.