In previous years, the Dundas Federation of Agriculture has provided financial bursaries to students attending North Dundas District High School and Seaway District High School. Candidates would be selected in conjunction with the schools based on whether graduating students were pursuing post-secondary education in agriculture or agri-related careers or businesses. This year, the DFA has moved to make the bursary available through a public application going forward, in order to open up the opportunity to students that reside in Dundas attending school outside of the county. The application will be made available under the "Bursary" tab on our website, as well as in the below window. The DFA will accept applications until May 31, 2024, with a candidate to be decided at the following meeting on June 5. Further instructions are indicated within the application.
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![]() By Teresa Van Raay, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture The upcoming Victoria Day holiday means a lot of Ontarians will be hitting the road for weekend activities, including cottage getaways and visits to key tourist areas. This first long weekend of the year is always an eagerly anticipated event, but it also comes at a tough time for farmers as it usually falls in the middle of spring planting season. That means not only will there be a larger number of cars on the road this weekend, but it’s also a busy time for tractors and other large farm equipment using Ontario’s roads, as farmers move between fields and farms to get their crops planted. This makes road safety for both farmers and motorists essential to help all of us prevent accidents. Operating large farm equipment on the road runs a higher risk than most at any time of the year, but when roads become busier and traffic gets heavier, all of us have to keep road safety top of mind. My family and I farm in Huron County where we raise pigs and grow garlic and field crops like corn and soybeans – and our farm is right along one of the main highways into Grand Bend and Huron County cottage country. This means we have first-hand experience with sharing a busy road with motorists while we have to get around with our slow-moving tractors and large farm equipment. Farm equipment in general is much larger than it used to be, which makes us less nimble on the road than when driving a car. Many rural roads also have narrow or soft shoulders, which makes it difficult if not impossible for farmers to pull off to the side safely to let motorists pass. We recognize the high-speed pace of today’s world, whether it’s commuting for work, travelling to and from school, or running around for errands, sports and recreational activities – people are constantly in a rush and all of us want to get where we’re going quickly. But we also need to get there safely, and road safety is a shared responsibility between both farmers and motorists. We all need to make it a priority to take the extra few seconds or minutes to pass farm equipment safely. Passenger vehicles incorrectly passing farm equipment can result in serious accidents or death, with statistics showing that eight out of 10 accidents occur during the day and seven out of 10 occur on dry road conditions. The Huron County Federation of Agriculture, with support from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s Revive Fund, has invested in road safety signs that have been placed strategically on busy county roads to help remind everyone to “share the road”. Other local and regional federations of agriculture have also undertaken road safety projects to raise awareness with both motorists and farmers. To prevent road accidents this spring, here are some top tips for motorists:
As farmers, we also have road safety responsibilities, such as:
Let’s all work together to make this long weekend a safe one for anyone on the roads. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] ![]() By Tracey Arts, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Ontario’s agri-food sector often flies under the radar in the face of prominent industries like automotive, but it’s actually a major economic powerhouse in its own right. In fact, the industry that spans from Ontario’s farms right through to food service contributes $47 billion to the provincial economy every year and provides jobs for about 10% of the province’s workforce – or more than 750,000 people. Ontario’s more than 48,000 farms are the backbone of the value chain, which includes businesses that supply inputs like seed and fertilizer, as well as manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, retail, food service, tourism and waste management. Our family’s southwestern Ontario dairy farm is one of those farms and it’s always interesting to see the many other aspects of the provincial economy we touch, from the local farm supply store and veterinary clinic to transportation and processing all the way down to the people who eventually consume Ontario-made milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)’s Grow Ontario Strategy sets out ambitious goals for the growth of this sector between now and 2032, which will support economic growth and ensure an efficient and reliable food supply. A strong component of making that happen is support and development of Ontario’s rural economy. I’m also a director on the board of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and this past winter, I attended the Rural Ontario Municipal Association’s annual conference, where OMAFRA announced the development of the first Rural Economic Development Strategy for the province. From diversification of existing businesses to the development of new enterprises, we hope it will seize the opportunity to unleash the untapped potential in rural Ontario not just for agriculture but also for the many businesses and services our communities rely on. A strong rural economy matters to the entire provincial economy, and rural economic development should be a focus not just for OMAFRA but also many other ministries who have a role to play in our rural business and social fabric, from health, housing, and labour to economic development, transportation and more. OFA has just submitted comments to the provincial consultation for the strategy, highlighting what we believe will help rural economic development be impactful and drive meaningful change. Strong rural economies Preserving farmland is a cornerstone of a provincial economic strategy that includes growth of the agri-food sector and its untapped economic potential. All levels of government should provide funding and other supports for local agri-food business diversification and encourage business-to-business networking. While rural Ontario often faces challenges with lack of staff and funding capacity, restoring staff levels in OMAFRA’s Community Economic Development unit to full capacity and increasing the funding envelope for the Rural Economic Development Program will be integral to supporting important projects in rural areas. Business development OFA encourages the Ontario government to continue to fund innovation, diversification, and market development in the agri-food sector, and believes the province and its rural communities should be marketed as an agri-food cluster to attract new businesses to our communities. Business attraction should be done strategically using smart land use planning that targets investment-ready sites, so that farmland is preserved for agricultural uses as much as possible. Targeted support for agritourism, ecotourism and culinary tourism businesses will help them expand and diversify their offerings. Funding for projects that support greater use of online platforms can expand market access for agri-food businesses to more Ontarians. The growth of rural communities and businesses, however, requires infrastructure like affordable natural gas, high-speed broadband internet and well-maintained roads and bridges, as well as social infrastructure like schools, hospitals and community supports. Workforce The agri-food sector offers rewarding and fulfilling opportunities through many different career paths, including communications, science, health, technology and more. Strategies to attract workers with agri-food sector skill sets to rural areas are a key component of economic growth, and connecting prospective employees to agricultural and manufacturing employers is crucial to filling local labour gaps and ensuring a robust agri-food labour pool in rural Ontario. Rural Ontario also needs a workforce with skills and talents that ensure services are available for rural residents, including medicine, education, technology, innovation and skilled trades. Complete communities with attainable housing, schools, education, childcare, quality job opportunities and a strong local food sector will ensure that rural Ontario can attract the best and brightest into their communities. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] ![]() By Sara Wood, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Canada is in the midst of a generational shift as more and more Canadians reach retirement age and younger generations are moving into leadership roles. Things are no different in Canada’s farming sector, where both farm businesses and farm organizations are seeing younger people step forward into positions of ownership, leadership and management. I farm west of Stratford in southwestern Ontario with my husband on a farm I’ve taken over from my mother, who has transitioned from principal decision-maker to our advisor. I’m also a Vice President with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), an advocacy organization that works on behalf of approximately 38,000 farm families across Ontario to represents their needs to government, the general public or other stakeholders. My fellow executive members and I are very reflective of the generational shift in agriculture – all of us are transition-farming with multiple generations of family on the farm so we know first-hand how valuable it is to give young people hands-on experiences that will prepare them for future leadership roles. Every year, the OFA organizes an advocacy day at Queen’s Park where we meet with elected officials to discuss the issues facing the agriculture sector and the opportunities we can offer to support provincial goals in growth, housing, food security, healthcare and more. For the last five years, that advocacy day has included not just OFA board members, but also up and coming young leaders from our county and regional federations across Ontario as part of our efforts to develop and encourage the next generation of leaders for our organization. Before joining the OFA board, I was part of the very first cohort of young leaders participating in advocacy day in 2019. It was a tremendous opportunity for me to get a better understanding of how government works and how to interact with different stakeholders. On OFA’s provincial board today, three of us have progressed through the emerging leader program which was instrumental in helping us make our commitment of time and energy to this organization. This year, five progressive young farmers who are already active leaders in their local federations were part of our advocacy day in April. We also invited young leaders to join us at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture annual conference this past February, At Queen’s Park, they were part of our meetings with elected officials, where they provided their perspectives on what it means to be a young person contemplating a future in the agriculture industry, and how society’s current challenges – from affordability to infrastructure and more – are impacting their plans and goals. For their part, the politicians we met with welcomed the prospect of meeting with young farmers and what the future of this vitally important sector of Ontario’s economy can offer. Derek Van De Walle is one of those emerging leaders. A dairy farmer and large animal veterinarian who enjoys playing competitive sports and helping out with local 4-H clubs, he’s also the newly elected president of the Perth County Federation of Agriculture. He participated in the program to get a better understanding of effective advocacy and as a face and voice for the future of the sector, connect with others who share his passion for agriculture. He loved the opportunity to get a birds-eye view of the government relations process and the day reinforced to him the importance of food and farming – even those furthest removed from the farm still have to eat. The program offers valuable experiences and insights to all participants that they can take home and apply to advocacy efforts in their local areas even if they don’t move up to a provincial leadership role. The OFA is a grassroots organization and building depth throughout our network strengthens the collective voice of farmers across the province and prepares us for future leadership transition. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] ![]() By Drew Spoelstra, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Every year, Earth Day draws our collective attention to environmental issues – which is exactly what it was designed to do when it was first launched in the United States more then 50 years ago. Climate change has also been sharpening the world’s focus on the environment, resulting in growing demand for greater environmental sustainability and new government policies around everything from taxation and emissions targets to phasing out use of products like plastics. None of this is new to farmers, however. We’ve always had to work with the environment to be successful and create businesses that are both environmentally and financially sustainable, and we know the importance of healthy soils, fresh air and clean sources of water. Stewardship of the land is a responsibility we take seriously, and Ontario farmers have long been implementing practices that can mitigate our impact on the environment. These include reducing tillage and soil erosion, protecting wetlands and watersheds, planting trees, and responsible management of nutrients like manure and fertilizer, for example. The climate impacts everything we do as we raise livestock and grow crops, from extreme weather events and soaring temperatures and droughts to new crop diseases and pests that couldn’t previously thrive here. Depending on where someone farms or what kind of crops they grow, they will need different practices to be productive and sustainable, but there are many different ways to put environmental sustainability into practice on the farm. My family and I farm near Hamilton, where we milk cows, pasture beef cattle, grow crops and raise Clydesdales. For decades, we’ve been making changes that make our farm more sustainable and support soil health and we continue to do so on an ongoing basis. Much of what we do focuses on preserving and boosting the health of our soils – healthy and productive farmland is a fundamental building block of food production and the future of farming in Ontario. We’ve installed tiled drainage in some of our fields to help the land better manage water, we grow cover crops to improve soil quality, nutrient uptake and water filtration and we limit activities that cause soil compaction so we can create a better soil structure. We also make sure we test our soils regularly and manage our nutrients properly, following the 4R stewardship program of placing the right nutrient at the right rate in the right place at the right time to minimize their impacts on air and water. And like most farmers, we are always making investments and improvements to equipment, so we have precise control over where and how we spread manure, fertilizer or spray plant protection products, for example. That’s why we believe it’s very important for government and other policymakers to take a close look at the positive environmental changes that have already been happening in agriculture for the last 20 years or more, and take those into account when they’re developing new programming or requirements around sustainability and climate change mitigation. Not everything requires action above and beyond what is already normal farm practice. At the same time, building environmental sustainability and resilience is a collective responsibility and farmers can’t do it alone. Many of these activities also come with broader public and societal benefits, and we will need technical and financial support if we are to remain competitive in a global marketplace and make investments into new technologies. We also need a streamlined regulatory environment with greater collaboration between all levels of government so their policies and legislations aren’t contradicting each other or creating unintended consequences for farm businesses that limit our ability to produce food. A key part of that is ensuring we preserve our farmland and prioritize it for agricultural production. Ensuring that governments at every level implement policy that allows farm businesses to thrive and grow has never been more critical. And finally, consumers can show their support too by buying local, going to farmers’ markets and learning about what we’re doing right here at home to improve the sustainability of our local food system. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] ![]() By Ethan Wallace, Executive Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Taxation, support for local food, and rural infrastructure needs will be on the agenda this week as Ontario farmers head to Toronto to meet with provincial politicians as part of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA)’s government outreach efforts at Queen’s Park. As an advocacy organization, OFA has ongoing meetings and communications with provincial ministers, political staff and bureaucrats on issues that are important to the agriculture sector and rural communities. At the local level, many OFA members also regularly meet with the MPP from their ridings. It’s not as often, however, that we have the chance to sit down face-to-face with a broader spectrum of provincial politicians from all major political parties, including those who represent urban ridings without any rural constituents or connections. An in-person meeting, for example, with an MPP from a downtown Toronto riding is a unique opportunity for both sides to learn about what matters to the other – and we often discover that we have more in common than we think. Housing, homelessness and food insecurity aren’t just urban issues; by comparison, roads, bridges and social infrastructure don’t just need attention in rural Ontario. I’m a dairy farmer near Lake Huron and as someone very passionate about our industry, I look forward every year to this opportunity to share that passion, make connections and show how the OFA can be an important ally on issues like housing, healthcare, jobs, food security and climate change. This will be my third time participating in OFA’s advocacy day at Queen’s Park, and while I always enjoy the official meetings with MPPs, the end of day reception also offers the opportunity for more informal conversations. It was at that reception last year that I got talking with an urban MPP who had met with some of my OFA colleagues earlier in the day and he had a newfound understanding of agriculture and why our sector matters to Ontario. For me, that’s the reason why we do this – to build that awareness and make those connections with people we wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to meet. As in previous years, the OFA team will be joined at Queen’s Park this year by younger farmers who are also emerging leaders in our industry. It’s an opportunity for elected officials to also hear from younger, grassroots voices and for the next generation of leaders to experience advocacy and outreach firsthand. In fact, my own first participation in this event was as a young leader in 2021 and it’s that experience that helped convince me to let my name stand for a provincial director position later that year. So what are the burning issues on the minds of farmers this spring that we’ll be taking to Queen’s Park? Taxation: the burden of the federal carbon tax and the added costs it places on farm businesses and food production is significant. Provincially, we also struggle with development charges on farm buildings, the need for updates to critical farm tax programs to reflect modern agriculture, the regulatory and financial challenges of agricultural wash water and storm water systems. Supporting local food: long-term protection of our ability to produce our own food is essential. That means ensuring farmland stays farmland and investing in tools like the Risk Management Program so farmers can weather the ups and downs of climate change and the global economy. It also means supporting soil health and water stewardship and addressing the ongoing labour shortage in Ontario agriculture, which costs an estimated $591 million a year in lost sales. Investing in rural physical and social infrastructure: Rural Ontario needs affordable, reliable and sustainable energy; highspeed internet; and well-maintained roads and bridges to fuel growth and keep businesses competitive. We also struggle with extended emergency room closures, delayed medical testing and treatments and limited access to home care supports, retirement living and nursing home spaces. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] ![]() By Paul Vickers, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture The pressures of inflation, high interest rates, tax increases and global conflicts are having an impact on Ontario’s farmers. That’s according to a new survey just released by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), where the majority of respondents indicated they were taking a pause on expansion projects, business growth, new technology investments, and land and equipment purchases. Instead, they’re opting to maintain the status quo, with 68% keeping their business the same in 2023 and almost 71% intending to do the same for 2024. At the same time, 62% have some degree of confidence in the outlook for Ontario’s farm sector in 2024 and 78.5% are somewhat to extremely confident in the outlook for their own farm business this year. This Farm Business Confidence survey was open to all OFA members in December of last year, with participants submitting responses online. I’m a dairy farmer near Meaford in the Georgian Bay area. I’m also a member of the OFA’s board of directors, currently holding one of our two Vice President positions, and surveys like this are extremely valuable to us as board members. What’s important in my area of Grey County may be different from what is impacting farmers in Lambton or Renfrew counties, for example. Similarly, a greenhouse grower in an export-focused industry may have different challenges than a poultry producer in a sector that is focused on our domestic markets. The OFA is a member-driven organization and it’s our job to set policy priorities, advocate on behalf of our members and make sure we take action on the issues that matter to them. We regularly communicate with our members through meetings at the county and regional levels, newsletters, social media, trade shows and more, but surveys like this give us additional insights into what is on the minds of our members. The results can confirm, for example, whether we’re on the right path with respect to the OFA’s advocacy priorities or if there are new issues that also need our attention. In this case, respondents overall told us very clearly that reducing farm taxes was the number one policy priority they felt would be helpful to their farm business or their sector. Province-wide, 76% identified tax burden as the top policy priority, and it was a top three concern across every geography and income range. This was followed by supporting farmers in dealing with high and continually rising energy costs, encouraging Ontarians to buy local food, which was particularly important to farmers in southern Ontario, and improving rural health care. In Northern Ontario, compensation for crop damage by wildlife, which is a significant problem in the region, was the third most identified policy priority. In the coming year, farmers in southern and eastern Ontario believe that high input costs, high interest rates and the cost to service debt, and the growing tax burden on farms will pose the biggest challenges for their farm businesses. In northern Ontario, rising insurance costs ranked in third spot behind input costs and interest rates. These results very closely mirror OFA’s current advocacy priorities. We’ve been pushing for easing of the federal carbon tax burden on food production. We’ve been urging the province to make new or continued investments in affordable energy, high speed internet, transportation infrastructure and rural healthcare. And we’ve been encouraging the provincial government to supporting local food through actions like addressing chronic labour shortages in the sector and increasing support for the Risk Management Program. We’ll be addressing these issues and others that impact Ontario’s ability to grow food, fuel, fibre and flowers later this month too when we head to Queens Park to meet with elected officials from all parties at our annual advocacy day. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] ![]() By Crispin Colvin, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture For an advocacy organization, informed decision-making is critical and you’re often only as credible as the facts and figures supporting your position. For the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) as an organization representing the farming sector, it’s important to have solid, fact-based information that reflects the current realities of farmers and rural communities. At the same time, this must be balanced with a strong vision for the kind of future we want for agriculture and for Ontarians. That’s why we support and invest in research into the processes and issues that play a key role in developing the policy positions we take to government and other stakeholders on behalf of our members. This work most often takes place behind the scenes in support of our more public-facing activities, so it’s also important that we share it with our members across the province, so they are aware of what their farm membership organization is doing on their behalf. For the OFA, our annual Research Update is a chance for our members to take a bit of a deep dive into the topics that are part of our advocacy agenda, as well as learn more about issues – whether those that are up-and-coming or ones that have been in progress for some time. Not only will this help inform decision-making in their own communities and farming businesses, but it also supports their advocacy efforts at the local level. Many of the OFA’s county and regional federations regularly meet with their elected provincial and federal government representatives as well as members of their municipal governments on the issues that matter in their areas. This year, our Research Update has held both online and live in Orangeville in conjunction with the OFA’s first Federation Forum. Here are some highlights of the topics covered that day: Healthy soils for sustainable farms: The Greenbelt Foundation and the Soil Health Institute are supporting a four-year project to sample soils across the Golden Horseshoe. The goal is to evaluate and monitor soil health on three different types of land: sites with frequent or high tillage, sites with low tillage and cover crop use, and sites like hay fields, fence rows, pastures, orchards or fallow land that are rarely disturbed. Each farm participant receives a customized report showing how their fields score compared to others along with recommended short and long-term practices to try as well as any available cost-share opportunities. In 2024, participation is open to farmers with a grain/oilseed crop rotation in York, Durham and Niagara Regions. Farmers and fertilizer: Fertilizer is a critical resource for farmers to grow healthy, plentiful crops. It has also come under scrutiny for its environmental impacts when nutrients aren’t used by plants but instead are lost into the air or water courses. The 4R Nutrient Stewardship program is a valuable tool to help farmers with nutrient management planning for crop production in ways that also reduce nutrient loss. By applying the right nutrient source in a form that plants can use, at the right rate that plants need, and at the right time of year to the right place where plants can best access them, farmers can minimize impacts to the environment while still maintaining crop yields and quality. PFAS: Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a large category of chemicals that are widely used in consumer, commercial and industrial products, and are found in low levels in people, animals, water, air, fish and soil around the world. Although there are still many unknowns, efforts are underway in Europe and the United States to ban the use of all PFAS, regardless of their composition, characteristics or impact. For farmers and municipalities, for example, this would affect the use of biosolid pellets as a nutrient source on farmland. Ontario research has shown so far that the soil health benefits of applying biosolids, which are a human waste by-product, are higher than risks stemming from the potential addition of PFAS into the soil. And if biosolids cannot be used as fertilizer, the current alternatives are incineration or landfill, which also pose environmental risk. More research is underway to get a better understanding on this issue and what it means to farmers, consumers and the soil. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] ![]() By Andrea McCoy-Naperstkow, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Even though the weather hasn’t caught up to the calendar just yet, we’ve just turned the corner into spring. It means a new planting and growing season will shortly be upon us – but it also signals a wind down of winter or what farmers often jokingly call “meeting season”. Farm work keeps us busy for most of the year, so it’s during the winter months that we have time to attend agricultural trade shows, commodity organization meetings, educational conferences and other farm-related events. As farmers, this is our opportunity to meet with suppliers, learn about the latest research, check out new equipment and technologies and connect with fellow farmers and others who work in our sector. There is no shortage of events to attend – and while they can be specific to a commodity or agricultural sector or a geographic region, there are also quite a few farm-focused events that are of interest to the broader farm community in general. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) represents close to 90 per cent of Ontario’s farmers, so it’s only natural for our organization to have a presence at most of these events over the winter. This year, this included Grey-Bruce Farmers’ Week, the National Poultry Show, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Conference, the Northern Ontario Ag Conference, the London Farm Show, Grain Farmers of Ontario’s March Classic and the Ottawa Valley Farm Show to name just a few. I farm in the Eastern Ontario county of Lanark, where I’ve been involved in my local federation of agriculture in various roles for the past 25 years. Last fall, I became a director on the provincial OFA board, so this winter marked my first season attending farm shows on behalf of the organization – including the big show in our area, the Ottawa Valley Farm Show, which took place earlier in March. For me as a director, it’s a great opportunity to connect with the people I represent at the OFA board to find out what’s on their minds and share what OFA is doing to raise awareness of the issues they’re facing. Even for others in the agriculture sector who aren’t OFA members, it’s a chance for them to tell me their story and let us make a person-to-person connection – something we all sorely missed during the COVID years. That’s also the goal of the OFA as a whole in attending these events: engaging with our membership to let them know what we’re working on and getting their feedback on our activities on their behalf. Over this winter’s events, the OFA team fielded questions on a wide range of issues, including how they could join our organization, what member benefits we offer, and how they could access our latest resources, like our annual report or newly released information about the MTO farm guide. There is also ongoing interest in the Farmer Wellness Initiative, a service that provides access to free, unlimited mental health counselling for farmers, their families and farm employees and their dependents by people trained in the unique stresses and challenges of the agriculture industry. OFA continues to play an active role in promoting this valuable resource, which has long been desperately needed in our industry, and we receive ongoing feedback from farmers about how they appreciate its availability. Of course, OFA is an advocacy organization, and our primary mission is to make sure that farmers’ voices are represented on the issues that are affecting their farms and businesses. This winter, we heard from a lot of farmers concerned about the impact of high input costs, unpredictable markets and prices, trespassing in rural areas, and increasing taxes, including the federal carbon levy, for example. We appreciate the feedback and support of our members as we continue to work on behalf of Ontario farmers and rural communities. Agriculture, after all, is one of the most important industries in Canada, and like we’re seeing in Europe and other regions, we need to make sure we protect our ability to produce the food, fuel, fibre and flowers the world needs by keeping farms profitable, competitive and thriving. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] ![]() By Drew Spoelstra, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Agriculture as a sector often has unique needs when it comes to accessing services, such as banking, financing, and even telecommunications and energy, to name just a few. Insurance is another area where farmers and farm businesses have special requirements that aren’t necessarily covered by more generally available solutions. This is not new; in Ontario, this challenge for farmers dates back to at least just after World War II – and it is likely to continue in the future as our changing climate makes farms in particular more vulnerable to weather related disasters, for example. I’m a director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) board, where one of my appointments is also as a farmer representative to Co-operators, an insurance company that also happens to be an OFA benefit program partner. The two organizations share a long history, dating back to the 1940s. That’s when farmers were having trouble accessing affordable insurance for farm activities like livestock transit. So, they decided to form their own insurance company in 1946, the Co-operators Fidelity and Guarantee Association, with the OFA joining as a partner a year later. Following a reorganization in 1950, Co-operators Insurance Association was born with the OFA, the Ontario Credit Union League and the United Co-operatives of Ontario as principal shareholders, and in 1978, amalgamations led to the formation of Co-operators we know today. That original drive for farm insurance expanded over time to fill other insurance and financial services gaps for farm families. An excellent example is the OFA and Co-operators working together to design a family health, medical, dental and life insurance program for farmers. It’s a program that is still in place today and meeting a valuable need for farm families who can’t access employer benefits the way many other Ontarians do. One of the OFA’s biggest assets is our ability to advocate for the needs of our members across Ontario and ensure that the farmer voice is represented where decisions are being made. In the case of insurance, I believe it’s important for us as farmers to bring forward perspectives on how agriculture operates, what modern farm businesses look like today and what we anticipate they’ll look like a decade or two from now. Agriculture is very different now than it was even 20 years ago, and as we adopt new technologies, automate processes and become increasingly digital, the types of risks that we’ll need to protect ourselves against will change too. That’s why it’s important for the insurance industry to keep in sync with farming and agricultural businesses. At Co-operators, OFA is able to keep those lines of communications open through a seat on their board, currently held by Jack Wilkinson, and by Keith Currie and I, who serve as farmer delegates to the company. That’s how we can bring forward feedback from our members about the types of products they’d like to see, and where there are current and potentially future gaps in coverage. There is a keen interest and focus, for example, on climate change adaptation and how to mitigate effects on the farm, for example. Ultimately, their goal and ours is to identify and lower insurance risks for farm businesses – and we appreciate the ongoing collaboration with Co-operators, which has been in place in various forms for over 75 years. It’s not just around insurance that OFA takes a leading role in identifying and helping to address needs in the farm community, though. The Farmer Wellness Initiative is another, perhaps more recent example. Almost a decade ago, various research studies confirmed what farmers already knew anecdotally – farming is a high stress sector, but farmers and their families had little to no access to mental health and wellness programs in rural areas. OFA and many other farm organizations worked together to champion the development of this type of programming for Ontario’s agriculture sector, and support from Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs Lisa Thompson and her ministry, as well as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada helped make the desperately needed Farmer Wellness Initiative a reality a couple of years ago. Today, this means Ontario farmers, their families and employees can access free mental health counselling any time and any day of the year from individuals knowledgeable about the challenges of the agricultural sector by calling 1-866-267-6255. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] |
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