OFA Commentary: April 11, 2019

By Crispin Colvin, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
​
Changes are coming to animal care enforcement in Ontario. Earlier this year, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) announced they would not sign a new contract for their services with the Ontario government. This means that, as of April 1, OSPCA is no longer investigating and enforcing animal cruelty law for livestock and equine on farms in Ontario.
These decisions have required changes to the process and the authorities for animal protection across the province. The public is being advised to contact local polices services if they are concerned with care of a farm animal. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) wants all farmers to be aware that local police services have taken over the responsibility from OSPCA for inspection and enforcement activities for all livestock and equine in Ontario. OSPCA will continue to provide services for animal care enforcement for domestic pets only until June 28, 2019.
OFA has been working with Ontario’s animal agriculture representatives, Farm and Food Care Ontario and commodity groups to develop networks with police forces across the province that now have the authority to inspect premises and enforce animal care laws. Ontario farmers provide excellent care for farm animals and uphold the highest standard of care outlined in our national codes of practice.
OFA is committed to continue to work closely with police services in the best interests of farm animals as a new plan for animal care protection takes shape. We will also continue to work with farmers, livestock groups, police services and the Ontario government to ensure cooperation and transparency between all parties continues as changes to Ontario’s animal protection services are implemented.
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For more information, contact:

Crispin Colvin
Director
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-868-7317

Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883
 

By Keith Currie, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
​
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is a strong advocate for eliminating unnecessary red tape and regulatory burden for Ontario’s agricultural community. As the provincial government looks to reduce red tape under its open-for-business bylaws, including the proposed Bill 66 Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018, OFA will always advocate to ensure the concerns of Ontario agriculture are heard and considered.
Bill 66 is a far-reaching piece of legislation that includes proposed changes to several existing laws across several provincial ministries that impact the agri-food sector. It proposes amendments to the Planning Act, Agricultural Employees Protection Act, Toxics Reduction Act, and the Farm Registration and Farm Organizations Funding Act.
OFA is encouraged by the government’s decision to remove Schedule 10 – a proposed amendment to the provincial Planning Act that would have given municipalities the ability to pass bylaw changes that could use primary farmland for any type of development.
As every farmer knows, farmland is a finite resource. We can’t make more and must do everything we can to protect it for food production. There are tremendous opportunities for prosperity across Ontario that don’t need to be at the expense of the province’s farmland resource.
OFA has outlined our official position on all proposed changes to legislation under Bill 66 that would impact Ontario farmers, and have sent a formal submission to Todd Smith, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
We support changes to the Agricultural Employees Protection Act, 2002 that would extend the act to workers in the ornamental horticulture sector.
We support the proposed changes to the Toxics Reduction Act, 2009 that would make it easier to report violations on toxic substances. OFA also supports the intent to make it easier for people to report violations. We do encourage the government to ensure that compliance systems under this act be conducted with scientifically sound investigations to avoid false reporting.
OFA generally supports proposed amendments to the Farm Registration and Farm Organizations Funding Act, 1993. But we caution the government that eliminating Section 2(2) could increase red tape and burden on farm businesses – running counter to the intent of Bill 66. These changes could also result in multiple registrations filed for the same farm business – a wasteful and unnecessary consequence of the proposed amendments.
We will be following this extensive piece of legislation and continuing to advocate for decisions that benefit and don’t hinder the ability of Ontario farmers to operate sustainable and productive operations.
To read OFA’s full submission to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, please visit ofa.on.ca/resources and click on “Submissions and Correspondence”.
 
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For more information, contact:

Keith Currie
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
705-441-3362

​OFA Commentary: February 15, 2019
By Jacqueline Kelly-Pemberton, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

When the provincial government proposes new legislation or changes to existing regulations that could impact Ontario agriculture, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) evaluates the fine print and prepares an official response to government. These responses form the basis of our position on the issues raised.
OFA’s team of eight farm policy researchers are constantly reviewing government activities to assess the impact that regulatory changes may have on the agri-food sector and rural communities. It has been a busy year so far with official OFA submissions to various provincial government ministries to ensure that the voice of agriculture is heard and considered in any regulatory and legislative changes.
We have submitted written responses to government on issues ranging from increasing housing opportunities in Ontario, to clean fuel standards, to the government’s proposed made-in-Ontario environment plan and Bill 66.
OFA submissions reiterate the tremendous value that Ontario’s agri-food sector and rural communities contribute to the provincial economy. And to remain competitive and poised for growth we urge the government to prioritize and protect farmland from development. OFA strongly and successfully opposed the government’s open-for-business planning tool that would undercut decades of land use planning. We also disagree with the government’s position that a lack of land is behind the urban housing problem. Removing farmland for development is short sighted.
The government’s environment plan must recognize the ecological goods and services that farmland provides – for the benefit of all Ontarians.  
Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitive Act, 2018 aims to reduce red tape and regulatory burden across several existing acts. OFA is a strong advocate for reducing unnecessary red tape. We continue to urge the government to consider the implications that any and all regulatory changes will have on the agri-food sector and rural communities.
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For more information, contact:

Jacqueline Kelly-Pemberton
Director
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
613-774-5914

Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883

OFA Commentary: February 7, 2019
By Mark Kunkel, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Updates to the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program were announced on February 1 that should see improvements in the claims, appeal and compensation process for Ontario livestock farmers. The changes will be implemented by the federal and provincial governments, and are a result of consultations with farmers and agricultural industry leaders, including the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA).
Wildlife predation is a serious threat to livestock. Coyotes, bears, wolves and foxes are among the most common predators in Ontario that kill or maim livestock, leading to financial, animal health and disease problems. The challenges farmers face with predators and protecting livestock were compounded by their increasing frustration with the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program.
OFA and farmers across the province participated in the consultation process to amend the program. OFA is pleased the federal and provincial governments heard our concerns about challenges with the program. The consultation process has seen some improvements that will reduce unnecessary red tape in the program.
To help farmers access compensation for livestock lost to predators, the Ontario Wildlife Compensation Program now includes:

• more ways to provide evidence that is sufficient to prove wildlife predation
• a more independent and transparent appeal process
• better training for municipal investigators to assess predation
• compensation that better reflects market prices

Program changes are effective February 1, 2019 and reflect some of the asks OFA, along with our farm business members have asked for. OFA encourages all Ontario livestock farmers to review the new program and changes. We also ask for feedback, directly to OFA and to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. OFA believes there is still room for improvement, and we will continue working with government to ensure the compensation program works as efficiently and effectively as it should.
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For more information, contact:

Mark Kunkel
Director
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
705-492-4752

Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883
 

OFA Commentary: January 31, 2019
By Steve Brackenridge, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Farm property taxes are not a new topic for Ontario agriculture, but they can be a complicated one. Property taxes are intended to pay for municipal services. The residential rate is set to pay for services required by households, including recreation, health and protection services. Farm families pay the residential tax rate on their homes because our families need those municipal services like everyone else. 
Property taxes reflect the assessed value of a property so as property values rise, so do the property taxes. This is for simplicity as well as reflecting the notion that higher value homes consume more services.
Because unserviced farmland does not demand nor consumes a lot of municipal services it is taxed at up to 25% of residential tax rates. Lower taxes are paid because less service is required.
The legislation recognizes this fact but also has flexibility built in so that farmland rates can be less than 25% of residential rates if the situation demands a new proportion. This built-in flexibility is key – and accommodates the situation that Ontario is currently facing where farmland values (and hence taxes) are escalating faster than for residences.
Since 2016, farm property taxes have risen by an average of 64% across Ontario, while residential rates in rural areas have been relatively flat. And the shift continues, with farmers paying a disproportionate amount of property taxes compared to the municipal services they use. In other words, the municipal tax burden has shifted to unserviced farmland and away from the residences and enterprises that actually need and use the municipal services.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) believes some municipalities need to adjust their farm property tax rate, and that’s why we’ve been regularly meeting with municipalities for the past two years to discuss the system.
OFA will continue to work with individual municipalities and local federations to help municipal councillors adjust to a fair farm property tax system. Higher farm taxes to pay for services that farmers (and their land) are not using is simply unfair. The legislation provides the means to correct this unfair tax burden.  We are working with municipalities to make the necessary changes to ensure competitive and sustainable farms across Ontario.
For more information on the farm property tax system visit ofa.on.ca/resources/farmland-tax-puzzle or for farm property assessment information visit ofa.on.ca/resources/farm-property-assessment-notice-information.
 
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For more information, contact:

Steve Brackenridge
Director
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
705-872-7629

Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883
 
​

Guelph, ON [January 24, 2019] – The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is encouraged by the provincial government’s decision to remove Schedule 10 from the proposed Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018. This movement signals the government’s willingness to listen to the concerns of Ontario agriculture.
 
Schedule 10 proposed an amendment to the provincial Planning Act that would have given municipalities the ability to pass bylaw changes that could use primary farmland for any type of development. Schedule 10 was part of the government’s open-for-business bylaws.
 
“This announcement by the government is great news for Ontarians and the 38,000 farm families the OFA represents,” says Keith Currie, OFA president. “Farmland is a finite resource and we must do everything to protect it for food production.”
 
On January 21 OFA sent a formal letter to Economic Development Minister, Todd Smith stating its serious concerns about Schedule 10 and the impact the proposed legislative changes would have on Ontario’s agri-food sector. On January 23 Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, announced the government would withdraw the Schedule 10 provisions under Bill 66.
 
“We will continue to work together with the Ontario government to advocate for the best interests of the agri-food sector and rural communities. Together we can create greater prosperity across Ontario that isn’t at the expense of the province’s farmland resource,” says Currie.
 
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organization in Ontario, representing 38,000 farm families across the province. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.
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For more information:
 
Keith Currie
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
keith.currie@ofa.on.ca
 
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
neil.currie@ofa.on.ca
​

​By Keith Currie, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
There’s something exciting about starting a brand new year. The opportunities and possibilities are endless, and turning the calendar allows us to start with a clean slate for another growing season. And who doesn’t want to put the harvest challenges of 2018 behind us?
At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), we’re kicking off 2019 with a renewed focus on our advocacy work for the agri-food sector and rural communities. Many of our key areas for this year are a continuation of the advocacy we set out in our Producing Prosperity in Ontario campaign – a call for greater infrastructure investments in the agri-food sector that will build capacity and create greater economic development in our communities.
Natural gas continues to be a big priority. The provincial government has announced some plans for expanded natural gas and we are waiting for more details. We continue to push for complete access to affordable natural gas across the entire province. Our farms and rural businesses depend on it to remain competitive.
Another key infrastructure requirement to keep us connected and competitive is high speed internet in rural and northern communities. Rural Ontario continues to be disadvantaged compared to our urban neighbours, when it comes to our ability to connect for services, information, e-commerce and education.
OFA will continue to focus on the need for a stable rural school network. Schools provide a critical hub for our communities that extend beyond the school day, and we are working with government to ensure there is a solid process for evaluating and assessing rural schools.
Our communities also depend on continuous infrastructure improvements to ensure our roads and bridges support the movement of agricultural equipment.
Water quality is another key priority for OFA. As part of the Thames River Phosphorus Reduction Collaborative, we continue to work together on this team to reduce phosphorus losses to Lake Erie.
We also will be watching closely as the provincial government releases its plan for reducing red tape and regulations, to ensure the impacts on the agri-food sector are considered.
We have a busy year ahead with work on a broad range of files that impact the ability of our 38,000 farm members to operate sustainable and productive farm businesses. I’m looking forward to the prospects for a productive and prosperous year for Ontario’s agri-food sector in 2019.
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For more information, contact:
Keith Currie
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
705-441-3362

Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883
 

​By Mark Reusser, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Failure to plan was cited by Canada’s Auditor General as the reason the federal government has not delivered broadband access to rural and remote areas of the country. Included in the report to Parliament in late November, the Auditor General said the lack of a national strategy has hampered the implementation of the Liberal government’s Connection to Innovate program. The federal broadband program had previously allocated $500 million over five years, beginning in 2016, to extend broadband access to unserved and underserved communities across Canada.
The Auditor General’s report also stated that a government analysis in 2013 found that running high-speed internet to 99 per cent of Canadians would cost between $1.1 and $1.7 billion. Without proper planning and budget allocation it’s unlikely the federal government will deliver on its promise to connect the country.
High speed connectivity is a necessity, no matter where you live, and Canadians shouldn’t be disadvantaged for living and working in rural or remote communities. Without high speed internet, people can lose out on everything from education and job opportunities to medical treatment and business development.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has long advocated for high speed connections across all areas of Ontario, especially rural. Reliable internet is necessary to support farmers and rural communities – without it our businesses, residents and schools are at a competitive disadvantage. Farmers rely on proper broadband connection to make business decisions, operate on-farm technology, look for marketing options for farm products, access continuing education, gather farm management information and communicate with the community.
OFA agrees with the Auditor General’s report recommendation that says the federal government should set a standard for the minimum amount of internet connectivity Canadians can expect in different parts of the county, and work on a plan from there.
Two years ago, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) declared broadband internet an essential telecommunications service. OFA believes this basic service needs to be accessible to everyone, no matter where you live. OFA will continue working with all levels of government to prioritize rural and remote access to reliable high speed internet. We need a better broadband plan for rural Ontario and we need it now.
 
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For more information, contact:

Mark Reusser
Vice President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-591-4223

Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883
 

​Guelph, ON [November 20, 2018] – Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) members from across the province met this week to discuss the agri-food sector’s potential for growth, vote for leadership of the organization and address related challenges facing the industry.
 
More than 350 agricultural representatives met in Hamilton at the OFA annual general meeting (AGM) November 19-20. Keith Currie, OFA’s 31st president, was acclaimed for his third one-year term. Voting delegates re-elected Peggy Brekveld and Mark Reusser to the vice president positions. Drew Spoelstra was elected by the board as the fourth executive member.  Joining the OFA board this year is Hugh Simpson, elected at the AGM as Director-at-Large and Melissa Schneider, representing Zone 4 – Elgin and Oxford counties. Two long-time directors retired from OFA’s board this year, Mark Wales and Peter Lambrick. OFA’s Board of Directors is made up of 18 positions representing regions across Ontario.
 
“We’re proud to be a grassroots organization, and OFA’s annual meeting is the best demonstration of our strength in numbers, dedication to the industry and commitment to making the agri-food sector as successful and prosperous as it can be,” says Keith Currie, OFA president. “We’re poised for growth and positive change within our organization and within our industry. We have a clear direction from delegates at the AGM to improve infrastructure across rural Ontario, advocate for agriculture and rural communities with government, and deliver positive results for members across the province.”
 
This year’s conference theme, Prosperity Grows Here, led the discussions, speakers and workshop topics for the event. Conference attendees also voted on resolutions to address business and industry concerns, heard from Ernie Hardeman, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Premier Ford via recorded video and Andrea Horwath, leader of the NDP party and official opposition.
 
As OFA pushes for continuous improvements within our rural communities, the event’s keynote speaker Doug Griffiths gave an honest and engaging presentation entitled “13 Ways to Kill Your Community” – providing an interesting approach on what not to do as a reminder of how to actually improve our communities from within.
 
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organization in Ontario, representing 38,000 farm families across the province. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.
 
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For more information:
 
Keith Currie
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
705-441-3362
 
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883