Task Force Moving Forward To Find a Local Solution
North Grenville, ON – The Kemptville College Task Force is underway and looking forward to hearing back from Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Brad Duguid with respect to the intake of students for the Fall 2014 term. At the meeting of March 26th , the Task Force elected its chair, Brian J. Carré, CAO with the Municipality of North Grenville and appointed Vice-chairs Marty Derks, Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Robert Jelly, a student at the Kemptville Campus. Other members of the Task Force include: Ann Weir, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Heather Lawless, Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation Donald Good, AGB Lawyers Howard Mains, Tactix Government Relations & Public Affairs Charles Bennett, Rideauside Farm Inc. Mac Johnston, Kemptville College Foundation Mr. Carré expressed that “the diversity and skills of the Task Force will undoubtedly make the difference in seeing a sustainable and innovative local solution to ensuring the continued operation of the Kemptville Campus in Eastern Ontario.” “The overwhelming interest of key stakeholders across Eastern Ontario who want to build upon the momentum to renew the Kemptville Campus has been tremendous” said Carré. The Task Force will be engaging volunteers in their sub-committees that focus on alternative affiliations and partnerships, industry advancement, and stakeholder outreach. A dedicated website and social media presence are being established to assist in communicating the Task Force’s progress. - 30 – For more information: Brian J. Carré, Chairman Kemptville College Renewal Task Force 613-258-9569 ext. 155 [email protected]
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By Keith Currie, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
It’s springtime on the farm, and along with warmer temperatures, many Ontario farmers are also welcoming back seasonal employees to help with the busy season ahead. But this year, farm owners with employees on the payroll have new regulations to comply with. Last fall, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour announced that all workplaces covered under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) – including farms – must ensure that workers and supervisors have completed a basic health and safety awareness training program by July 1, 2014. It’s worth noting that anyone who draws a wage is considered an employee – including family members. Farm owners will be required to provide the training to workers and supervisors, outlining general awareness of rights and responsibilities of employers and employees under the act. The new minimum content of training for workers also includes instructions on common workplace hazards and occupational illness. For supervisors – and most farm owners are considered workplace supervisors – training includes instruction on how to recognize, assess and control workplace hazards, and how to evaluate those hazards. The Ministry of Labour has provided a number of free options for workers and supervisors to complete the training. Training resources are available in multiple languages and include an online e-learning module, a printable workbook, and printed workbooks that can be ordered from Service Ontario Publications. The ministry estimates both the employee and supervisor training should take less than hour to complete. All training resources are free of charge and can be completed by your employees at the workplace, or farm. While farm owners are not required to report the completed training to the ministry, they must maintain a record of completion for all workers and supervisors, and be able to present it if a ministry inspector visits the farm or workplace. This record may be as simple as an employee signing and dating their workbook. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture encourages farm owners to complete the training with farm employees. This is now a mandatory requirement and a necessary step to ensure the health and safety of everyone working on Ontario farms. For a complete checklist to help with a simple and practical understanding of the Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act and the Employment Standards Act, visit www.ofa.on.ca. Let’s keep our families and employees safe this growing season. -30- For more information contact: Keith Currie Vice-President Ontario Federation of Agriculture 705-441-3362 Neil Currie General Manager Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 By Drew Spoelstra, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Just as many Ontario farm families develop plans to transfer their farm from one generation to the next, Ontario farm organizations must do the same. It’s time farm leaders get to work on a succession plan of our own – and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is proud to lead the charge by engaging with our new and younger members. Today’s agriculture landscape is different than it was even one generation ago. Less than two per cent of our population has a direct connection to agriculture. Rural Ontario is changing too – we’re seeing prime farmland give way to subdivisions. And, more people than ever before are migrating to urban centres. The new generation of farmers has a unique set of challenges to manage through. The OFA is advocating for a number of changes that will improve conditions on the farm, and benefit young farmers in particular. For example, we continue to lobby the provincial government for infrastructure investment for services such as natural gas, which will significantly reduce input costs for farmers in rural Ontario. We’re also working to reduce regulatory red tape to make it easier to farm. And, we’re fierce advocates of farmland preservation – so that when a new generation is ready to farm, there will be land to work. In recent years, in conjunction with OFA’s annual convention, we have held a Young Farmers’ Forum to make way for the new generation of farm leaders and signal to them that we are interested in what they have to say. This year already, OFA hosted a young farmers’ summit, bringing together agriculture enthusiasts to learn and share together. And OFA has recently welcomed two younger members to our board of directors, giving a stronger voice to new and beginning farmers. The OFA will continue to look for ways to engage with younger audiences in our communication to members – through social media, online accessibility, and special events such as the recent tailgate events at the London and Ottawa farm shows. Ontario agriculture’s demographic is changing, and for that we are grateful. OFA is pleased to welcome a new generation of young and beginning farmers into the fold of farm politics. We are committed to striving for relevancy with this group, and pursuing our common goal of enabling prosperous and sustainable farms. -30- For more information contact: Drew Spoelstra Director Ontario Federation of Agriculture 905-379-5751 Neil Currie General Manager Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 By Eleanor Renaud, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Ontario agriculture received a heavy blow with the recent announcement that the University of Guelph will be closing its Kemptville and Alfred College campuses by the end of 2015. While the university says it will continue to manage field crop research facilities at both locations, delivery of academic programs will come to an end. The university says it will reinvest in strategic areas that further support Ontario’s agri-food sector, including new research appointments at the Guelph campus. But strengthening core programs near Guelph will do little to benefit prospective students who wish to stay and work in eastern Ontario. The news has hit farm families in that region hardest, because many students cannot afford to move across the province when they are still needed to work weekends on the family farm. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is deeply disappointed in the University of Guelph’s decision, which we feel is inconsistent with its mission to serve society, and to recognize agriculture and veterinary medicine as areas of special responsibility. But eastern Ontario isn’t the only region troubled by this announcement. Agricultural colleges such as Kemptville and Alfred have produced knowledgeable managers and skilled farm workers critical to the future success of Ontario’s entire agri-food sector. Their absence will leave a significant gap for our industry that offers among the highest employability rates in Canada, with three jobs waiting for every agriculture graduate in Ontario alone. Ontario agriculture is a fiercely progressive industry. We are early adapters of new technologies, and we rely on our academic institutions for sustainability, advancements and improvements. Those skills are particularly in demand now, as our sector rises to Premier Kathleen Wynne’s challenge to double the annual growth rate of our sector by the year 2020. While the University of Guelph has chosen to discontinue the role it played in providing educational opportunities in eastern Ontario, this cannot be the end of agricultural academics in that region. There is work to be done, and Ontario needs educated young people to do it. Ontario agriculture will work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food to ensure this need is met, continuing to enable prosperous and sustainable farms. -30- For more information contact: Eleanor Renaud Director Ontario Federation of Agriculture 613-213-2130 Neil Currie General Manager Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 Guelph, ON [March 11, 2014] – Tips for saving and generating on-farm energy is the topic of one of the latest publications in the Best Management Practices (BMP) series. The 24-page booklet, On-Farm Energy: A Primer, outlines ideas for improving energy efficiency and reducing energy costs.
“Energy represents a significant input cost for farmers, and our new BMP resource covers simple on-farm measures that can reduce energy use and cost,” says Steve Clarke, energy and crop engineering specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Ministry of Rural Affairs, and contributing author to On-Farm Energy: A Primer. “Farmers can also reduce overall energy costs by generating energy on the farm using many innovative new options. On-Farm Energy: A Primer gathers all these ideas and tips into a compact booklet with information on additional resources.” Topics covered in the new energy BMP resource include: farm energy audits, tips for improving energy efficiency in the home and on the farm across all sectors, and an overview of on-farm energy production systems including biomass, solar, wind and geothermal. The booklet style of On-Farm Energy: A Primer represents a new shorter format used on many of the newer BMP books – designed to provide basic topic information with links for additional, more detailed information. Controlling Soil Erosion on the Farm and Cropland Drainage are two other also recently released BMP titles. The BMP series contains more than 30 innovative and award-winning reference books with practical and affordable ideas for conserving soil, water and other natural resources in rural areas. BMP books are available at no charge (shipping and handling charges may apply) and can be ordered online at www.publications.serviceontario.ca, by phone through the ServiceOntario Contact Centre at 1-800-668-9938 or in person at ServiceOntario Centres throughout the province. A full list of all BMP books is available at www.publications.serviceontario.ca – search for “Best Management Practices agriculture.” The BMP books are developed through collaboration between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Ministry of Rural Affairs, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. For more than 25 years, these groups have worked together to produce the Best Management Practices resources, delivering useful information on environmentally sustainable farm practices. -30- For more information, contact: Jon Lazarus Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 [email protected] By Rejean Pommainville, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Let’s talk about farm safety. It’s a tough topic – but take it from me – no one is indestructible and accidents do happen. That’s why the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association and Canadian Federation of Agriculture have dedicated March 9-15, 2014 as Canadian Agricultural Safety Week. It’s a one-week commitment to get people talking about preventing injuries, employee training and the role we all play in making sure we work, live and play safely on our farms. According to a recent article in the Globe and Mail, farming ranks number nine on the list of most dangerous jobs in Canada. That’s no surprise to farmers who know too well the hazards and dangerous conditions we face as part of our daily routines. And it’s often the routine jobs we don’t think of as dangerous, that can be the most hazardous. Something as simple as climbing up the side of a wagon of square bales can change your life forever. That’s what I did five years ago during hay season. Something I’d done many times without thinking twice, until I fell almost 9 feet from the top of the wagon to the ground. The impact of the fall shattered my heel. After 14 screws, surgery, a few plates and a significant recovery time, I’m back farming. But the accident changed everything for myself and my family. I was a dairy farmer when the accident happened, but then couldn’t keep up with the physical demands, so we sold the cows and now run a cash crop operation. The impact of a farm injury can be devastating, and not just the person injured. It takes a toll on emotions and the economics of a farm. The simple truth is that most injuries are predictable and preventable. Knowing what to look for and how to control hazards on the farm goes a long way to preventing injuries or even death. And in my case, taking the extra time to complete a job safely – rather than getting caught up in the rush – is a valuable part of a farm safety plan. That’s why our industry has designated a whole week to this issue. And the Ontario Federation of Agriculture urges Ontario farmers to take the time to reflect on the importance of farm safety. Talk to your family and employees about everyone’s role in farm safety. Develop a plan to make your farm a safe place to work. There are plenty of tools available to start the discussion. Visit www.agsafetyweek.ca for tools on how to build your farm safety team, how to talk to your kids about farm safety, and tips for orienting new, young or returning farm workers. It’s a lot easier to talk about how we can work smarter and safer on the farm than to cope with an accident or injury. Farming has a lot of hazards, but implementing a safety plan to prevent or at least reduce injuries will help everyone – yourself, your family, employees and neighbours. Start the conversation with your family, friends and employees. The time you invest in making your farm safer will pay off in ways no bottom line can measure. Let’s talk about it – Canadian Agricultural Safety Week. -30- For more information contact: Rejean Pommainville Board Member Ontario Federation of Agriculture 613-443-2849 Neil Currie General Manager Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 |
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