By Drew Spoelstra, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

There was some welcome news for farmers in the Ontario budget released last week. The provincial government announced new funding for veterinary training, and an agricultural soil health and conservation strategy, as well as ongoing investments into expanding high-speed internet access across Ontario.

All three of these areas are ones where the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) had identified a need for investment and had been encouraging the provincial government to support to ensure the ongoing resilience of our food system.

Last fall, our minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Lisa Thompson, announced the Grow Ontario Strategy to increase the production, consumption and manufacturing of Ontario food, as well as boost our annual provincial agri-food exports.

Our sector generates $47 billion in economic activity every year and supports over 750,000 jobs across the province, so we know we’re up to the challenge. The OFA has also been clear, however, that we’ll need support from the provincial government so we can achieve these goals together, and last week’s budget funding announcements are a sign that the government is hearing our concerns.

Together with our Ontario livestock commodity organization partners, OFA has identified the critical shortage of veterinarians in the livestock sector, particularly those practicing large animal medicine, as one of the biggest problems facing Ontario farmers. Veterinarians play a critical role in promoting and protecting the health and welfare of livestock, and limited veterinary capacity ultimately leaves people, animals and our food system at risk.

What OFA asked for: a multi-faceted solution that combines increased veterinary capacity and opportunities with programs and incentives. This ask has also been echoed by livestock farm organizations in Ontario.

What the province announced: an investment of $14.7 million over two years to launch a new collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program between the University of Guelph and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. Additionally, the government has announced $900,000 over three years in student loan assistance for recently graduated veterinarians to practice livestock veterinary medicine in underserviced areas.

Another key area for farmers is soil health, which is part of the larger OFA priority of promoting and protecting our capacity to produce food. As a farmer, I know that soil is truly one of our most valuable resources and that we must take care to nurture and protect it if we expect it to continue to feed us sustainably in the future.

What OFA asked for: a soil health strategy that will support land stewardship and provide farmers with tools, like baseline soil health data and modernized soil health maps, to encourage even more widespread adoption of soil best management practices. This ask resulted from OFA’s participation in an industry-government collaboration known as the Soil Action Group.

What the province announced: a $9.5 million investment over three years for developing and implementing the Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy to improve soil data mapping, evaluation and monitoring in Ontario. It’s a long-term framework that will set the vision, goals and objectives for soil health and conservation in Ontario to 2030, with accompanying actions and methods to measure progress.

OFA has also long been encouraging the provincial government to invest in rural Ontario infrastructure. Transportation, energy, communication, schools and healthcare are key factors in determining where people choose to live and work, and where businesses choose to grow and invest. For rural communities to be successful in attracting new businesses and residents, they need long-term investments into roads, bridges, broadband and energy infrastructure.

The pandemic very clearly demonstrated, for example, that reliable and affordable high-speed internet access is no longer a luxury but an everyday essential that is critical to the day-to-day operations of businesses and daily lives of Ontarians.

What OFA asked for: although the province has already made significant progress in improving high-speed internet access to underserviced areas, it’s essential that the rollout of rural broad band infrastructure continues, and that current inefficiencies and barriers are addressed.

What the government announced: an investment of nearly $4 billion to ensure every community across Ontario has access to high-speed internet by the end of 2025, including more than $63 million to bring high-speed internet to 63,000 homes, businesses and farms through the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) project.

We recognize that there are many more important issues impacting farms and rural communities that also need addressing, but we appreciate the steps the provincial government announced last week to support agriculture and help maintain healthy, safe and sustainable food production in Ontario.

For more information, contact:
Rachelle Kerr,
Communications Coordinator
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
rachelle.kerr@ofa.on.ca
519.803.4957

By Paul Vickers, Executive Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

This week, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is heading to Queen’s Park to meet with members of our provincial government. This is our first outreach day since last June’s provincial election, so it will be both an opportunity to visit with re-elected MPPs as well as get to know some of those who are serving their first terms at Queen’s Park.

As Ontario’s largest general farm organization, OFA is a conduit between the agriculture sector and the provincial government. We believe strongly in the power of building relationships and developing a two-way flow of information; at the same time, our job is to represent and advocate for the needs of Ontario’s farmers and rural communities.

I’m looking forward to participating in this event, particularly since it will be in person again after two years of virtual meetings. Being able to meet face-to-face helps with making connections and building relationships in ways no Zoom call ever can, and the social aspect at the end of advocacy day lets all of us interact in a more informal way. Although the business of the day is important, it’s not always just about business.

My fellow OFA directors and I will also be joined this year by local OFA representatives who aren’t part of the provincial board. It’s a great opportunity for them to learn first-hand about what OFA does on behalf of its members, as well as hopefully pique their interest in becoming more involved with our organization. For the politicians and government staff we are meeting with, our local leaders bring an added level of perspective and insight to our conversations.

Agriculture, as one of the biggest contributors to Ontario’s economic engine, is a big deal in this province. We generate $47 billion of economic activity every year, $20 billion in annual agri-food exports and support more than 750,000 jobs.

Last fall, the provincial government released the Grow Ontario Strategy to increase the production, consumption and manufacturing of Ontario food as well as boost our annual agri-food exports. Ontario’s agri-food industry is up to the challenge, but we need financial and policy support from the provincial government in some very key areas to help us get there.

Investments in rural Ontario’s physical and social infrastructure
Long-term investments into rural roads, bridges, high speed internet and energy infrastructure are essential to attracting new businesses and residents to rural municipalities. Social infrastructure investments in healthcare, mental wellness and schools will make smaller urban centres and rural communities an attractive option for businesses and residents.

Overall, this supports distributed economic development and growth of Ontario’s rural hubs – the only practical, long-term solution to ease our transportation crisis and relieve pressure on the urban housing market.

Improving access to veterinary care in rural and northern Ontario
Veterinarians play a critical role in promoting and protecting the health and welfare of animals, and our limited veterinary capacity in rural and northern Ontario leaves people, animals, and ultimately our food system at risk. A multi-faceted approach combining increased capacity and opportunities with programs and incentives will address rural Ontario’s critical veterinary shortage.

This includes placement and experience opportunities for students, expanded veterinary school programs and financial supports for students, and government-supported veterinary care in under-serviced areas.

Promoting and protecting Ontario’s food producing capacity
It is estimated that if every Ontario household spent $10 a week on local food, it would add an additional $2.4 billion to our provincial economy and create 10,000 new jobs. Encouraging the procurement of locally grown food across the broader public sector – this includes schools, hospitals, long-term care and post-secondary institutions – will strengthen and enhance Ontario’s food supply chain and the provincial economy.

At the same time, boosting funding for Ontario’s government-industry insurance program for farmers will give farmers the tools they need to adapt to future challenges, boost farm business resilience, and ensure future food security.

For more information, contact:
Tyler Brooks
Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883 ext. 218
tyler.brooks@ofa.on.ca

By Mark Reusser, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

In Canada’s agriculture sector, last year’s announcement by the federal government about fertilizer emissions reductions has stirred plenty of conversation and confusion.

The target they’ve set is for emissions levels by 2030 to be at 30% below what they were in 2020. That’s a goal that was announced amid heightened food security fears due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and news coverage of tough European fertilizer legislation that may stop some farmers in the European Union from producing food.

Since then, we’ve heard repeatedly from the federal government and from Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau that the target is not mandatory and that the goal is to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer and not the actual use of fertilizer itself.

The government has launched consultations with farmers, the fertilizer industry, and provincial and territorial governments to figure out how they’re going to make that happen. To their credit, their consultation document does recognize that fertilizer is an essential part of modern farming and that farmers are already taking significant environmental action that is yielding positive results.

Last week, it was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself who appeared in front of an audience of farmers and industry stakeholders from across the country at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) annual meeting in Ottawa to reinforce that message: the federal reduction target is voluntary, and the government’s focus is not to reduce fertilizer, but rather just the emissions its use can create.

I was part of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) delegation at that meeting and watched the Prime Minister engage in a half-hour town hall style question and answer session with the farmers and agriculture industry representatives to address some of the ongoing challenges and concerns. It was a gesture that was appreciated by the audience, even if there isn’t unanimous agreement with the messages that were delivered.

It was a valuable experience, and from my perspective helped to show the audience the federal government is committed to engaging the agricultural sector, maintaining food security, that environmental sustainability matters, and that they want to ensure farmers across the country have the access and opportunities they need to grow their business.

The meeting also attracted the leaders from every major Canadian political party, including Conservative leader Pierre Poilièvre, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet and Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party.

This has not happened in a very, very long time – if ever – and to me, reinforces the importance of agriculture in our economy and the key role the agri-food sector will play in the future with respect to sustainability, climate change and Canada’s role as a global food supplier. It was interesting to hear all of them highlight their interest in agriculture and share their perspectives on the hot topics of the day.

This conference was the first time in three years that we’ve been able to gather in person for the CFA annual meeting. The conference has traditionally always been an event for both learning and networking, and this year did not disappoint with well-attended seminar sessions as well as social opportunities.

There is camaraderie and fellowship that blossoms when people meet face to face, and as much as though farmers from British Columbia and Saskatchewan may face slightly different issues or challenges than those from Ontario, PEI or New Brunswick, there is more that binds us than divides us.
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For more information, contact:
Tyler Brooks
Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883 ext. 218
tyler.brooks@ofa.on.ca

By Jackie Kelly-Pemberton, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Spring is just around the corner and that means farmers will soon be hitting the fields to get this year’s crops into the ground. It’s a busy time of year, which makes it more important than ever to keep safety top of mind.

This week is Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, an annual event that those of us in the farm community use to increase awareness of farm safety, share resources and promote the importance of developing best practices and farm safety plans.

This year’s theme, Safety is Our Promise, is part of the three-year safety campaign called “Your Farm, Your Family, Your Success.” In 2023, organizers from the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association are focusing on practical safety advice and inspiring conversations about farm safety while highlighting the reasons safety is essential for the sustainability of farm businesses.

Safety is important in any business but it’s even more critical in agriculture because for us, the farm isn’t just a workplace, it’s also where we live and raise our families.

My husband and I farm in Dundas County in Eastern Ontario, where I’m an active member of our local farm safety organization. We do a lot of work at local events and farm shows – like the Ottawa Valley Farm Show taking place this week – and through advertisements in local media to remind farmers of how important it is to be safe. This is particularly key during a busy time of year like planting where days are long as we rush to get our crops planted as quickly as possible.

These late winter weeks before we can get rolling with planting are a great time to inspect and do maintenance on farm equipment, and make sure everything is working correctly and safely. Once the season gets underway, stay alert, avoid working when you’re over-tired, wear protective gear, and make sure your employees know how to keep themselves safe too. And just in case the worst does happen, have a first aid kit and emergency contact numbers handy.

Road safety is also an important aspect of farm safety. Too many accidents involving vehicles and farm equipment happen every year, and both farmers and motorists have a role to play in keeping our roads safe. Our local federation of agriculture was one of many across the province who participated in a slow moving vehicle signage campaign last year to help raise awareness of this important issue.

It’s not just physical safety that matters, though. Emotional and mental health is important too. Research over the last few years has helped draw attention to the high levels of stress that farmers face, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture was proud to launch the Farmer Wellness Initiative last year in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association – Ontario Division and with government funding support.

It includes a confidential telehealth line that makes mental wellness support available free of charge to all Ontario farmers and farm families 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in English and French. Trained counsellors who understand the realities of agriculture can help with any issue, not just those related to farming.

If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, you can access support at 1-866-267-6255, with additional resources available on the Farmer Wellness Initiative website.

I know we are busy planning for spring, but it’s important that we make farm safety part of that plan. You’ll find information and resources that can help you do that on the OFA website.
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 For more information, contact:
Tyler Brooks
Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883 ext. 218
tyler.brooks@ofa.on.ca

By Tracey Arts, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Women have long played a very pivotal although often unseen role in Canadian agriculture. Traditionally, that role has been one of support, from doing the farm books and helping with chores, to raising the family, managing the household and whatever else was needed behind the scenes to keep things running.

It was less common to see women actively running or managing farm businesses or participating in leadership roles with farm and agricultural organizations, but that’s something that has been increasingly changing – and the latest Census of Agriculture numbers back that up.

For the first time since 1991, when the Census of Agriculture first started collecting data on this topic, the number of female farmers in Canada has increased, rising to 30.4% of the farm population. And interestingly, that growth is attributed entirely to an increase in what Statistics Canada calls “one-operator farms” – that is, women who farm by themselves. The data also shows that more women are now running large farm businesses than ever before too.

As we mark International Women’s Day this week, it’s interesting for me to reflect on this evolution in our industry. I farm together with my husband and our children in Oxford County and I’m also a director on the board of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), the largest farm organization in the province.

I grew up on farm and completed schooling as a veterinary technician, so agriculture has always been a part of my life. When you’re in a life like farming, which is a 365-day a year job, it’s important to love what you do and I’ve always enjoyed being around animals and working outside. And it’s rewarding when you can raise healthy livestock, grow a good crop or have a high yielding harvest.

When I was growing up, sales and service people coming to our farm wouldn’t be interested in speaking to my mother about issues related to the farm even though she did the books, paid the bills and spent her fair share of time on a tractor cropping or baling hay.

On our farm today, our suppliers and service providers understand that I’m an involved partner in our family business and speak to both of us equally. I know that is not yet every woman in agriculture’s experience, but the industry has definitely come a long way in accepting women in leadership and management roles.

Things have also been evolving at the farm organization level. The OFA, for example, currently has both a female president and a female general manager, and I share the board table with both female and male directors.

There is still room for more change, though, when it comes to women being accepted as equals across many different aspects of life. Society in general views men who stand up for their opinions as strong leaders, whereas women in a similar capacity are sometimes called difficult – a scenario that is experienced by women in many sectors, not just agriculture, and still needs to change.

That being said, my advice to girls and women considering a career in agriculture or taking on a leadership role in a farm business or agricultural organization is to just go for it if that’s something you’re interested in.

It’s not always an easy road, so finding a mentor, a good group of friends or other supports is helpful. Taking leadership training is also valuable as it helps you learn new skills, build a professional network and give you the confidence to speak up with conviction. I’m just completing the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program and have found it to be extremely useful to help me further my skills, grow my network, and build my confidence.

Women have always been in the background of agriculture, but we’ve proven that we’re very capable to be at the forefront of farming too.

For more information, contact:
Tyler Brooks
Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883 ext. 218
tyler.brooks@ofa.on.ca