Peggy Brekveld, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Do you know where your food comes from? It’s a simple question with a surprisingly complex answer. Our food security and the economies that rely on it are dependent on a complicated agricultural supply chain – one that starts on the farm and ends at the dinner table. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. No matter where or when you are talking about it, there is one truth about farmers everywhere – you cannot farm without farmland. Whether you are talking about your morning toast, the cream in your coffee, the chicken on your dinner plate or the apple slices in your children’s lunch – all of these ingredients depend on Ontario farmers and Ontario farmland. Protecting and preserving the land that grows these products is a key priority of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). Agricultural land is a finite and shrinking resource the agri-food sector depends on to effectively produce food, fibre and fuel for Ontario, Canada and the world. Farmers continue to be the definition of innovation, producing more yield with less inputs. With advances in technology and new, innovative techniques, farmers have become increasingly efficient at maximizing the productivity of farmland. However, urban sprawl continues to threaten the sustainability and viability of our sector. Today, Ontario farmers grow and produce more than 200 different commodities and the industry employs nearly 1 million workers in food production and processing. Additionally, the agri-food sector contributes $47 billion annually to the provincial economy. Over the past 25 years, Ontario has lost farmland at an alarming rate. To put the problem into perspective, according to OMAFRA’s data collected from the 2016 Census of Agriculture, from 1996-2016, Ontario lost 1.5 million acres of farmland to development, at a daily rate loss of 175 acres per day — roughly the size of 135 football fields. That works out to be an average of five farms per week lost to development in an effort to keep pace with Ontario’s growing population. The rate at which our province is losing agricultural land is not sustainable. Especially given the fact that less than 5% of Ontario’s land base can support agricultural production of any kind. With the demand to increase the production of food, fibre and fuel for an ever-growing population, farmers struggle as our finite resources continue to diminish. With the development of farmland, jobs are being lost, resources are becoming limited, and our agri-food system is experiencing more pressure to be sparing with their land. This can all have extremely detrimental effects on the security of food production in Ontario. Over the past two years, we have seen an increase in the use of Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs). MZOs allow the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the ability to bypass previous planning rules in order to change the zoning of a piece of property. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been over six MZOs issued that have directly impact farmland. The Ontario government is using MZOs to permit low-density housing subdivisions, nursing homes, warehouses, factories, and other non-agriculture uses on productive farmland, contributing to urban sprawl with projects better suited to an urban landscape. OFA urges the government to prioritize the protection and preservation of viable farmland used to grow grains, fruits and vegetables and raise our livestock for meat, poultry and dairy. Canada is one of the very few developed countries that can currently meet the food requirements of our population while continuing to export to other areas of the world. We saw the importance of this during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis when borders closed, and store shelves ran dangerously low on supplies. This raised awareness about the importance of food security and food sovereignty. Consumers have gained a newfound appreciation for locally sourced foods. The increased use of MZOs has the potential to jeopardize the future of our domestic food supply. The loss of farmland affects both producers and consumers, threatening the supply of our domestic food production. Similar to how we view climate change, policymakers need to look to the future. When it comes to farming, OFA wants to ensure the next generation has the resources and land to food, fibre and fuel for the future. Land use planning matters; where our food comes from matters too. When we lose agricultural land to urban sprawl, it is lost forever. 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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Larry Davis, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture As the days start to get warmer, farm equipment across the province will begin hitting the roadways for planting season. Many farmers spend a lot of time on the road throughout the spring, travelling long distances between fields and back to their farms. Similar to the farm, there are several best practices and protocols to follow to ensure the safety of all vehicles on the road, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) reminds everyone to remember the rules of the road and take the time to put safety first. Farm and road safety has always been a top priority for OFA. Following proper road safety procedures helps to ensure farmers, as well as motorists, stay safe. To farmers, travelling on the road with large equipment is part of doing business and a necessary day-to-day task of spring planting. As we begin to move our farm equipment out of the barn and onto the road, it may be time to pause, talk to everyone on your farm team and consider the many steps we can take to ensure our roadways remain safe. Some roads, bridges and traffic circles aren’t built to accommodate heavy machinery and a lot more motorists are increasingly impatient around slow-moving vehicles. It is our job as the drivers of our farm equipment to ensure we are doing everything we can to ensure safe travel. It is important to always ensure that your farm tractors, combines or other self-propelled implements have a visible slow-moving vehicle (SMV) sign on the back of your equipment. It is also important to use lights, taillights and signals to make your equipment visible to all motorists. While you are required to use lights on equipment from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise – why not keep them on all the time, then you’ll always be visible. Turns have the potential to pose many safety risks if you are not properly using your signals. When slowing down and making your turn, it is vital to indicate this movement to the motorist behind you to prevent collisions or confusion. I tell my employees to be extra cautious during left-hand turns. In my experience, I have seen many motorists try to pass farm equipment, not seeing that they’re preparing to make a left-hand turn. Therefore, it is essential to always be cautious and use your indicators when turning on roadways. I often advise my employees to take the time to check twice when turning on and off busy roadways to remain safe. Another aspect of safety is to always remain alert and aware of your surroundings. I always encourage my employees to stay alert, regardless if there are other vehicles on the road. Attentive drivers are safe drivers. OFA encourages all farmers to keep it hands-free and stay off smartphone devices while operating farm equipment. The road requires our full attention to ensure safe trips. Although our equipment may look different, we are still required to follow the rules of the road. On the road, it’s important to drive your equipment on the main part of the highway. It is not illegal to drive on the shoulder, but it can be dangerous as it may not support the weight of your equipment. When driving on back roads, there may be cases where a sign indicating a soft shoulder is not present. By driving towards the middle of your lane, you ensure that your farm equipment remains safe and on the road. OFA also encourages farmers to be mindful of their speed and stopping times. Many of us travel with heavy loads that have the capability to overpower our brakes. It is imperative to watch our stopping times and ensure that we are mindful of the distance between vehicles and steep grades. It’s also important to remember that all farm equipment on the road, plus trucks towing farm implements, must not exceed the 40 km/h speed limit. Lastly, always complete your safety checks to confirm that your farm equipment is safe to drive on the road. Check that your brakes and lights are working correctly, and be sure that every piece of farm equipment travelling on roadways has a slow-moving vehicle sign that is visible to motorists. Following these best practices and regulations will help make sure that everyone has a safe and productive planting season. Remember to take the time to put safety first on the roadways, on your farm and for your family. For additional information on road safety, visit ofa.on.ca/roadsafety or check out our fact sheets on transportation. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] Drew Spoelstra, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture An important aspect of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has always been our grassroots engagement through county and regional federations across the province. This past year, our organization has pivoted to virtual platforms to reach our membership, engage with government officials and collaborate with fellow industry stakeholders. Through this adaption, there has been a significant reduction in the costs of travel, hotels, meals, meetings and in-person events, which has created a surplus in OFA’s funds. This surplus of funds has been a silver lining throughout this pandemic and has allowed us to invest at the grassroots level. To further support and encourage resiliency in our sector, OFA will be using this surplus to empower local federations to support community initiatives and projects in their areas. Throughout this year, many local federations, commodities and members have stepped up to meet community needs with tractor parades supporting front-line workers in health care, donations to food programs and assisting with emergency efforts for PPE. We appreciate the commitment OFA members have made to their local community and look forward to the opportunity to do more. Empowering county federations enables our grassroots to act on priority issues within their county and evoke meaningful change. At the local level, messaging is stronger due to dedicated boards of directors who advocate for direct needs of their counties. This funding will allow the creation of positive initiatives that will complement existing programs while also meeting the needs of local agricultural communities. Through this surplus, OFA has taken the opportunity to develop the Revive Fund, to further resiliency in our agricultural communities. This fund has two streams of applications: The Special Projects Fund and the Small Projects Fund. The Special Projects Fund will be dedicating up to $100,000 across the province to federations for the support of local initiatives. The project’s categories include health and wellness, local food promotion, environmental stewardship, food security, member engagement and recruitment, leadership development and farm safety/farm emergency response. Applications must be submitted by the local federation on a cost-sharing basis, contributing their own funds and working with partners to match OFA’s contribution. The Small Project Fund is intended for local federations with a membership total of 450 or less. This fund aims to support the visibility and member outreach of the smaller federations. Applicants should consider how to stimulate long-term member participation, enhance the federation's visibility and best advocate for key issues. Activities can include governance, leadership or communications training, events based on member networking and relationship-building or promotional items to enhance visibility of the federation. We believe this funding will boost the resiliency of farm communities by supporting initiatives that will help our sector emerge through the pandemic with more strength and resiliency. OFA will continue to support our grassroots and invest in our sector’s most valuable asset - its people. The Revive Fund will be active starting April 2021 with projects concluding by July 31, 2022. If your agricultural community is interested in partnering on a project under the Revive Fund, please contact your local federation. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] Steve Brackenridge, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Across Ontario’s agri-food sector, health and safety has always been a main priority in keeping farms, employees and customers safe. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the importance of health and safety was taken to a new level with additional practices and procedures put in place to help control and slow the spread of the coronavirus in an effort to keep businesses up and running. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) understands that farmers need appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to safely run their farm businesses. Ensuring that a steady, reliable supply of PPE is allocated to the agri-food sector is vital to keeping our food supply chain intact. OFA recently conducted an Agricultural Personal Protective Equipment Survey to collect membership input on how PPE protocols have impacted Ontario agri-businesses. The survey, which was completed by 498 members across the province, was launched to better understand the supply and demand for PPE in the agricultural industry. It also provides OFA with tangible results that can help to support our ability to represent and advocate for farmers as we engage in discussions with government policymakers and industry stakeholders. The consensus of the survey indicated that farmers are concerned with the increased cost of PPE and the unavailability of certain safety supplies. As a farmer, we regularly experience unforeseeable challenges in our day-to-day work. Having to deal with the stress of tracking down PPE and obtaining the right materials necessary to keep our business open adds another layer of worry to managing our farm. As a business owner with three employees, I was fortunate enough to receive all the supplies I needed in order to successfully run my retail shop. However, according to OFA’s survey, 16% of farmers are currently unsure if they will be able to keep their farm businesses open due to a lack of accessible PPE. For farms and agri-businesses that are open to the public, adequate PPE is especially crucial in keeping their doors open. According to respondents, the top three items that farmers experienced shortages of were N95 masks, dust masks and sterile gloves. Due to government guidelines, to meet proper safety protocols, masks, gloves and hand sanitizer are mandatory supplies needed to operate businesses. We have a responsibility to provide not only a safe workplace for employees, but a safe environment for customers as well. Looking ahead to the 2021 growing season, 21% of members still anticipate PPE shortages within the next three months, and 68% have reported unexpected shortages in N95 masks specifically. With mandatory masks required to enter all businesses, this poses a serious threat to productivity and business operation. Preparing for the future has been a challenge throughout this public health crisis. It’s difficult to foresee when protocols and regulations for PPE are subject to change. More than 50% of farmers who completed the survey stated they do not have an extended supply of PPE on-hand, which leaves them vulnerable to future supply shortages. Only 12% of farmers stated they have enough supply to last their business more than six months. Collectively, farmers indicated they were unaware of various government programs that could assist them in off-setting the cost of PPE, managing financial strain due to making fundamental changes to their operations to protect the health and safety of their employees or accessing resources to order enough PPE needed to run their businesses safely and effectively. OFA worked extensively with the Ontario government on outreach and communication related to the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program. The intent of the program, which received a $10 million extension in Ontario’s 2021 budget, is to provide financial assistance and help off-set the cost of PPE as well as additional expenses incurred due to COVID-19. OFA’s survey showed that 43% of respondents were unaware this funding was available to them. Along with the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program, the Ontario government also provided a Workplace PPE Supplier Directory where business owners can search for the specific PPE needed for their employees. 67% of farmers from our survey were unaware that this directory was available. One survey participant shared the PPE Supplier Directory was easy to use and a good start to gather the basic knowledge and information needed to equip the workplace. Additionally, OFA has provided extensive resources through our COVID-19 online resource hub with updated information on rules and regulations, where to obtain PPE, how to find support, and government programs that could help assist farm business owners during these unprecedented times. OFA encourages anyone struggling with PPE shortages to utilize resources available to them to off-set some of the financial burden, obtain appropriate materials, and keep their farm businesses profitable. Utilizing these resources will help Ontario farmers better adjust to a new normal to keep their farms up and running. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] Rejean Pommainville, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture In December 2020, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) announced a new project aimed at enhancing tools and resources for Francophone farmers – Our Agriculture: Cultivating Opportunities for Ontario's Francophone Farm Families. Through funding from the Government of Ontario, OFA took the opportunity to translate a variety of resources and information to better support our French-speaking members across the province. Earlier this year, OFA officially launched the new Francophone online resource hub, which contains translated copies of our fact sheets, issues pages, guides and additional resources. OFA members now have the ability to visit our website and click on the ‘Français’ button located in the top right-hand corner to access the new resource hub. Since its initial launch, OFA has uploaded more than 55 resources to the hub, including content and information on our most recent advocacy efforts, farm safety fact sheets, mental health resources and our position on key issues and priorities impacting Ontario agriculture. By the end of the month, the goal is to have a total of 75 resources accessible for our Francophone community. In 2020, nearly 650 OFA members identified French as their primary language, with nine regions across Ontario having five or more French-speaking members. As our Francophone membership continues to grow, this is the perfect opportunity to strive for inclusivity and utilize valuable content and resources to better support and reach our diverse community members. A lack of accessible information and resources has been an ongoing issue for OFA’s French-speaking community. Many of the farmers in my community speak English as a second language and have struggled to access our resources due to the language barrier. In the past, this has made it difficult for our French farm families to know what resources are available to them. As a French-speaking farmer, I am happy to see that OFA is progressively incorporating both of Canada’s official languages to better suit the needs of our bilingual producers. Our French farm families are strong advocates in their communities. We hope this online hub will enhance communication and provide access to resources and information necessary to stay up-to-date with OFA business, activities, campaigns and advocacy on current issues and priorities impacting our 38,000 farm business members. In my experience, many French-speaking members remain unaware of the tremendous amount of advocacy work OFA is involved in to ensure our farms and rural communities can operate efficiently and effectively. If we as an organization take strides and seek new ways to reach our Francophone members, we can work together to create a stronger, united industry. OFA recognizes and acknowledges the Government of Ontario through the Francophone Community Grants Program for funding this project. We are also grateful for the work and partnership with l'Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens (UCFO), who supported OFA in the translation of resources. To measure the success of this project, OFA has created a survey to better understand the needs of our Francophone communities and gauge the effectiveness of the resource hub. We encourage members to visit the hub and provide their feedback through the survey. We value your input as it will help the organization make changes to better suit the needs of our members in the future. If you’re interested in completing the survey, click here to fill it out. 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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