By Ethan Wallace, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture The belief in the strength of community and of giving back runs deep in Ontario, particularly in rural areas of our province. Two years ago, when many farming and rural communities were struggling under the burdens and impacts of the pandemic, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) created its Revive Fund. It’s a program that provides funding to help our 51 county and regional federations plan, develop and launch projects and initiatives in support of agriculture and their local communities – and our local organizations have stepped up with many impactful ideas. Over the past two years, OFA has invested more than $200,000 to support projects in 36 counties and regions across Ontario. These run from farm and road safety signage and training to teaching people about farming, promoting local food, supporting food banks and more. I farm in Huron County and our local federation of agriculture partnered with agricultural businesses in our region to do a Slow-Moving Vehicle signage campaign. We replaced faded or missing signage and stickers on farm equipment to help raise awareness among both farmers and motorists on how critically important road safety is, especially at busy times of the year like planting or harvest when there is more equipment on the road. And this year, we’re taking advantage of our unique position near Lake Huron’s cottage country to promote food and farming to cottagers and tourists on the way to the lake. We’ll be handing out insulated OFA Farms and Food Forever bags to long weekend grocery shoppers with information about Huron County as well as a copy of the popular Real Dirt on Farming publication to give them some insights into what agriculture is all about. Other Ontario projects this year will focus on agritourism, bus tours for local municipal leaders or food influencers, signage to help passersby identify crops, events that focus on the future of farming, and even a weather station program that will help the local community benefit from more detailed weather forecasting. I’m proud of how our local federations of agriculture have embraced this fund and have identified needs in their communities that they can help address with their innovative project ideas. It’s also great seeing OFA as a provincial organization support more investment into initiatives like the Revive Fund that will help bridge the gap between urban and rural residents. Farming is most often thought of something that happens far from our urban centres, relegated to small towns and rural areas with few connections to towns and cities. After all, less than two percent of Canada’s population is involved in farming and the closest many Ontarians ever get to a farm is shopping at a local farmers’ market or visiting an agri-tourism attraction near an urban area. We all need to eat, but farming and food production also support and influence every major aspect of life in our province, from jobs and food security to health care and the environment, which makes agriculture in today’s world as much urban as it is rural. When I think of the cottagers that come to Huron County for the weekend, for example, where we live and what we do might be quite different, but there is more that connects us than we might think. We share many common values like family, community, a love of food or a desire to protect the environment so we can leave a better world to our children. You can learn more about the many impactful local projects that have been supported through the Revive Fund on the OFA website. For more information, contact: Rachelle Kerr Communications Coordinator Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-803-4957 [email protected]
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By Cathy Lennon, General Manager, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Experts agree that in today’s connected world, it’s a matter of when, not if, a business will face a cyber security problem. Breaching incidents of all kinds, whether it’s compromised information, financial fraud or data that is held hostage until a ransom is paid are on the rise, and agriculture is not immune to these threats. Recent incidents in our sector have affected Quebec’s general farm organization, the Union des Producteurs Agricoles, and Ontario crop input retailers who had customer lists and credit card information held for ransom. Business was severely interrupted – and the path to not just regain access to data, but the trust and confidence of customers, employees or other stakeholders is a long and costly one. Outdated, unmaintained systems running old software no longer being updated is one of the most common vulnerabilities – and is widespread, especially in small businesses. Research by Professor Ali Dehghantanha, a University of Guelph Canada Research Chair in cyber security and threat intelligence, shows that the last software update in 90% of farming systems was years ago, and most farms don’t have a software patching or updating policy. Lack of data backup leaves a business particularly vulnerable in a security breach, and can also be a serious problem in case of computer or server failure, or a virus, for example. People also represent a cyber security risk. Lenient approaches to who has access to on-farm systems, such as sharing passwords, using a single login for all users or not removing system access from employees who no longer work for the business can leave a business vulnerable. As well, a lack of awareness amongst farmers, their families or their employees of scams like phishing emails, where fake messages encourage users to click on potentially damaging links or share information, is also a challenge. It used to be easy to pick out a phishing email through a strange sender address, poor grammar or content that didn’t make sense. Now, cyber criminals are getting more and more sophisticated, such as, sending a clear, concise message to the HR department from an email address that is incredibly close to an employee email address and advising of an address or bank account change with a request to “update the employee records”. If the person reading that email doesn’t notice any inconsistencies or a business or organization doesn’t have a multi-step authentication policy, this can easily lead to a non-recoverable financial loss if a payroll deposit goes into an incorrect bank account, for example. There is no such thing as 100% security, but with cyber criminals looking for weak or vulnerable targets, experts suggest taking steps to minimize risk as much as possible. A few simple steps include:
Yes, it can be tedious and there is some cost involved, but every day, week or year that we protect our businesses and prevent problems is invaluable. For more information, contact: Tyler Brooks Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations Ontario Federation of Agriculture 519-821-8883 ext. 218 [email protected] By Bill Groenheide, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Together with Ontario livestock organizations, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has identified the critical shortage of veterinarians, especially those active in large animal medicine, as one of the biggest problems facing farmers in this province. Veterinarians play a critical role in promoting and protecting livestock health, and limited veterinary capacity ultimately leaves people, animals and our food system at risk. That’s why the recent announcement by the provincial government, that they’re funding expanded access to veterinary care in remote and northern Ontario communities, is such welcome news to farmers. It’s particularly exciting for those of us who farm in the north. My family and I raise livestock and run a freezer meat business near Thunder Bay, and I know first-hand how challenging it is for farmers in this part of Ontario to access veterinary services – and for veterinarians to provide the care that livestock need. Northern Ontario spans a vast area, and with both farmers and veterinarians spread out widely across the region, it’s not uncommon, for example, for a veterinarian in New Liskeard to serve a farmer in Cochrane, which is a two-hour drive away. The newly announced partnership between the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay will expand its program to train more veterinarians and offer a new provincial grant program for recent graduates that will provide incentives to work or establish practices in underserviced areas such as rural, northern and remote communities. These types of investments are critical to making our region an attractive destination for young people, businesses and families to live and work, and to help the growing agriculture sector in northern Ontario realize its untapped potential. In addition to expanding funding and support for veterinary services, the provincial government has also announced a consultation to modernize the Veterinarians Act. This is the legislation that governs the practice of veterinary medicine in Ontario, and sets the framework for veterinary licensing, accreditation, and oversight. It’s the first substantial review of the Act in 30 years, and the government is proposing changes in four key areas: scope of practice, oversight and authority, quality assurance and the complaints and resolutions process. The practice of veterinary medicine has evolved significantly over the past few decades requiring modernization of regulations to better reflect today’s practices. Under the current Act, only a licensed veterinarian can engage in the practice of veterinary medicine, and the legislation requires clarity on what is and is not within their scope of practice. The newly proposed scope would provide an updated definition for the practice of veterinary medicine and would include provisions for other veterinary professionals including veterinary technicians, Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs), and veterinary technologists. A list of accepted activities performed by veterinarians and veterinary professionals along with those that can be delegated are also part of the proposed changes. OFA has been a long-time advocate of expanding the use of veterinary professionals, such as RVTs, to provide specific services to decrease the demand on veterinarians, help increase access to essential medical care, and help reduce the costs of animal health services to farmers. We believe in a whole-healthcare approach to animal care, with competent professionals working together to address the critical shortage of veterinarians and access to veterinary care. The provincial government discussion paper detailing the proposed changes is open for comment until May 30, and OFA will be submitting a response on behalf of the farming sector. This response document will be available on the OFA website once it has been finalized and submitted. While modernizing the Veterinarians Act is an important step forward in addressing the critical shortage of veterinarians in Ontario, it is important that farmers, stakeholders, government, academia and veterinarians work collaboratively to find solutions to this ongoing challenge. Timely access to veterinarians and essential medial services for livestock is paramount to a successful agri-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 Paul Maurice, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture It’s springtime in Ontario and after the long winter months, Ontarians everywhere are heading outside – for recreation, gardening, or in the case of farmers, for planting crops. That means you’ll see more large tractors and farm equipment on the roads as farmers travel from field-to-field and farm-to-farm to work their land and get crops in the ground. Many of those roads are also used by trucks and cars, which makes road safety for both farmers and motorists essential to help all of us prevent accidents. I farm in Simcoe County, but as a board member with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), I also represent farmers in York and Peel Regions. In all three of these municipalities, large urban centres are located near or next to working farms, so road safety revolving around farm equipment for farmers and motorists, from commuters to cottagers, is even more of a priority here. Last year, the OFA launched a province-wide billboard campaign, accompanied by audio ads played during radio traffic updates, to draw attention to slow-moving farm vehicles and how motorists can safely share the road with large equipment. Many local federations of agriculture, including York Region, have also provided Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) signs for farmers to properly identify their equipment and vehicles. Farm equipment in general is much larger than it used to be, and many rural roads have narrow shoulders. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for farmers to pull off to the side safely and let motorists pass. Space between a slow-moving vehicle and an ongoing car can close very quickly, so we urge drivers to pay attention to indicator lights – and to remember that passing cautiously is important to keep everyone safe. This past month, the Simcoe County Federation of Agriculture hosted an agricultural road safety information day for elected officials, staff and local first responders in Innisfil Township. The goal was to help participants gain a better understanding of the size and scope of modern farm equipment and just what it means to share roads safely with motorists. We also engaged in good conversations around what is needed to safely accommodate farm equipment when the municipality is designing new roads and bridges. The event was a pilot project that was very well received, and we hope to extend it to other municipalities in the future. Spring doesn’t just mean an increased need for road safety, though. It’s also a time that farm families need to be vigilant about safety on their own properties, especially when it comes to keeping children safe. That’s why my local federation of agriculture in Simcoe County offers a program called Keep Kids Safe. It’s been on hiatus for the last three years because of COVID-19, but it came back this spring with close to 70 children taking part in the event. The event was held at Huron Tractor in Stayner. Through six different stations, kids learned about being safe around tractors, lawn mowers and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Local paramedics and firefighters reviewed tips on what to do in case of a fire or an accident and when to call 911, and Hydro One gave demonstrations around proper electrical safety. Although designed for children, Keep Kids Safe has become a multi-generational event over the years, as some parents who attended when they were young are now bringing their own kids out for the safety training as well. Farm safety is important for everyone on the farm, not just children. For adults, it means being aware of how to avoid accidents and injuries – especially during a busy and stressful time like planting. This includes things like keeping equipment fixed and up to date, taking a break when you’re tired or fatigued, and not cutting corners when in a rush. 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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