​By Mark Reusser, Executive Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

​Nutrient Management Plans were introduced in 2002 to assist in managing nutrient inventory on livestock farms of significant size. Completion of the Environmental Farm Plans has allowed farmers to implement best management practices to reduce nutrient losses from farm land.  Farmers never want to lose valuable nutrients to water courses, these nutrients are vital to the growth and development of our crops.  
Toxic algae blooms present in the western basin of Lake Erie are a result of excess phosphorous in the water. Phosphorus levels have been increasing in this shallow lake since the mid 1990s.Warmer water temperatures and clear water due to zebra mussels have accelerated the blue green algae problem that has covered up to 5,000 square kilometres in recent years. Blue green algae impacts fisheries, tourism and property values.
Various government initiatives are now coming to bear on this problem from international, federal, provincial and state governments. In particular, the province of Ontario is working on a domestic plan. Computer modeled data splits the sources of phosphorous between municipal and agriculture sources. There are ambitious targets to hit – reducing phosphorus in Lake Erie by 20% in 2020 and by 40% in 2025.
To address this issue at the farm scale level, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) wants to acknowledge the coordinated efforts between the Ontario AgriBusiness Association (OABA), Fertilizer Canada and OMAFRA to bring the 4R program – a simple reminder about how phosphorus loss can be reduced with better application practices in agriculture – to more Ontario acres through their leadership. 4R reminds farmers to use the right source of nutrient, at the right rate, the right time and in the right place. In a separate initiative, OMAFRA is consulting various agricultural organizations to assist in building a domestic plan that avoids phosphorus loss for Ontario, and sharing actions from competing jurisdictions. The OFA is also involved with other groups on both of these actions.
OFA has joined forces with the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI) to look at ways to capture or reduce the flow of phosphorus through municipal drainage systems in the Thames River Basin. The Great Lakes and St Lawrence Cities Initiative is an organization of over 120 municipalities bordering Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Farmers’ drainage systems are all part of larger municipal systems. Municipal water and lost agricultural phosphorous are both sources of nutrients that produce algae blooms. The joint GLSLCI and OFA project will work to bring together municipalities, drainage experts, conservation authorities, farm expertise, and others. Our starting goal is ensure that phosphorus goals are measured and monitored and that baseline data is compiled so that we can measure the effectiveness of farmers efforts to reduce phosphorus levels. OFA looks forward to working with other like-minded organizations to devise and institute best management practices that reduce phosphorus levels in the lakes and drainage systems.
The combination and collaboration of all these initiatives hold the promise of making significant improvements to the quality of the entire Great Lakes basin – an area that affects two countries, eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. 
Ontario farmers have already taken important steps on their farm to address phosphorus loss by completing Environmental Farm and Nutrient Management Plans, voluntarily adopting best practices to meet their cropping needs and soil testing to avoid unnecessary application.
While embracing the 4R system, the state of Ohio has established a regulation to ban nutrient application on frozen land. Ontario needs to establish the same regulation. 
Ontario will be part of the solution to toxic algae blooms. We will do it by supporting regulation that does not undermine competitiveness and more importantly we will do it with voluntary actions that enable prosperous and sustainable farms.
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For more information, contact:
 
Mark Reusser
Executive Member
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-591-4423
 
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883 

By Mark Kunkel, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture 
​

The government has missed the mark with recently announced amendments to two regulations that impact Ontario farmers’ ability to protect their livestock from predators.
Proposed regulatory changes would extend no hunting/no trapping zones for Algonquin wolves and coyotes into new areas of Ontario, and restrict the ability of farmers to protect their livestock from predators when there is an imminent risk.
The economic implications for livestock producers do not seem to have been accounted for in both of the proposed amendments that apply to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and the Endangered Species Act, 2007.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has submitted a formal response to these proposed changes to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. We have itemized in detail, and with supporting evidence, all the red flags these changes raise for Ontario’s livestock producers. Here are highlights from OFA’s formal submission.
A response period of 31 days, during busy summer months, demonstrates that regulators are not in touch with the groups impacted by proposed changes. If you really want input and feedback, consideration must be given to the audience. The short turnaround time for farmers who will be affected by the proposed ban on hunting and trapping wolves and coyotes, effectively excludes their voices from the process.
But farmers’ voices should be heard. It is their livelihood that will suffer if no hunting and no trapping zones are expanded into other areas of Ontario. Compensation payments to livestock producers exceeded $1.6 million in 2015, paid out through the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program. The compensation does not, however, reflect the full value of the lost animals. Coyotes were responsible for $1.2 million of claims – a whopping 75%. Clearly, coyotes are a huge problem for livestock production in Ontario, and farmers need the ability to protect their assets.
The proposed amendments make no clear distinction between Algonquin wolves and coyotes. But they are very different and should be treated differently in any regulatory changes. OFA has requested that proposed hunting and trapping bans apply only to Algonquin wolves. Including coyotes undermines the intent of the Endangered Species Act. Coyotes have an extensive range throughout southern Ontario. They have readily adapted to urban and farming surroundings, and could be consider an invasive species, not one that needs extensive protection at the expense of Ontario’s livestock industry.
Ontario agriculture is the backbone of the robust food system that we all depend on, and are so fortunate to have access to. We need legislation and regulations that are developed by an inclusive, consultative process that considers and consults those whose livelihood will be directly impacted.
OFA will be actively advocating for the recommendations in our full EBR submission that can be viewed at ofa.on.ca.

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 

By Don McCabe, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture 
​

​Regulations are a fact of business, whatever business you are in. As farmers, we love to hate regulations that we know are not based on common sense. These ones come to mind immediately when government regulations are mentioned. However, the vast majority of regulations actually serve important functions to protect actions or allow certain activities to be maintained. An important part of the regulatory process is to ensure regulations stay relevant and adapt as needed for today’s business environment.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has talked a lot about regulations over the years. We’ve worked with government on the Open for Business program to improve the way regulations are developed and to look at existing regulations to ensure they are effective and not detrimental to our competitiveness.
We’re encouraged that the Ontario government is going through an open, public review of a significant list of existing regulations. The Red Tape Challenge is the name of this review and is set out to simplify and streamline regulations to make it easier to do business in Ontario. Regulations in six business sectors will be reviewed over the next two years. The food processing sector is one of six sectors under the process, and is open for review right now. There are 171 regulations suggested as part of the review. Many of these regulations impact OFA members. Do not assume the farm gate is not involved here.
It’s easy to have your voice heard about regulations that negatively or positively impact your farm business. Right now, there are eight regulatory categories open for comment that affect food processing namely food marketing, food oversight, environment, land use, taxation and reporting, employment, occupational health and safety, as well as corporate and commercial law.
The OFA will be submitting comments on this consultation. We encourage all farm businesses to do the same. Changes to these regulations would impact the entire food value chain. It is critical that the farm gate speaks up and is recorded. This process is open to all in the public realm, and nobody knows your farm better. Do not allow your views to be missed. 
All feedback is provided online. You start by selecting one of three options on a regulation to keep it the same, improve it or eliminate it. A comment box is available for feedback, input and suggestions.
The current regulations are open for public feedback until September 30. Visit the site at Ontario.ca/redtapechallenge to have your say on the regulations that impact your business, positively or negatively. The government will publically release their final report detailing the consultation’s findings on March 31, 2017.
Please note the breadth of this consultation. Make sure you have your say to keep Ontario farms at the forefront of competiveness and ability to market with your suggestions for elimination of the regulations that are barriers, and protection of those regulations that give your business the opportunity it deserves.
 
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For more information, contact:
 
Don McCabe
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-331-6175
 
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883 
 
 

By David Epp, Ontario Federation of Agriculture member

​
My name is David Epp. I’m a vegetable producer from Leamington, Ontario and a member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). I’m extremely concerned about the proposed regulatory changes that are before the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG). We are facing the prospect of losing our right to collective bargaining when it comes to negotiating the prices of processing vegetables we grow. That’s because the Farm Products Marketing Commission has proposed drastic changes to Regulation 440 of the Farm Products Marketing Act.
Other growers and I have expressed our concerns in a letter to the Commission and are now working together with OFA to deliver a stronger voice to oppose these changes.
I farm with my brother and father, and we’ve been involved in processing vegetable production our entire farming careers. We have weathered many changes in the industry over the years – changes in agronomic practices, changes in external competitive forces and changes in the economy we operate in. But nothing compares to the implications of the proposed changes to Regulation 440. 
There are four main reasons that OFA is supporting the position of the OPVG on these proposed changes.
The current marketing system negotiates competitive prices for Ontario processing vegetable growers, with a balance of power along the entire value chain from grower to processor to the various marketing channels.
The “free market” system proposed in the changes will actually give buyers the market power to dictate prices and terms, consequently benefiting only a few along the value chain.
The proposed changes will jeopardize vital agronomic research funds that enable innovation and sustainability in our sector.
And finally, the processing vegetable sector – which is an important part of Ontario’s overall economy – will actually lose ground with these changes. The government’s own challenge to grow our sector and create more jobs will be undermined by the changes they are proposed to the Farm Products Marketing Act.
OFA is submitting a letter to the Farm Products Marketing Commission on August 10 to outline its concerns on behalf of its processing vegetable members like me. I encourage other farm organizations and commodity groups to support these efforts. We need a proper process, with transparent consultation, before making changes like Regulation 440 that is threatening the livelihood of farmers and a significant sector of our industry.
In the case of my farm, Lycoland Farms, if the negotiating authority is removed from the OPVG board, we will seek to find an orderly exist from our investments tied to this industry as our confidence in future opportunities in the processing vegetable sector will be lost.

For more information, contact:
 
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883