​By Keith Currie, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) added another successful annual general meeting to the books this year. Leadership elections, speaker presentations, workshops and a wrap up of OFA’s 80th anniversary celebration highlighted the organization’s event.
Annual leadership elections were held. I am honoured to have been elected as OFA’s 31st president. Crispin Colvin from Middlesex was elected to a three-year director at large position, and Mark Reusser and Peggy Brekveld were elected to the two vice president positions. Drew Spoelstra also joins the new executive committee and Steve Brackenridge joins the board this year as a zone representative for Durham, Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton.
“Precision Agriculture” was our convention theme. Joe Dales, vice president and a founder of Farms.com opened the event with insights on how agricultural innovation has advanced our industry, and what the future will hold. Three MPPs addressed the crowd of more than 300 farmers and industry representatives  ̶  the Hon Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Hon Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and NDP leader Andrea Horwath provided insights on their views of agriculture’s potential.
Grassroots resolutions were deliberated during the meeting, raising member issues and concerns. Rural school closures, organizational governance, invasive species and the restoration of pits and quarries were among resolutions debated.
Meeting attendees also participated in workshops, met with exhibitors and had a chance to socialize at the annual Ontario Harvest Celebration dinner.
OFA’s 80th anniversary celebration winners were also announced at the event including the lucky winner of the trip to the 2017 World Agriculture Expo to California – wrapping up the yearlong contest. OFA’s farm gate challenge winners were also announced. Congratulations also goes out to Dundas Federation of Agriculture for their 80th anniversary display. Photos of all of these creative displays can be found on ofa.on.ca.
OFA’s annual general meeting marks an important annual industry event. We bring together grassroots members, politicians and industry representatives to address and discuss the issues and concerns impacting our 38,000 members. We also took the time to celebrate shared accomplishments, successes and milestones.
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For more information, contact:
 
Keith Currie
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
705-441-3362
keith.currie@ofa.on.ca
 
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883 
neil.currie@ofa.on.ca
 

​Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s (OFA) newest president, Keith Currie, was elected at the organization’s annual general meeting in Toronto this week. A Collingwood-area hay and sweet corn farmer, Currie becomes the 31st president to lead the 36,000 farm member organization for a one-year term.
 
Elections for OFA’s two vice president positions voted in Mark Reusser, a Waterloo County turkey farmer and re-elected northern Ontario dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld. Drew Spoelstra, a dairy and cash crop farmer in Hamilton-Wentworth was elected by the board as its fourth executive member. New to the OFA board of directors is Crispin Colvin, a Middlesex County crop and beef farmer who was elected for a three-year term as a director-at-large and Steve Brackenridge, who joins the board after winning the Zone 10 election. OFA’s Board of Directors is made up of 18 positions representing regions across Ontario.
 
“I’m energized about OFA and looking forward to the coming year, and the work we can do together for the OFA membership,” says OFA President Keith Currie. “This year’s annual meeting provided another great venue to address and discuss the issues and opportunities facing our industry with members, political leaders and industry partners.”
 
“Precision Matters” was the theme for this year’s OFA event that drew more than 300 grassroots members together to discuss industry innovations, issues affecting farm businesses, politics and policies impacting Ontario farms, and the future of the organization.
 
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organization in Ontario, representing 36,000 farm families across the province. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.
 
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For more information:
 
Keith Currie
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
705-441-3362
 
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883
 

​Three post-secondary students received Ontario Federation (OFA) of Agriculture’s 80th anniversary bursary today at the organization’s annual general meeting. Anita Rastapkevicuis from Elgin County, Cassidy Smith from Stormont County and Logan Emiry from Sudbury District were each awarded $3,500 to help with their post-secondary education in an agricultural program.
 
Winners were selected for their volunteer and agricultural industry related accomplishments, interest in agriculture and rural issues, community involvement and academic performance.

A fourth year University of Guelph student, Anita Rastapkevicius is completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) with a minor in Agronomy. Anita was raised on a fruit, vegetable and cash crop operation in West Lorne, ON.
Cassidy Smith comes from a family farm in Berwick, ON and is in her second year of the Farm Management and Technology program at McGill University.
Logan Emiry is in his first year at University of Guelph in the Agriculture Science program and comes from a dairy farm in Massey, ON.
The bursary competition was open to students of OFA member families entering or currently pursuing a post-secondary education in an agricultural program.  Winners were awarded regionally, with one winner from northern, eastern and southwestern Ontario.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organization in Ontario, representing 36,000 farm families across the province. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.
 
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For more information:
 
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883

By Rejean Pommainville, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture ​

Rural Ontario is facing a critical social and structural concern – the closing of rural schools. There’s an alarming trend of local school boards closing low enrolment schools without considering the well-being of those students, their families and communities. 
Schools are an integral part of the economic and service infrastructure necessary for prosperity in our agricultural and rural communities. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is committed to addressing issues like rural school closures.
Rural school closures were discussed extensively at a recent OFA Policy Advisory Council (PAC) meeting in Brockville. OFA members across all counties and regions share the concern of school closures – a result of cutbacks in operating expenses that’s done at the expense of rural students and communities. PAC members have identified these closures as a provincial concern and OFA will be working with regions impacted by the threat of rural school closures.
OFA opposes school closure decisions that are made without the consideration of critical factors that impact the students, rural families and communities. Too often important decisions like these are made without critical consideration to transportation, student employment opportunities and parental involvement.
Rural school closures mean students are faced with lengthy bus rides to larger schools in urban areas. Hours could be spent each day on a bus, impacting students’ attentiveness, learning potential and ability to participate in extracurricular activities.
Longer commutes to school also impact students’ opportunities for after school and part-time jobs. Every community – urban and rural – relies on part-time student positions to run their businesses. Student jobs are also an integral part of gaining job experience and saving for post-secondary education.
Schools increasingly rely on parent volunteers, and those volunteers will be lost if they can’t travel the greater distance to a larger urban school.
Rural schools are also central to the community, acting as hubs for social, service and athletic events and community groups that rely on school buildings.
We can’t compromise the welfare and best interests of our next generation and our rural communities with school closures that do not account for all costs. Rural Ontario values its children and their education. OFA will be working with affected counties to ensure they receive the necessary support to secure the proper development and growth opportunities for their rural students, families and communities.
 
For more information, contact:
 Rejean Pommainville
Director
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
613-793-2849

​Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883