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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The primary objective of those involved in designing Canada’s National Food Strategy is to develop a mission and long-term strategy for the Canadian food system. Participants expect this will create a focal point for the agriculture, processing, distribution and customer sectors that will contribute to a sustainable food sector and a healthier economy, environment, and population.

Initial work on this strategy started almost a year ago, but intensive work began at the annual general meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in February. A working group from CFA is leading the project with participants from other organizations and representatives from the value chain and various government agencies.

The drive for a National Food Strategy comes from the realization that food is increasingly becoming an issue of concern and discussion both domestically and internationally.

Domestically, those involved in the production of food are finding their returns are shrinking while their input costs are growing. This is putting farmers increasingly at the mercy of the consuming world, and their success as business people is diminishing.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is one of the leading groups within the CFA family in search of a National Food Strategy. We want to give farmers a stronger role within the food chain and as a result more control over the returns they receive as primary food producers in the world.

We believe a clear, overall objective is lacking in Canada’s current food policy – a clear and meaningful vision for the future of the food system and sectors involved in Canada. A National Food Strategy for Canada will provide an agreed upon direction that will effectively guide appropriate food policy for years to come.

At OFA, we believe a National Food Strategy represents a tremendous opportunity for Canada to establish a comprehensive food plan to secure healthy food for current and future generations, to guard our environment and boost our economy at the production level.

The working group has developed a set of principles for Canada’s National Food Strategy. We believe these principles reflect both what the working group has learned through the planning process, and the values it believes should be carried forward in implementation of the strategy.

Those working on the strategy believe a national food strategy is necessary to support the development and maintenance of a sustainable and secure food system, something critical in allowing governments, businesses, and communities to invest resources strategically and effectively.

In designing Canada’s National Food Strategy, members of the working group see the strategy taking a new, collaborative and inclusive direction – including all segments of Canada’s complex and integrated agriculture and food system, including all who eat.

At OFA, we see the strategy, when complete, reconnecting the Canadian pubic with one of society’s most fundamental elements of survival, but often taken for granted – food.

Details of the work done to date on Canada’s National Food Strategy were shared with participants at the recent Federal, Provincial and Territorial agriculture ministers’ conference – just another stage in gaining national approval for this strategy.

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The primary objective of those involved in designing Canada’s National Food Strategy is to develop a mission and long-term strategy for the Canadian food system. Participants expect this will create a focal point for the agriculture, processing, distribution and customer sectors that will contribute to a sustainable food sector and a healthier economy, environment, and population.

Initial work on this strategy started almost a year ago, but intensive work began at the annual general meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in February. A working group from CFA is leading the project with participants from other organizations and representatives from the value chain and various government agencies.

The drive for a National Food Strategy comes from the realization that food is increasingly becoming an issue of concern and discussion both domestically and internationally.

Domestically, those involved in the production of food are finding their returns are shrinking while their input costs are growing. This is putting farmers increasingly at the mercy of the consuming world, and their success as business people is diminishing.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is one of the leading groups within the CFA family in search of a National Food Strategy. We want to give farmers a stronger role within the food chain and as a result more control over the returns they receive as primary food producers in the world.

We believe a clear, overall objective is lacking in Canada’s current food policy – a clear and meaningful vision for the future of the food system and sectors involved in Canada. A National Food Strategy for Canada will provide an agreed upon direction that will effectively guide appropriate food policy for years to come.

At OFA, we believe a National Food Strategy represents a tremendous opportunity for Canada to establish a comprehensive food plan to secure healthy food for current and future generations, to guard our environment and boost our economy at the production level.

The working group has developed a set of principles for Canada’s National Food Strategy. We believe these principles reflect both what the working group has learned through the planning process, and the values it believes should be carried forward in implementation of the strategy.

Those working on the strategy believe a national food strategy is necessary to support the development and maintenance of a sustainable and secure food system, something critical in allowing governments, businesses, and communities to invest resources strategically and effectively.

In designing Canada’s National Food Strategy, members of the working group see the strategy taking a new, collaborative and inclusive direction – including all segments of Canada’s complex and integrated agriculture and food system, including all who eat.

At OFA, we see the strategy, when complete, reconnecting the Canadian pubic with one of society’s most fundamental elements of survival, but often taken for granted – food.

Details of the work done to date on Canada’s National Food Strategy were shared with participants at the recent Federal, Provincial and Territorial agriculture ministers’ conference – just another stage in gaining national approval for this strategy.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Canada’s agriculture ministers have met, and are now recognizing that the country’s suite of risk management programs is not working as intended.

Farmers have been telling them that for over two years. The question remains, however, how long will it take them to implement the changes we’ve been recommending - changes that will make them work to provide bankable and predictable risk management programs?

If they want to do something to salvage a deteriorating industry, they better do it now. We have told them of the extreme risk of losing the country’s local food systems if no action is taken now.

At the early July meeting of agriculture Ministers there was an almost instant response to the flooding of farmland on the Prairies. As the ag ministers were beginning their recent meeting in Saskatoon, they announced $450 million for the AgriRecovery program to help restore lost acreage caused by the weather disaster.

Participants in Ontario’s coalition of farm organizations have noted that the governments’ rapid response to the flooding on the Prairies is a good example of what Ontario farmers need. Ontario farmers need the same respect of governments in making AgriStability and AgriFlex work for the market disasters being experienced here in Ontario as well as in other provinces.

So, our Ministers are prepared to quickly respond and to use workable programs to deal with serious farm business issues. That is good to know.  Now all we need to do is to find the key to enable Ministers to make the necessary adjustments to AgriStability and to enable Ontario's Business Risk Management Programs to stabilize and sustain our industry.  Ministers recognize today's programs do not address real market risk. Let's get on with the job then to make them work.

As farmers we need to continue to bring the message to our politicians. Our federal MPs need to recognize what Ministers already have – that the current programs are not working for farmers.  They need to take this revelation to the top to ensure that agriculture becomes a priority of the federal government – here and across our country.  

The market disasters we have faced need to be addressed as sure as weather relate disasters.  The simple fact is that disasters all yield similar outcomes – negative farm incomes, stressed rural families and increased of collapse of our domestic food system.

Our provincial MPPs must also pick up the torch that has been lit by Ministers. It is just not enough to recognize the programs do not work. Ontario must now demonstrate real action to address these dysfunctional programs – the business risk management suite must be fixed. Ontario has to show clear support of its local food system by implementing, not just studying, changes to AgriStability and our BRMP programs, designed by farmers, that will work for farmers.

We urge all farmers to contact their MP to insist the federal government goes beyond recognizing the problem and demonstrates, in a tangible way, its support for programs that will work to stabilize and sustain farming across the country. 

We urge all farmers to contact their MPP to insist the provincial government act now to implement BRMP and AgriStability amendments that will immediately stabilize and sustain farming and our rural Ontario communities.   

The Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition will be with farmers, organizing contacts and visits to ensure our political leaders get the message clearly and to ensure they act on the message promptly.

We will continue to work with Minister Mitchell to bring the nation on side for true national programs that will sustain Canada’s farming business.

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By Paul Wettlaufer, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Faced with a 27 per cent cut in price on a contract with the Ontario Government for the production of green energy, Ontario farmers question the management of the program and the intent of the government on green energy.

When the government announced its plans to promote and use green energy, farmers lined up to produce solar energy. Then, without warning, the government announced changes to the deal already signed.

Government developed a green energy incentive for ground mount solar and quoted a reasonable price, farmers penciled it out and signed up,  leading the way in Ontario's green energy revolution. 

For reasons that make no sense whatsoever, the government on July 2 announced it was withdrawing its offer and substituting a lower price. Thousands of hours of research, work with banks, work with contractors, is all for naught for approx 11,000 applicants.

The price was right and now its not. 

Not only is this a serious blow to farmers who were willing to make this investment but it could be the death knell for the green economy.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture will be lobbying the province to ‘grandfather’ all applications submitted up to July 2 for the original quoted price.

Our members have made significant investments in solar infrastructure based on the deal they thought they had with the province.  A 27 per cent cut in the price paid for that energy will mean an unacceptable loss.

Honoring the price offered to the applicants who have already made significant investments can be the only accepted outcome.

This is not only devastating to farmers, it jeopardizes the futures of green energy manufacturers.

Cancelled projects will mean lost investment from farmers and loss of future sales of solar equipment.

With this change Ontario will lose millions of dollars in new manufacturing opportunities; lose hundreds of manufacturing jobs; municipalities will forego

millions of dollars in tax revenue; and once again Ontario’s rural economy suffers a "gut shot".

This has shaken the confidence of rural Ontario and investors everywhere.

What's the next rug that will be pulled out from under us on the green energy file?

The designers of the deal understood the economic benefits and spinoffs in jump starting the green economy. The ones trying to tear it down need to recognize the economic damage.

We will be calling on all OFA members to contact their MPPs. We will seek their support of our plan to grandfather the originally-stated rate into all applications submitted up to July 2, 2010.

Farmers have shown good faith and leadership with their involvement in the green energy industry. Now is not a good time for the government to start rewriting the deals.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Prime Minister Harper came away from the G8 and G20 summits with bragging rights on Canada’s financial strength and our recession recovery. He had many of his objectives met.

He showed the world how Canada can lead in issues of development and financial prudence.  What he could not show the world, however, is a country that seems to care about its own food production.

In recent days we have heard that Canada now has more than 34 million citizens – that’s a lot of people to feed. Those of us charged with leading the country’s agriculture industry – the ones who have to feed all those people and the world – have called on our federal and provincial governments to address agriculture’s needs.

Our federal government has sloughed off the industry’s calls for improvements to the AgriStability program. The government claims that farmers are satisfied with the programs as they are now.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture sought the views of members on these programs last winter. Perhaps our survey was not deemed to be objective enough. Interestingly it was just replicated by a larger survey of Canadian farmers, performed by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. The CFIB found, as we did, that farmers simply do not like the federal AgriStability program.

CFIB’s survey of about 1,100 farmers revealed general dissatisfaction. Farmers cited poor customer service, complex and large volumes of paperwork, timeliness issues and a lack of predictability for benefits from the program – identical to what the OFA and the CFA has told government.

On the basis of individual farmer satisfaction, both organizations have reported about three per cent of farmers are satisfied with the AgriStability program – leaving 29 per cent somewhat satisfied and the majority – 58 per cent dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

We hope Minister Ritz and other provincial Ministers can recognize the message in these survey results. Farmers are dissatisfied with most aspects of AgriStability, and are especially displeased with the cost to participate – an average of almost $2,000 per producer.

That cost is almost double what they had been paying under the CAIS (Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization) program. We remember how anxious our political leaders were to get rid of CAIS as they campaigned before the last election.

Canada’s agriculture ministers – Minister Ritz and the provincial and territorial ministers –  meet on July 7th and 8th in Saskatchewan to examine the health of the industry and discuss ways of improving agriculture for farmers and ultimately for consumers.

Ontario’s Minister, Hon. Carol Mitchell, knows what is needed from this meeting. OFA’s representatives will be there supporting her as she works to convince ministers from other provinces to join the call for improvements to the Federal AgriStability program and to implement a national AgriFlex program.

Partners in the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition have reviewed the needs of Ontario farmers in the non-supply-managed sectors and determined the amendments AgriStability needs to make it predictable and bankable. The changes would inject about $100 million per year into Ontario farm businesses – an important investment that is needed.

This money in the hands of Ontario farmers would provide stability to agriculture and ensure a future for Ontario agriculture, the communities that depend on farmers and their families.

Our federal and provincial Ministers need to acknowledge, as Minister Mitchell already has, that agriculture has changed. The current programs simply do NOT suit the needs for farm businesses given today’s market circumstances.

They need to recognize that the solutions exist and are simple to implement. Farmers are not prepared to take no for an answer this time.  Consultations are over –  the programs must be amended now. Canada needs to lead one more time!

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario farming consists of thousands of small and medium sized enterprises that employ many more thousands of people on our farms.

As employers in Ontario, regardless of size, farmers need to know that they are all now required to have policies on workplace violence and harassment. Those with five or more employees must have copies of the policy posted in a conspicuous place within the worksite. 

Bill 168 Ontario Health and Safety Act amendments have just come into force putting the new policy into action. Employers can have a number of issues to consider when setting out a workplace violence policy. Some of the considerations could include:

•           does it apply to all employees;

•           should it apply to contractors;

•           should it apply to visitors and guests;

•           will it apply at social functions;

•           will it also apply outside the workplace.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has provided guidelines respecting workplace violence and harassment. The Guidelines can be found on the Ministry of Labour website.

The Ministry has also provided some indication of what they would find acceptable when inspecting for compliance with the Act and its amendments.

The obligations of all parties in the workplace – employer, managers, supervisors and workers – should be detailed on the posted policy. Reprisals against anyone initiating a complaint under the Act must be considered unacceptable. The posted policy should outline definitions of reprisal or retaliation.

A workplace violence risk assessment may precede or follow the statement of policy on workplace violence prevention – something the employer is responsible for doing. Neither the Bill nor the Ministry of Labour guidelines provide specific direction on who is responsible for assessing associated risks for these matters. This leaves it open to internal staff or an external party to perform the assessment – a management decision of the farmer as the employer.

A number of matters have to be considered under the Act – the nature of the workplace, the type of work, and the conditions of work. The nature of the workplace would consider everything from lighting to equipment and placement of objects within the workplace. The type of work would look at everything from handling cash to protecting valuables, to contact with the public. The conditions of work are also viewed as a factor of risk – those working late at night or early in the morning are considered at greater risk.

Employers, as part of the assessments, may consider surveying the workforce regarding past incidents of workplace violence. Because Bill 168 or the associated Guidelines don’t provide a requirement to conduct a survey of workers, it is a decision of the owner of the business.

The Guidelines recommend that employers review the risk assessment at least annually as a means of identifying and correcting deficiencies.

The training obligation imposed by Bill 168 may present a difficult compliance hurdle for employers, both in terms of the logistics of training the entire workforce and in determining what information and instruction must be provided. Because workers must be trained on the program – specific to their workplace – generic training on Bill 168 will not meet the legislated training obligation.

It would be wise for employers to seek guidance from the Ontario Farm Safety Association, 1-800-361-8855, in Guelph  and perhaps even legal counsel when facing a situation involving workplace violence or harassment.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Motivating our governments to action has proven to be a long, drawn out process – at least where agriculture is involved.

That’s not always the case. Our provincial and federal governments have given the country proof that speedy action is possible, at least if Native Canadians and the G8 and G20 summits are part of the mix.

This was demonstrated when Ottawa announced it is prepared to offer concessions on the Harmonized Sales Tax for aboriginals in Ontario. All it took for the federal government to offer concessions was a threat by natives to disrupt Ottawa’s current pet project – hosting the summits in Huntsville and Toronto.

So, now that we know they are not intransigent on HST, we will remind the federal government that the use of the farm business registration card for point-of-sale tax exemption is an administratively simple way to roll out HST for farmers.  As we argued before, what is the point in collecting HST on farm inputs only to give it back after a lot of paperwork?  

While governments are in a progressive state of mind, the partners in the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition (OASC) – the non supply-managed commodity organizations in Ontario -- will continue to press for what is needed to prevent a massive failure within Ontario agriculture.

Improvements to the AgriStability program, retroactive to 2008, would inject $100 million per year into Ontario farm businesses, helping stabilize the farm community and the rural economy. The OASC partners are also anxious to see the implementation of a national AgriFlex program, enabling Business Risk Management Plans across their commodities to further sustain them for years to come.

Our commodity leaders have been telling governments we are dangerously close to a disaster in Ontario agriculture.  This message is being reinforced by Dr. George Brinkman, Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph. Dr. Brinkman has analysed the farm income and debt statistics over the past three decades and concludes, definitively, that agriculture in Canada is in serious trouble. Regrettably, he also concludes that Ontario agriculture is in even worse shape.

Farm incomes in Ontario are negative – there is no way to make those statistics look good. Debt to equity ratios are unsustainable at present levels.  Dr. Brinkman warns that stabilizing the farm sector is a critical task before the inevitable increase in interest rates tears the sector apart.

We need to keep showing that Ontario residents and the Ontario Government reap massive benefits from the work of Ontario farmers. The residents get unlimited supplies of the safest food needed to stay healthy and productive. Ontarians reap the benefits of jobs created by the agri-food sector, not only for the food processed and sold in Ontario, but for exports.

There are a lot of people benefitting from the food grown, processed, marketed and consumed in Ontario, but our governments are not yet listening.  From something as simple as point-of-sale exemption for HST to real, bankable risk management programs we need to ensure our political leaders start leading.

The opportunity for leadership in agriculture presents itself in early July when agriculture Ministers meet in Saskatoon to review our situation and programs. We know Minister Mitchell will be fighting for our AgriStability and BRMP requirements.  We need all Ministers to get on board to secure a better business environment for our farms.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Summer is known by most people as the time when farmers are busiest planting, growing and harvesting crops in their fields. There’s another responsibility many farmers will be working on over the next few months – working the fields of politics, seeking ways to improve the business environment for farming in Ontario.

Politicians at both the federal and provincial levels will be back in their ridings, attending barbecues and meeting their constituents, attempting to solidify support for the next elections.

This is when leaders of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, its staff and its members get to work meeting the politicians, going over the issues that are critical to agriculture. The list is widely varied ranging from market shortfalls to regulatory concerns to environmental and business sustainability. Some issues are new and some linger.

The need for improvements to risk management tools from both levels of government still tops the list of what farmers will be seeking when they meet their MPs and MPPs. Ontario commodity organizations have calculated a need for improvements to the AgriStability program retroactive to 2008. That necessary change would inject more than $100 million per year into Ontario farm businesses and help stabilize the farm community and our rural economy.

The implementation of Business Risk Management Plans across those commodities wishing it would further sustain these sectors through the years to come.

Farmers and their businesses would also benefit from changes to the property tax system in Ontario. Farm organizations have developed a simple definition of farming activities that include value-retention   activities, but we are still pushing for the adoption of that definition to clearly identify when the farm property tax class applies. These activities include everything from production of maple syrup to pitting and sugaring of cherries to packaging vegetables. Without these activities, there is no market for such products. That simply means they are farming activities.

OFA wants the province to commit to the cost of implementing source water protection plans – an important component of Ontario’s Clean Water Act. We also need government action to overcome delays in approvals for farm drainage work.

The province’s species at risk legislation has inherent costs and difficulties for farmers and rural municipalities. We encourage the province to ensure that the legislation is administered so that protection of habitat is balanced against farm businesses continuing to operate efficiently and for communities to continue to grow and develop.  If there is impingement to farming there must be compensation.

Farmers have identified other needs from both federal and provincial governments. The Environmental Farm Plans that so many farming operations have used to mitigate agriculture’s impacts on the environment needs continued and improved funding support.

Our members throughout the Greater Toronto Area want more consideration given to the needs of agriculture. Farmers in the Greenbelt find themselves being ignored by the province with preferential treatment going to environmental groups.

Both livestock and crops producers across the province are demanding more realistic action by the provincial government to stop the carnage of lambs and calves by coyotes and crops by elk, deer and turkeys. To this point, the Ministry of Natural Resources has provided recommendations for protecting livestock from coyotes and are developing an elk hunt, but no tangible action yet that will control the wildlife populations.

OFA members – Ontario farmers have much to discuss with our political leaders this summer.  The business of farming and food processing and distribution is big business in Ontario.  Our agri-food system needs Ontario farms to survive. Together, we employ 712,000 people across Ontario. That is big.  Our governments need to understand that and start taking care of business. It is our job to motivate them to do that this summer.

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By Joe Dickenson, OFA Director and Ontario - Quebec member of the Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum 

Through its work with young farmers in Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has found a number of impediments to young people getting into agriculture – not only in Ontario, but across Canada.

To get a better understanding of those impediments, the Hon. Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of State for Agriculture, has been travelling across Canada, meeting with young farmers and potential new farmers. OFA President Crews and myself attended the Guelph session. His report on the extensive roundtable discussions has just been released. It provides some promise for young people already in agriculture or wishing to get into the industry.

In a recent news release, Minister Blackburn said: “we are committed to improving existing tools and programs to ensure that Canada’s young farmers have what they need to succeed.”

One of those tools is the National Future Farmers Network, announced by the minister this week. It will be part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website, and will be devoted entirely to beginning farmers.

That concept came from discussions hosted by OFA for young farmers. It was felt there was a void in the information network aimed at helping young farmers get into farming. It is anticipated the website section will provide single window access to information on tools, programs and services available to help guide young farmers.

The minister is also planning to seek direct input from farmers when developing agricultural policy and programs. He will do this by hosting a National Future Farmers Network in the fall – bringing together young and beginning farmers as well as industry leaders, and provincial and federal government representatives. According to a news release from the minister, this will be aimed at bringing the voices of young farmers to the fore, and put their ideas into action.

Minister Blackburn has expressed the hope that his report on the cross-Canada consultations with young farmers will be closely examined by members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. That committee is reviewing government and industry initiatives around the future of farming.

We know that MP Larry Miller, chair of that committee, has spoken publically about the difficulties young people face when attempting to get into farming. Among the obstacles discouraging these young people are the low returns and the long hours of hard work facing farmers.

OFA has developed a list of changes needed to encourage young people to get into farming. Included in that list are changes to help beginning farmers get a Farm Business Registration number to immediately qualify for the Farm Property Class Tax Rate Program.

The list also calls for an industry average Allowable Net Sales for the size and type of a beginning farmers’ operation for programs otherwise calculated using an historical base period. OFA also recommends providing beginning farmers with 100 per cent funding for Environmental Farm Plan projects – another means of making more capital available for those starting up a farming operation.

OFA’s proposal also calls for the development and funding of a loan guarantee and interest subsidy incentive program for beginning farmers. 

Beyond these specific measures, first and foremost, beginning farmers will need bankable and predictable risk management programs such as a revised AgriStability and a Business Risk Management Program. We strongly urge Ministers Blackburn and Ritz to no wait to hear this yet again from our young farmers before taking action. 

If all of these initiatives can be put in place, and promoted on the website now provided under the National Future Farmers Network, the process for getting started in farming should be much simpler.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Several decades ago, farmers were encouraged to expand their operations – get bigger – if they wanted to survive. Government officials provided statistics showing the importance of larger, more efficient operations.

Generally, farmers have complied. Farms have expanded from 45 hectars to 450 hectars on average.

Economies of scale have helped their bottom lines, but not enough to protect them from so many uncertainties in the industry.

Farm organizations have presented calculations showing a need for improved risk management programs, but our federal government has shown strong resistance to the implementation of such programs. They don’t seem to acknowledge the need for changes to existing risk management programs – changes that should have been in place in 2008.

Now, when survival of the new normal – by size standards – is on the line, government officials are unwilling to implement the requested changes. They don’t seem concerned with the possibilities of today’s farmers failing and disappearing from the landscape.

It is interesting to note the differing perspectives of our federal government on farms and farming.  The Department of Correctional Services is closing its prison farms across Ontario because they are too expensive to operate – they lose money, notwithstanding relatively inexpensive labour and the opportunity to market the farm outputs.  And yet our federal Minister of Agriculture denies that our Ontario farms are in dire straits and in need of a revised risk management program.

They can’t have it both ways!

Keeping today’s farmers in place, surviving through unpredictable economic conditions, will be a delicate accomplishment. There’s not a lot of space for error or mistakes in judgement.

Statistics Canada reports show that less than two per cent of the country’s population is producing the food needed to feed the other 98 per cent. Global population growth is expected to continue, and the need for more and more food will prevail.

This is why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the group of non-supply-managed commodity organizations have joined forces into the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition (OASC) to try to impress upon the federal government the need for specific changes to existing risk management programs.

There’s another force at work reducing the numbers of farmers in Canada – the reluctance of young people to get into farming. Statistics show a very small percentage of active farmers today in Canada is under the age of 35 years. Member of Parliament Larry Miller, chair of the federal government’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee, has travelled Canada recently to review what’s keeping young people out of farming.

The conclusion of that committee appears to be a lack of profit compared to the large investment required to operate a farm, and all the work that farmers have to do to operate their farms.

The OFA and its federal counterpart, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, offer solutions to the federal government – amend AgriStability, retroactively, so it actually works to manage the real risk farmers have been facing since 2008. We also need to see the government adopt an AgriFlex program that will enable provincially-designed business risk management programming to be implemented to address the particular risks within each province.

The future of Canada’s farms, the rural economy, and local communities are at stake. What is our government going to do?

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario farmers have many partners they work with as an important part of the success of our farming business. The most obvious are the federal and provincial governments, the banks, spouses and the weather office. 

But Municipal governments also play an integral role in how a farm is operated, and how successful it can become. Establishing municipal property taxes and collecting those taxes are important factors bearing heavily on the bottom lines of many farming operations.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is a strong supporter of the current farm property class tax rate program, and urges the provincial government to maintain the system. It is administratively simple and remains the preferred method for recognizing appropriate property taxation of farmland.

Having said that, OFA also recognizes that the Ontario government has not provided an adequate transfer of funds to municipalities under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund. 

With this in mind, OFA is prepared to work with ROMA – the Rural Ontario Municipal Association – to maintain the current farm property class tax rate system. Doing this, we believe there is hope to secure sufficient funding revenues for our municipalities that are the communities of our farm businesses.

Municipal representatives also truly appreciate the importance of agriculture within their communities.  Our recent Stratford Town Hall meeting demonstrated the commitment of municipal officials to the work of the OASC – telling the story of the important economic, environmental and social contribution of farming to our rural landscape.

Our coalition will be working closely with our municipal leaders to continue to emphasize the importance of sustainable farms and the objectives of the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition (OASC) – securing better risk management programming for farmers.

The OFA and our commodity partners are also striving for a broad definition of farming practices. The definition of farming and farming practices has evolved and expanded due to changes in technology and market specifications. There’s every likelihood this evolution will continue.

Consequently, OFA has requested OMAFRA work with agriculture and Ontario’s farmers to develop a broad definition of farming practices. Such a broad definition could be made available to other ministries – labour as an example – and municipalities when they need to establish what practices are ‘farming’ to ensure a consistent and competitive approach to farming enterprises.

Development charges levied by municipalities on new farm buildings are a concern for OFA and farmers across Ontario. Many municipalities have chosen to exempt agricultural buildings and structures from these charges. 

However, subsequent bylaws may take a different view and omit the existing exemptions for agricultural buildings and structures unless farmers and municipal councillors are constantly vigilant. To avoid this situation and the unnecessary hearings that could follow, OFA wants to work with municipalities for a province-wide exemption for agricultural buildings.

Another area where farmers and municipal councils will interact is with Source Water Protection regulations. OFA is concerned about who will end up paying for the implementation of Source Water Protection Plans. The province has agreed that it will pay for developing these plans, but then leaves it to the municipalities for implementation. 

This could open the door for a hefty levy on farmers, and OFA would oppose such a development.

Farm drainage is a critical element of Ontario agriculture. The associated drainage regulations again require farmers and municipalities to work together. OFA and the farmers it represents want a more efficient drainage approval process. We believe this can happen if municipalities and the drainage superintendents get involved with OFA and the farmers. We believe the same collaboration needs to happen, in particular, around the issues arising from the species at risk regulations.

Good solutions that enable sustainable and profitable farms are out there. It’s a matter of farmers coming together with the right partners.  We look forward to working closely with our municipal leaders on the right solutions for our communities and our farms.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

An increasing number of Ontario farmers are living with the realities of dwindling and negative returns from their operations.

Net farm operating income forecasts by the federal government, speak of farm income losses of $500 million this year following a $330 million loss in 2009. Clearly we have a worrisome situation here.

We know that Canadian farm demographics are not stable and we know the farming industry is facing problems attracting new entrants. We have lost a significant proportion of our young farmers over the past few years. A very small percentage of active farmers are now under the age of 35.

Grim farm income projections have a lot to do with this phenomenon.

The chair of the Federal Government’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee, MP Larry Miller, told a recent session at the University of Guelph that farmers tell him, repeatedly, that there’s little profit to show for all the work and investment required. His committee was also told that an extremely burdensome regulatory environment is seriously hampering the business of farming in this province.

So, what is our future under these conditions? Will farming survive? If so, what will it look like in the future?  

Answers may come from a Globe and Mail article published May 3 that looks at the high level of interest being shown in farmland by people who depend on commodity trading for their existence. It referred to an investment unit of Manulife Financial Corp. that has ‘plowed’ more than $1 billion into actual farmland, mostly in the United States.

The Globe story said these investment banks are hoping to ‘harvest long-term profits from the soil.’ Such investments are taking place around the world, the story said. It quoted Jeffrey Conrad, president of Hancock investments, as saying: ‘farmland is gold with cash flow.’ Sadly, this is not the case for the independent family faming business today.  

Is the forecast for our rural landscape one with Bay Street and Wall Street managers directing farming operations?  Will the current stewards of our precious land, soil and water resources be forced to sell out to hedge fund managers who strive for gold with cash flow?     

It seems a shame our politicians aren’t willing to show more confidence in investing in our agriculture sector. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and its national partner, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, frequently point to the value of returns provided by public investments in agriculture through research and infrastucture.

If individual farmers are driven from the sector, or if we do not develop programs that encourage and facilitate new farm businesses, we can only expect to see this United States phenomenon moving into Canada with more of the nation’s farmland taken over by investment bankers.

The Globe article talks about the need for concern as ‘community control’ of the land and food production capabilities are lost to multi-national corporations.  The OFA shares this concern which is why, with our partners across Ontario and Canada we have developed a clear farm agenda to turn our grim prospects around. 

The agenda is simple – governments need to amend AgriStability retroactively so it actually works to manage the real risk farmers have faced since 2008 – to address declining margins that have led to income losses. Secondly, governments need to adopt an AgriFlex program that will enable provincially-designed business risk management programming to be implemented that will address the particular risks within each province.

Once these programs stabilize and sustain the industry, governments need to sit with farmers and food industry representatives to develop a true vision and strategy for farming and food that will serve the interests of Canada’s farmers, food industry companies and consumers alike. 

The solutions have been identified. The rationale for those solutions is now obvious – the future of our family farm businesses, our rural economy, our communities and our food system is at stake.  The only issue remaining to be addressed is the need for political leadership to secure this agenda and our future.

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By Keith Currie, Executive Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario agriculture is concerned that a provincial government program is about to unfairly add to their production costs. The issue stems from a Ministry of the Environment initiative to charge a fee on all fertilizer sold in bags or containers under 30 kilograms in weight. 

The fees collected are to cover the cost of collecting unused fertilizer as a “special waste” and then disposing of it “appropriately,” likely through incineration. 

For a large portion of Ontario farmers this may not be an issue since they work with bulk, not bagged, fertilizer. Farmers in Ontario’s horticulture and greenhouse sectors, however, rely on 25kg bags of fertilizer for their operations, as do many field crop growers who are not set up for handling bulk fertilizer. Indeed, the Ontario Agri Business Association estimates that Ontario farmers purchase approximately 30,000 tonnes of fertilizer in packages of 30 kg or less, each year.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has always been a strong proponent of waste diversion since municipal solid waste typically ends up in landfill, and these landfills are often sited on arable land – usually Class 1 land that is ideally suited for agricultural production. However, the OFA cannot support the concept of diverting agricultural fertilizer from landfills for the simple reason that farmers do not direct fertilizer into the waste stream. 

The process that ushered in this issue began in 2002 when the government passed the Waste Diversion Act, an act to promote the reduction, reuse, and recycling of waste and to provide for the development, implementation and operation of waste diversion programs.  At the same time it established a Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste Program. The first phase of that Program was introduced in 2007, at which time fertilizer was characterized as a Special Waste, but there was an exemption for fertilizers used in agricultural operations.  However, recent revisions to the Program have removed that exemption.

A recent letter from the Ontario Agri Business Association to the Ministry of the Environment’s Stewardship Ontario office states: “The agricultural sector has repeatedly stated concern with agricultural fertilizers being captured in a program for residential and small industrial, commercial and institutional (waste) generators.”

From the perspective of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, fertilizers are an essential farm input, and government needs to understand there is no waste fertilizer associated with agriculture. The OABA letter points out, and we agree, that “farmers will not be returning fertilizer to hazardous waste depots or landfill.” In fact, it could and should be stated that Ontario’s agricultural sector is already in full compliance with the goal of the province’s Waste Diversion Act in that fertilizer purchased by farmers is used in its entirety and generates no waste, whatsoever. In addition, farmers ensure that the fertilizer they do use in their farming operations is the right formulation, applied at the right time, to the right place, and at the right rate.   

OFA calls on the Ministry of the Environment to agree that it would be inequitable to extract a fee from the agricultural sector for diverting fertilizer from landfills when the agricultural sector is not responsible for directing fertilizer to landfills. 

While the inclusion of agricultural fertilizers packaged in 25kg bags may be viewed as more administratively efficient by Stewardship Ontario, it would result in a tax on farming to support a service that farmers do not use. 

OFA has participated in a series of positive discussions with the Ministry of Environment, and will continue to do so. OFA is looking forward to seeing this issue resolved fairly for all Ontario farmers.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Rarely do farmers take the time to celebrate the accomplishments of their industry. A significant milestone – the 40th anniversary of Earth Day – was marked on April 22, and farmers have every right to tell their fellow citizens about everything they have been doing to protect the earth and improve its environment.

With the joint leadership of the Ontario Farm Animal Council and AGCare, farmers have been encouraged to write about their environmental accomplishments with letters to editors of local newspapers.

There’s a lot to talk about in such letters – everything from their conservation tillage efforts to planting trees, production of renewable energy with wind turbines and biodigesters to solar installations to heat barns and power a variety of operations around the farm.

For decades farmers and their families have been employing Environmental Farm Plans (EFP) to ensure their farming operations are friendly to the environment. Through the EFP and its workshops and books, farm families are able to identify areas of their farms that can benefit from improved environmental practices.

When these improvements are made, farmers have been eligible for thousands of dollars to further encourage them to save and protect the environment. Officials estimate farmers added $32 million of their own funds for projects in 2009.

Ontario farmers were out in front of farmers elsewhere in Canada with their EFP projects. Farmers across Canada witnessed what Ontario farmers were doing to enhance the environment on their farms, and recently started projects in their province.

Advances in technology have been a major influence in improving the environmental care of our farms. These advances make it possible for today’s farmer to use satellite imagery to pinpoint the applications of plant nutrients and herbicides to protect the crops we plant. Using Global Positioning Systems on their farms, we know exactly where weeds are a problem, and where additional nutrients are needed to achieve the optimum yields.

This technology allows today’s farmers to optimize the applications of nutrients and crop protection materials, ensuring over-applications don’t occur and products are not wasted.

Integrated Pest Management systems have been employed to identify the best and most appropriate ways and means of dealing with pests to minimize pesticide use. These systems have enabled Ontario farmers to cut pesticide usage in half over the past 20 years.  

But in using the technologies at hand today, our farmers have also dramatically increased the production from their farms.  Factor productivity improvements in agriculture historically outstrip all other areas of our economy. 

While feeding Canadians and people around the world our farmers are also providing valuable ecological goods and services.  Farmers using no till or low till practices help sequester carbon in the soil, reducing the green house gas effect on our environment. 

New feeding regimes for livestock will reduce methane released into the atmosphere.  Green energy production on the farm use green house gasses to generate some of Ontario’s electricity needs for the future. So as governments move ahead on greenhouse gas policies, they need to know Canadian agriculture may be 10 per cent of the problem, but we can be 20 per cent of the solution.

Ontario farms do much more that grow our healthy and nutritious food. They serve as valuable water recharge areas, provide habitat for thousands of species of wildlife and, through modern farming practices, help preserve our valuable soil resources. How does that compare to an urban city block? 

Ontario farmers have much to be proud of as we celebrate Earth Day. And Ontario’s consumers have much to be proud of when they ask their retailer for Ontario-grown food. Consumers can be proud of supporting Ontario farmers who continue to improve our environment.

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Traditionally, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada issues its forecast for farm incomes each February – in time to give farmers an opportunity to better understand our industry situation and develop business plans taking the projections into account.  In short, this government data is a part of our business planning process.  

Without explanation, there was no forecast of farm incomes for 2010 from federal authorities.

In previous years, there was usually some good news. In 2008, net cash income was projected to rise by six per cent to $7.5 billion; for 2009 an increase of four per cent was projected. Some other figures contained in the report showed Realized net income going up by 16 per cent from 2007 levels to $2.5 billion in 2008, and then up another four per cent in 2009.

Total net income was forecast at a record $5.1 billion in 2008, but then dropping to $1.2 billion in 2009. The report indicated total family income per farm family remaining stable for 2008 and 2009. 

Net value added is agriculture’s contribution to the national economy’s production of goods and services. For 2008, that was projected to increase by 49 per cent, but to fall by 27 per cent in 2009.

The report has significance as it projects operating expenses – something that’s very important to farmers. As an example, farm operating expenses were predicted to increase by 13 per cent in 2008 over the previous year, and then fall by three per cent to $36.9 billion in 2009.

Without at report for 2010, farmers are left without an official benchmark as they plan their production for the year. Program payments to producers were projected to drop by three per cent in 2008, but increase by two per cent in 2009. With no report for 2010, farmers and their organizations are left guessing what might happen – not a comfortable situation.

In an overview of the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food System in 2009, the report said agriculture “continues to play an important role in the federal and provincial economies, making a significant contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment.” For 2008, the sector provided one in eight jobs in Canada and accounted for 8.1 per cent of total GDP.

Those are valuable statistics for agriculture and Canadians to know and understand. It’s what organizations like the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition has been using when we talk to governments about the value of Canadian agriculture – figures that indicate a real value of what farmers do for the country and its people. 

Now, however, without a report for 2010, what sort of picture can farm organizations present to society and to politicians? What are the projections telling policy makers? Do the projections further demonstrate the need for changes to the Business Risk Management programs that we know are not functioning well for the majority of Ontario farmers?   We don’t know. They have been held up somewhere along the line. 

In the highlights section of the overview for the 2009 report, we’re told that: “Any changes in commodity markets can therefore have impacts on the performance of primary agriculture and the whole supply chain.” That is exactly the argument of the Coalition – that primary agriculture’s economic well-being is critical to the viability of the whole supply chain. 

Our message is clear – that bankable and predictable risk management programs are needed by Ontario farmers to help us sustain the hundreds of thousands of jobs relying on our products. 

This report should be viewed as a critical tool for both governments and producers – it provides an essential measurement of the sector, should be used as a barometer against which programs must be measured and it helps us understand our role in the general economy. Will there be a report for 2010?

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Thousands of Ontario farmers, producers of a wide variety of commodities, are seeing their economic position deteriorating. They have joined together in the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition and are calling on the federal and provincial governments to take action to sustain their farms.

About 300 of them came together recently at a meeting in Stratford to talk about what has to be done to return their sectors to economic viability. An investment in agriculture by governments is needed to keep these farmers on the land. Without government investment these farmers will lose their operations.

Ontario farmers are calling for a predictable and bankable program to secure and sustain farm businesses that can invest and innovate now and into the future. Immediate action is needed at both the federal and provincial levels – changes to the AgriStability program that will work for Ontario farmers, and a Business Risk Management Program that will sustain Ontario agriculture.

Our political leaders at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs need to appreciate the economic importance of Ontario agriculture, and why it is critical to sustain our industry.

At Stratford the media learned that agriculture, food production and processing is one of Ontario’s most important employers and economic engines. There are more than 80,000 farm jobs in Ontario across about 57,000 farms. When the entire production, processing, retailing and transportation partnership is included, more than 712,000 jobs are involved, contributing about $28 billion to the Ontario economy.

We all heard that if our critical mass of declining farm production is broached our processing sector and its thousands of jobs will leave the province.  This would be a devastating blow to our rural and our urban economies.   Governments need to know and act on this critical warning.

Ontario farmers’ only protection against a large margin drop comes from the AgriStability program. Ontario farmers have clearly said that AgriStability does not work for them – that it needs to be repaired.  As reference margins shrink or go negative, AgriStability provides little to no assistance to producers.

Ontario farmers need a cost-of-production based Business Risk Management Program from January 2009 to run in concert with an improved AgriStability program. This proposal would fund 100 per cent of the difference between the average market price and a floor price that’s based on the cost of producing each commodity.

This message needs to come from all farmers: farmers need to contact their federal and provincial members of government. We all need to contact Prime Minister Harper, Premier McGuinty, AAFC Minister Ritz, and OMAFRA Minister Mitchell to make sure they clearly understand not only our situation, but also how critical it is that Canada invests in its farmers right now. They need to realize that consumers – the voters – want locally produced food from sustainable Ontario farms. Our voices must be heard.

It is a busy time on the farm right now. Planting is always a time of hope. So please take some time to nourish that hope by making a call or sending an email to demand political action to sustain our farms.  

You can find the latest information to take to the politicians at the OASC website – www.oasc.ca

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture continues to work with government and others to develop policies and procedures to bring biomass as a source of energy from Ontario farms to Ontario society.

Biomass can be broadly defined to include all various feedstocks from manure to crop residue to purpose-grown crops.

Fortunately, there are many ways to process biomass to make it a useful source of energy – everything from anaerobic digesters to pellets, to gasification, to direct burning.

This highlights the beauty of biomass in its flexibility – the process can be matched to the market requirements: anaerobic digesters transform manure into heat, power and fertilizer; bio-diesel turns oil seeds into feed and fuel; ethanol comes from grains and cellulose; pellets come from crop residue or purpose-grown crops; crop residue can be turned into gas, heat and ash.

Ontario’s Green Energy Act has opened the doors to establish a market for the optimum use of biomass fuels.

Agriculture deals in commodities on a daily basis, so one of the first actions necessary will be to identify an acceptable standard that defines the commodity for buyer and seller.

In the case of biomass to replace coal, a fuel standard needs to be defined.

Getting biomass products to market will require a network of roads and trading equipment to facilitate the buying, selling and delivery of the farmers’ biomass material to the end user.

To be a realistic option, we must ensure value retention is done at each level of the production chain including on-farm handling to delivery to the end user.  If trucking the product to market is not feasible, then maybe the material can be gasified and moved through a pipeline.

Ontario is interested in developing energy sources to replace the coal-fired electricity generation plants that are used today. The Green Energy Act is a reflection  of society’s concern over climate change that’s happening because of increased greenhouse gas production. Coal-fired generation is a major source of Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s an accepted fact that only farmers and foresters can manage carbon cycles in their daily business. Plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and return it to the soil. Farmers manage plants. Therefore, biomass production by farmers and foresters is one example of supplying above-ground biomass energy to society while building organic matter in our soils.

Before we can expect society and its government to accept biomass production from our agricultural land, we need to develop proof that biomass production is sustainable for the long term benefit of society.

OFA on behalf of the province’s farmers will need to ensure all the necessary research is done. We must make sure the project can make economic sense, environmental sense, and social sense.

Society is going to want to know that farmers are not diverting crop production from food to biomass in order to capitalize on the energy market – we have witnessed the lack of understanding by society when crop land was used to produce crops for ethanol production.

Because of yesterday’s research employed on today’s farms, Ontarians enjoy the cheapest food basket in the grocery store. Now Ontario farmers will not only keep food on the shelves, but keep the lights on.

To meet the needs of tomorrow, the OFA will continue to work on bringing the necessary policy tools and research forward for Ontario’s farmers in a profitable, sustainable manner.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Patience and perseverance sums up much of what Ontario’s budget outlook offers agriculture for the long term. As expected, there was no new funding announced in the budget, but that doesn’t mean our efforts end here. It simply means we need to continue to fight for the prudent investments needed to pull up our rural economy and preserve local food for the future of Ontario.

Finance Minister Duncan announced a $2 billion contingency fund as part of the budget. That fund is established to provide flexibility to respond to future challenges. The Minister knows now and will hear more that agriculture is in the middle of the massive challenge of staying viable and sustaining its very future.

Minister Duncan didn’t shut agriculture out of his planning for the future. The Minister of Finance included agriculture as a “key sector”, noting the province has invested in such key sectors on many occasions since 2003.

Ontario farmers will work with the minister and the government as it struggles to get through the deficit situation that developed in the past year. We have confidence in the minister’s approach to overcoming the deficit, and it would appear Minister Duncan has a good understanding of the investments needed in AgriStability and Business Risk Management Programs to strengthen and sustain the business of farming.

Hon. Carol Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, has talked about her support for agriculture. OFA and its partners in the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition will continue its lobby work to convince the government to invest in AgriStability and our Business Risk Management Program.

We will be exploring ways with Minister Mitchell to access the $2 billion contingency fund set aside in the budget.

It was encouraging for agriculture to at least see that the OMAFRA budget increased by $150 million over the previous year – we hope a reflection of increased program spending.

The budget document also referred to the projected benefit to agriculture of $30 million with the implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax later this year. That benefit to agriculture comes from additional tax exempt items under the HST schedule for farm inputs.

Ontarians need to be encouraged by the dwindling of the province’s deficit in the weeks leading up to the budget release. Improved economic activity resulted in a decrease of the deficit by $3.4 billion. We can only hope that this trend brings the $21.3 billion deficit to zero more quickly than Minister Duncan’s projected seven years.

The OAS Coalition understands Ontario‘s fiscal situation. It was caused by a deep recession and deepened by infrastructure and industry bailout spending. It is our position, proven by experience that a sound investment in the business of farming will pull Ontario up by its bootstraps, help reduce the deficit, and ultimately pay dividends.

We need to work together more than ever to convince our governments that making agriculture a priority will serve the needs of all of Ontario – now and in the future.

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By Keith Currie, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Executive Member

Ontario farmers will be paying close attention to what Finance Minister Duncan includes in his budget on March 25th.

We’re looking to the budget to enable necessary business risk management and other regulatory reform to support our farmers.

The OFA believes current government policies fail to adequately support Ontario farmers. We encourage the province to make a commitment to agriculture that our farmers can bank on immediately and in the long-term.

It has been proven in the past that an investment in agriculture is good for the entire economy, not just the farming sector. That’s because of the thousands of jobs in the agri-food industry – everything from processing and transportation to retailing.

OFA believes that the right economic stimulus package for agriculture should contain both government budgetary expenditures and a commitment from the government to work with the agricultural community to  address government policies that negatively affect or impede agriculture.

The current instability in the Ontario agricultural economy emphasizes the urgent need for a Business Risk Management Program – a key element in the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition’s (OASC) list of needs. OFA believes it would not be acceptable to only improve the prospects of future farmers without providing help for current farmers to survive.

Public investment in agricultural research continues to be part of OFA’s request to government. This investment is essential to keeping our agricultural sector on the leading edge of agriculture’s future growth and success going forward. 

Previous investment in agricultural research has made it possible for our industry to grow and partially keep pace with agriculture in other jurisdictions. OFA believes government investment in research of on-farm energy production initiatives would be money well spent considering the Ontario Government’s focus on green energy and sustainability.

OFA wants to remind the government that it plays a key role in developing and enforcing energy policy. Ontario agriculture needs the cooperation of the government to allow it to realize the maximum benefits from the energy produced by agriculture.

Changes are needed for the definition of “Farm Lands” in terms of Ontario’s Property Tax Assessment. OFA is calling on the government to clarify that the term “Farm Lands” is intended to include buildings.

Ontario farmers continue to experience increasing losses from wildlife damage. Media stories of a growing and more menacing coyote population throughout the province is a strong indicator that some real action is needed by the government to bring this problem under control.

While improved wildlife control measures are needed, OFA wants the provincial government to update its schedule of compensation for livestock and poultry kills by wildlife. When farmers find animals killed by wildlife, government officials must understand that  represents immediate and deepening income losses – both unsustainable for our farmers.

Ontario agriculture will be looking for government’s response to these issues in the next budget.

OFA Commentary 1010 Click here for audio version

By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Anyone looking for an at-length mention of agriculture or farming in the recent Ontario Throne Speech were most likely left disappointed or cold.

At the mid-way point of the speech, we heard: ‘Your government will also support growth and expansion in our agri-food sector....because the world needs the good things that grow in Ontario.’

The balance of the speech offered a multitude of opportunities, sometimes obscure, where farmers and other professionals in agri-food can go to work and potentially thrive by using their skills and training to meet the needs of a growing country and a growing world.

Ontario farmers are already tapping into a rapidly expanding field of opportunities for green energy production. We have wind turbines popping up in our fields, we have biodigesters taking shape on our farms, capable of making a contribution of clean, renewable energy to the province-wide grid, solar energy can find a home on our roofs, and we are learning of other new opportunities to enter the green energy business.

We have said many times in the past that agriculture is capable of driving the province’s economy to new heights. We have also said that prudent government investment is necessary to make this happen. In a recent commentary, we said: ‘Our government leaders are not clearly seeing that the economic backbone that is agriculture is beginning to crumble at an alarming rate.’

If our government is serious about relying on agriculture to power the province to new economic levels, it is going to have to make some serious investments in our industry. We will have an opportunity to measure the level of commitment to agriculture’s future when the provincial government presents its next budget later this month.

There should be no doubt about the desire of Ontario farmers to play a role in realizing the dreams expressed for the province in the Throne Speech. We really need to see a greater commitment to agriculture’s future with investments from our federal and provincial governments.

The Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition has developed a comprehensive agenda outlining the urgent economic needs of farmers in the livestock, horticulture and grains and oilseeds sectors. We are concerned with the apparent lack of will by our governments to step up and provide solutions.

We anticipate the next budget will be focussed on job creation. Rural Ontario relies strongly on agriculture for a wide variety of good jobs. The agri-food sector in Ontario has the potential to provide good jobs in rural Ontario, but what can be done will depend on the level of government investment in agriculture in the sectors represented by the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition.

Health care was highlighted in the throne speech as an essential component of a strong future for the province. Locally grown food has long been identified by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture as a source of nutrition for healthy and productive Ontarians. Our farmers recognize this fact and we call on our government to ensure we are positioned to provide that food.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Canada’s Olympic athletes are a shining example that well-placed government funding can produce amazing results.

That’s why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture had hoped this week’s federal budget would contain some critical investment dollars for agriculture. It has been proven many times in the past that money invested in agriculture pays dividends on an ongoing basis.

Canadian farmers have found the Federal AgriStability Program doesn’t meet their needs in terms of being bankable or predictable, and it’s a program that is dearly needed by struggling farmers.

OFA and its partners in the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition (OASC) – livestock, grains, oilseeds and edible horticulture products – have told governments they need federal investment to improve AgriStability.

The captain of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s team, Minister Ritz, responded with a flat “NO” when he was asked at the recent annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture about immediate investment in improvements for the program.

If the leaders of Team Canada’s organizing squad had met a similar response to their ‘Own the Podium’ plan, what would that have done to Canada’s Olympic chances?

The Throne Speech promised ‘to support a competitive livestock industry and pursue market access for agricultural products’ and continuing support for the country’s supply managed sectors – dairy, chicken and eggs.

But not too surprisingly there was no new investment in agriculture. We understand the importance of paying off the deficit as a means of getting the country back on its feet following the recent recession. The government needs to keep in mind the importance of a strong and healthy agri-food sector and realize any further weakening of the farm economy will have a deep impact on the country’s overall economy.

During a time when cutbacks are used to survive, we need to be pleased there were no cuts to agricultural programming in the federal budget. It is also good to see that Canada is maintaining its support of Global Food Security – a $600 million plan to improve long-term food security for poor and vulnerable populations around the world.

Canada’s beef producers received a small note of good news in the budget with the Slaughter Improvement Program. That will provide $40 million loan over three years for the development and commercialization of innovative technologies related to the removal and use of specified risk materials (SRM). These SRM emerged as an issue from the BSE crisis for the livestock sector and continue to cost producers.

This was a typical government budget document – many of the impacts won’t be fully realized for weeks, months, or maybe even years.

OFA and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture will continue to follow their beliefs that agriculture is an ideal short and long-term investment for our governments. We want to see our farmers gain their rightful position on the podium and will work hard to ensure our governments provide the needed funding and programs to make that happen.

While the Olympics happen every four years, the citizens of Canada eat daily and Canadian farmers want to be the supplier of their food.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Partners in the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition find themselves up against a brick wall when they turn for action to Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Hon. Gerry Ritz.

Ontario farmers are rapidly losing equity and their farm businesses because today’s risk management programs do not work.

When we talk to Minister Ritz, he says 80 per cent of farmers think the Federal AgriStability program is working for them. Yet, 80 per cent of Ontario farmers tell OFA the program is failing them and is in desperate need of major adjustments.

Minister Ritz, speaking at the recent annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture says technology, science, research and innovation will save agriculture. In the long-term, he may be right, but right now, how do our farmers invest in innovation with record debt levels and lost equity. 

The situation is bleak on Ontario farms and the Minister has to understand that there will be serious and irreparable damage to Ontario’s rural economy as a result. Our OASC coalition has developed the solutions to stabilize and sustain our farm businesses so that we can capitalize on technology and innovation in a more secure future.

The minister recently claimed that farmers are a resilient group, and will continue to plant and to birth calves and so on. That was the case but it is no longer true. Ontario farm businesses have lost equity and are in debt. There is no more resiliency left.   The Minister has to get in touch with the new reality and listen to the solutions that will turn this dire situation around.

Farm leaders within the OASC group predict that thousands of Ontario farmers will exit agriculture each year. There will be a major loss of jobs in the agri-food sector as agricultural production disappears because of the failure of government to properly invest in agriculture.

Ontario’s new minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, the Honourable Carol Mitchell, understands this situation and supports the proposals we have brought forward.  But the risk management programs operate on a 60-40 federal–provincial split so we need our federal government to step up to the plate with a real commitment to farming in this country.

A recent news release from OFA and its OASC partners expressed disappointment at the failure of agriculture ministers from Ottawa, the provinces and the territories to ‘understand and appreciate’ the problems currently facing farmers.

In that release, OFA stated: ‘(Ministers) need to realize that our local food supply is in jeopardy along with thousands of farming and processing jobs.’

Ontario’s minister gets it. Why can’t Minister Ritz?

When I recently asked point blank if he would support the proposals to reform AgriStability to make it predictable and bankable and to support the Ontario Business Risk Management Plan the Minister simply said: “No”. That is unacceptable. 

All Ontario farmers need to make sure his colleagues in government understand that is unacceptable.  Ontario farm families need to raise their voices to tell our federal politicians that a serious investment in Ontario agriculture is needed and warranted. Call your Member of Parliament and make sure they make farming and food production a priority.

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Belief in the right decisions

By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

As citizens we need to trust our government leaders to make the right decisions for agriculture’s future. We’ve heard statements that ‘agriculture is important to the Ontario economy and forms the economic backbone of many rural communities.’

However, most farmers do not see these statements reflected in the actions of governments. Our government leaders are not clearly seeing that the economic backbone that is agriculture is beginning to crumble at an alarming rate.  Ontario agriculture is hurting now and requires prudent public investment and sound policy so it can continue to be an important contributor to the Ontario economy. 

Our leaders need to appreciate the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s statistics for total Ontario farm income for 2009. The numbers  do not provide reason for much optimism – calling for a loss of $143.5 million when figures for all Canadian farms show a profit of $1.25 billion. They provide reason for a call to arms.

This is a clear sign that Ontario farms are facing some unique challenges. Ontario’s livestock sector is shown to be contracting more than any other province in Canada. Clearly something has to happen to turn this trend around if we are to expect an optimistic outlook for the future.

OFA’s pre-budget presentation to the provincial government stated: ‘the right economic stimulus package for agriculture should contain both government budgetary expenditures and the government’s commitment to work with the agricultural community to address government policies that negatively affect or impede agriculture.’

Our budget submission references The Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition recommendations to government with the objective of improving the economic health of agriculture. Reforms to the AgriStability program are of prime importance to helping farmers cope with the prolonged deterioration in business margins.

OFA’s document to the provincial government pointed out that government policies have raised Ontario farm production costs, and nothing has been done to contribute to farm gate prices.

We warned the government that ‘Ontario’s local food supply is threatened. Farmers cannot stay in business with negative margins for long....an investment in agriculture is good for the economy, the environment and is a smart, least-cost way of preserving jobs and local services in the rural communities.’

OFA’s pre-budget document to government also dealt with a broad range of changes that government needs to implement to stimulate agriculture and put revenue back into the industry. We urged the government to make a strong commitment to the biomass industry with an aggressive process of research and planning. This is essential so farmers can see and believe in what they are being asked to do.

Along with declining incomes for their production, farmers are also facing increased costs of getting product to market. A good example of this is when predators attack and destroy their livestock. We continue to call on government to modernize the legislation and the rates of compensation provided for predator kills. Farmers are facing increasing losses, but government continues to delay making the necessary changes.

Our government must take all of these recommendations seriously if the local food supply is to survive.  In short, governments must see agriculture and farming as the priority it should be so it can help drive our economy as it can. 

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Canadian farmers wonder why so much effort is needed to convince governments that spending on agriculture is a good investment – that investments in agriculture by governments pay dividends.

A recent column in the National Post would be a good place to look for an answer. Under the title “On the Chopping Block” the columnist provides thoughts on government spending on agriculture in an apparent attempt to justify massive cuts to agriculture programs.

In terms of a global economic recovery, the article quotes Prime Minister Harper in Davos, Switzerland, as saying the global economic recovery is a “mile wide but only an inch deep.” The potential contribution of agriculture to that recovery is overlooked.

The comment that ”every budget brings a new (agricultural) program” is accurate.  The simple reason is that governments have not appreciated the opportunities that agricultural investment can provide our rural and urban economies. The laissez-faire attitude of governments to agriculture, resulting in disjointed and ineffective programs rests on the common belief that food is plentiful, inexpensive, good for us and will always be there (in Canada at least).

Quite frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. The simple fact is that Canada does not have a National Food Strategy – there is no plan in this country to secure Canadian food for Canadians beyond the next harvest, at most.  This attitude results in a mish-mash of government expenditures that do not work for farmers. In spite of government rhetoric, farmers find them to be unpredictable and not bankable – contrary to the stated intentions. 

As a result the OFA has come together with our commodity partners and with our colleague across the country through the CFA to advise the government exactly what we need now and in the future.

Through the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition we have developed programs that will be implemented now to stabilize our livestock, grains and edible horticulture industries. This involves adjustments to AgriStability – adjustments that will be retroactive to counter the damage done by government inaction. Our members tell us that AgriStability does not work – that it needs to be changed. We listened and we now need government to listen.

We are also proposing Business Risk Management programming for Ontario farmers for future sustainability. We know it works through the grain and oilseed pilot project.  It is incumbent on our governments to finally listen to what farmers want and need for investments   

To guide agricultural policy development in the future we have also joined with all our colleagues across Canada to develop a National Food Strategy.     We have begun consultations on the Strategy with members and soon with our agri-food partners and consumers to develop our fundamental objectives  for the future of food in Canada. How will we produce, process and market food in the future?  Will we be concerned with access to affordable and nutritious food in the future?

As strange as it sounds we have never had this discussion nor made such decision in this country.

The OFA and the CFA are proud to lead the call for such an important strategy. We look to our members to contribute throughout its development.

Meanwhile, The Ontario Federation of Agriculture will continue its efforts to achieve government investment that stabilizes and sustains our farm businesses – the business of producing food for Canadians.

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By Keith Currie, Executive Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

By Keith Currie, Executive Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The route for taking agriculture’s issues to government has some new faces. I’m looking forward to working with Ontario’s new minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, the Hon. Carol Mitchell of the Huron-Bruce riding, and want to thank Leona Dombrowsky for her dedication and effort as minister over the past four+ years.

Minister Mitchell has undergone several years of training for the position – training conducted by some seasoned federation people at the grassroots level in Huron and Bruce counties. While she doesn’t come from an agricultural background, we believe her exposure to people like past OFA President Gordon Hill in Huron has given her a clear understanding of our industry.

The federation’s county organizations in both Huron and Bruce have held countless meetings with Minister Mitchell as she progressed to her present post. Those meetings with some of the strongest agricultural leaders in the province, have been an excellent training ground for our new minister.

OFA recently presented its annual brief to the Ontario Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. That document outlined the issues farmers see critical to stability and sustainability for agriculture in Ontario: support is needed for recommendations from the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition – the new body established by OFA that includes livestock, edible horticulture, grains and oilseeds and CFFO with the objective of securing Business Risk Management Programming and a more secure future for those sectors.

But as we’ve said in the past, agriculture is only one of the subjects OFA touches on when it deals with the provincial government. Premier McGuinty has moved a number of Cabinet ministers to new posts and a number are heading up ministries for the first time.

Minister Linda Jeffrey of the Brampton Springdale riding will be hearing from OFA in her new posting as Minister of Natural Resources. This will continue to be a key ministry for OFA as we deal with predator issues and species at risk regulations – both of high concern to farmers.

Brad Duguid of the Scarborough Centre riding in Toronto is the new minister of Energy and Infrastructure. OFA was able to make considerable progress with another MPP from Toronto, George Smitherman, when he was minister of energy and infrastructure. We are sure Minister Duguid will take a similar level of interest in agriculture’s potential in the energy field.

Transportation has always been a ministry with major impacts on agriculture. Farmers will continue to haveissues with moving their vehicles and equipment along provincial roadways as those roadways see increasing traffic. The new minister there is Kathleen Wynne from the Toronto riding of Don Valley West.

John Gerretsen remains as minister of the environment – a portfolio that gave him a multitude of opportunities to interact with farmers, agriculture and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. It gives him the opportunity to work with OFA in recognizing the valuable ecological goods and services contribution made by Ontario farmers and the critical need, going forward, to purchase those services.

Jim Bradley is the new minister of municipal affairs and housing, will be across the table from OFA when local land use issues and zoning matters need to be discussed.

As agriculture’s voice at Queen’s Park, OFA looks forward to working with the new ministers Premier McGuinty has named to his team to secure the programs, policies and pragmatic regulations that will sustain a profitable farm sector.

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act offers considerable protection for a wide variety of species at risk of becoming extinct, but farmers should be able to recover compensation for the costs they incur protecting those species.

The principle of fairness dictates and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture believes there needs to be compensation for a farmer forced to take productive land out of production in order to save and protect the habitat of endangered species. If this doesn’t happen, the protection of these species must become a cost of food production that’s passed along to society.

Farmers have long been known for their love of nature and all its creatures. We recognize them as part of the total ecosystem – each important in its own way to the whole system.

OFA and Ontario farmers believe all of society benefits from a complete and protected ecosystem. This Act makes farmers pay for things that all in society benefits from having. It can be compared with an employer restricting the size of an employee’s office and reducing that employee’s pay as a result.

Ontario’s farming community becomes a victim of the new act’s definition of habitat – the area where a listed species lives. As the Ministry of Natural Resources develops the criteria protecting these habitat areas, farmers are finding out certain areas of their farms could become off limits to regular agricultural production.

Last June, the ministry posted its draft habitat regulations for nine species it believes to be at risk of going extinct. Included in that list of nine species were: American Badger, Barn Owl, Jefferson Salamander, Wood Turtle, Peregrine Falcon, and the Eastern Prairie Fringed-orchid. Now that the regulations have been finalized,, the fears of OFA and Ontario farmers have been confirmed.

In the case of the American Badger, woodchuck and Franklin’s ground squirrel dens, an area of about 560 acres will be lost to production. Next, sites for barn owls pose a different problem for farmers. The MNR restrictions apply even to man-made structures – everything from barns to silos where the owl may have chosen to build its nest.

Wood turtle habitat represents additional challenges for farmers. If a wood turtle is shown to be present in a stream on a farm, the land on both sides of the stream, river or waterway is designated for protection. That can extend from 200 metres or 500 metres above the high water mark. This could take between 200 acres and 14,880 acres out of production.

The Jefferson salamander enjoys pools in woodlots, so the MNR has designated the area within 300 metres of these pools as protected and off limits to any farming activity. The ministry has notified farmers with lands suited to the Jefferson salamander that drawing down on water from these pools, or removal of the canopy cover (tree cutting), and use of herbicides or fertilizers can also be viewed as damaging the habitat.

OFA has attempted to get details from the ministry about how normal, everyday farm practices in the designated habitat areas will be viewed – but with no success.

Farmers who find themselves in “grey areas” when it comes to interpreting the Act and how it might apply to their farmland, may want to ask a ministry official’s opinion before doing something that could lead to a hefty penalty.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Canadian farmers have been leaders in adopting technologies and production methods when a true improvement can be seen on the bottom line.

Activities such as renewable energy production, no till farming, higher feed efficiencies, are all the result of many years of research, both academic and farm based, now employed on farms.  What is usually not noted is the beneficial impacts these practices are giving to society.

So whether we at the farm gate believe in the issue of climate change or not, society has decided it is an issue.  That’s why OFA/CFA attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference to promote and defend our environmentally sustainable practices that are needed to feed nine billion people by 2050.

Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides are all greenhouse gases produced on farms. Agriculture is responsible for 10 per cent of the greenhouse gases in Canada, but can provide 20 per cent of the solutions to deal with this buildup.

The Copenhagen meeting helped cement  the fact that only farmers and foresters can really put carbon dioxide back in our soils.

Policy to address climate change by provincial governments is now on Canadian farms.  Today in British Columbia, greenhouse growers have to pay an extra $10,000 on average in fuel costs due to a carbon tax.

Similarly, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba farmers will be absorbing this cost to move grain to Vancouver. However, Alberta farmers receive cheques for completing no till or direct seeding on their farms through a cap and trade system.  Alberta farmers voluntarily choose to participate.

So as 192 governments present in Copenhagen were deciding how to move forward, they heard directly that agriculture is a solution provider given the right rules.  I had the honor to represent 600 million farmers as I spoke to a plenary session to convey this message from the International Federation of Agricultural Producers .

Opposing views to agriculture's current best management practices were present in full force.  Groups were calling for all beef production to be halted, and fertilizer use to be stopped, for example.  Farmers were there to defend our practices, and give science-based answers to government questions.

The Canadian government announced its involvement in an international research alliance on greenhouse gases.  Hopefully, new opportunities for Canadian farmers can be rapidly gained in this process.  Research always feeds the bottom line.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Federation of  Agriculture have major roles to play as we move forward on climate change issues.  Federally, Minister Prentice wants a harmonization with the United States.  Provincially, Ontario is in policy discussions with other provinces and US states for a system to be implemented in 2012.  Farmers voices have to be heard at these venues.

Agriculture will have a key role to play at future United Nation's conferences on climate change. The initial science to defend our role is done for agriculture's case, we have planted seeds for proper policy - we just have to have it legally recognized by the U.N. framework.

So remember even if you think climate change is silly, the world doesn't. We have to show a positive attitude while being able to avoid negative impacts to agriculture's bottom line, because this really is a trade and energy discussion.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

As a farmer, what’s your number one issue?

Travelling throughout Ontario, talking to farmers provides people like me, the President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, with an abundance of thoughts on what agriculture’s top 10 issues should be.

Farm income is a sure bet to be at the top of such a list – regardless of what area of the province you are in or what commodity you produce. A farm is a business and what else is more important than the ability to earn a profit to sustain that business?

Most of the issues the OFA tackles for its members relate to the ability to earn a profit. However, they start out looking a lot different in many cases. The OFA deals with issues such as predator controls, property taxes, environmental stewardship, clean water, etc. At the base of these issues, however, is the bottom line on individual farms and what OFA can do to protect or enhance the farm family’s income.

Identifying the issues is just the first part of serving member needs. Once we know the issues, we have to work with commodity and other partners to develop possible solutions.

This is when the real difficult work begins for OFA – getting the proposed solutions to the right people within governments, both elected and appointed, because that’s where proposals are turned into solutions.

While increased financial returns is an obvious answer to farm income issues, OFA has also placed a major emphasis on retaining the income farmers receive. We have done this through improved tax legislation: savings of more than $5 million on Land Transfer taxes for starting farmers; property tax savings of about $368 million for farmers in general; savings of about $6 million for Outlet Drains.

Through efforts of OFA and its national partner, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Ontario farmers have benefited from about $585 million received from safety net programs. Farmers in Ontario have also received more than $7 million from the Environmental Farm Plan program.

OFA continues to play a lead role as it works with Ontario commodity organizations to bring workable Business Risk Management Programs to fruition for farmers in the beef, pork and horticultural sectors. When this work eventually pays dividends, it will make farming in those sectors more predictable and enjoyable for the farm families involved.

As modern agriculture becomes increasingly knowledge based, the OFA is proud of its staff of researchers and member service representatives (MSRs). These people are available to work with OFA members on issues impacting farm families.

Another key element in the chain of problem solvers and issues confronting farmers is the local federations of agriculture. In most instances, this is where identification of issues and development of solutions begin. When an issue comes up on the farm, the OFA’s MSR and the local federation step up and go to work on possible solutions.

It’s the local federation, in the majority of cases, that initiates a resolution to the OFA’s Board of Directors. When all the necessary fine tuning is done and the resolution passed, the OFA then goes to work getting details in the hands of government – staff and elected levels.

It’s also the local federations the OFA turns to for engagement of the local membership when a mass lobby at Queen’s Park or Parliament Hill is needed to get government to act.

Identifying issues facing Ontario farmers is something OFA does almost daily. Planning a course of action has become second nature for OFA. We’re always ready to serve Ontario farmers.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Christmas season is traditionally a time for giving and being generous and loving – that is how families normally act at this time of year.

But, Ontario farmers are facing an expanding list of things they need to survive, and they are counting on the Ontario Federation of Agriculture to negotiate with governments to provide the basics. As president of OFA, I work among the province’s farmers every day. I hear what they are saying and I understand the urgency of the needs they articulate.

Recently, I met with a group of commodity leaders who made it quite clear what they need if their farmers are going to survive. These leaders represent a large number of hog and beef producers and those in the horticulture sector – producers of fruits and vegetables. They have been working towards risk management programs that would provide some stability to their sectors.

We worked with grains and oilseeds leaders and were successful in having risk management programs introduced for them.

Our minister, the Hon. Leona Dombrowsky, has stated a willingness to do the same type of risk management programming for the livestock and horticulture sectors, but before that can happen she needs to see a willing federal partner at the table. Before that can happen, OFA, the commodity groups and Ontario farmers will have to apply a lot of pressure at the federal level.

Premier McGuinty has told me and the leaders of Ontario’s commodity groups that he shares our vision for agriculture playing an expanded role in the province’s economic future. That will certainly be an answer to one of agriculture’s big wishes.

Setting out the goals and objectives for the industry’s future will surely be part of establishing an agricultural strategy, not just provincially, but nationally. The premier has given agriculture greater hope for the future with his promise to be involved as an agriculture strategy is developed by OFA and CFA.

OFA’s 38,000 members are being called upon to play a more significant role in engaging all levels of government in the development of a National Food Strategy.

Other important matters on our farm families’ wish list this Christmas are:

• fair property taxation that shows an understanding by government of what farming is;
• fair compensation for wildlife and predator damage on Ontario farms;
• a plan by the Ministry of Natural Resources to adequately manage the wildlife population that is causing so much damage and loss on our Ontario farms;
• fair compensation for land taken out of production to provide wildlife habitat and source water protection areas;
• the right for Ontario’s fruit wine producers to market their product at farmers’ markets;
• we need the federal government to eliminate the excise tax on farm fuel to help farmers deal with input cost increases;
• farmers need action by our governments to ensure labels on food in the stores properly identify the country of origin so Canadian consumers can buy domestically-produced food where possible.

We know there will be costs associated with many of the items on our wish list, but the returns generated to those in the food chain through taxes to governments will make it worthwhile. Christmas is the right time for giving and receiving.

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By Keith Currie, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

It’s something every livestock producer knows – if you have live stock on your farm, you are also going to have dead stock.

Safe disposal of that dead stock is increasingly a problem in Ontario for farmers and society.

For many years, farmers with dead animals to be disposed of had a responsive and dedicated industry that a telephone call would summon – problem solved.

That all came to a crashing halt when BSE was identified and new regulations for handling Specified Risk Material were imposed by CFIA. The responsive and dedicated service had to face higher handling costs and a severe restriction in markets available for the products they produced.  More recently the market for hides has collapsed, taking away another source of revenue for dead stock service operators.

As a result farmers are faced with paying a fee for the pick-up and disposal service.  Coupled with losing a valuable animal this presents a double-sided hit to the balance sheet.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has been working with the industry to find an acceptable solution that will keep our valuable disposal services in operation, providing farmers with an affordable alternative to on-farm disposal of deadstock.

A task team was set up by OFA to address the problems facing the farming and dead stock industries. The operators have reported on their efforts to change business plans and handling methods to reduce costs and improve revenues.  This will, in turn, allow for a lower cost to farmers for their services.

The Task Team also looked at the issue of Specified Risk Materials (SRM) and the ramifications for on-farm  disposal.  In Ontario, any compost containing SRM cannot be moved from the composting farm location.  Further if it is spread on land, grazing on that land should be avoided for a five year period according to CFIA.

 On-farm disposal also restricts proximity of burial to tile drains and water sources to ensure our water supplies remain unaffected.  This makes sense.  Farmers always strive to guard against any risk of water contamination through their farm practices.

But how much land do these restrictions leave for on-farm disposal?  How much land has sufficient soil depth to enable burial? How much of that land is not tile drained? How much pasture will be off-limits according to CFIA recommendations once spread with dead stock compost? And how long before all that available land is used up?  These are questions we are trying to answer.

These issues clearly underscore the need to maintain a viable deadstock collection and disposal business in Ontario.  However, the reduced volumes of dead stock being offered to disposal services by farmers continues to negatively impact the financial viability of service operators.

It is a catch 22 situation.  Higher pick-up costs have reduced volumes, further eroding the financial strength of the companies.

There is no doubt the additional costs of pick-up hurt, particularly at a time when the industry is facing its own low prices for cattle.  However, deadstock must be disposed of in some fashion.

A telephone call to a licensed disposal service remains the simplest way to comply with all government regulations and avoid any potential liability down the road. 

OFA continues to work with the industry to determine any measures that can be taken by government, the farming sector, and the disposal industry to ensure the viable and affordable disposal of farm animal carcasses.  The industry performs a vital service for Ontario and needs to remain sound.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

As the world looks for solutions to the growing amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, agriculture is an important part of the solution.

I will be attending the United Nations planning forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, next week as a Canadian Federation of Agriculture representative. The purpose of the international meeting is to find a replacement to the Kyoto.

The message from this Canadian farmer is that agriculture is 10 per cent of the problem, but can be 20 per cent of the solution if the policy is right. All farmers need strong global policy.

In Alberta, farmers are receiving recognition for their efforts in managing carbon. Roughly, 1.5 million tonnes of carbon credits from no-till soil management have been recognized up to the end of 2008, putting ten million dollars back in the pockets of those Alberta farmers.

With both the Ontario and Canadian governments looking at the potential of cap and trade market systems setting up as early as 2012, Ontario farmers need to develop processes that would help them participate in such markets. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is currently conducting a feasibility study to examine opportunities for Ontario farmers in a carbon trading system.

OFA has established a consultation schedule where farmers will be encouraged to attend and find out more about the potential of cap and trade market systems in their farming business. The consultations are intended to help identify opportunities and barriers influencing farmers’ participation in a carbon trading market.

Based on the input received at the consultation sessions, recommendations will be developed to overcome any obstacles identified by the study. The two-hour consultations will be open to all farmers and commodity organizations.

Funding for this project is coming from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food program as delivered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council in Ontario.

The consultation schedule, available on OFA’s website, has 12 locations across the province. The process began November 30 and ends December 9th.

Once farmers gain an understanding of their potential role in reducing carbon in the atmosphere, discussions will be held with regulated large emitters and other purchasers of carbon credits. A business model may then be developed for the aggregation of carbon credits generated by Ontario agriculture. Carbon is a commodity no different than corn or wheat.

Discussions at the consultation sessions will examine a number of topics: Are the principles for agriculture correct? What are the pros and cons of being an aggragator? What are the essential qualities of an aggregator?

Farmers participating in the consultations will be asked what information and what support tools they would need before making a commitment to get involved in the carbon trading system?

OFA sees the project unfolding over a period of a year, wrapping up by September 2010. We want to host a multi-commodity meeting to consider the issues, and we want to see a list of viable options to guide agriculture moving forward with the project.

Kim Turnbull, a farmer and chair of the Agricultural Adaptation Council, has said: “reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a concern for all Canadians, and it’s exciting that agriculture can be part of the solution to this global problem. We just need to determine how we can best make this work for Ontario farmers.”

The OFA is determined to make it work for farmers.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Delegates to the 2009 annual meeting of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture discovered they can generate a lot of energy and enthusiasm even with a shorter convention.

Many delegates said they appreciated the single day convention this year – they were anxious to return to their farms to complete a harvest that’s been difficult in many areas.

It was gratifying to see the return of OFA’s three presidents by acclamation. That tells us there’s a good degree of comfort and satisfaction with the leaders of Ontario’s largest general farm organization. Now myself and vice-presidents Don McCabe and Mark Wales can get back to representing Ontario farmers on a number of levels, primarily at Queen’s Park, but also in discussions with the province’s commodity organizations and at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, OFA’s door to the federal government.

It is important that OFA work in harmony with the commodities because our Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Hon. Leona Dombrowsky, told convention delegates that government can work best with a strong, single message from farmers.

Minister Dombrowsky, after meeting with OFA and a delegation of five industry leaders recently, has agreed to dedicate resources to an industry/government committee that would work together on a Risk Management Program for non supply managed commodities.

The Minister also had good news for convention delegates when she indicated the move to approve a fee increase for OFA was moving forward. The vast majority of farmers who responded to the government’s invitation to comment on such a fee increase was positive.

Without adequate funding, the OFA is unable to do the research and lobbying necessary to keep our industry on the leading edge as Ontario agriculture faces increased competition nationally and around the world.  With adequate funding, OFA will be able to provide governments with information and analysis to meet the needs of the industry and allow agriculture to fuel the economic growth the province desires.

I was able to report to convention delegates that Premier McGuinty shares agriculture’s leaders’ vision for the future role of agriculture in the province’s economic development. In a recent meeting he agreed to agriculture’s request to have the industry do the base work on an agricultural strategy for Ontario, and said the province would be there to get involved, at the appropriate time, with government input.

The convention gave considerable debate to the concept of a National Food Strategy. That concept will be developed further with support from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and input from consumers. We know all of this will take a lot of time and a lot of resources, but agriculture is not prepared to be shoved to short-term and ad hoc programming that is ineffective.

OFA members across the province have been given notice that we plan to be much more visible in the lives of provincial and federal government members, and their involvement will be important.

Their involvement will also be essential as we work to keep the consuming public and the media better informed of agriculture’s role in the economic health of the province and the country.

OFA directors met following convention and elected Keith Currie of Simcoe County, Zone 3, to the Executive position. We thank Wendy Omvlee for her work in that position this past year.

OFA feels energized coming out of this year’s convention – ready, willing and able to make Ontario agriculture stronger.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The annual general meeting of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture signals the closing of one year and the beginning of new opportunities with the next.

Some years don’t see a lot of change in what OFA is doing and how, but that is no longer the case as we report on the past year’s activities. This was the first year of operation for OFA’s restructured corporate governance system, and I’m pleased to report things have gone well.

Under the new structure, OFA’s board of directors has gone from 110 members to 18, and with the dedication of those board members, the transition was smooth. To maintain OFA’s connections with farmers throughout the province, a Policy Advisory Council with 104 members was established. That group probably represents one of the major success stories of the restructuring.

The Policy Advisory Council has examined specific issues in depth, consulted with professionals on particular topics, and developed recommendations for the Board’s consideration. So far the complimentary Task Team approach has been applied to the issues impacting young farmers, the dead stock industry, and the problems created by predators for livestock and crops producers.

A major advantage with OFA’s new governance structure is the speed it allows the organization to examine fast-developing issues and come up with policies to keep Ontario agriculture on the leading edge of those issues. An example of this has been OFA’s response to the province’s Green Energy Act.

We have identified potential opportunities for farm businesses to capitalize on greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. Until now, agriculture has voluntarily provided this service to society. A recommendation from the Policy Advisory Council has moved OFA to the position of developing an aggregation system for trading carbon credits. This system will make it possible for agriculture to be paid for carbon reduction and sequestration.

With these achievements in the first year of our new governance system, we feel confident much more is possible. To help make that happen, OFA is seeking a membership fee increase to $195 – that’s up $45 since the last increase 16 years ago.

Much of the organization’s success has revolved around the staff of professionals working for Ontario farmers, both in the Guelph office and in the field offices around the province.

An example of that expertise can be seen in the results of the continuing Environmental Farm Plan program. Farmers and the environment have benefited from the millions of dollars the EFP has brought to Ontario. Our model is now used to establish Environmental Farm Plan programs across Canada – a clear message about the value of OFA.

This value is also recognized by the Provincial Government. Premier McGuinty’s report on the quality of Ontario’s drinking water says it’s “among the best protected in the world.” OFA continues to play a significant role in that achievement while ensuring the validity of sound farming practices.

Further evidence of the success of the EFP comes when new components are fully subscribed within days of being announced.

Changes in the world economic order this past year have moved agriculture to the top position as an economic engine for Ontario. The opportunities for Ontario farmers are increasing. In the new year, OFA will help drive the farm income agenda to ensure Ontario farms are successful and sustainable. It is in Ontario’s best interests.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

All of Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament will be hearing from representatives of Ontario agriculture in the coming weeks.  It’s part of a campaign being staged by the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition.

In a letter to all MPPs, we point out that “a strong and diverse agriculture sector can sustain our rural communities, provide healthy locally produced food for Ontarians, contribute to an improved environment and reduce the environmental footprint of the food we eat while accelerating our economy to help make Ontario a stronger and more vibrant province.”

It won’t be a surprise if urban MPPs get back to us to report they don’t have farmers in their riding and therefore aren’t interested in the campaign.  When this reason is given, all participants in the campaign will quickly remind them their constituents likely eat food, and if farmers aren’t given adequate public support, the local food supply will be in jeopardy.  What other single issue affects every one of their constituents?

Coalition members will also remind our MPPs that today’s agriculture is so much more than food.  Farming today provides opportunities for a cleaner environment, green energy sources such as biomass and wind, solar energy, and a vast supply of products capable of being converted to medicinal and consumer products.

The letter that went to MPPs reminds them that Ontario is losing its competitive position within Canada as other provinces introduce programs to help their farmers.  “Without immediate action, our respective sectors will face irreparable harm that will snowball to significant and long-term impacts on our economy and communities,” the coalition warns.

Members of the coalition are the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association, Ontario Pork, Ontario Veal, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

We want the MPPs to understand that these organizations have developed solutions to the industry’s problems.  They must also appreciate that the solutions require government investments – “investments that will help Ontario’s economy to recover and become stronger.  Without them, our economy will suffer further damage.”

Our presentation to the MPPs will assure them agriculture and its leaders are fully aware of the government’s deficit situation.

The coalition has also told MPPs: “a strategic investment in agriculture is known to pay significant dividends.  Not only will it save our farming economy today, it will also sustain our communities and the critical mass of infrastructure needed to keep farming alive and healthy in the future.”

The value and importance of the “critical mass” needs to be highlighted for the MPPs.

This critical mass includes everything from the network of equipment dealers and repair shops, to the veterinarians, sales barns, abattoirs, grain elevators and grain handling facilities located throughout the province.  Once this critical mass starts to disappear, it is the beginning of the end for agriculture, and ultimately the demise of our rural economy.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Canadian farm leaders and farm business owners have become increasingly frustrated at the federal and provincial levels of government with the lack of coordinated and functional agricultural policies that adequately serve the needs of constituents.

It is perceived generally as a laissez-faire attitude on the part of governments – seeming to believe that farming and food production will always be in Ontario and across Canada and therefore needs little attention.

This attitude may prevail due to the reduction of the political strength of the shrinking number of farmers and/or the strong desire of governments to divert fiscal resources elsewhere. The two options are not unrelated.

The apathy and overall ignorance of our consumers about food production and food issues feeds this political malaise.  The apathy is borne from grocery store shelves brimming with abundance and disposable income sufficient to purchase the low cost products from around the world.  Why would consumers perceive any potential problems?  The grocery stores produce more than enough food to feed all of us!

The result of inattention to food production issues is a series of agricultural policies that may or may not be serving the best interests of current farming business, but which, at worst, simply offer no future direction to the industry.  There is no particular objective, no vision and no stated intention of the programs other than to maybe provide for immediate (but not necessarily predictable) income stabilization or environmental stewardship, to name two issues.

In short, Canada has no comprehensive strategy for agriculture and food production now nor into the future.  This has farms floundering and trying, as individual businesses, to make decisions in a vacuum based exclusively on short-term priorities and personal reading of political winds.

The situation is intolerable from a business perspective.  More so, it is simply incomprehensible, in this age of global instability, climate change and political uncertainty, that a nation would not have a strategy to ensure its citizens will have food tomorrow and beyond.

The strategy needs to be developed by farm organizations in collaboration with government, consumers, food processors and distributors.   
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture recognizes Ontario and Canadian agriculture is at a crossroad.  It is critical that we establish sound and forward looking strategies for food production that will assure Ontario farms continue to feed Ontarians and ignite our Ontario economy.

Therefore, the OFA is initiating this process through its Policy Advisory Council.  At regionally based meetings in January, OFA members will open the debate on what a National Food Strategy should look like – what principles should our strategy embrace?  Do we want to ensure food security? How can we delicately balance our needs for food, fibre and fuel? What will the farm and farm business of the future look like?

This is a tall order and a particularly difficult debate but it is one that is necessary. We invite all Ontario farmers to start considering the key issues that need to be addressed in an overall strategy – what should agriculture look like in our future and in our children’s future?

Only by going through this difficult assignment will we be assured that there is opportunity for our children to farm and for Ontarians to continue to enjoy healthy and nutritious food.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and a group of Ontario commodity organizations are calling on OMAFRA Minister Dombrowsky to work with them to secure risk management programs to help provide a successful future.

A recent letter I sent to the minister outlined the forces at work, threatening the future of the beef, pork, fruit and vegetable, and veal sectors. The letter referred to the role of these sectors in sustaining our rural communities – not just with “healthy locally-produced food” but by contributing to an improved environment and a stable economy.

We told the minister that “our industry is in crisis and at a crossroad,” and that “Ontario is losing its competitive position and is giving up its market to producers from other provinces in several important commodities.” There is no doubt in our minds that “without immediate action, our respective sectors will face irreparable harm that will snowball to significant and long-term impacts on our rural economy and communities.”

We reminded Minister Dombrowsky how successful her work of introducing a Risk Management Program for the grains and oilseeds sectors was in the past. “You have demonstrated valuable leadership in the past,” the letter stated. “That was a bold move that has proven to be the right move,” our letter told Minister Dombrowsky.

In that instance, the Risk Management Program designed by farmers worked well, and farmers are still working to secure Federal Government participation. We intend to work with the minister to secure a complete Risk Management Program” that includes federal support.

We told the minister that many Ontario farmers “operate on an unlevel playing field” when programs available to farmers in other provinces are considered. They have “more responsive and generous safety net programming,” than what’s available in Ontario.

Our letter to the minister promised to “work closely” with her “to help convince her colleagues and the consuming public that these investments are necessary to preserve our farm economy.”

We noted to the minister a clear understanding of Ontario’s current fiscal situation – as farmers “we too are directly suffering through the recession.”

We said “a strategic investment in agriculture is known to pay future dividends. Not only will it save our farming economy today, it will also sustain our communities and the critical mass of infrastructure to keep farming alive and healthy in the future.”

The group signing the letter – Gord Hardy of Ontario Cattlemen’s Association, Brenda Lemmens of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association, Wilma Jaffray of Ontario Pork, Judy Dirksen of Ontario Veal, and myself – called on the minister to meet with us at her earliest convenience.

“Our ongoing contribution to Ontario society depends on bold and decisive action now,” we told Minister Dombrowsky. We said we want to “discuss our circumstances and proposals and map out how we can work” with government to ensure changes are quickly enacted.

OFA is hopeful Minister Dombrowsky will respond favourably to our request. We have a successful record of working with her and believe this success can be repeated for the benefit of these Ontario farmers.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Farm leaders from North America and the European Union met recently in Niagara Falls to review agriculture’s present state and future prospects.

Canada had a full complement of organization leaders and some politicians there to participate in assessments of the industry. It was encouraging to hear David King,  Secretary General of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, report that ‘agriculture has been more resilient to the global economic crisis than other sectors.’

He was basing his assessment on recent calculations from the OECD – the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. We know Ontario agriculture still faces a variety of issues.

As the world works its way out of the recession, Mr. King said, the OECD expects agricultural commodity prices to remain at or above the levels of 1997 to 2006. Crop prices are expected to increase by 10 to 20 per cent up to 2018.

Input costs are a critical consideration for farmers, and Mr. King speculated that oil prices should remain between 70 and 80 dollars per barrel. This translates to relatively stable costs for fuel and fertilizers.

Interest rates are a cost farmers must put into their calculations. The meeting was told that money put into the banking system to stimulate the economy has resulted in lower interest rates, and that isn’t likely to change in the medium term – inflation should remain at about one per cent.

Low interest rates is only one part of the money equation for farmers, Mr. King said. Credit availability may become an ever-increasing problem for smaller borrowers such as farmers. He had additional bad news for farmers in terms of the money market. He predicted cuts in government programs, and increases in taxes.

Mr. King looked back on the ‘food price’ scare of 2007 and found it unlikely governments would do anything that would make it appear they would intentionally neglect their domestic agriculture sector.

‘World leaders recognized the need to invest more heavily in agriculture in the developing countries and to maintain productive capacity in the industrialized countries,’ he noted. Words the Ontario Federation of Agriculture can support as it works with its provincial government to maintain healthy investments in agriculture.

Mr. King examined policy reform measures that have been undertaken by governments – removal of market regulations and moving farm support to direct payments was not successful to assure stability of farm economies in times of market volatility. He urged governments to consider risk management programs as a tool to achieve greater stability in farm markets.

‘With markets becoming more volatile, and expected to become even more so with the effects of climate change, risk management strategies will become even more critical for farmers in the future,’ Mr. King speculated.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is predicting that world agricultural production needs to grow by 70 per cent to meet food needs in 2050. Mr. King told the farm leaders meeting in Niagara Falls that much of that increased production will need to come from North American and European farms. He said the effects of climate change and predicted water scarcity will make the challenges even greater.

While that meeting gave farm leaders some reason for optimism, we were also warned of monumental challenges ahead.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Soil is as important to a farmer as a voice is to a singer or a speaker. The OFA has taken the position, unpopular at times, to preserve our good agricultural land and its soil for farming now and in the future.

There’s an area in Dufferin County that has a special soil suited to potato production known as Honeywood soils.  It is unique. Combined with the soils are infrastructure investments by farmers in specialized equipment, storage, packaging and processing facilities.

However, that area of the province is also home to another specialized product – aggregates, more commonly known as stones, sand and gravel.

In an effort to provide some protection to the Honeywood soils of Dufferin County, OFA has asked the county to classify that area of Ontario under the ‘specialty crop area.’ Such a designation would afford the area the highest priority to protect these lands for ongoing horticultural crop production.

Aggregate extraction takes top priority in Ontario.  Stone is needed for every construction project - from homes to highways.  The legislation governing aggregate extraction requires the aggregate industry to restore lands where gravel extraction has occurred to rehabilitate or restore the site.  But OFA fears that no level of rehabilitation could return Honeywood soils to potato production again, once quarrying operations end.

In a letter to a Dufferin County official earlier this year, OFA pointed out “once aggregate extraction begins, the farmers who farm them (special soils) will be permanently lost. Moreover, the special soils, and their unique qualities, will be permanently lost.”

A new report issued by the Canadian Urban Institute points out that the area of Dufferin County in question has sufficient aggregate resources to meet the construction and development requirements of most of Ontario for many years.

The Canadian Urban Institute’s report makes mention of the importance of infrastructure building projects to getting Canada out of the shadow of the recent recession – putting Canadians back to work. This implies the use of massive amounts of aggregate materials for building projects.

However, the project in development is rumoured to be for the purposes of exporting the aggregates extracted.  If so our Honeywood soils will be lost, not for domestic  infrastructure but for pure profit in the hands of a few.  Is the cost worth it? 

And what of the potential impact on our water table.  This area of Dufferin is the headwater for the Grand River and the Pine River, a tributary of the Nottawasaga River.  What will become of this heritage waterway and all dependent on it if the extraction process impacts the water table?  There are many important questions that need to trump even the Aggregates Act.       

With all levels of government focussed on growth and development to restore a healthy economy, OFA knows it won’t be easy to convince government to side with agriculture and do what’s necessary to maintain the Honeywood soils of Dufferin County.

We remain committed to protecting the interests and needs of farmers in Dufferin County’s Honeywood soils area. We appreciate the unique nature of these soils and how essential they are.

To be successful, OFA must rely on the provincial government to take action to protect the integrity of the Honeywood soils. The decision must be made between the value of food and the value of gravel and sand.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Much of the world is reporting signs of a recovery from the economic slump that did so much damage to many sectors within Canada.

One of the consequences of that slump was the need for government to inject stimulus money into the hardest hit sectors. This has left the Ontario government facing a deficit, and we’re expecting Finance Minister Duncan to tell us Ontario’s deficit will be 20 billion dollars when he presents his economic update on October 22.

Moving the province into deficit required a certain amount of courage by the provincial government to help turn things around. We applaud this courage and strongly recommend that bold and decisive action remain the policy choice of our government when it comes to agriculture.

In the past, agriculture has seen governments attack deficits through farm program cuts. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture will be first in line to advise the Ontario Government that cuts to investments in agriculture would be the wrong strategy to follow at this time. In keeping with the stimulus concept, now is the time to reinvest in agriculture.

Ontario farmers, in a number of sectors, are seeing their returns dwindle to near fatal lows. Pork, for instance, is an industry on the brink. Our government needs to look at investments it can make to sustain a viable pork sector in Ontario. The horticulture sector also needs government investment to strengthen the industry, to help stabilize returns from the impacts of a huge and sudden rise in input costs.

Veal and other cattle producers have been waiting a long time for bankable programs that will contribute to stability. They are still weak from the BSE attack earlier this decade, and reeling from currency fluctuations. Now, strong sector support in other provinces is further undercutting the Ontario market.

Likewise, our pork producers face serious challenges wrought by unfair competition and demand flattened by the H1N1 virus. The industry has recognized and is responding to these challenges but complete solutions will need a solid industry-government partnership.

Our government needs to invest in agriculture. It is proven to be a wise investment. Research suggests that the multiplier factor for dollars invested in agriculture is five at the top end. When we consider the related jobs in such areas as food processing, grocery stores, restaurants, and transportation, it becomes easy to understand how agriculture is so critical to a healthy economy.

Minister Duncan should consider the essential role agriculture plays in keeping the rural economy strong.
Without a healthy agriculture sector, the province would lose the driving force that makes Ontario a strong and attractive place to live and work.

We also know the contributions a healthy agriculture sector provides to our environment. The sector is just beginning to realize its potential for contributing to Ontario’s energy supply – and importantly the green energy supply. Agriculture helps improve air and water quality, and farmers are the best stewards of the land.

By investing more in Ontario agriculture, Minister Duncan can do much for the economic and environmental health of the province.

OFA believes agriculture is at a crossroad in this province. It can live and flourish with the proper nurturing through strategic government investment, or it can wither and die with neglect. It is a choice that needs to be made – soon!

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

With thousands of pork producers in Ontario unable to maintain their farms, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is calling on federal and provincial governments to step forward and deliver the aid packages that will keep these farm families from losing everything.

The suffering has been going on for months, promises have been made, but nothing delivered to help these farm families.

We have all come to recognize the issues that are behind the economic difficulties threatening the future of the domestic pork industry in Canada.  Pork producers rely on exports for a large portion of their sales, and the high value of the Canadian dollar has meant a major loss of export sales.

The Country of Origin Labeling regulations in the United States have played a significant role in discouraging exports to that country – our largest customer, and the general economic downturn experienced in much of the world have also played a role in hammering what once was a strong and successful Canadian agriculture sector.

Completing the perfect storm aimed at taking down our pork industry has been the H1N1 virus, unfortunately still referred to as the swine flu.  Although efforts have been made to direct the public’s attention to the H1N1 name, the term swine flu predominates, and society is unwilling to believe there is no link between eating pork and the virus.

On a recent speaking engagement at the University of Toronto, I discovered that at least one-third of the class believed that H1N1 could be passed along by eating pork.  One student in the senior political science class asked why the government, if it supports Ontario pork, is not countering this myth with the facts.

All of this points to the conclusion that pork producers have become victims of a fate they are not responsible for creating.

This past summer the federal government announced an assistance program that would allow pork producers to transition out of the industry.  The Canadian Pork Council requested that program, and said it would provide producers with thirty dollars per hog marketed in 2008 – an estimated cost of 800 million dollars.

Producers are still waiting for that money to be delivered, and the wait time is growing more painful each day.  The Canadian Pork Council and the federal government met in late August to discuss the plan, and at that time the chair of the council emphatically stated: ‘every day is critical.’

‘We’re standing with Canadian pork producers as they restructure and streamline the industry to adjust to new market realities,’ National Revenue Minister Blackburn, said in August.  Yet, there’s no sign of the money.

It’s difficult to be too critical of just the federal government.  Through all of this anxiety and suffering by pork producers, the provincial government has been silent. When we compare that to an announcement out of Quebec on September 28, we have to ask why?

There, it was announced Quebec pork producers are expected to receive cash advances worth more than 128 million dollars from the ASRA program.  This brings the total funds advanced to Quebec hog farmers for 2009 to 330 million dollars – 60 per cent of their projected net payouts under ASRA.

What additional suffering do Ontario pork farmers have to demonstrate before our provincial government moves to alleviate the damage that continues to unfold in Ontario?

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture will continue to work with Ontario Pork to get solutions that will work for Ontario’s pork farmers.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Value is always important for people, whether they are buying furnishings for their home, office equipment, field equipment for the farm, or a membership in an organization like the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

The OFA works in an environment of providing value to its farm family members.  First and foremost OFA works with Ontario and national farm organizations and governments to develop and deliver farm policy that works for Ontario farmers.  We know we have not got it perfect – that many urgent issues are before us, so we continue to develop new programs to improve the financial well being of Ontario farms.  Our work is always in collaboration with Ontario farm organizations.

New energy opportunities, the potential for carbon trading, beneficial tax policies, risk management programs and the provision of the environmental farm program are just some of the policy areas for which the OFA is working and has delivered tangible savings for farmers.

In addition to that a practical and usable package of member benefits can also return more than the cost of the membership fee.  In providing value to members, OFA also provides a beneficial package of member benefits.  These benefits put something back into the hands and pockets of members and give farmers tangible products they can use on their farms at significant savings.

Right now, for example, farmers with a 2009 OFA Member Card can enjoy a 15 per cent discount at TSC Stores across Ontario during OFA Member Days. This is a great opportunity for farmers to save money and restock the shelves in their equipment repair shop.  The OFA Member Card will help members save money on work clothes, tools, fencing, lubricants and a wide array of farm equipment.  The savings could more than pay the cost of membership.

Farmers proved earlier this year the value that’s coming their way through their OFA Member Card.  During the spring promotion by TSC Stores for OFA members, more than 28,000 member visits were recorded at the 40 TSC Stores across Ontario in a two-week period.

The fall promotion is offered for the two-week period between September 25th and October 8th.

The 15 per cent discount applies to a comprehensive list of products farmers use – everything from lubricants to fencing materials, to pet food and pet supplies.  With the savings a farmer can accumulate by simply showing an OFA Member Card at the TSC Store, the fee increase OFA is seeking now becomes insignificant.  These member benefits are valuable and only available to OFA members.

Some of the other benefits available to OFA members are: savings on farm insurance and health and dental programs through The Co-operators; savings on energy costs through AgEnergy firefly; free subscriptions to Better Farming and AgBuyer’s Guide; and savings on leasing farm equipment through National Leasing.

All of this adds up to savings that more than return the value of an annual OFA membership – and that’s because we value the farmers who support OFA and strive to add value to their businesses.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario farmers continue to face an overwhelming list of problems cutting profit potential, but there’s one that should not be difficult to fix.

Predator kills of livestock has been a major concern for livestock producers for decades.  Despite efforts by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and promises by politicians and government staff, Ontario’s predator problem is getting worse.

News articles from across Ontario serve as testimony to the increasing problems created by predators for livestock producers.  One such article in the Farmers Forum tells the story of a number of eastern Ontario producers facing livestock kills by coyotes.  The headline of the story reads: ‘Coyotes on the rampage’.  The story details how ‘almost 6,000 sheep and calves killed or maimed by the varmints.’

Producers have followed the instructions of Ministry of Natural Resources professionals to reduce or eliminate such kills – everything from guard dogs to predator fencing.  Both add considerably to the farmers’ costs of production, but the coyotes continue to ravage the livestock and, in some cases, even the dogs.

There is a story of a pack of coyotes ganging up on a guard dog to fight it to the death, and then they proceed to the sheep or cattle where they continue to cause havoc.  The situation is out of control and the province is obliged to take immediate action.

Earlier this year, OFA convened a Predator Task Team to address the issue and make recommendations to the Ministry of Natural Resources.  In response, MNR has suggested an outbreak of mange would likely reduce the coyote population, and OMAFRA would continue to provide compensation for losses.

When you’re a farmer finding mangled calves, sheep and lambs strewn around your fields, such a response doesn’t provide much satisfaction.

OFA’s Task Team recommendations include approval for the use of snares to aid in the capture of coyotes causing damage and losses for farmers.  It also called for training for farmers who want to learn to use traps and  snares as a means of controlling livestock predation on their farms.

Because installing fencing to keep predators away from farm animals is expensive, the recommendations called for federal / provincial cost share funding for fencing to control livestock predation; federal / provincial cost share funding for guard animals such as dogs, donkeys, lamas and the like to protect farm animals from the predators.

The Task Team also recommended improved training for livestock valuers under the Livestock, Poultry and Honey Bee Protection Act to ensure farmers get equitable treatment when livestock is killed by predators.  It has also been recommended that chemical deterrents be legalized, and that an investigation be done of the effectiveness of wailers, intermittent lights and other means of chasing away predators.

We have also called on government to cover the costs for farmers to employ professionals to remove problem predators from the areas experiencing livestock kills on a regular basis, and to increase compensation to modern values.

As the government continues to promote the purchase of locally grown food by society, it would seem logical it would want to promote the production of that food.  Ontario’s sheep industry finds itself unable to meet local demand for product, and the reason given is predator losses.

OFA believes it is time our government officials take some serious action to bring an end to predators killing livestock on Ontario farms, and we have called on OMAFRA and the MNR to take immediate action to protect livestock, dogs, people and farm businesses from an out-of-control predator crisis.

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By Debra Pretty-Straathof, Zone 8 Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Policy Advisory Council seemed like a good idea for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture when OFA was embarking on its restructuring process three years ago.

Now that the changes are in place and operating, the  PAC is proving to be a great idea!

The PAC is the direct link between Ontario agriculture’s grass roots – individual farmers – and OFA’s smaller board of directors. The changes were agreed to as a means of increasing the effectiveness of OFA.

The PAC meets quarterly and examines current issues facing agriculture. From those discussions come recommendations to the Board.

As a result of the PAC’s meeting to study Ecological Goods and Services, things have progressed to the point where an application has been filed with the Agricultural Adaptation Council to fund a feasibility study on carbon credit aggregation – taking a look at unanswered questions and risks involved for carbon credit trading and what it will take to make it a reality for Ontario farmers.

This study will hopefully provide farmers with answers  about the vulnerabilities and opportunities for farmers within the regulatory and commodity context of Ontario. This application generated 14 letters of support to the Agricultural Adaptation Council from commodity boards, county federations, OMAFRA and a number of individuals.

All of this has prompted the AAC to accept, in its entirety, the OFA Carbon Credit Aggregator Project for funding support.

Navigating government regulations continues to be an ongoing exercise for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and its senior partner, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. In the hope of gaining insight into the process to speed efforts of agriculture to achieve improvements to policies and programs for agriculture, the Policy Advisory Council has heard presentations from the Hon. Steve Peters, Speaker of the Ontario Legislature, and Mike Toombs, director, Regulatory Modernization Branch at OMAFRA.

Mr. Toombs told PAC members that the goal of the Regulatory Modernization Branch is to try to reduce the burden on business from inappropriate regulation while protecting public interest. So far, he said, base line reduction targets have been set; areas of overlap or duplication have been identified; and OMAFRA has met with stakeholders, including OFA, to promote the Open For Business initiative.

The PAC then discussed the positive and negative impacts of regulations on their farming businesses.  Although some regulation was recognized as necessary with positive impacts, the list of negative or unnecessary regulations was long.  PAC members then discussed ways and means of working closely with the government to guard against regulations that negatively impact farm business, either directly or by imposing what is called “unintended consequences”.

The PAC noted that involvement in the initial stages of regulation development by farmers would provide opportunity to give the full picture to the government before regulations get developed.

While this may seem draconian to the government, it is needed to sustain farming operations and farm competitiveness in Ontario. Such simple consultation will help preserve agriculture’s positive contributions to our economy – grassroots consultation at work!

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By Wendy Omvlee, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Visitors to this year’s Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show north of Woodstock will have an opportunity to witness the growth and evolution of agriculture’s role in Canada’s energy business.

This will mark the first year for the show to host the Canadian Energy Expo, a new feature intended to provide participants with the opportunity to build on the show’s philosophy of research, development and demonstration. September 16th will highlight this Expo in the program. On all three days of the show, visitors will have access to the displays of 50 exhibitors illustrating a range of technologies to harness agriculture’s opportunities with green energy.

The show continues to grow and showcase emerging companies and organizations that specialize in alternative and renewable energy generation technologies along with conservation programs. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is proud of the growth of its energy-related exhibit in Federation House. This year the focus will be on graphics showing biomass and biogas systems.

Working with show organizers, OFA looks forward to the time – expected to be in 2010 – when the biogas generation project at the show site will provide a permanent demonstration facility for the biogas industry. We expect this will help the commercialization of the technologies for both farmers and municipalities.

OFA continues to promote the use of biomass from agricultural production for the generation of electrical energy. We believe this can be a worthwhile source of revenue for farmers while providing society with a greener source of energy.

With current sources, and the possibility of dedicated energy crop production of biomass surrounding the existing generating stations at Nanticoke and Lambton, and additional facilities throughout the province, we believe agriculture is perfectly situated to get into this area of energy production. There are opportunities in municipal settings using district heating systems or greenhouse operations that offer auxiliary markets.

OFA has embraced Ontario’s Green Energy Act from the time it was introduced earlier this year. We see the many opportunities it offers to Ontario farmers to participate in the cleaner and greener society while contributing to agriculture’s bottom line. We will continue to work to achieve the maximum benefits for farmers from the Green Energy Act while ensuring the sustainability of our land resource for Ontario agriculture to meet the needs of society for food, fuel and fibre.

The Green Energy Act is attractive to Ontario agriculture because it can create a feed-in tariff that guarantees specific rates to energy generated from renewable sources. Another valuable aspect for farmers is it establishes the right to connect to the electricity grid for renewable energy projects that meet technical, economic and other regulatory requirements.

Farmers working with the Green Energy Act will be implementing a 21st century ‘smart’ power grid to support the development of new renewable energy projects and prepare Ontario for new technologies like electric cars.

Visitors to Federation House at this year’s Outdoor Farm Show will have the opportunity to enter their names for draws for valuable prizes – everything from a Utility Terrain Vehicle to power generators. These prizes are made available by OFA’s member benefit providers.

This year’s show is set for September 15, 16 and 17th on the permanent site north of Woodstock, west off Highway 59. Plan to attend to see what’s new for agriculture and new for you – meet and talk with your OFA Executive and staff.

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

After years of debate and discussions with the provincial government about a definition of a farm and agriculture, we may have moved a bit closer to resolution of the issue recently.

Following a hearing of the Ontario Labour Relations Board in June, the board issued its finding on July 30. While we can’t claim to have won the war, we believe the Board ruling is an indication we have won a battle on the issue of defining a farm and agricultural labour activity.

Ken Forth, chair of the Labour Issues Co-ordinating Committee, tells us “the term farming has been so complex that few pieces of government legislation have attempted to define it.”

The case being reviewed by the Labour Relations Board had to do with an employee of a mushroom farm, Highline Mushrooms, on whether workers who pack mushrooms on the farm are considered farm workers and are covered by the related exemptions under the Employment Standards Act. The Board found ‘that the employee claimant performed work directly related to the primary production of mushrooms and that the exemption in section 2 (2) applies.’

It was determined that ‘packing is not a stand alone step in the production process, but is integrated with harvesting.’ The LICC tells us that the storage and transport of mushrooms and other fruits and vegetables, which follow packing, is understood by the farming industry and the Employment Standards Branch to be directly related to primary production – all favourable news for agriculture in this debate.

There are several directions the Ministry of Labour could take now on this issue. LICC is waiting to resume discussions with the ministry administration. We understand they will be getting back to LICC and its associates from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

At this point, the ministry could accept the ruling of the Labour Relations Board on the matter which would involve reversing directions in its manual, and they should, or they could keep their new position and move forward with that view – despite the finding of the Labour Relations Board. The ministry could also appeal the Board ruling to Divisional Court.

Whatever route the ministry decides to take, OFA and the LICC will be there to monitor its actions and take the necessary steps to protect agriculture’s interests in the labour relations field. From our perspective, packing of farm production of any type, in preparation for market has always been, and continues to be part of primary production.

We have asked the ministry for the history that is being used to guide the government on this issue. We have also asked the ministry for an opportunity to enter into consultation on the subject if the disagreement continues.

OFA and the Labour Issues Co-ordinating Committee will continue to be involved to protect the rights and concerns of farmers.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

After a year of serious economic hardship in Southern Ontario, it was good news to hear Prime Minister Harper announce plans recently for the area’s own development agency. With a budget of a billion dollars to be spent over five years, we’re looking forward to major infrastructure development as a result of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

MP Gary Goodyear, minister of state for science and technology, has been put in charge of the new agency. From his Cambridge riding and the agency office in Kitchener, we expect he will have a good understanding of where agriculture can contribute to sustainable economic development for the area.

Prime Minister Harper, in making the announcement, said he expects to see as little of the one billion dollars as possible used on bureaucracy – leaving the bulk of the money for programming. We definitely support that approach.

Acknowledging the loss of more than 200,000 jobs in Southern Ontario in recent months, Prime Minister Harper wants to see MP Goodyear and his agency at work turning things around in Southern Ontario.
                                                                         
The good news is that we know investment in agriculture and agriculture infrastructure pays dividends.  Such investment will certainly help turn around our rural and provincial economy.

The plan calls for the investment of millions of dollars through a variety of programs, most of them already existing, for research. Agriculture looks forward to working with Minister Goodyear and his agency to explore opportunities for farmers and others in the agri-food sector. We want to use every opportunity possible to create more optimism for success in agriculture.

Using production efficiencies created through research, agriculture has reached the stage where society counts on farmers for a lot more than just food. Society looks to modern agriculture for a reduction in its reliance on fossil fuels and a reduction in greenhouse gases.

Increased production capabilities now permit farmers to produce food and feed well beyond their own needs. An increasing amount of output from today’s farm is being used to produce energy, both transportation fuels and electricity. Again, research has brought agriculture to these capabilities.  It is now imperative for us to capitalize on the possibilities using this new agency.

Agriculture is also showing increased abilities in the production of industrial feed stocks for everything from starches to oils and fibre. Making use of the abilities and imagination of research workers, we’re confident the horizons for agriculture will reach even greater levels for service to society.

A recent report from Ontario Agri-Food Technologies discusses a number of areas where agriculture’s capabilities for growth and contribution to modern society are unlimited. A major limiting factor, according to that report, is investment capital.

The federal government’s economic development agency for Southern Ontario is a likely source for some of the needed investment capital.

The agency announcement by the Prime Minister tells us the Business Development Bank of Canada will invest a total of $50 million through venture capital firms and its own programs. As well, the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program has close to $100 million to foster innovation among Southern Ontario’s small and medium-sized enterprises and supporting organizations.

The OFA will continue to work with our industry partners to explore and develop the true potential of the funding announced by the Prime Minister to help agriculture advance its capabilities for meeting society’s needs and the needs of our Ontario farm businesses.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Canadian farmers have identified the critical issues facing agriculture’s sustainability. Preparing action plans and convincing governments of the critical need for such plans is the next step. 

There is no question, in these days of fiscal restraint, that farmers across all sectors and all provinces will need to close ranks with a clear message to our political leaders.

Solutions to the ongoing issues in each agricultural sector are at the top of farm organizations’ lists across Canada.  We all need to support our commodity organizations in their messages to both federal and provincial politicians and push hard for action. Local economies rely heavily on all sectors being successful. If farms fail, a lot of related businesses at the local level will be impacted.  Our rural infrastructure will be deeply affected, in turn making farming even more challenging for the remaining farm businesses.

At the root of the problems for livestock and horticultural are serious market issues and rising costs, accompanied by the absence of adequate business risk management programs. Now more than ever, OFA’s leaders and members have to work collaboratively with the commodity organizations to identify and secure necessary improvements to the farm income suite of programs, and risk management in particular.

Our provincial government has accepted the value and capabilities of a Risk Management Program for the grain and oilseed sectors to bring greater stability for farm returns.  We need to secure a solid federal commitment to such successful program designs.

It is also up to OFA and its partners to develop workable solutions to the existing problems in all other sectors that our governments can implement.

Ontario’s horticultural sector has been hit hard by rising input costs. Their leaders cite sky rocketing input prices and an inability to recover these costs from the market place as the basis for the problem.

In designing solutions to such rising costs in a price-takers’ market, the growers took heed of the grain sectors’ developments, and have created a horticultural version of a risk management program.

The OFA will continue to work with the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association to promote and adopt this workable RMP for its growers to help stabilize margins and farm incomes.

Likewise, OFA will support unique programs for the livestock sector – programs that will adapt to the specifics of the livestock markets and help producers recover costs plus make a profit.  

As we know, our provincial government has shown leadership in adopting and funding a grain and oilseeds RMP. This bold and innovative thinking needs to be extended across all commodities from horticulture through the livestock sector and others.

Then, all farmers must collectively take these new farm income programs to the federal government to secure a fundamental change in how our safety net system is delivered. Programs designed by and used by farmers must carry the day in our provincial and national agricultural policy.

Programs that work for farmers will work for our entire economy as rural Ontario sustains its strong contribution to a better and healthier economy.

By working together from the grassroots to national levels, farmers can by successful.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Canadian farmers have a long list of complex issues standing between them and success -- including what the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is dealing with for its membership.

The list of national issues was explored recently when the Canadian Federation of Agriculture held its semi-annual meeting in British Columbia. Working on Ontario’s issues seems daunting, but when you factor in what farmers across the country face daily, one could easily become overwhelmed.

At OFA, we’re not about to let that happen. We have a dedicated staff of researchers; our executive wants to find solutions to the problems farmers face; and our Board of Directors is prepared to spend as much time as necessary developing answers to the issues. Ontario’s issues were delivered by OFA executive and gained momentum when shared with other provinces. We are not alone.

The ongoing crisis in the pork and beef sectors was a common theme from delegates from all federations across Canada. Everyone said that existing Business Risk Management programs were not addressing the needs of the sectors.

Delegates to the CFA meeting approved a resolution to the Federal Government proposing solutions to the pork and beef issues, along with the drought on the Prairies, flooding in Manitoba, Country of Origin Labeling, and lingering issues from the BSE crisis.

CFA’s Trade Committee updated the meeting on Country of Origin Labeling issues facing the Canadian Pork Council. A resolution to CFA earlier this year called on the national organization to investigate and document the injury being inflicted on Canada’s livestock industry by the labeling regulations from the United States.

CFA had highlighted those concerns in a presentation to the House Standing Committee on Agriculture, and on May 7 the Government of Canada formally re-launched a trade challenge over the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling issue. We now know that Mexico has joined that challenge, and it looks like a ruling from the dispute panel will be handed down soon.

CFA’s Food Safety Committee updated the meeting on a number of fronts surrounding that issue. Traceability continues to be a concern for our producers. While AgriFlex gives responsibility for food safety and traceability programs to the provinces, CFA wants  to ensure national oversight exists.

It is proposed that food safety programs designed by provinces can work together and be linked to the national system; that all provinces have access to enough funding to ensure farmers can take advantage of AgriFlex funding; that provinces are not forced to duplicate work done in other provinces, but can take advantage of work already done somewhere in Canada, perhaps building on that work.

CFA wants to ensure regulations are in place to protect producers from frivolous legal actions by consumers. The Food Safety Committee recommended that a task team be set up to draft a policy position on this matter for CFA to take to the federal government. Delegates to the meeting agreed there is a need to increase awareness of food safety progress being made in other countries – areas such as the U.S., European Union, and China.

The CFA Environment Committee recommended a stronger lobby to the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency for access to generic products and the regulations around that topic. That committee is also examining the relationship between the environment and the economy, water quality and quantity, and greenhouse gases.

We know there have to be solutions to these concerns, but we also know our governments will have to work with us to find and implement those solutions.

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By Wendy Omvlee, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

HST is being debated all over Ontario.  Farmers in particular are concerned about how it will impact them.  The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has been diligently making farmers’ concerns known to government and stressing the importance of exemption items, point-of-sale exemptions and the use of OFA membership cards to allow exemptions.

Whether a farmer believes they should support HST or not, at the very least, we all should keep informed. Here’s what OFA knows about HST, what we’re doing about it and what Ontario farmers should consider.

The OFA has been working with the government on HST and farm issues since they made their intentions known.  Prior to an HST announcement, OFA was very active in seeking an expanded list of farm inputs that should be tax (PST) exempt – items like farm trucks, computer equipment, water purification systems etc.  We were also instrumental in getting the changes to enable farmers to use membership cards for retail exemptions in the first place.

OFA is pleased to say that with the HST we have secured a longer list of farm inputs that will be exempt from HST.  The list includes farm trucks, ATVs, office equipment, freezers and more. It is estimated the tax savings will be about $30 million per year. Farmers will not pay any HST on exempt items but, for the newly exempt items and some currently exempt items they will need to pay the HST and then claim it back as an Input Tax Credit (as now happens with GST).  This will affect cash flow a bit, but farmers can claim the Input Tax Credit (ITC) monthly if needed. This ITC process is a condition of the federal government. 

OFA is still trying to secure the point-of-sale exemptions for ALL farm inputs using the membership cards – it has worked well for PST and should work for HST.

We are continually asked if we support HST.  OFA supports positive impacts on farming.  On the whole, HST implications for farming are encouraging.  It appears that most items currently exempt at point-of-sale will continue to be exempt.   A new $30 million per year increased tax saving will add to farmers’ bottom line.   HST was lobbied for by the Chamber of Commerce originally to benefit small to medium sized business, HST will simplify the tax process and has the potential to save farmers money if our concerns are heard.

OFA endorses the harmonized tax concept of simplicity and cost savings if the following conditions are met:

• Farmers who belong to a general farm organization are exempt from paying Retail Sales Tax (RST) on farm equipment and farming-related supplies;
• Exemptions at point-of-sale for farm inputs are continued;
• Use of OFA membership card to allow exemptions continue;
• The HST needs to be extended to additional farm inputs currently not RST exempt like farm-use vehicles and office supplies.

OFA continues to lobby for all of the above and will keep members informed of final legislation.  We are also encouraging the government to conduct a communication campaign once the legislation is finalized.

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) procedures haven’t changed recently but their focus has.  The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has noticed an awareness gap between farmers and the WSIB requirements around coverage for custom farm workers and independent operators.  OFA members and executive alike have experienced more scrutiny by inspectors lately particularly in this area.

One of the most common misconceptions seems to be around ‘who is considered a farm employee?’  Farmers know to register permanent or part-time payroll employees but what about students, relatives etc.?  WSIB expects the farmer, as an employer, to provide WSIB coverage to anyone that you pay to do work for your farm. Workers include: all full and part-time employees; any casual or seasonal labour; family members or friends and anyone else you pay for work done on your farm. This could even include a neighbour you’ve asked to come over for a day and use their machine on your field, or to fix something they specialize in.  If you’re paying them, they count.

If a farmer hires an independent contractor which is essentially a one-person business that is separate from your farm and he or she does not hire any other help, you must ensure that contractor has a clearance certificate.  This proves that the contractor is covered by WSIB.  It’s a free document issued by WSIB that assures the contractor is: registered with them; has filed all premium and reconciliation forms; and has paid all premiums based on their reported payroll.  The purpose of the clearance certificate is to ensure financial protection for farmers who hire contractors and sub-contractors to do work.  A clearance certificate should be obtained prior to the commencement of contract work, is valid for 60 days and cannot be back dated.

If you are unsure of an individual’s status with the WSIB, you should request a status determination.

Someone who is hired or performs custom farm work is also considered an independent operator, an employee or worker.

The law requires all farming operations that pay wages to register with the WSIB within 10 days of hiring and pay premiums to provide coverage for their workers in case of a workplace injury or illness.

As a farmer I agree this appears to be extra work but the WSIB provides you, as an employer, with protection from legal action in the event of a workplace injury or illness.  WSIB will fine you if you do not have the proper coverage in place and can hold you liable for another employer’s insurance premiums if these documents have not been obtained before the work begins.

So in order to be protected, first ask for proof of status.  That could be a clearance certificate or an independent operator approval from WSIB. If the potential employee doesn’t have any WSIB clearance, ensure you fill out the WSIB form that highlights the working relationship between you and any individual providing custom farm work or is an independent operator.  It’s important to find out if they have WSIB for themselves and their employees.  If the potential worker can produce a clearance certificate, ask for a copy so you have it on file for inspectors.

A bit of paperwork upfront can help you avoid non-compliance charges, interest charges and the possibility of paying another company's WSIB premiums.  The OFA cannot change these laws but we want to help members understand how they work and to inform you that they are being enforced.  If you have any questions about your farm business as it pertains to WSIB, you can call OFA or check out our WSIB fact sheets at www.ofa.on.ca or visit www.wsib.on.ca.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Federal and Provincial Ag Ministers met last week in Ontario.  The meeting is held annually to discuss the concerns of each province.  Through the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, farm leaders met with the Ministers to ensure they hear, first hand, the concerns of Canadian farmers.  I was there to ensure Ontario farmer views were heard.  The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has always advocated grass roots positions.  To ensure consistent messaging we met with our commodity partners ahead of time to determine our priorities for strengthening agriculture.
 
The Ministers heard loud and clear about the pork crisis and how current programming is not responding. Ministers agreed to work with the industry to address current challenges and move towards sustainability and profitability. Business risk management strategies as well as livestock insurance were also put on the table. Business risk management program shortcomings were acknowledged and direction to review possible program design options was given.  OFA is optimistic this will help farmers suffering from current economic challenges.

Beyond bleak market conditions, all challenges facing the beef and pork sectors were highlighted, including the cost impact of regulations on specified risk materials, deadstock and the lack of slaughter facilities.  OFA has had task forces and discussions with government in the spring to ensure they understood the impacts of the deadstock issue.  I felt very fortunate to have the opportunity to see all this information come full circle two nights ago when I attended the Ontario Cattleman’s annual BBQ.  I had taken their concerns to this Ministers conference, was given some answers and within the week, delivered Ministers’ responses to our members so the communication process could start again. 

The government has an increasingly important role in Food Safety.  The OFA pushed the need for government to take responsibility to help protect the public from a food crisis.  Public funds should be used to invest in food safety and traceability programs.  Initiatives that can track contaminated food, including dates and locations where it might have been purchased, will prevent or lessen a crisis.  OFA acknowledged that farmers are responsible for producing the safest food possible and government should have the best food crisis strategy possible...all of which can be achieved collaboratively!

Minister Ritz spoke of a combination of mandatory and incentive-based traceability and was of the view that traceability will increase the value to farmers by providing more market access.  I spoke to clarify the two distinct roles of traceability; market access and consumer protection.  I added that consumer protection is a public benefit and should be paid by the public.  I have initiated a brief for Minister Ritz on how such a program might look.  I asked him quite plainly at the conference that if I could give him a traceability program that would guarantee benefits back in the hands of farmers instead of being siphoned off by middlemen and consultants, would he consider it?  He informed me he would “definitely be interested in that.”

Ministers did commit to move forward on a comprehensive national traceability system for livestock and poultry.

We also broached the ever important discussion on the environment. Adverse climate conditions and the need for risk management programs were on the agenda.  When discussing environment, OFA continues to push for a cap and trade system as a means for farmers to earn revenue using their own soil and land.

Minister Blackburn reported on his dealings with food processors and referenced the Product of Canada labelling issue as part of those meetings.  It was good to hear he is investigating whether or not the tools we have meet our needs or are there new mechanisms required to access the market and meet the needs of consumers.  OFA wants to see a requirement of 85% Canadian content in any food that is sold under the Product of Canada label.  More than that would nullify the Product of Canada designation as many required ingredients are not sourced in Canada.

I am satisfied that the time at the Federal, Provincial, Territorial Annual Agriculture Ministers meeting was spent on the issues directly affecting our members.  I am thankful for the opportunity to provide an Ontario perspective and very appreciative of the Canadian Federation’s efforts to coordinate and host the event. The CFA delivered quality issue presentations leading to results-based discussions.  I can also say the conversations sparked by this conference have perhaps paved the way to further discussions with Minister Ritz in the future.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Drainage needs and systems vary greatly across Ontario. Through the years farmers have developed drainage systems to best serve their farm’s particular needs – those particular needs are different in different areas of Ontario.

The provincial government  has increasingly played a role in the design and engineering of drains and ditches. The progression of farm drainage in Ontario has gone from dug ditches to engineered municipal drains and a network of underground tile drainage systems.

Farmers in Ontario’s extreme southwest discovered in the early 1900s they needed ways of draining water from their fields if they expected to grow crops – most traditional Ontario crops won’t grow to their maximum potential if their roots are covered in water for extended periods of time. With this in mind, they dug ditches to allow the excess water to run off.

The resulting network of ditches made the surrounding lands more accessible to cropping and more productive.  Proper drainage emerged as a major issue for Ontario agriculture’s productivity.

As local development expanded, more controls were put in place to govern such things as municipal drains and drainage ditches. Today, there are rules within the provincial Drainage Act that set out what must be done when the decision is made to improve local farm drainage.

The picture becomes more complex now with Conservation Authorities in place. They have the power to regulate watercourses and a number of issues related to waterways on private lands. These also include open drains, the placement of fill –  the placement of material removed from a drain during maintenance or repairs, and development.

Federal laws also come into play for local waterways under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. This happens when drains flow into larger waterways that have become fish habitat.

All of this illustrates a huge potential for conflicts. There is a direct conflict between the provisions of the Drainage Act, the statutory obligation to maintain drains once constructed, and the restrictive provisions in the Conservation Authorities Act.

This would be an ideal opportunity for federal and provincial governments to work together with farmers to design realistic drainage management standards that will give farmers the opportunity to enhance the environment while growing the good Ontario food that consumers are requesting.

Farmers in Ontario’s southwest need the provincial government to play a more significant role in sorting out the real and potential conflicts and providing workable solutions. In a province where locally-grown produce is getting increasing support, we need solutions that will enable our farmers to continue to farm some of the most productive land in the country.

OFA will be working with our governments to help them get their priorities right when it comes to practical drainage solutions to keep Ontario productive.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Farmers are in the habit of dealing with tangible items –  things they can see and touch. For most of them, a day becomes worthwhile when they have planted a field of beans, helped deliver a healthy calf, filled the bulk tank with milk, or harvested a block of  orchards.

Contributing to the bottom line of their farming operation is a paramount consideration of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. OFA’s mission is to work collaboratively towards a profitable and sustainable future for Ontario farmers.

We can’t harvest a field of potatoes, shear a sheep, or deliver a litter of piglets, but we do play a key role in contributing to the bottom line of Ontario’s farming operations. We do this through our lobby work, our research and our partnerships with commodity organizations.

Government rules and regulations have a major impact on how successful our farming operations are – they govern the supply management marketing boards that establish how our milk, eggs, chickens and turkeys are sold and the prices realized. The government is also active in operating marketing commissions and tribunals – the bodies that monitor and determine so much of what happens in the marketing of our farm products.

The government is involved in determining what must be done to protect the environment – everything from regulating the supply of drinking water that is supplied to all citizens, to ensuring the environment is right for all the living creatures that rely on the earth for a place to live.

Because farmers are the main caretakers of the lands and waters that make up the earth, what they do on their farms is closely monitored by government. When government rules and regulations have the potential to interfere with normal and accepted farming practices, that’s when the OFA takes a position to protect the rights of farmers to farm.

The OFA has an active and productive research department where new ideas are explored and developed for the benefit of farmers. Through this work, OFA has been able to save its members millions of dollars on energy costs.

We have also been involved in partnerships with new and existing entities  to provide markets for farmers for a variety of types of energy – everything from wind to biomass.

OFA has always worked in collaboration with provincial commodity organizations, supporting their initiatives that show potential to benefit producers. By working together with these organizations, we have found governments are more willing to work with farmers to achieve mutual goals and objectives.

Another aspect of OFA that makes it valuable to its members is its affiliation with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. We work together on a multitude of fronts to influence the federal government in all its initiatives related to agriculture. When farmers from across Canada apply their efforts to a common goal, getting the job done is always more likely.

The combined strengths of farmers in the 10 provinces and two territories usually achieve their objectives without a physical display of numbers, but when the issue appears to need more influence, OFA is always there to add to the presence of agriculture on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

OFA appreciates the support of its members to do all this work.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

For years, farmers and consumers have been coming together to buy and sell fresh farm produce. Now a new twist has been added to the equation – something intended to benefit the people who have to rely on food banks for their food.
 
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture was a founding sponsor of the Buy Local Share Local campaign in 2008, along with RBC, Homegrown Ontario, Ontario Tender Fruit Producers, and Turkey Farmers of Ontario. OFA will again be involved in promoting the Buy Local Share Local campaign.

We are proud of our work with the Ontario Association of Food Banks to get more locally-grown food into the kitchens of more Ontario citizens.

Last year, the campaign raised more than 190,000 pounds of fresh local foods for Ontario’s food banks. Customers at farmers’ markets across the province are encouraged to buy local foods to share with their local food bank.

In 2008, there were seven fresh food drives at farmers’ markets across Ontario. This year the tour will feature 25 stops in 15 communities including London, Ottawa, Toronto, Peterborough, Hamilton and Kingston. Television’s Food Network chef, Anna Olson, will be the tour ambassador. The launch of the 2009 program will come in July.

To encourage more people to understand and get involved in the program, a website has been developed along with a handbook that will show consumers how to preserve, prepare, and enjoy great local foods. The website is www.buylocalsharelocal.ca and provides answers to questions from consumers about the program.

In addition, the website provides profiles of farmers who work so hard to ensure Ontarians have fresh, healthy food for their families.

OFA and the association of food banks have formed a partnership to work on an Ontario producer and processor tax credit on donated food. The partnership hopes to convince the provincial government to introduce a new tax credit for farmers who donate Ontario foods to food banks.

It’s encouraging to know that the program has incorporated information on preserving Ontario’s fresh food products for use in the off-season. Without adequate knowledge about preserving, some of the nutritious fresh foods from our farms would go beyond maturity and end up wasted.

Along with its lobbying work for Ontario farmers, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is pleased to be part of this valuable partnership helping farmers and Ontario residents benefit from the skills our farmer have developed producing food.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and most of the province’s commodity organizations spent a day together recently reviewing the issues that are critical for today’s farmers – we know the government expects farmers and their organizations to come with a single, clear message.

We’ve agreed on our message and we will continue to work together to convince the government of what it takes for agriculture to be successful and drive our economy forward. 

Environmental issues top the list of common concern items for Ontario farm organizations. The Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition (OFEC) has, in the past, dealt with issues relating to the establishment of an Environmental Bill of Rights and Nutrient Management Legislation and the Clean Water Act, in a structure that encouraged industry collaboration on policy decisions.

In an effort to better address the breadth of environmental issues facing Ontario farmers today, a discussion paper on an alternative governance process for OFEC was distributed in advance of the meeting. A major objective of the discussion paper is to adopt an even more inclusive approach to decision and policy making.

The new approach will involve the use of industry task teams for specific emerging issues. A Task Team model has been effective for OFA on such topics as predator control, the Greenbelt, and most recently, with the deadstock issue.

Updates were provided to the meeting on progress being made on some of the issues being pursued by OFA. OFA’s predator task team filed its comprehensive list of recommendations with Natural Resources Minister Cansfield, and the joint meeting had a response from the ministry. It was agreed that the recommendations would be followed up with both MNR and OMAFRA to ensure livestock producers have ways of managing predators.

OFA will seek a status report on the issues referred to OMAFRA by MNR and will review that report with the task team members and commodity representatives as early as possible to determine next steps.

Compensation for livestock and crop losses due to predators was an essential part of the discussion. New options of paying farmers for their losses were outlined and discussed. An updated compensation schedule for crops and livestock was one consideration; another was a crop insurance-like program that would work with a fixed percentage of market value of the livestock.

For crop losses, the meeting considered a system that would isolate damaged acreage with no net effect on yields used for other calculations – something that would provide fair compensation for loss and not affect average yields.

Business Risk Management issues were an important part of the meeting with commodity leaders. OFA presented its recent letter to OMAFRA Minister Dombrowsky and AAFC Minister Ritz seeking clarification on rules governing Agri-Recovery. Ontario wants to understand what has to happen so its producers can realize benefits like those provided to other provinces for forages.

The meeting also agreed on key messages to go to  governments on the Ag-Stability program – removal of the negative margin viability test; choice of top 15 per cent of CAIS or Agri-Invest; choice of Olympic or previous three-year average for the reference margin; and increase negative margin coverage to 70 per cent.

When looking at issues facing the livestock sector, the meeting agreed that the federal slaughterhouse loan program has not been effective and the Specified Risk Materials regulations have already discouraged most capacity.

Energy, Harmonized Sales Tax and property tax topics were discussed, with more review planned. Carbon trading issues were discussed and OFA will be providing a guide for organizations to use in communicating with the federal government on its recent carbon credit proposal.

These meetings are important.  OFA is pleased to be able to facilitate these meetings and very appreciative of the participation and cooperation of the commodity organizations. We look forward to playing a role in getting the messages to our governments.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture works closely with the provincial government as it strives to get the best programs and policies for Ontario farmers. We view our relationship with the government as serious requiring the utmost respect from both sides.

However, when the government hands agriculture things like the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry Posting dealing with amendments under the Endangered Species Act, 2007, Ontario farmers have no choice but to react strongly to the proposed regulations.

The first major difficulty OFA has with the document and the EBR posting is the time lines attached. The closing date for the posting is June 15^th, and the government has set June 30^th to have the regulations in place.

We need a realistic time frame! A two-week period for government to receive comments, make necessary changes to regulations, get Cabinet approval, and have all that in place by June 30^th

Historically, government process just doesn’t work that fast – good regulations sometimes take years. Short time lines like this, especially after having the bill approved since May 2007 strongly suggest the government isn’t interested in receiving and reviewing comments from the agricultural community. We don’t believe Ministry of Natural Resources staff will have enough time to thoroughly review comments and make needed changes to the draft regulations, then obtain Cabinet approval.

OFA believes there is a very real potential for significant impact of these proposed regulations on farming practices and farm businesses. We demand more time for comments to be provided by the farm community, and then due consideration by officials for the changes required. The deadlines set by the government give the clear impression that no substantive changes to the regulations are part of the government’s plans.

The proposed regulations to protect habitat of endangered species will affect thousands of acres of farmland in some unspecified manner. As OFA’s letter to Minister Cansfield asks: ‘how can our farmers possibly cooperate with the goal of protecting habitat when the ways and means of doing so are unknown? Attempted compliance could be financially devastating, and failure to protect is subject to significant financial penalty.’

The stated objective of the amendments is to save and protect the habitat of nine specific species. OFA’s research into the situation identifies a total of six of the nine would be considered as interacting with farm practices.

The Endangered Species Act, 2007, received third and final reading and Royal Assent in May, 2007, but only now are affected parties – farmers as the primary owners of lands involved – being advised of the proposed amendments and draft habitat regulations for specific species. Farmers need to know what is expected in terms of habitat protection versus farm practices. Will the thousands of affected acres be off limits to farmers? If so, is the province willing to pay for this land? Willing to compensate farmers? Not a pattern I’ve seen much of recently.

While farmers have publicly made their willingness to protect endangered species known in the past, we ask the government to consider how certain sections of the legislation would negatively impact farmers and other rural property owners.

The American Badger is one the species listed for protection by the government’s amendments. We believe that if badgers are found on farmlands in southwestern Ontario, it is because badgers and agriculture are compatible – they have co-existed for more than 200 years.

The proposed amendment calls for protection of the habitat of the Barn Owl. How much sense does it make to legislate the protection of man-made habitat? Other targets of the amendment include the Eastern Prairie Fringed-orchid, the Jefferson Salamander, the Peregrine Falcon, and the Wood Turtle.

OFA intends to vigorously present agriculture’s objections, not only to the process, but the intent of the amendment. We believe our government needs to show more respect for the working environment of farmers.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Although Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament have left Queen’s Park for the summer months, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has plans to keep in touch, updating them on agriculture’s issues. We have found this a good time to meet with MPPs in their constituency offices and discuss issues that are important to farmers.

OFA’s  list of issues is extensive and continues to grow. Most MPPs will have heard many of the topics before, but until we get resolution on agriculture’s priorities, we have to repeat many of the points.

Farmers are proud of their contributions to the province’s economy, but if we can get government to make the changes we will outline to our MPPs over the summer months, that contribution can be amplified – and the lives of our farmers and their families will also be improved.

The OFA is grateful to the McGuinty government for a number of recent measures introduced in Ontario – things like the Green Energy Act and its plans to move away from coal-fired electricity plants to the use of biomass. Farmers see a huge opportunity for them to get into the production of biomass and supplement their other farm income sources.

Energy is fast becoming a promising revenue source for farmers. They are rapidly adapting their facilities to the production of electricity using one-farm technologies like biodigesters and wind turbines. OFA wants to ensure that our rural residents and our farm land are not adversely affected in the process.

Another energy-related source of income is looking increasingly promising for Ontario’s farmers. Premier McGuinty has recently turned his attention to cap and trade systems related to carbon credits. Agriculture is ideally positioned to capitalize in the cap and trade markets.

Because of its ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, agriculture can look forward to selling carbon credits to industries that produce an excess of carbon, adding to the greenhouse gas problems of the world. This is one of a number of ecological goods and services farmers can provide to society and reap the financial benefits.

Before this can be done, however, farmers need their government to establish a carbon trading system that recognizes and compensates them for their contribution to society.

OFA will also be calling on MPPs to support legislative changes that will remove oppressive regulations – regulations that stifle productivity and competitiveness at the farm level. We also need the support of MPPs to change the farmland property tax system. For this to be done, they need to recognize what constitutes a modern farming enterprise, and what’s necessary to achieve value retention activities within the production side of farming.

We have been asking government to update its standards for compensation for damage to crops and livestock done by wildlife. The compensation schedule used by the government is more than a quarter century old, and farmers are seeing increasing losses caused by wildlife each year. Ontario livestock farmers are in desperate need of government action to maintain a viable deadstock service.

OFA continues to talk to government about business risk management programs needed by farmers to protect them from a variety of risks in the production of crops and livestock. We have repeatedly called on government to introduce programs and policies that will encourage younger farmers to enter the business. Stability, predictability, profitability will encourage new and existing farmers as well,  but like the young people wanting to farm, we’re still waiting.

Ontario’s horticultural producers dearly need risk management programs for their operations, so this is another topic OFA will be presenting to MPPs as they return to their constituencies for the summer.

OFA and its county federation partners will be working throughout the summer to deliver these messages to Ontario’s MPPs.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and commodity groups have made many advances in the past two or three years – much of it with the help of farmers across the country demanding a single voice going to governments.

It became obvious that when multiple messages went to the politicians, they had an easy excuse to say they didn’t know what farmers wanted, and then they’d do nothing.

Although this wasn’t a popular response, it’s easy to understand the predicament the politicians faced – without clear instructions from the electorate, doing nothing was seen as the safest thing to do.

We have since proven the various organizations can discuss the multitude of issues facing our industry, can sort out the best alternatives and can prepare a plan to deliver agriculture’s decisions to governments.

Some may see it as a miracle that we can actually do that, but I can tell you this approach has succeeded even when the common goals of the organizations involved are different.

Probably the best example of this was when farmers in the grains and oilseeds sector needed a risk management plan and found the strong and necessary support from farmers in the dairy and horticulture sectors to achieve that goal.

Demonstrating the strength possible from within a unified voice gave primary producers a brand new sense of power and influence with governments. It was a good feeling to know that individual farmers, when they spoke with a single voice, could have the power to get government to respond positively.

Too often in the past, we saw the results of poorly planned and uncoordinated lobby efforts to governments. Unfortunately these short-term reactive activities often produced negative results and closed many government doors for extended periods of time.  That was counterproductive.

Having said that, OFA will not back down from legal demonstrations when the time is right...and if we don't get action on some of our pressing issues soon that could be sooner than later.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is a complex organization with 50 local federations across the province. This allows OFA to gather and work with input from primary producers everywhere in Ontario. To solidify the positive impacts of that structure, we have been developing written understandings of how we will work together with each of those local federations.

The same approach is being developed by OFA and the various commodity organizations in Ontario. We want to approach governments with written proof that what’s being said is being said by all farmers – an essential ingredient to speaking with a single voice in the halls of government.

When this is achieved and working well, governments will be hard pressed to ignore direction coming from OFA, our local federations and our commodity partners.

OFA will be calling on commodities to meet in June to develop immediate action plans on several key issues including wildlife damage, property tax, and business risk management programming, to achieve our goal of profitability and sustainability.

Perfection in policy and execution is not easy to achieve, but I believe OFA continues to show improvement towards achieving its goals on behalf of Ontario farmers every day.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Fruit wine production in Ontario is addressing a growing niche market and a number of producers involved in the sector would like the provincial government to change marketing regulations to give them more access to consumers.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has supported these producers in their call to allow the sale of fruit wines at farmers’ markets. It just seems like the common sense thing to do – giving the producers a readily accessible market place for their product.

To this end the OFA has called on government officials to enact Bill 132, an act to amend the Liquor License Act for Fruit Wines – expanding the marketing reach of Ontario’s fruit wineries. In its recent letter of support for the change, OFA pointed out that the fruit wineries "now have considerable experience in operating on-farm wine outlets.....there is absolutely no reason to preclude the extension of their marketing reach to Farmers Markets."

Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Hon. Leona Dombrowsky was questioned in the Legislature recently about the issue. She said the idea of selling fruit wines at farmers’ markets "is a new idea, something that we are considering."

The minister acknowledged that producers have the opportunity to market their fruit wines from their farm market stands on their farms. Now it appears they want to expand their market opportunity by taking part in farmers’ markets, the minister observed.

Minister Dombrowsky told the legislature that more discussions would be required with other ministries and the fruit wine sector before any decisions could be made.

Bert Andrews, a long-time farm-gate marketer of fruits and vegetables from his farm in the Milton area, is a strong supporter of being able to sell fruit wines at farmers’ markets. He has expressed frustration with the length of time the government wants to spend discussing the options and opportunities.

Andrews isn’t optimistic about the opportunities offered to fruit wine producers at the liquor store. He has pointed to store wine displays offering 300 varieties from grape wine producers, but only four or five varieties of Ontario fruit wines.

As I pointed out in a letter to the Standing Committee on General Government earlier this year, "we know our consumers are keenly interested in local products and are asking for improved and simpler access to Ontario-produced goods."

We at OFA feel Bill 132 "provides exactly what our consumers are requesting. The increased marketing opportunities will help drive our rural economy through the wineries’ success as well as increase traffic through our network of Farmers’ Markets."

As the provincial government continues to promote buying local produce from local markets, it would make good sense to adapt changes necessary to expand the sale of Ontario fruit wines from farmers’ markets.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Finding rules and regulations to govern international trade and rules for the labeling of food items put on Canadian grocery shelves continues to be complicated.  The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, through its committee structure, has developed recommendations that speak to the desired changes in food labeling in Canada.

CFA’s Trade Committee met early last month to examine existing labeling standards in Canada, the new Product of Canada labeling intentions, how CFA’s recent resolution from the annual meeting fits into the plans, and the design of a process to achieve the desired goals of farmers.

Considerable discussion took place over the amount of foreign product that should be accepted under the Product of Canada label.  The meeting examined how far back in the food chain the process need go when determining the country of origin of a particular ingredient.

Committee members discussed working with government to survey consumer awareness and opinion on new Product of Canada and Made in Canada guidelines being considered for a new official standard.  The labeling of bulk goods in stores will also require work with government officials.

The meeting considered the broader agriculture industry and government and what would be required to simplify the messaging on what classifies as a Product of Canada while adhering to ‘truth in labeling’ – consumer trust in farmers must not be compromised, the committee agreed.

However, consultations in Ontario and at the national level concluded a Canadian content threshold of 80-85 per cent would be appropriate for a Product of Canada label. The international standard is 85 per cent.

The issues surrounding food labeling become increasingly complex and complicated when the Codex International Standards have to be incorporated. The CFA committee agreed it would be necessary to analyze and compare proposed Canadian standards with the Codex standards in order to achieve a fulsome and informed position for Canada on labeling policies.

Based on a recent resolution approved by CFA, the committee considered a set of guidelines to follow in moving forward with the labeling issue. Based on those guidelines, the flow of activities by CFA and its partners in the food labeling strategy will include:

• develop a joint strategy for representation to raise the awareness of the federal government about the issues surrounding the new guidelines;
• develop, with the other contributors to the food chain (processors, consumers), a joint strategy for representation that seeks to have the federal government change the regulations for “Product of Canada” labeling; and
• review and increase the limit of eligible foreign content in a product labeled Product of Canada to 15 per cent if and only if the principal food that is labeled is made of 100 per cent Canadian ingredients;
• ensure that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has sufficient resources to rigorously enforce the labeling regulations;
• support the coming into force of the new requirements with a consumer information campaign;
• replace the origin claim “Made in Canada”, which can be confused with Product of Canada” with labeling “Prepared in Canada”;
• prohibit the use of other claims such as “Packaged in Canada,” “Processed in Canada” and “Roasted in Canada” as they create confusion about the origin;
• apply this guideline to all agricultural and food products.

The consistent application of truthful labeling must apply to all domestic and imported goods.  A recent submission by Kent and Perth Counties to OFA emphasized the problem with enforcing consistent standards on imported food.

We know the importance of reaching agreement on new food labeling guidelines for all Canadians, so the Ontario Federation of Agriculture will continue its efforts to get this job done.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The nation just celebrated Earth Day. According to Earth Day Canada’s website, the mission statement for the day is ‘to improve the state of the environment by empowering and helping Canadians to take positive environmental action.’

That’s something Canadian farmers strive to accomplish every day of the year. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has led the way with its role promoting and growing the Environmental Farm Plan program for the past 16 years.

Over 85% of Ontario farmers have completed an environmental plan for their farm. Now provinces across Canada are at work promoting their own EFPs and Canadian farmers are proud of their leading role to protect and improve the environment.

Through OFA’s efforts, funding to support environmental projects now comes from the Federal and Provincial Governments, making it a growing success story – not just for farmers, but for all of society as improvements are incorporated into the environment at the farm and community levels.

Farmers continue to show interest in improving the environment on their farms. This becomes obvious with the number of Best Management Practices books being ordered by farmers. This series of books looks at new and innovative ways of dealing with regular environmental issues on all types of farms, and the good news for farmers is that they are provided at no cost.

Much of the work done by farmers to preserve and protect the environment on farms, until now, has happened at the farmer’s own cost. Some of these undertakings have a large financial impact on the farmer.

That’s why OFA is asking our provincial and federal governments to consider compensating farmers for the ecological goods and services costs they incur on behalf of society as they work to improve the environment through environmental goods and services.

Canada is the only G8 country that does not recognize farmers for environmental goods and services.  Farmers can’t continue to be expected to invest personal funds in projects that benefit everyone else –  as they willingly have for years already…because farmers are, after all, natural stewards of the environment.

A report from the David Suzuki Foundation provides some hefty proof of the value environmental projects bring to society. The report from last September points out that Ontario’s Greenbelt contributes 2.6 billion dollars in non-market ecological services to the citizens of Ontario each year. Farmers are hoping for the day they can see some of that value returned to them.

For years now, Ontario farmers have been leading the way to more environmentally sustainable sources of energy for society. That’s why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is an active partner in the Green Energy Act Alliance that is helping shape the province’s new Green Energy Act. Solar energy is a double-edged sword, however, in this discussion. OFA does not support solar farms that would take agricultural land out of food production. OFA does support the use of this technology on rows and brownfields where agricultural production is not impacted.

We’re hard at work finding ways to advance the benefits available through biomass. We know how the use of biomass to replace coal-fired electricity generation will improve the environment and at the same time provide new markets for biomass materials from the farm.

For decades, Ontario farmers have played a key role in wildlife management and providing habitat on our farms. The thriving wildlife populations would not exist today without farmers. And it is recognition for such efforts that OFA continuously pursues an updated compensation schedule.

If you’re looking for Earth Day activities, you can find them any day on Ontario farms.  Ontario farming, the original home of a ‘million acts of green’.

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By Eleanor Renaud, Zone 11 Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

When a world-recognized expert says “it’s sad that science and common sense were pushed aside by scare tactics and emotion,” it certainly reinforces the position taken by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture on Ontario’s pesticide ban.

Dean M. Stanbridge of Milton took strong exception to the Ontario law banning the cosmetic use of pesticides in a recent letter to the Canadian Champion publication. “I’m disturbed to find that an entire industry of this calibre can be essentially disintegrated because of hearsay and rhetoric” his letter stated, referring to pesticide manufacturers.

His abilities in the pest management sector were recognized when he was honoured by the Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.) for ‘using and advocating reduced pesticide methods of pest management’ in 2004.

In his letter, Stanbridge said: ‘This ban will have far-reaching consequences that include documented increases to disease and reduced public health.’

When the province started talking about banning pesticides intended for cosmetic use, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture promoted the responsible use of pesticides based on the model farmers have followed for years. We pointed to the dramatic reduction – more than 50 per cent – in pesticide use by agriculture over more than a decade.

With the ban in place later this month, Ontarians should expect to see a dramatic change in their public spaces. Municipalities that take pride in their green spaces and flower beds will be forced to find alternate ways to grow their flowers and shrubs without traditional pesticides. In Brantford, the foreman of horticulture and turf maintenance, said the ban will cost the city 39,000 dollars to control weeds in city parks and flower beds versus 2800 dollars using currently acceptable pest control products.

Taxpayers will soon have to decide what their priorities are when it comes to weed control in public spaces.

The pesticide ban has generated growing debate relating to lost investment. Dow AgroSciences has initiated a challenge under the North American Free Trade Agreement to Quebec’s law banning a specific chemical.

Under NAFTA, companies can claim that new laws or regulations are indirect expropriation of property without fair compensation. This is something farmers can relate to. This challenge puts the federal government in the ridiculous position of defending a Quebec law that prohibits the use of a product Health Canada has declared perfectly safe - a classic example of absurdities created by regulations that are intended to be politically correct rather than science based.

A recent letter from Health Canada to Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment clearly declares Ontario’s Pesticide Classification Guideline to be false when it suggests “unclassified pesticides” can expose humans and the environment to unacceptable risks.

It seems Ontario knows better than the 350 scientists at Health Canada dedicated to the evaluation of pesticides. And so the outright ban goes into effect instead of the more practical process of educating consumers and applicators on the proper usage of approved products - like farmers do.

Agriculture has been given exception status by the legislation banning the use of pesticides. However, the ban will definitely affect agriculture by making pest problems our problems, by limiting new product registrations and by potentially threatening farm usage itself.

We can only hope that homeowners and taxpayers soon realize the absurdity and cost of political correctness and demand science-based regulation of pesticides in Ontario.

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By Keith Currie, Zone 13 Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources has set out its plans for the population management of the province’s cervid species – deer, elk, caribou and moose. Based on information contained in the ministry’s Cervid Ecological Framework document, Ontario farmers and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture have much to be concerned about.

Elk represent a significant predation problem for farmers in certain areas of the province. For a period of years in the late 1800s and early 1900s, elk disappeared from Ontario. That prompted the provincial government to start up elk herds in four areas of Ontario with animals from the Elk Island National Park in Alberta.

When the Ministry of Natural Resources undertook this restoration project, there were no population management plans in place. As a result, the elk population in the Bancroft area has gone from 200 animals to more than 500 in an eight-year period. Farmers in that area have experienced a dramatic increase in damage to their crops and farms, and the law doesn’t provide them with any means of protecting their farms.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has been working with affected farmers, hoping to convince the provincial government that changes are needed to protect farmers and their ability to farm successfully.

When the province posted its ‘Cervid Ecological Framework’ on the Environmental Bill of Rights registry, OFA recognized a number of danger signs for farmers with the government plans.

A letter from OFA to the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry calls for a number of changes and corrections to statements contained in the ministry’s document on cervid management. “Ongoing experience indicates that human-elk conflicts will occur where re-introduced elk come in contact with existing farm operations,” the letter states.

OFA’s letter refers to “troubling omissions or oversights” in the ministry’s documents dealing with human-elk conflicts in areas known to have active agricultural operations and elk populations which have been re-introduced. OFA, in its submission to the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry on the topic “categorically object to any suggestion that elk be considered in this (Zone E3) area” – an area of modern and intense agricultural operations in southern Ontario.

We express appreciation for the ministry’s ongoing but incomplete efforts to address white-tailed deer population management, mitigating damage to crops by these deer. This is accomplished by special hunts when their numbers exceed the ability of the natural landscape to sustain them. Farmers understand these animals require regular feed, and when the natural supply is insufficient for the population of deer, the farmer’s field is convenient.

Unfortunately, in the case of elk, the ministry has not given approval for an organized hunt, and farmers are not authorized to use any means to eliminate the animals from their properties.

OFA’s report to the EBR posting “demands that work begins immediately on an elk management plan that includes how and when hunting will begin, how farmers and other rural property owners can protect their property from marauding elk, and includes compensation for elk damage.”

Visit OFA’s website for a link to the EBR postings. Farmers should comment on the EBR postings.

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By Bruce Webster, Zone 10 Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

For decades, Ontario farmers have experienced the ravages of predators on their farms, losing millions of dollars worth of lambs and calves to coyotes and wolves.

Reducing those losses and receiving adequate compensation for the damage has proven difficult. It seems now, though that the Minister of Natural Resources, Donna Cansfield has stumbled on a unique solution - at least one that works for a high priced neighborhood in the Beach community of Toronto.

The Minister has decided to move a pesky Toronto coyote to a rehabilitation area.

Now, there is no doubt that different rules will apply to the Toronto coyote’s poor rural cousins. Rural based predators are not likely to receive such kid glove treatment. Likewise, rural residents, long plagued by large coyote and wolf populations that threaten pets, children and livestock businesses have always been left to fend for themselves.

If Minister Cansfield believes in fair and equal treatment, she will be particularly interested in the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s recommendations recently crafted by an expert Predator Task Team. The Task Team was asked to identify ways and means of better coping with the influx and damage of predators such as wolves and coyotes in Ontario.

Created in response to an Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency resolution, the Task Team recognized that the growth of the sheep industry in Ontario and the profitability of other livestock farms is being limited by the impacts of predation.

The resolution said consumer demand for lamb is increasing in Ontario, but the domestic sheep industry is able to supply less than half that consumer demand because of predation on their farms.

The law allows farmers to shoot or trap wolves and coyotes when they are threatening domestic livestock on their farms. This has not proven effective in controlling populations that feed on livestock. The recommendations conclude that snares must be permitted on farms in Southern Ontario to control predators.

However, it also recognized that skill is required to safely and effectively use traps and snares to catch and remove predators. Consequently, the recommendations also call for training for farmers.

Improved fencing is another approach members of the OFA Task Team considered. While predator-proof fencing may be deemed more acceptable, it is limited in effectiveness due to its expense and the simple fact coyotes can dig their way under or go over such fencing. Public funding will be required for such solutions.

Another possibility for protecting farm animals from predators is the use of guard dogs and other control animals. The Task Team has recommended cost share funding for such animals. However the Task Team also cautioned about recent changes to the SPCA legislation making it illegal to allow animals to fight other animals. We will need to be absolutely clear, with confirmation from the office of the Attorney General, that this provision does not pertain to the protection of domestic livestock.

There are also chemical products that can be used to eliminate predators. The Task Team has also recommended their limited to target those predators preying on livestock.

This exhaustive list of remedies, coupled with improved compensation for livestock losses, will start to address the coyote and wolf problems faced by our farmers. We trust Minister Cansfield is as receptive to our calls for assistance as she was to the call from the Beaches.

OFA and its commodity partners will continue to work with our governments in search of acceptable solutions to the predator problem.

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan has unveiled Ontario’s new 100 billion dollar budget to try to stimulate our provincial economy back to health.  Although specific references to agriculture were few, opportunity exists within the new fiscal plans to build a stronger and more sustainable farming sector in Ontario.

Significant money will be spent on infrastructure development out of this budget.  Over the next two years Ontario will invest 32.5 billion dollars in infrastructure.  The Ontario economy will benefit greatly through prudent investment in agriculture.  Ontario farmers need to capitalize on the opportunity to build a better future for farming and a better economy for Ontario.

Infrastructure investment gaps include food and feed processing capacity, biomass processing capacity to supply affordable, green electricity to drive our economy and infrastructure for renewable fibre for industrial use.

The OFA and its partners will be working with the government for specific funding allocations to ensure such projects become a reality.  Agriculture can and will drive our economy with the proper investments.

Other budget initiatives that rural Ontario must capitalize on include five million dollars for a Green Jobs Skills Strategy and a full 700 million dollars over two years for skills training. The business of farming, our green energy projects and our needed processing capabilities will certainly require new and more skilled workers. 

Regrettably, a meager 1.5 million dollars was allocated specifically to agri-food research centres.  However, over six years the province will invest 300 million dollars on research infrastructure.  This is definitely one case where we do not want agriculture isolated.  History has proven that investment in ag research pays serious dividends.  OFA will continue to fight for real public sector investment.    

We know that Ontario farmers are poised to capitalize on the opportunities created by the Green Energy Act.  It seems logical, therefore that our farm economy can also take advantage of the 390 million dollars promised for GEA initiatives.  On-farm power generation and contributions to renewable fuels require investment.  Ensuring our rural economy receives its fair share of investment will be a major goal as this fiscal stimulus package unfolds.

In advance of the release of the provincial budget, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture made a detailed presentation to Finance Minister Duncan and his staff on a number of the issues that will not cost the province anything, but will stimulate the rural economy.

Although not mentioned in the budget we will continue to press Ontario’s ministries to use their new budgets to ensure farmers are sufficiently compensated for ecological goods and services, such as ensuring safe , clean water and species habitat protection and that wildlife mitigation strategies and proper compensation for damage is provided. 

We will also continue to seek realistic property taxation rules for farming operations to avoid penalizing those trying to increase the value of their farm products.

In short, our work is just beginning on new opportunities for Ontario farms and farmers.  Money properly invested in rural Ontario - in agricultural research, infrastructure and in training can drive our economy back to health with a sustainable agriculture and agri-food industry.

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By Larry Davis, Director At Large, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Livestock producers in Ontario are required, by law, to properly dispose of any livestock carcass on their farm, but circumstances are making that increasingly difficult. The BSE crisis earlier this decade changed the world of the deadstock removal business, weakening the viability of many in the business.

Animal hides became valueless and other parts of the animals could not be used because of new SRM regulations brought about by BSE.

This brought the provincial government forward with special funding to ensure farmers would have a deadstock removal service available so they could comply with regulations.

That special funding has expired, and the industry is still without an acceptable alternative. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture lends its voice to those calling for an extension of the province’s special funding options.

Today, livestock farmers can access funding through the Growing Forward program, but that is limited to 30 per cent cost share to 15,000 dollars for composting. We’re pushing for 90 per cent up to 45,000 dollars.

The alternatives are dangerous and unacceptable to the farming industry and to the rest of society – we can’t allow dead and decaying animals to collect in out-of-sight locations because of the dangers of disease and the attraction of wildlife.

This dilemma comes up periodically and spurs efforts by individuals and groups to develop a solution. Most farmers are familiar with the basic option to comply with the Dead Animal Disposal Act – burial under two feet of earth within 48 hours. Another option, when pick up by a licenced disposal service is not available, is composting, but that becomes complex and demanding.

Farmers are anticipating a new set of government regulations for disposing of dead livestock, hopefully due out in April. We are told the new disposal rules will provide a wider range of disposal options, that on-farm disposal would come under the Nutrient Management Act, and off-farm disposal under the Food Safety and Quality Act.

Some of the new options, besides burial and composting, would include burial in disposal vessels, incineration and anaerobic digestion. Use of any of these options would have to be done in accordance with set back and separation distances regulations, and record-keeping requirements.

Licensed collectors and the use of centralized composting and landfilling options could also be acceptable options for farmers with deadstock requiring disposal.

The problems facing livestock producers with dead animals on their farms are well known to politicians in the provincial government. This gives us confidence that a solution will be developed, but as time passes, there is a growing sense of urgency.

An extension of the province’s funding of deadstock removal businesses would be a short-term fix, giving everyone breathing room and time to develop longer-term solutions.

We know the government is working on changes to relieve the pressure created by today’s circumstances. In 2006, OMAFRA and MOE were instructed by Ontario’s Legislative Council to work together to prepare a more ‘modern’ regulatory framework for deadstock disposal under the Nutrient Management Act. Farm organizations have had the opportunity to respond to draft regulations posted last fall, and attend consultations.

If the province will approve an extension of funding to the deadstock industry while changes are taking shape, the problems facing farmers with dead animals today will become more manageable. OFA will continue to work with government to get a solution as quickly as possible.

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By Wendy Omvlee, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Recent changes to the Ontario legislation that governs animal rights and people responsible for caring for animals, including farm animals, could complicate the lives of farmers.

The most troublesome change to the act allows for inspectors with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to inspect a farm property without a warrant. In the past, a report by someone that animals were not being treated properly on a property was needed to trigger an inspection. Not any more. Inspectors do not require a search warrant today.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture identified a number of dangers to farmers within the legislation that was being proposed. We attended government committee hearings which lasted several days during the past summer and pointed out possible consequences of the changes. Other farm organizations such as the Ontario Farm Animal Council voiced similar concerns, but the provincial government moved forward with its changes.

Under the legislation, a person charged by an SPCA official has only a few days to appeal the charge or order. Anyone finding themselves charged under the Act is urged to seek advice from the Ontario Farm Animal Council. The people there are professionals at dealing with SPCA officials.

Farmers should co-operate with an SPCA official. While they will not have a warrant to justify their visit and demands to see inside a farm building, refusing entry will likely lead to a return visit with a police official at their side.

Any legitimate inspector, however, will be able to display photo identification, and a farmer has the right to demand to see that identification and make note of the inspector’s name.

When the province set out to re-write the legislation, it wanted to ensure it came up with the ‘gold standard’ for protecting animals. Some say it went overboard in that regard, and now farmers have no protection from frivolous complaints that prompt an inspection.

Another aspect of the new legislation that concerns OFA and all farmers is the absence of accountability for the SPCA. The revised legislation contains nothing to hold the SPCA and its inspectors accountable to any recognized standard.

As the changes were being considered, the Federal Criminal Code underwent amendments, and as a result an individual can face a criminal record for certain offences related to animal handling.
 
The revised legislation introduced other problems for farmers. In an effort to deal with dog and cock fighting situations, the government’s new regulations could make it a crime for a sheep farmer to protect the flock with guard dogs because technically the guard dogs cannot attack another animal threatening the sheep.

OFA will continue to work with provincial officials to protect legitimate and normal farming practices from getting caught up in the technicalities of the amended legislation.

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 By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

For almost two years, farmers have been awaiting government action on funding initiatives announced but not acted on by the federal government. In fact, between the announcement time and today, some of the money may have vanished.

In May, 2007 the Prime Minister told  farmers there would be 100-million-dollars per year available to address increasing production costs.  In Ottawa last week Minister Ritz told farmers gathered for the CFA Annual Meeting that price increases have eliminated the triggers.  Well, prices continue to roller coaster and costs continue to increase. The program, while not a big contribution to the average Ontario farm is still needed and will be a worthwhile investment. 

Many farmers will be familiar with the term AgriFlex.  It is a program developed by farmers that the Canadian Federation of Agriculture asked to be included in the federal government’s suite of programs within the Growing Forward initiative. During the federal election campaign, the Prime Minister announced a 500 million dollar program to be paid out over four years called the Agriculture Flexibility Program .

That was less than the Canadian Federation of Agriculture envisioned when it put forth the idea of AgriFlex as a program to fund Business Risk Management and other programs. Now the recent federal budget has changed the Agricultural Flexibility Program to 500 million dollars over five years with no Business Risk Management component. For Ontario farmers, it means about 20 million dollars per year, none of which would be used to fund the Grain and Oilseed Risk Management Program or similar programs being designed by other commodities.

There were other promises that would have put money into the hands of farmers – things like a two cent reduction in the federal excise tax on diesel fuel. This hasn’t materialized following the election.

Farmers are anxious to learn more about the timing of the distribution of final payments under the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) Inventory Transition Initiative and the Kickstart Initiative. These initiatives offered 900 million dollars and 600 million dollars respectively, but some farmers are still waiting for their final payments.

At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, flexibility in government programming is paramount because of the diversity of our province’s farming industry.  The flexibility concept would allow for workable programs for all producers in all Ontario production sectors. This message has registered at the provincial level, but we’re still working to have the federal government provide funding for the Ontario approach to business risk management.

Federal Minister Ritz is currently meeting with farmers to collect more input for his government’s agricultural flexibility program. He tells us his Economic Action Plan will address the needs of Ontario farmers. Minister Ritz says he understands the basics of what farmers want:  and I quote –  “When it comes to agriculture policy, farmers are the most qualified experts out there. We are making sure their ideas are the foundation of initiatives such as the agricultural flexibility program.”

Well, farmers have provided a lot of sound advice to form the basis of important business risk management programs.  We have also heard of several federal commitments to farmers that are not making their way to the farmers.  The real questions to Minister Ritz, as he tours Ontario this week are these: Is anyone listening to the farmers of Ontario and are you hearing your own promises?  

Agriculture ministers from across Canada will be meeting in July to put the finishing touches on what policies will guide agriculture into the future in Canada.  OFA, working on collaboration with CFA, will continue to strive for the delivery of promised programs and for more workable programs for our farmers.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario residents, including farmers, were given a breath of fresh air when the Province of Ontario recently announced the Green Energy Act. Producing green energy is one of many areas where our farmers excel, and we’re anxious to get going.

We believe the concept offers the promise of appealing opportunities, but without knowing what the regulations will say, OFA must act with appropriate reservations.

Our land is one of the greatest resources we have, and Ontario farmers want OFA to continue its work to ensure farmland preservation is a criterion of projects. That’s why OFA intends to work with government officials as they write the regulations needed to make it law.

We intend to be at the table as the legislation takes shape. We want to work with the province to provide OFA's advice on proper land use as Ontario farmers continue to provide food, fuel, fiber and now energy sustainably for the provincial economy.

In the past Ontario farmers have climbed on board the drive to energy sustainability and built bio-digesters and wind turbines on their farms. They have also accepted new crops on their land – crops capable of being converted to food or energy.

OFA and Ontario farmers are responding to the Ontario Power Generation request for biomass by creating a broad-based partnership to develop a supply of non-food biomass to replace coal.

Farmers are great innovators and entrepreneures and will quickly recognize the variety of opportunities that a move to green energy could provide on their farms and in their communities.

We also, as Ontario residents, want to do our part to contribute to the growth and development of a new economy, not just for agriculture, but for all residents. The current economic downturn is having devastating impacts on all sectors of society, and agriculture is anxious to do whatever possible to return this province to more positive times.

The government’s announcement of the Green Energy Act made reference to a number of important facts about the economy and the energy sector. It told us there will be about four billion dollars invested in new renewable energy projects; that Ontarians spend more then seven billion dollars a year on electricity to power their homes and small businesses.

If citizens can be convinced to make improvements to the energy efficiency of their homes and small businesses to conserve 10 per cent of that energy, that would free up 700 million dollars from family budgets. Similar savings may be possible for agriculture.

The provincial government is projecting the move to a greener economy in Ontario could result in the creation of 50,000 well-paying green jobs in the next three years. The benefits to the environment as we adopt technologies to combat climate change will result in a healthier future for all citizens.

We’re told the proposed Green Energy Act will lead to regulatory changes and policies that will create a new, attractive, feed-in tariff regime with a pricing system for renewable energy. We interpret that to mean guaranteed rates for renewable energy generation, increased investor confidence, and access to financing.

Establishment of a ‘right to connect’ to the electricity grid for renewable projects would be a valuable benefit from the Green Energy Act. There is mention of establishing a streamlined approvals process including provision of service guarantees to renewable energy projects and a ‘renewable energy facilitator’ – all attractive features of the new Act.

OFA sees the Green Energy Act as an exciting opportunity for Ontario farmers. We welcome the infrastructure investment this will provide.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario Treasurer Dwight Duncan has announced March 26th for his release of the next provincial budget. That’s a few weeks later than we expected, but timed just about right for the meeting I held with OMAFRA Minister Leona Dombrowsky.

That meeting provided an ideal opportunity to refresh the minister’s mind on a number of issues the Ontario agricultural community wants to see action on in the coming months – and some of them won’t cost the government anything.

Increasing the supply of green energy in Ontario continues to be a theme of the McGuinty government, and Ontario farmers are anxious to demonstrate their capabilities in that field. As an encouragement to these farmers, OFA wants to see changes to the province’s laws on property taxes where renewable energy is being produced. This isn’t a new concept from OFA, but getting action from the province is slow coming.

OFA is encouraging the provincial government to follow its recipe for assessing and taxing energy production facilities on the farm. We believe that if 51 per cent or more of any one product produced on the farm is used by the farm operation – energy, heat, fertilizer, carbon dioxide – then the 40,000 dollar assessment valuation per megawatt equivalent should apply to the energy production facilities.

We also want the province to treat the land as agricultural land for assessment purposes, and the farm tax rate should apply to the on-farm energy production facilities and the farm land – all things that would encourage farmers to get involved in producing and supplying energy to the grid with little or no cost to the province.

Another no-cost or at least low-cost measure the province could take to improve the economics of agriculture would involve improved wildlife management – especially as it pertains to the bear and elk population.

The province needs to take responsibility for its actions in eliminating the spring bear hunt and introducing elk to agricultural areas of the province. Now that the folly of those measures are known and well documented, we believe the province must be prepared to compensate farmers for their losses. The existing compensation schedule is about 30 years old and in drastic need of updating to reflect modern-day values.

Compensation for providing ecological goods and services to Ontario society needs to be given serious consideration by the province as it prepares its March budget. Farmers provide a multitude of benefits to the public – everything from food safety systems, environmental stewardship of vast areas of lands, and preservation of the rural landscape. Farmers bear the costs associated with these many benefits, and OFA is encouraging the provincial government to develop compensation to the farmers for their efforts.

Much more needs to be done to encourage new and beginning farmers into the industry. OFA wants to see Ontario make regulatory changes to enable these young farmers to get a Farm Business Registration number based on projections of income to allow them to qualify for beneficial government programs.

Incentives provided to expand Ontario’s buy local initiatives have proven their value many times as society shows increasing preference to locally grown product.  We thank the government for its incentives and encourage the introduction of many more so Ontario farmers can provide citizens of the province with more fresh and nutritious food.

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

In May 2000, torrential rains in the Walkerton area caused a tragedy that resulted in Ontario’s government launching an inquiry to ensure that the drinking water provided by municipalities in the province was clean and safe. One outcome of that inquiry is the Clean Water Act, an Act intended to protect existing and future sources of drinking water.

The OFA had standing at the Walkerton Inquiry and was represented on Minister Advisory Committees through out the development of the Clean Water Act. A key objective of the OFA has been to ensure that a mechanism existed to provide financial assistance to farmers having to make changes to their farming system in order to comply with Clean Water Act regulations.

To that end, the OFA was successful in having a Drinking Water Stewardship Fund embedded in the Clean Water Act. To date, 28 million dollars has been deposited to that fund and a Drinking Water Stewardship Program has been established as a means to distribute the funding.

The OFA was involved in the Advisory Committee that set the initial objectives for the Drinking Water Stewardship Program, and now, two years into the Program, the OFA is working with Ministry Of Environment to revise it to ensure that it better meets the needs of those it is intended to assist.

The challenge going forward will be to ensure that the  Drinking Water Stewardship Program has adequate funding on an ongoing, annual basis, and that the application process will be straightforward, and direct funds to eligible applicants in an efficient and timely fashion.

The Clean Water Act enables the establishment of a Source Protection Committee in each of the 18 Source Protection Areas and Regions that have been delineated in the province. These committees range in size from 12 to 22 members and have representation from municipalities and stakeholder groups. The OFA and the Ontario Farm Environment Coalition were successful in convincing the MOE that those representing the interests of agriculture need to be selected by farmers in the area and not simply appointed by the conservation authority facilitating the activity of the Source Protection Committee.

OFA and OFEC convened meetings across the province in the summer of 2007 that resulted in the selection of 38 Source Water Protection Agricultural Representatives across the province.

As well as assisting with the selection of Agricultural  Representatives, the OFA and OFEC have also set up a Source Water Protection Working Group that has organized three training sessions for Agricultural Representatives – one in 2007 and two in 2008. Topics covered during the training ranged from rules of order at a committee meeting to groundwater and surface water vulnerability to wellhead protection.  These training sessions have allowed Agricultural Representatives to engage fully in the discussions of the Source Water Protection Committee in a knowledgeable manner that is also respectful and diplomatic.

Ultimately, each Source Water Committee will develop a Source Water Protection Plan for the Source Protection Area or Region that it is assigned to represent. These plans will be completed by the summer of 2012 at the earliest – more likely some time in 2013. Between now and then, Source Water Protection Agricultural Representatives will put in countless hours reading technical documents and consulting with technical staff assembled by the OFA and OFEC. All this will be done in an effort to ensure that the Clean Water Act meets its objectives without placing an unreasonable burden on the farming community.

Although the process seems burdensome, OFA feels it is important to ensure farmers get fair treatment under the Clean Water Act.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Getting effective food labeling legislation for Canadians is becoming a long, complicated and expensive process.

Prime Minister Harper acknowledged the need for better labeling regulations during a speech to a farm-oriented audience in the Niagara Region last summer. At that time he promised immediate action and his government has made some good changes.

Unfortunately, input from the stakeholders didn’t find its way into the changes, and in some instances, the new regulations are problematic for the agri-food industry. That’s why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture continue to lobby the federal government for improvements.

OFA is asking its 39,000 members to write Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Ritz to ask for better labelling rules so consumers can trust in the “Product of Canada” designation. Farmers are being urged to tell the minister that the changes were implemented in a timely manner, but they will likely do more damage than good.

The new rules require food processors to have food labelled Product of Canada to have 98 per cent Canadian content. What is the point in new rules if nobody can abide by them? There’s a loophole that will allow a Made in Canada label, but that provides consumers with no useful information about the contents.

We are calling on Canadians, farmers and consumers, to contact Minister Ritz and his bureaucrats to detail the problems with the new rules. The brief consultation period is probably to blame for many of the shortcomings in the legislation.

Consumers are hearing about the changes made by government and will expect better product information on packaging to help with purchasing decisions. Such is not the case. Food processing companies need more lead time to accomplish what is being required. Most have an inventory of labels for the next 18 to 24 months, making it impossible for them to meet the December 31st deadline. This could become an expensive waste of resources for the companies, and a major problem for the environment.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Food Processors of Canada told the consultations of a number of potential problems, but find out now their concerns were not considered in the new regulations. The Product of Canada designation is likely to disappear from store shelves because of the high compliance requirement.

In its place, we are likely to find “Made in Canada from Domestic and/or Imported Ingredients” labels, or worse still, no labels at all.

The government’s new regulations will create a number of issues for products coming from Quebec, primarily the destruction of existing domestic labelling. Brand equity developed over time will be lost in this exchange, both harming the reputation of domestic product and the expectations of consumers.

By not changing Canada’s export-oriented “Product of Canada” designation, the new government regulations will lead to two tiers of what constitutes a Canadian product. Two definitions for “Product of Canada” will add to the current level of confusion.

Canadian farmers are proud of the food they produce and truly want a labelling system that Canadian consumers can understand. By playing with words on labels, the government runs the risk of further confusing consumers and denying farmers the respect and confidence they have earned.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Crafting a budget to meet the needs and wishes of 30 million Canadians has to be an enormous undertaking. Based on the comments reported by the media following the release of the 2009 Federal Budget, Finance Minister Flaherty managed to satisfy about as many as he disappointed.

Some of the good news for farmers came in advance of the budget when the government announced it would extend the deadline to September 30, 2010, for the repayment of cash advances provided to beef and hog producers. Another positive part to that announcement was the news that the first 100,000 dollars of each producer’s advance will continue to be interest free.

Pork producers will enjoy similar treatment – breathing room from repayment of cash advances from regular and emergency loans. This ‘Stay of Default’ covers more than 450 million dollars to the Canadian livestock sector.

Because farmers rely heavily on all types of infrastructure to make their farming operations run smoothly, the budget announcement of millions of dollars of infrastructure funding will mean a lot for everything from telecommunications to transportation improvements. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of this initiative will depend on the abilities of local municipalities to provide matching dollars.

The OFA is pleased to see our efforts to get these extensions did not fall on deaf ears.

The budget announcement of a Business Development Agency for southern Ontario is expected to provide a real boost. As agriculture is the second largest industry and third largest employer, the mandate of the agency must include opportunities for food processing facilities and projects involving the production of on-farm renewable energy and bio products.

Agriculture has the capability to offer solutions to governments through such initiatives as fresh foods for the buy-local consumers, reduced energy costs, and a long list of environmental goods and services agriculture provides to society.

Proposed changes were announced to the farmers’ cooperatives legislation that will make it more attractive for new and beginning farmers to get into the industry. This is something OFA has long sought from government to allow renewal in the ag industry.

It wasn’t all good news for agriculture from Minister Flaherty’s extensive budget document.

Of the 500 million dollars over five years mentioned for AgriFlex, only 190 million dollars of that was new money with the balance to come from budget cuts to existing Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada programs. Also, the government missed the definition of the program that the OFA and CFA lobbied for. This money cannot be used for safety net programs.

The budget announcement of 50 million dollars for meat processing projects is double-edged. While investment in meat processing is sorely needed and welcomed, the government expects local matching dollars to be invested before the government funds become available. This may prove to be an investment that cannot be realized

Farmers across Canada were hopeful the budget would bring the news that two cents per litre was being dropped from the federal excise tax on diesel fuel used for farming – an election promise. This didn’t materialize, so that tax will continue to drain much needed resources from agriculture’s limited supply of cash.

A long list of burdensome regulations that impede a farmer’s ability to farm free of red tape was left in place – giving farm organizations like OFA and CFA a future agenda. We will also be seeking clarification to a number of issues prompted by this budget.

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By Wendy Omvlee, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Now that the key elements of the restructured Ontario Federation of Agriculture are in place, we have to focus on making it work effectively for our members.

The 18-member Board of Directors has met twice now and all indications are the members are anxious to get the job done – exploring the issues facing agriculture and developing policies to take to governments as recommended solutions.

OFA’s Policy Advisory Council (PAC) just had its first meeting with 100 members from all areas of the province bringing issues and concerns for discussion and recommendations. This is an entirely new way for OFA to conduct its business, and improvements will be continuous.

As planning was going on for the new structure, consultations with members made it clear that effective communications between the grassroots members, the County Federations, the Policy Advisory Council the Board and staff were critical. To ensure this focus isn’t lost,  Communications Protocols were developed and will form the basis of how all levels of OFA must communicate into the future.

During the early stages of the new OFA structure, the value and importance of open and clear communications between all levels have been recorded.

Board members will attend PAC meetings to observe the discussions and make notes.

Policy Advisory Council members will attend county federation and regional meetings, gaining a clear understanding of the local issues and concerns relating to individual commodities. This will be essential as they work to understand the details of the issues and gain thoughts of potential solutions.

Although a major portion of the PAC’s inaugural meeting was spent getting to know each other and how they want to operate, there will be time on the agendas of future meetings to deal with current and emerging issues.

To be sure all elements of the new OFA structure know and understand what is taking place in Ontario agriculture and how it will impact every partner down to the local level, reports from the county federations, the PAC and the Board will be exchanged.

We’re told that not all counties are fully comfortable yet with the new structure, expressing the concern that Directors may not attend all local meetings. The communications protocol points to the use of modern communications equipment including web conferencing as means to overcome such concerns and ensure effective communications.

OFA intends to take every measure possible to ensure county federations and grassroots members receive regular reports from all levels of the new OFA structure. We know that such comprehensive communications will be essential for OFA to understand all the complexities from the local and commodity concerns. We will need these details to be able to present an effective message to all levels of governments when a lobby has to happen.

OFA will be consulting with county federation officials to have a clear understanding of what events are essential for an OFA director to attend in person. We are looking at an expanded program of regional summit meetings to bring a number of counties together for full discussions of local and regional matters. From previous regional summit meetings, we know how valuable they can be for fostering more complete discussions.

There are obvious challenges ahead, but OFA is committed to working with all levels to ensure success for Ontario farmers.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Every year Ontario farmers wanting to register their farm business with Agricorp are required to complete and submit an application form. Those forms are in the mail now, and farmers are urged to complete and send the form when it arrives.

That form, when completed, provides the government with details of farming operations throughout the province, information the government uses to plan the various programs it develops and offers to the industry. The information can be shared with the chosen farm organization, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture urges farmers to check the tick box to share their information with OFA. This way we will know our members’ demographics and be better positioned for relevant programs and services.

The form also gives farmers a choice of which Ontario farm organization they want their registration fee – 150 dollars plus GST –  to be sent to.

When the application form is completed and sent to Agricorp in Guelph, the registration fee and a request for membership is forwarded to the General Farm Organization chosen by the applicant. If the applicant has chosen OFA, OFA will use that revenue from fees to continue developing safety net, energy, ecological goods and services and many other critical programs.

A Farm Business Registration is a pre-requisite to be eligible for the farm rate for property  taxation purposes. There are some exceptions for beginning farmers and farmers without 7,000 dollars in gross farm income due to illness, etc.

Another important deadline farmers need to be aware of is March 31st. That is the date to file a request for reconsideration with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation – MPAC. All farm property owners should have received their property assessment notice from MPAC by December 20, 2008.

In the beginning stages of considering an appeal of the assessed value, the property owner is advised to request information from MPAC that provides an assessment comparison with comparable properties. March 31, 2009, is the deadline to submit a Request for Reconsideration to MPAC and there is no fee for this reconsideration.

When the results of this reconsideration are provided and the property owner is not satisfied, a Notice of Complaint through the Assessment Review Board can be initiated by the farmer.

Farm property assessment issues continue to be a concern of OFA. OFA’s research staff is available to advise members to find solutions to tax and property assessment problems.

OFA’s staff of member service representatives, located throughout Ontario, are available to work with members to find resolutions to assessment and taxation problems. Our website – www.ofa.on.ca – lists the research and member service staff and where they can be reached for consultation.

OFA members can also access a number of benefits that can help save money for farmers. These benefits have been designed with the daily needs of farmers and their families in mind.

As additional benefits, OFA members will receive annual subscriptions to Better Farming magazine, and Ag Buyer’s Guide, publications bringing the latest industry information to farmers, and where they can find deals on equipment and farm supplies.

If you’re farming in 2009, you should be an OFA member. We’re at work for Ontario farmers.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Many Canadians suffer hangovers as we transition to the new year. Our senior governments, especially the federal government, have an abundance of hangovers for the coming year – things that farmers need cured as quickly as possible.

Farmers need to take action on a couple of issues as well. The Net Income Stabilization Accounts that almost 30,000 farmers have must be closed by March 31, 2009.

Farmers with a Dec. 31 farm business year-end and an active NISA account need to call Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Winnipeg at 866-367-8506 and request they mail the balance of NISA Fund 2 dollars. As of November 2008, 29,486 farmers still had 204 million dollars in their NISA accounts.

There are a number of outstanding commitments to farmers that our governments need to address. Prime Minister Harper promised annual payments of 100 million dollars to farmers to address increasing production costs. That promise was made May 1, 2007, and so far no payments have been made.

During the last federal election, Mr. Harper’s candidates announced government would provide 500 million dollars over the next four years for what was termed the Agricultural Flexibility Program.

This is similar to the AgriFlex proposal put forth by farmers, but no details have come from Ottawa. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture sees this as an ideal way for the federal government to support current and future programs for Ontario farmers – things like the Risk Management Program for grains and oilseeds and other programs still in development.

The new Agri-Invest Account Program is designed very similar to the old NISA program. However, farmers are still awaiting their 2007 Agri-Invest Notices. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada tells us they will start mailing these notices directly to farmers....shortly.

The notices will outline how much money the farmer can contribute to the Agri-Invest Account. This amount will be matched by the federal and provincial governments. We’re also told the notices will state how much Kickstart program funding the federal government will deposit into the farmers’ Agri-Invest Account.

As of November 9, more than 10,000 Ontario farmers have Agri-Invest Accounts with balances totalling just over 18 million dollars, and this money is available to them by calling AAFC at the same number mentioned earlier – 866-376-8506. That 18 million dollars remains from the 89 million dollars provided to Ontario farmers in Kickstart Agri-Invest funding from the federal government.

It is time to take action on these hangovers before they get worse or even go away.

Production Insurance has the new name Agri-Insurance. However, farmers are still without insurance coverage for livestock and some horticultural crops – promised under the old Agricultural Policy Framework and the new Growing Forward Framework. We must demand our Federal Government moves forward on these outstanding issues while there is still time.

If our farmers are allowed to go out of business in the bad times, they won’t be around to farm in the good times. Lost producers are not easily replaced.

On the positive side, successful changes were made to the advance payment programs over the past few years. Emergency Advances were made last year to hog and cattle farmers – advances that would not have been possible just five years ago.

Given the challenges facing the livestock sector, OFA wants to see these emergency advances extended to cattle and hog sectors for another year. The new year’s hangovers still linger. Farmers and government must both act now.

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By Wendy Omvlee, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Occasionally a government program comes along that is so good you don’t want to see it disappear. The Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Program is one of those.

It has been valuable to Ontario farmers because of its flexibility. It has provided a grant-based funding model and the ability for Ontario agriculture to set its own project priorities. Some have called it the ‘most successful agricultural assistance program ever introduced.’

Wouldn’t you know it, it’s set to expire at the end of March.

Farmers and their organizations are being encouraged to work together to keep the program running. Early in January, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will be determining the structure of the next generation of ACAAF funding to commence on April 1. Praise of the current program to Federal agriculture officials, including Minister Gerry Ritz, would be well placed.

Communications to encourage replacing it with something very similar would be worthwhile.

In Ontario alone, the program has provided funding to more then 230 projects valued at 35 million dollars. Without a doubt, the program has increased the economic effectiveness of Ontario’s agricultural sector.

Having the Agricultural Adaptation Council administer the program needs to be continued. This approach provides a high level of efficiency and accountability with direct farmer input into project priorities, ensuring the greatest value for government dollars invested.

The operations of the Agricultural Management Institute and the Growing Forward programs are prime examples of gaining optimum efficiency from government programs with the Agricultural Adaptation Council handling the management and delivery.

If the government can’t be convinced of the value of having the AAC manage the replacement program, we stand to lose a number of important features – regional flexibility being a key feature. There’s no doubt of the value of having AAC, based in the heart of Ontario’s agricultural community, manage such programs.

When we look at successful programs such as the CARD program, (standing for Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development), it is obvious all farmers have something to be concerned about losing. CARD funded marketing, rural and human resources projects and pathfinding projects that supported innovation.

As government decides on the next generation of programs under the Growing Forward program, it is essential that an industry focus be maintained.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is anxious to see continued participation by the Agricultural Adaptation Council.

With millions of dollars at stake for Ontario agriculture and its farm families, we need to ensure the next Growing Forward plan will keep such a successful program in tact.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

At a time when national and international corporations are knocking on government doors in need of financial assistance, farmers in Ontario and Canada have to be wondering what this means for agriculture.

We as individual farmers and as farm organizations have to ensure that our governments, both provincial and federal, recognize the investment opportunities offered by agriculture. In Ontario, we have proven to all levels of government that agriculture produces a generous supply of safe food, but in addition to that we’re contributing clean and green energy for the rest of society and we’re providing wildlife habitat and a host of other ecological  services.

Jobs are a major consideration for our governments as large corporations face financial difficulties and downsizing that threaten employment stability. In Ontario, the agri-food sector is behind almost 700,000 jobs – everything from growing and harvesting the food to processing, transportation and retailing. Keeping this number of people employed is a major responsibility, and Ontario farmers take that responsibility seriously.

We fully understand what’s at stake if the auto sector doesn’t get the support it needs to stay in business – we know society needs a pay cheque to be able to continue buying the food and energy we produce.

We hope our governments can achieve the delicate balancing act needed to bring everyone out of this recession in a healthy condition.

As 2008 drew to a close, OFA reminded our federal minister of agriculture and agri-food of promises made but left unfulfilled – such things as the 100 million dollar installment for the Cost of Production Program, promised by the government as part of a 10-year program to help farmers survive escalating cost-of-production increases.

Our cattle and hog farmers need to see emergency advances extended for another year; beginning farmers need programs adjusted to their needs; and farmers enrolled in the CAIS Inventory Transition Initiative and the Kickstart Initiative are still waiting for final payments totalling about 130 million dollars.

Compared to other demands from a variety of sectors totalling in the billions of dollars, agriculture’s needs may appear small, but they are very essential to the country’s second largest industry.

We have also reminded our federal minister of the ongoing need for support for regional programming. The Prime Minister and the Minister re-stated their commitment to funding the Risk Management Program during the October election campaign, and Ontario farmers need to see that promise fulfilled along with the development and implementation of like programs for horticulture and livestock. There was also a promise to reduce the federal excise tax on diesel fuel used by farmers – that doesn’t amount to a lot of money, but when each farmer gets that tax refunded, it will mean a greater amount available to operate the farm.

There are also policy initiatives agriculture needs from the federal government that won’t require a payment. Topping that list is better regulations for ‘product of Canada’ labeling. Canadian farmers are waiting for Prime Minister Harper to deliver on his promise to improve the regulations that Canada has in place to better inform consumers of where the food they are buying is produced.

Some work has been done on this issue, but we understand there is a broad lack of agreement between all the partners involved in changing labels on food. Our government needs to deal with this issue immediately.

Running a country isn’t easy, and Ottawa is in a state of flux right now. But we remind all of our federal politicians of the tremendous contribution agriculture makes to our economy and our society and we work to ensure agriculture’s best interests are reflected in the upcoming budget and policies. This can only be good for the country.

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By Mark Wales, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

For more than two years the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has been planning and implementing changes to allow OFA to better serve its members.  This year’s annual meeting ratified those plans and now that service proceeds.

Along with reducing the size of the board of directors to 18 members, the changes include the establishment of a Policy Advisory Council or PAC.  This group of about 100 OFA members from across the province will meet and discuss policy issues for the organization.  The results from the PAC’s deliberations will then be considered by the board.

Ensuring effective lines of communication between members and the board was a key consideration when restructuring was being discussed.  OFA wants to ensure the thoughts of every member are considered as the organization works to improve the policies that may eventually become government regulation.

To help OFA achieve this goal, a survey of members was taken this past fall and the results of that and other surveys will play a major role in forming the policies and decisions that come from OFA this coming year.

Topping the ‘to-do-list’ for OFA will be efforts to get our governments to do more to help beginning farmers get into farming – such things as changes to tax structures, the farm business registration process, and a well-promoted government information website with everything the young farmer needs to know about getting started in agriculture.

The survey told us farmers want compensation for the environmental goods and services provided by agriculture operations.  In most instances, providing these services come at a cost to farmers and we will be asking government to step up to the plate and pay farmers for their work on behalf of society – meeting the requirements of the Clean Water Act, providing and preserving wildlife habitat, and maintaining an attractive rural landscape are some of the services.

OFA will continue its efforts to have the provincial government reform its property tax laws to recognize the importance of retaining value in farm products and adding value.  Without the changes OFA has been seeking, farm properties will be taxed at levels much higher than agricultural use – an unfair burden for many farmers.

The provincial government recently introduced a program known as ‘Good For Ontario’, an initiative intended to clear the approvals process of unnecessary red tape.  OFA is dedicated to working with the government to get the maximum benefit for agriculture from this program.  Red tape has caused delays and compromised the competitiveness of our industry.

OFA is partnering with Ontario Agri-Food Education to improve the understanding society has of agriculture.  This initiative will result in more curriculum and teacher training in agricultural topics, and increased stories to the media on farming issues.

We understand the importance of increasing society’s awareness of farming and its issues, and the direct connection between this awareness and government support of our issues.

OFA members have access to an assortment of benefit programs.  We will be striving to offer benefits that have real value for the majority of our members.  We hope all these services and the improved representation meet member expectations.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

When I make a telephone call to a business and end up on hold for a minute or two, I become annoyed.  Farmers are no different, and when it’s the federal government that’s keeping them waiting, annoyance quickly becomes anger.

We’ve been waiting for more than a year now for the first installment of 100 million dollars promised by the federal government to address escalating production costs in agriculture.  The government made its initial payment of 400 million dollars with the promise of annual 100 million dollar payments. We’re still on hold.

Farmers are involved in a highly capitalized business that demands financial planning to ensure success.  When they have been promised government support to ease the rising costs of doing business, and that money doesn’t come, it puts unnecessary stress on the farmer and the entire family.  Farmers are honest business people and want to be able to pay their bills on schedule.  Delays like we’re experiencing now should not happen!

At the beginning of December, I sent a letter to the Hon. Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, highlighting a number of outstanding issues that farmers want to see resolved.

That letter pointed to the need to extend emergency advances to the cattle and hog sectors for one more year; an urgent need to distribute final payments under the CAIS Inventory Transition Initiative and Kickstart Initiative – amounts totalling 130 million dollars – money that has been approved but remains on hold.

Our letter to the minister also reminded him of the promised two per cent reduction in the federal excise tax on diesel fuel and the Agricultural Flexibility Program sought by farmers and promised in the last federal election – that still remains on hold.

OFA’s partners at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture are preparing a submission to Federal Finance Minister Flaherty for his consideration as he prepares the next federal budget.  That document will remind him that agriculture is a key industry for Canada as it contributes to the nation’s economy.

As one of Canada’s largest employers, agriculture contributes eight per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, and plays a significant role in maintaining and sustaining the country’s rural communities.  Based on these facts, we believe the federal government must recognize the critical value of agriculture and honour its commitments to the country’s farmers in a timely manner.  This means taking them off hold and following through now!

With society demanding more and more action on environmental issues, especially areas behind climate change, agriculture wants to see more positive action by our federal government with the development of cap and trade carbon offset systems.  This will provide farmers with the opportunity to receive monetary return in a carbon marketplace for beneficial farming practices.

We also need our federal government to make an ongoing commitment to Canada’s balanced trade position in international trade negotiations.  The Doha Round of negotiations must reflect the interests of Canada’s farmers.

Food safety and “Product of Canada” food labelling are federal responsibilities, both of great importance to our farmers as we work for healthier foods for Canadian consumers and a larger share of the markets for our producers.

These are all issues our federal government must act on.  Please take us off hold and get on with business!

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario farmers rely on modern science to maximize their production efficiencies and their competitiveness. We depend on science to test our soils for nutrients, our milk for protein content, the effectiveness of ventilation systems in our livestock buildings, keep our animals healthy – just about everything that is critical to our success as farmers.

Now we’re up against a provincial government that is not prepared to use science to determine what crop protection products  can be safely used in Ontario. The province is about to ignore science and instead place a ban on pesticides looking solely at individual preference with its proposed regulations under the Pesticides Act.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is calling on its members to contact their Members of Provincial Parliament to express agriculture’s concerns with the proposed regulations. We’re working with CropLife to get the message to Queen’s Park that the amendment is counterproductive for Ontario agriculture. We believe all Ontario citizens need to rally against bad regulation and join farmers in contacting MPPs.

To be clear, the government’s proposal doesn’t spell out the criteria used to determine the suitability of specific products. It also fails to provide criteria for determining where current and future products stand. Under the proposed amendment, home landscapes – grass, trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetable gardens – appear to be defined as cosmetic and not worthy of protection.

We believe it is absurd that under the proposed regulations outdoor plants can be brought indoors to be sprayed – not quite modern science. Could this spread to agriculture?

The process being used by the government would appear to close the door on new product innovation in Ontario, and that’s not good for agriculture and that’s not good for Ontario. We need new product development and testing to keep us competitive with farmers in other jurisdictions.

CropLife and OFA want the provincial government to start over with its planning and define the scientific criteria it will use to assess current products and future innovations so that homeowners and professionals will have access to the safest and most effective tools to manage pest problems.

We are also asking how the Ontario government plans to keep the door open in Ontario for new product innovation based on the proposed legislation. We believe there will be no new tools or technologies introduced in Ontario because of the proposed legislation, thus jeopardizing our ability to compete.

OFA thinks the proposed amendment will have serious impacts on Ontario agriculture. Neighbouring infestations of weeds or pests will become the farmer’s problem as home owners will not be able to do anything to eliminate the situation on their land. It is also a concern that negative public perception of farming operations and products will develop as a result of ignoring science.

The OFA is also involved with the Ontario government’s Open For Business initiative. We applaud this review of regulations that will strive to make the regulatory environment in Ontario less onerous and more effective. The Pesticide Act regulations need to be reviewed using the Open For Business criterion.

OFA is calling on its members to insist that MPPs work to gain a delay in passage of the proposed amendment. This would allow for development of science-based criteria for prohibiting or restricting product usage. Also, our retailers and distributors need a reasonable phase-in period for whatever regulations the province eventually approves.

Science continues to be an ally of agriculture, but we need our government to accept science and its findings when dealing with pesticides for use in Ontario.

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By Bette Jean Crews, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The annual meeting of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture usually signals the end of one and the beginning of another year.  As the new president of the OFA, I look forward to all the opportunities and challenges the coming year holds for Ontario farmers and their organizations.

There’s excitement at all levels of OFA as the new governance structure comes into effect.  We have great expectations for the coming year, and I’m sure our members share that anticipation.  With so much volatility in in the world of economics today, and with changes on the horizon for agriculture, I have confidence the new structure of OFA will be able to take on all challenges as they come.

Based on comments and questions raised by convention delegates, we have a good understanding of what to expect in 2009.  The most predominant question throughout the convention had to do with new and beginning farmers and the hurdles they face getting into agriculture and surviving once there.

We believe these new and beginning farmers represent the future of agriculture in Ontario, and we know it is essential the obstacles they face be cleared.  We also know its going to take some serious cooperation from a large number of stakeholders and partners in the agriculture sector.  Our convention heard that many of the barriers faced by new and beginning farmers are the direct result of government red tape and reluctance to improve the situation.

To demonstrate the seriousness with which OFA convention delegates view the challenges facing these young farmers, the first meeting of the new board of directors approved spending up to five thousand dollars to cover the costs for Ontario participants to attend the upcoming International Young Farmers’ Forum in Calgary early next month.  We look forward to those delegates returning with a host of policy and program suggestions.

OFA is prepared to continue its efforts to get provincial government reform for property tax issues for the farming sector.  These are not new concerns, but the province continues to drag its feet as we strive to get fairness worked into the tax system.

Convention delegates expressed concerns about how the new OFA board would be able to communicate effectively with members and the general agricultural community.  This was something discussed by the implementation committee as the planning was being done for the new structure – we know how vital a strong and effective communication link will be between members and the administration of OFA.

We have confidence that these issues can be conquered through the efforts of the Policy Advisory Council and the board.  From comments made by members of the new board, I am confident every effort will be made to collect grassroots input from the Policy Advisory Council and get it to the board in a timely and effective manner.

Farmers in Ontario are aware of what their competitors in other jurisdiction get from their governments for the environmental goods and services our sector provides to society. This has been brought before the provincial government, and will be part of this spring’s OFA presentation to the finance minister.

With all of this, the new OFA Executive and OFA’s staff recognize the coming year will be busy, but we are confident we can fulfill the expectations of our members.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

As I prepare to leave the office of the President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, a multitude of thoughts flood my mind. When I began my term in office two years ago, I said we were entering the dawn of a new era, and it certainly has been a new era in agriculture and in agricultural politics.

Agriculture is now getting more of the respect it deserves. It used to be we had to fight for and demand recognition and respect from our governments. Now our governments are spending more time coming to us in search of solutions to the problems of society, and agriculture has evolved to the level where it can provide solutions.

This change has come about as agriculture’s contribution to society has expanded from producing food and fibre to also producing energy and ecological goods for a population that continues to grow and demand more of everything.

In making this transition, we recognized that there was little value in being the advocacy voice for Ontario agriculture without providing the direction and the solutions required to solve the problems faced by society.

As I said in my report to OFA members at this year’s convention, ‘as a lobby organization taking agriculture’s issues and concerns to government, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has met with considerable success during 2008. Premier Dalton McGuinty and his government have shown encouraging interest in responding to issues raised by OFA and the province’s farmers.’

Governments are now recognizing the value of their strategic investments in agriculture and the stability those investments generate on the farm and in the rural communities. The results are tangible – employment created, stimulating growth in Ontario’s economy and benefits to people well beyond the farm.

I will be the first to admit that OFA’s work doesn’t produce instant results. As an example of this, we continue to lobby the ministry of natural resources for better wildlife management and OMAFRA for better compensation for the losses farmers suffer from wildlife damage on their farms. But, we are making progress, for instance an 800,000 dollar MNR investment to top up Habitat Best Management Practices within Environmental Farm Plans just announced last week.

We continue our efforts to make entry to agriculture easier for the next generation of farmers. We know that without new farmers coming onto the scene, our industry’s future is in jeopardy. As part of this work, OFA is asking OMAFRA to fund a program to provide Information Awareness to beginning farmers to help them get into farming. We are asking that a beginning farmer be given a Farm Business Registration number up front so they can enrol in beneficial programs.

OFA’s mission statement says it clearly: OFA will work collaboratively towards a profitable, sustainable future for Ontario farmers. OFA’s elected leaders and staff have established a strategic plan that sets out the goals and objectives of the organization – measures that will ensure our mission statement is realized.

Being OFA president for the past two years has been a tremendous privilege as well as a great growing experience for myself, and I fully intend to put those experiences to work as I continue my efforts to contribute to the future of Ontario and Canadian agriculture.

I look forward with great anticipation to the ‘new look’ OFA – 18-member board of directors, Policy Advisory Council, and all the associated changes attached to the new structure. Ontario farmers should be proud of their organization and what it does for them daily.

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By Bette Jean Crews, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is in the business of providing ideas about agriculture and farmers’ needs to government. Usually we do that without an invitation, but a week ago a request came to OFA from an Associate Deputy Minister asking for input to the Ministry of Economic Development’s ‘Open For Business’ initiative.

The request for input points out that the initiative is intended to “create a faster, smarter competitive, streamlined modern system that deliver results for Ontario’s businesses” – farm businesses included. OFA has long sought such a system within government, so without a doubt, we will be submitting recommendations to the ministry of economic development.

The invitation lists objectives the government has as it moves to “create a stronger and more prosperous Ontario”:

• Create open and responsive collaboration between government and business;
• Reduce the burden of government regulation on business;
• Implement enhanced, single-access point services and products, coupled with service guarantees;
• Create a modern regulatory environment that fosters competitiveness and welcomes new business.

Much of this seems to match up very well with what OFA has been taking to government. For some reason specific parts of the message are not registering with the right people at Queen’s Park. As an example, we have repeatedly asked the government to modernize its property tax regulations as they deal with agricultural land and farm businesses.

These are changes that would not cost government anything, but would help farmers innovate and build their farming businesses.

OFA has worked to get changes to property tax laws which deal with storage and value retention of farm products, but government has resisted. There seems to be an inability to understand the difference between retaining the value of a product so it doesn’t deteriorate, and adding value like making cherries into pies.

Thankfully, we have made some progress on the Retail Sales Tax subject and now farmers can use their OFA member card to achieve a tax exemption on eligible items at the point of sale. This has eliminated the time- consuming job of applying for the RST rebate.

We have also been successful in getting the province to adjust its regulations as they pertain to land transfer taxes. Now there’s an exemption for land sold to family members within a farm corporation and estate trusts. These issues were on the table for years as OFA kept lobbying the government for fair and realistic tax laws.

Now we’re asking the government to change its regulations surrounding the Farm Business Registration process. Making it easier for beginning farmers to get into the business is essential if we’re going to continue farming and food production in Ontario. The changes being sought would allow beginning farmers to get a FBR registration number up front, not creating delays in their ability to qualify for government programs.

Another area needing the province’s attention and action is the process of having a livestock valuer attend a farm to determine compensation when wildlife attack farm animals. The process in some municipalities deters farmers from seeking compensation.

OFA is anxious to work with the McGuinty government to get greater efficiencies in place for farmers when they have to do business with government.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Now that the federal election is over – the one in Canada – there’s a lot of unfinished business our farmers need to discuss with Prime Minister Harper and his new government. Ontario Federation of Agriculture members discussed many issues with election candidates before the vote, but that may seem like ages ago in the life of a politician.

During the campaign, there was acknowledgment by Gerry Ritz, now returned as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, that regional programs such as Ontario’s Business Risk Management Program, should be funded by the federal government. OFA and our commodity partners were successful in getting a campaign promise of 500 million dollars over four years. That would be a good starting position, but less than adequate for a meaningful national program.

Ontario farmers need programs that provide much more flexibility. Our competitors enjoy a wide range of publicly funded programs to protect them from the radical swings of markets. What the federal government has offered to this point in its Growing Forward suite of programs still needs work.

AgriFlex is a business risk management program that would compliment and fill identified gaps in the proposed suite on a province-by-province basis. This is all we’re asking from the federal government. In Ontario it would mean federal funding of a permanent Risk Management Program for grains and oilseeds producers and other programs proposed by commodity organizations – livestock and horticulture.

When the Agricultural Policy Framework was developed and implemented over five years ago, such things as production insurance for livestock and self-directed risk management for horticultural crops were promised. We’re still waiting for these programs.

The delay for our farmers to have access to new and more efficient crop protection and veterinary products is measured in years, and that’s putting us at a huge economic disadvantage. Our government must move quickly to harmonize our regulations with competing nations.

Another issue that’s closing in on us quickly is the price of carbon credits. We will be looking to Minister of Environment Prentice to establish a carbon credit trading system based on a national open price discovery system, compatible with international systems that would fully recognize and reward Ontario’s beneficial farm management practices – things such as carbon sequestration, anaerobic digestion systems and nitrogen use reduction.

We know Prime Minister Harper has acknowledged the need for an updated food safety and food labelling system in Canada. That’s important for a number of reasons – we want Canadian consumers to be able to identify food produced in Canada so they can buy their food  with greater assurance of quality and safety.

It is also important to Canadian farmers that their government will play a major role in identifying food from Canada on the export market. Adequate promotion of the quality and value of Canadian food products will improve our export sales.

Let’s look at the other recent election. President Elect Obama was reported to be promoting a review of the North American Free Trade Agreement in his campaign speeches early this year. Now that he’s won the election, we will be counting on new International Trade Minister Stockwell Day to present a strong and balanced position. He will need to heed the advice of the CFA to ensure Canadian farmers benefit from all our trade agreements

We have many economic concerns to sort through. We are counting on the Prime Minister and his new cabinet to work with us to grow a strong farm economy.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan and his staff will be working their way through some difficult scenarios as they prepare to deliver the next provincial budget. The minister launched his pre-budget consultations recently in London. He said the Ontario government “has taken a prudent and balanced approach while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances.”

When we look back over the past five or six weeks, we see many examples of the “changing circumstances” that demand rapid action by not only government leaders but by business professionals – and that includes farmers.

As we look at what’s been going on in the world’s financial markets, to say that Ontario has been left in a precarious fiscal position would be an understatement. Because the financial planning of our provincial government has a major impact on the financial planning of our farmers, we must work closely with Minister Duncan and his department leading up to the next budget.

History has shown the Ontario Federation of Agriculture that government investment in agriculture provides positive dividends for both agriculture and the general population.

While the province is being fiscally prudent, farmers have to follow similar plans. These precarious times are serving to decrease the returns farmers get for their products, and at the same time our inputs costs for just about everything we use – fuel, feed and fertilizer – have escalated.

That’s why OFA will be calling on Minister Duncan and his finance department to ensure the continuation of safety net programs – we want to build on the success of the Risk Management Program pilot program by extending its benefits through 2010 and beyond. Farmers need to be able to make long-term plans if they are to be successful. We also encourage the government to extend similar programs to other commodities.

Agriculture also needs improved forage insurance coverage, providing protection where harvesting is impeded by frequent rainfall resulting in poor quality forage or unharvested crops. There is a need for relief through the federal-provincial AgriStability program for situations from the current crop year.

OFA is also calling on the province for additional research and technology transfer funding; compensation for costs realized through the Clean Water Act; recognition of the ecological goods and services provided by agriculture; and special programming for young farmers.

There are also a number of non-budget items OFA will be calling on the Ontario government to implement to improve circumstances for the province’s farmers:

• Permission for Ontario fruit wine sales at local farmers’ markets;
• Return of the spring bear hunt to facilitate better control of crop damage on farms and enhance tourism dollars in Northern Ontario;
• Broaden the definition of farming operations to include value retention activities in the farm property tax classification;
• Enhance food processing capacity in Ontario by applying the farm property tax rate to value-added facilities. The current tax classifications penalize farmers for adding value to their product;
• Apply the farm tax rate to on-farm energy production facilities;
• Eliminate red tape regulations to allow beginning farmers to get a farm business registration number in their first year of farming.

These policies do not require any cash outlay from the government, but will yield great benefits to our rural economy. The OFA strongly encourages Minister Duncan to move right away to capitalize on such programs.

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By Lori Condon, Manager Finance and Administration, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is a membership oriented organization – we rely on our members for their financial support, and our members rely on us for the services and products we provide to them.

For OFA to do an optimum job of meeting member expectations, it’s essential that a measurement of member expectations and satisfaction be taken. A recent survey of members by a professional survey firm has given OFA a detailed description of what members expect from their organization and how OFA measures up to those expectations.

From the Executive Summary of the survey report, we see the overall confidence rating of 97 per cent in responses to the major questions. Not surprisingly, 56.8 per cent of respondents indicated the lobbying work done by OFA is the single most important aspect of the work we do for members.

Since the 2005 OFA convention, work has been ongoing to restructure OFA’s governance structure. That work will come to fruition at this year’s convention when the board of directors drops in numbers from about 100 to 18. Along with the smaller board, OFA members are electing members to a Policy Advisory Council (PAC). This group will receive input from the member and county levels and make recommendations to the board.

The new governance model is seen as requiring increased communications with a focus on the needs of members. In preparation for this, OFA has been developing an improved communications protocol, not only within the organization but to external organizations.

OFA wants to use the results of the survey to better tailor its efforts to fulfilling the wishes and needs of members and to learn how to better communicate with members. Seventy-one per cent of members surveyed indicated satisfaction with work of OFA’s Member Service Representatives on their behalf, and while the number making contact with head office personnel was less, the majority indicated satisfaction with the results.

More than half of members believe the products and services offered through OFA help them improve the profitability of their operations. The vast majority consider the current fee to be good value.

At OFA, we understand the importance of helping members increase the value of their farming operations. That’s one of the reasons we strive to provide more services to our members. At this time we’re taking the necessary steps to gain government approval for a membership fee increase, the first since 1993. Such a fee increase will be essential if OFA is going to be in a position to provide additional products and services to members.

Savings on property taxes by members was listed highest in terms of impact on members’ operations. That satisfaction is likely to increase as OFA’s lobby efforts to have government revise the land transfer tax criteria were recently implemented, permitting family members to benefit when transferring property from a corporation. Our work continues on the taxation of value-retention and value adding operations

OFA’s lobby work can also be credited with saving farmers 27 million dollars annually on retail sales tax.

With the results of the survey, OFA wants to learn more about what members need, and improve services and benefits in the future to further enhance life for members and their families.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Aren’t you glad you’re a farmer? I asked this question when I spoke to a room full of farmers at the recent meeting of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture board of directors.

When farmers look at what’s going on around the world in just about every business, they are justified to be pleased with their chosen vocation. With banks collapsing everywhere and governments scrambling to prop them up, farmers have an unusual feeling of personal security – there’s always a job to do and food for the family.

It’s a feeling farmers rarely experience. Most of the time we are the ones concerned with the future of our industry – world prices have fallen to new low levels and we’re forced to sell our products well below the cost of production.

Not so today! While we are seeing volatility, generally, shortages of food in many parts of the world have resulted in prices at a level not seen in recent memory. In today’s marketplace for most commodities, we are able to sell our products, pay our bills and have money left to put back into improvements on our farms – an ideal situation we would like to see continue well into the future.

Agriculture’s expanded horizons are also adding to the capabilities of farmers and their families. Now that we have entered the world of energy production, our sense of worth in the world has dramatically improved – not because oil prices have declined to today’s levels, but because farmers are now able to reduce their production costs by producing their own energy supplies.

The world’s economy is in an extremely volatile state, something farmers are all too familiar with. We are therefore comforted when we can look in the milk tank or the grain bin on the combine and see the results of our work and know there is a strong demand for the food we produce.

Tales of the poverty and hardship of the 30's depression get an occasional mention as people consider how bad things could get when stock reports are aired in the media today. Farmers and their families can take comfort in knowing their land is a renewable resource, capable of producing food for them and their animals today and tomorrow.

Politicians sometimes attempt to calm the economic jitters of society, but people are reluctant to buy into their rhetoric. We’ve heard most of it before.

Farmers and their organizations have a strong track record of researching and providing workable solutions to agriculture’s problems. Getting governments to accept and implement our solutions is sometimes a stumbling block.
Candidates in the recent federal election were presented with a wealth of solutions to agriculture’s issues.

In the area of food safety issues, we are urging our government to ensure adequate funding is available to implement the Canadian on-farm food safety program. This will ensure appropriate food safety measures are in place at the processing, packing, and retail levels.

We have called on government to develop policies on carbon tax and domestic carbon trading systems, and incentives for renewable energy developments. Improvements to Canada’s food labelling regulations have been identified to benefit both producers and consumers.

This is definitely a good time to be a farmer. We have the resources to meet the needs of society in terms of food and energy, and we are willing to work with governments to find solutions.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and its members have worked hard during this current election campaign to seek out the candidates willing to support agriculture after the October 14th election. The critical part now is to ensure the farm vote gets out and makes its vote count for agriculture – its issues and its people.

Throughout the election campaign the OFA and its national partner, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, have worked to put agriculture’s issues before the candidates. While doing this, we also brought valuable information about agriculture to thousands of urban Canadians.

Hopefully the non-farm population gained some knowledge of agriculture’s issues and will place their vote for the candidates most likely to understand and support the needs of our industry in the caucus and in the House of Commons.

During the campaign, CFA reached out to urban voters to remind them that a healthy and prosperous agriculture provides them with valuable benefits – a wide range of socioeconomic perks that make their lives better. This outreach was achieved when a debate on farming’s issues was televised on the Internet.

Beside the obvious benefits from agriculture – things like safe, nutritious food, and beautiful surroundings in the rural countryside, there is a bountiful supply of ecological goods and services that farmers provide to society as they do their daily chores – things like providing habitat for endangered species and ensuring a source of clean drinking water.

In return for all of this, agriculture is asking the election candidates to acknowledge what benefits their constituents derive from agriculture and support our industry’s needs in the House of Commons.

Candidates with their sights set on Ottawa need to be reminded of agriculture’s push for improved food inspections. For many years now, farmers and their organizations have taken a proactive role in developing HACCP based on-farm food safety programs. These programs remain critical to the nation’s food safety, and more funding is needed from Ottawa to advance this process.

Being able to put the safest possible Canadian food products on both the domestic and international markets is essential to the success of Canadian farmers. We are counting on the support of our federal government to promote the reputation of Canadian food products at home and around the world.

There are a number of issues important to farmers and their industry that will require action by the federal government following the October 14th election:

• Improvements to Canada’s food labelling regulations;
• Elimination of the excise tax on farm fuel (coloured diesel);
• A regionally flexible farm income program to address Ontario’s specific needs;
• Payment of the one hundred million dollars promised May 1, 2007, to address increasing production costs, and
• A workable and profitable deal for Canadian farmers at the WTO.

The immediate need for agriculture is to have everyone vote for the candidate most likely to support our industry’s farmers and their families.

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By Debra Pretty-Straathof, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Farmers across Canada are being called on to vote in the October 14th federal election. As a lead up to that vote, representatives of the four national parties met recently to debate agriculture’s issues.

There were seven questions posed to Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Conservative representative; Wayne Easter, Liberal Agriculture critic; Kate Storey Green Party agriculture critic; and Tony Martin representing the New Democratic Party.

The debate was organized by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, moderated by agricultural journalist Hugh Maynard, and broadcast on the CPAC network from Ottawa. For anyone wanting to see the debate again, it’s available on the CPAC website on the Internet.

Questions for the debate came from across Canada and touched on the major issues facing farmers. OFA Vice-President Bette Jean Crews, in a pre-recorded segment, asked: Will your party adopt the AgriFlex concept and ensure its inclusion in the Growing Forward framework, and will your party expand the availability of production insurance programs to all commodities?

This has been an issue OFA has been taking to the politicians responsible for Canadian agricultural policy for years. It is critical to achieving the flexibility Ontario farmers have been demanding in agricultural programming. We keep telling our federal politicians that because of the great diversity of agriculture across Canada, a one-size-fits-all approach just can’t work.

Minister Ritz talked about his party’s recently-announced 500 million dollars, to be provided over four years, that would go to the different regions of Canada. Mr. Easter said his party plans to inject 560 million dollars for the Agriflex / Business Risk Management programming farmers have been seeking.

Ms. Storey said the Growing Forward program hadn’t provided any support to her small, mixed farming operation. She reflected a concern shared by the OFA that current programing favours specialized operations at the expense of mixed farms. More regional flexibility can address this shortcoming.

A New Brunswick farmer asked the politicians what plans they would have to encourage young farmers to take over family farms without an unreasonable debt load and allow older farmers to retire with dignity and financial security?

Minister Ritz said an increase in the capital gains exemption, a reduction of the GST by two per cent, and incorporation would help beginning farmers. They agreed that increased returns to agriculture would help the situation faced by young farmers.

OFA understands the urgency to find ways of helping beginning farmers successfully enter the industry. We work with the Junior Farmers Association of Ontario in search of workable solutions.

Other questions put before the politicians dealt with food safety, world trade issues, environmental issues, marketing structures available to farmers to market their produce and food labeling.

All agreed Canadian consumers have a right to know what food is produced by Canada’s farmers – a concept strongly supported by OFA. The debate provided an opportunity for Canadian farmers to better understand the political platforms and Canadian citizens to better understand agriculture.

We thank the CFA for organizing the agriculture debate....now it is time to ensure the farm vote counts.

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By Bette Jean Crews, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Developing an understanding of Agricorp, what it’s expected to do for Ontario farmers and the problems that have surfaced over the years has been a complex process. Farmers didn’t think they were getting the services that were intended – the efficient delivery of safety net programs, so the Board of Directors of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture requested an audit to unravel what appeared to be problems within Agricorp.

The Hon. Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, deserves thanks from OFA and Ontario farmers for ordering an audit of Agricorp. Now the recommendations in the report from that audit are being considered by Minister Dombrowsky, and OFA, after reviewing the report, has recommendations s

Improved communication from Agricorp to farmers was a recurring issue in the audit report. A recent letter from OFA’s President Geri Kamenz to Minister Dombrowsky states: “it is vitally important for our farm business members to have understandable and predictable programming to help them improve their business management abilities.”

We believe this recommendation can be “readily addressed.” When producers have the necessary information to make reliable estimates of CAIS program payments, problems with appeals, dispute resolution and overpayments should be solved.

The issue of confusion around Benchmark Production Units is detailed in the audit report. We believe work on the BPUs and other issues should include direct involvement of producer representatives – the client will have significant helpful input to such improvements.

We support the idea of a communications plan, as called for in the audit report, to provide more information on BPUs, including improvement of the awareness of an appeals process. The current approach to communications with clients for Production Insurance is viewed as more practical and should be used for the CAIS program.

We support the report’s assertion that CAIS clients should receive a single annual statement that details fee and payment information for all programs in which a client is enrolled.

Part of the report also discussed the effectiveness of means provided to clients to discuss their CAIS problems. With 44 per cent ranking the CAIS call centre’s effectiveness as adequate, and 70 per cent satisfied with the Production Insurance program, it seems obvious farmers want service provided by the CAIS call centre to be improved.

The report places considerable emphasis on the value of producer satisfaction. OFA fully endorses securing feedback from producers, as clients, on the efficacy of a dispute resolution process. Once the survey is complete, we expect the results will be acted on in a timely and responsive manner.

On the topic of Agricorp’s accountability to the ministry, OFA agrees with the suggestion to work towards the integration of financial programs – an approach that would improve the predictability for clients. The audit report calls for an accountability framework for Agricorp to evaluate whether the corporation has used the public funds it has received efficiently and prudently.

OFA believes the ongoing effectiveness and efficacy of farm support programs is an essential deliverable to the public and producers alike. Implementing improvements to Agricorp, as detailed in the Auditor General’s report, is something OFA will continue to work towards.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario agriculture has a lot of tradition behind it, and one of the more recent traditions involves Premier Dalton McGuinty meeting with Ontario’s farm leaders on the opening day of the International Plowing Match. It’s proving to be a valuable tradition.

This year it provided the Ontario Federation of Agriculture the opportunity to thank Premier McGuinty for his government’s support on a number of fronts recently.

It was also an opportunity to outline issues created by governments that can potentially hamper Ontario farmers’ competitiveness. Our greatest concerns centre around the unintended and unforseen consequences of legislation and regulations that are causing grief to so many in the agricultural community.

At OFA we know farmers support actions to preserve and protect the environment, and to protect endangered species – all covered by government legislation.

We also endorse measures aimed at preserving and protecting green space. Greenbelt legislation has been passed by Premier McGuinty’s government with the objective of limiting urban sprawl and establishing a green zone around chosen urban areas.

We appreciate the McGuinty Government’s commitment to fund recognizable and foreseen impacts through stewardship funds attached to legislation aimed at protecting and preserving our environment.

And we are thankful to the McGuinty government’s leadership for its Business Risk Management programs aimed at bringing stability and predictability to farmers’ livelihoods, we are now looking to the Premier and his cabinet colleagues to raise the bar.

Our request to Premier McGuinty was a fairly simple one.

Try as we might, either within government circles or our own organizations and farm businesses, we have yet to create legislation, programs, or business plans that can avoid unintended and unforseen consequences.

I offered the Premier that a commitment from him to the farm community indicating a willingness to come to the table with stakeholders to mitigate those unintended and unforseen consequences would provide Ontario farmers the assurance they need to have confidence in their future.

He also recognized another one of our greatest frustrations – the inflexibility of the federal government’s policies that deny us ‘made-in-Ontario’ solutions.
The OFA and CFA have pressed the federal government for programming that recognizes the regional diversity of Canadian agriculture. We know that what works in Ontario may not work in the prairies. The grain and oilseed Risk Management Program is a perfect example.

We know the premier is intent on ensuring fairness and equity for our province from the federal government. He is also intent on ensuring the flexibility Ontario agriculture needs within that process.

In this sense he urged Ontario farmers to ask candidates in the federal election if they will put Ontario and Ontario agriculture first when they get to Ottawa. Now, it is up to us. Ontario farmers need to ask the tough questions of candidates seeking a seat in the House of Commons.

When they get there, farmers and their organizations will be responsible for holding them to their word. That should become another tradition.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario farmers are preparing to get involved in the current federal election because they know how critical good government policy is to agriculture’s future. They know they have to put their issues and concerns on the table before the candidates to ensure agriculture’s needs are met.

Ontario agriculture is a major contributor to Canada’s economy, and candidates seeking votes on October 14th have to be made aware of what’s at stake – not only for the agricultural economy, but also for the country’s economy.

Our farmers do a lot more than grow food and fibre for domestic and export consumption. We provide valuable services to Canadians – services that preserve the soil, preserve and protect water, provide habitat for wildlife, and sequester carbon to reduce the buildup of green house gases in the atmosphere.

Although some of these services are delivered in the normal course of farmers conducting sound stewardship practices on their farms, many involve investments by farmers that add to the costs of farming. When we see our competitors in other countries being paid for these services, we want our government to recognize that Canadian farmers should be paid for their ecological goods and services.

As a modern and competitive nation, we feel our farmers need an opportunity to be involved in a Cap and Trade Carbon Offset system that will provide compensation for carbon sequestration similar to what farmers in other nations receive.

Canadian farmers need flexible and responsive business risk management programs funded by the federal government. We believe our federal government must accept and include the AgriFlex proposal as part of the new agricultural policy framework, Growing Forward. We also believe the federal government needs to immediately implement Production Insurance programs for livestock and horticulture producers.

Food safety issues top the list of priorities of most Canadians. Our consumers, both domestic and foreign, need to know the food they are eating is safe and healthy. Until now, Canadian farmers have borne an inordinate burden of costs to achieve this objective on behalf of the people who buy our produce.

Canadian farmers, through their respective commodity and general farm organizations, need ongoing access to public funding to further develop and implement on-farm food safety programs that safeguard consumers and improve the reputation and marketability of Canadian farm products.

In the name of fairness, Canadian farmers once again call on their federal government to recognize and correct the inequities that exist.

Canada maintains a strict regulatory regime on crop protection products and veterinary drugs for use by farmers. We understand all of this is intended to protect public health and safety through a rigorous approvals process before new products are allowed on the market.

While this is important, the slowness and expense of the approval process means that Canadian farmers lag behind farmers in other parts of the world in gaining access to new and safer products.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and its national partner, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, want all candidates to realize the importance of harmonized standards of approval for pest control and veterinary drug products to accelerate the availability of such products in Canada.

Canadian farmers are among the most competitive in the world, but improvements to this country’s agricultural policies could enhance our position.

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By Neil Currie, General Manager, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Over the generations, a lot has been said about change. Some people support change, some tend to resist change, while some say it doesn’t matter to them.

As Ontario’s largest general farm organization, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture knows how important change is to remaining relevant. When the world around you changes and you stand still, you become irrelevant.

The agriculture industry has changed radically over recent decades, and OFA must change with it!

We’re in the midst of a major change right now. This change to OFA’s governance structure began two years ago with a resolution from one of our county federations. History has taught us that successful change begins at the grassroots level.

The idea of having a smaller board of directors for OFA had been debated for years. Some felt the larger board could no longer be effective and efficient. That was the focus of the 2005 resolution and subsequent decisions made at OFA conventions.

Now OFA members are being called on to elect members for an 18-member board of directors. Four directors were acclaimed to office – those in Northern Ontario, Huron and Perth Counties, Peel, York and Simcoe Counties, and those in Prescott, Stormont, Russell and Glengarry Counties.

For OFA members in the remainder of the province, voting is currently underway. Members have been sent ballots which they can mark and return to OFA by mail, or by depositing them in a ballot box at Federation House – the OFA building at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show near Woodstock from September 9th to 11th. Successful candidates will be announced as soon as possible after the September 12th closing date.

This process will give us 15 directors. Three directors-at-large will then be elected at the annual meeting of the OFA in Toronto November 24th and 25th.

Another key component of OFA’s new governance structure will be the Policy Advisory Council. Every county, region or district in Ontario will be electing representatives to this council at the annual regional meetings scheduled for September, October and November. That council will meet approximately four times each year to discuss policy issues impacting agriculture.

The results of those discussions will become the basis for decisions made by the Board of Directors. Convention delegates will also be responsible for electing OFA’s president and two vice-presidents, much the same as in the recent past.

For this process to be successful, we need OFA members to get to know the candidates and vote to exemplify OFA’s grassroots, democratic structure. Remember, you have until September 12th to cast your ballot.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Recognizing the importance of improving financial prospects for beginning farmers in Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has passed a resolution that is intended to improve the future financial support programs for this critical group of future farmers.

Based on that resolution, OFA will be re-acquainting both levels of government for the need to include beginning farmers in any assistance programs. To be precise, the federal and provincial governments should allow beginning farmers to use a different process to determine eligibility for assistance programs. We’re asking for an industry average of annual net sales based on the size and type of their start-up years, when average net sales is the basis of income support initiatives.

This adjustment will ensure these young farmers are eligible for support programs. Previously, they struggled financially through their start-up years, watching funding assistance flow to established farmers.

We became increasingly aware of the inequities faced by beginning farmers when we examined such programs as the Agri-Invest – Kickstart, and the Ontario Cattle, Hog, and Horticulture Payment programs. There has not been a satisfactory mechanism established for getting fair support dollars to beginning farmers.

Farming is a highly capitalized venture, second only to mining. Beginning farmers are carrying a staggering debt burden as they enter the industry. The debts are related to productive assets, new technologies and investments that will make their farming operations efficient, safe, and competitive.

When a market failure occurs and brings this group of farmers to the brink of failure, we need to close the cracks in the support programs and offer the same hand up that we do to any other farmers.

To move this process forward, OFA will recommend to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs that changes are needed in program design to enable beginning farmers to get a Farm Business Registration number based on projections, what currently happens under the Farm Property Class Tax Rate Program.

As it is now, farmers must be able to show income tax records from the previous year, documenting at least $7,000 annual gross farm income to be able to register for a Farm Business Registration number. Without that number they are not allowed access to financial programs.

We will also be asking OMAFRA to fund a program information awareness system to ensure beginning farmers, eligible for government programs, are aware of the programs and how to apply.

Based on the 2006 Farm Census, we know that nearly half of all Ontario farm operators reported an off-farm job or business – that’s an increase of five per cent from the 2001 census. This tells us the restricted farm loss provisions will continue to increase as more farmers work off the farm.

Basic farm economics tells us that beginning farmers are more likely to need off-farm income in the early years of starting their farm business. This becomes increasingly true when expansion is part of the beginning farmers’ plan.

OFA will work with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and our Federal and Provincial levels of government to get the necessary changes to encourage beginning farmers – something essential to the future of Ontario’s agriculture sector.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

As food becomes increasingly important in the minds of people around the world, it should not be surprising that anything impacting the production of food becomes a concern for more and more people.

This year’s weather has posed a greater threat to food production here in Ontario than most of us have ever seen. As a result, journalists have taken up the challenge to find answers to society’s concerns for a secure food supply.

Every area of the province has seen a unique form of weather damage this summer – everything from high winds, heavy rains, and hail storms in every corner of the province.

Situations like these provide an easy answer to why farmers need crop insurance and other risk management tools to give them some form of income security for their production of crops and livestock. These tools also provide a guarantee to the public that they will have a safe, secure local food supply for the long term.

A two-minute hail storm can wipe out an entire year’s production of fruit, vegetables, corn, small grains, soybeans and forages. When that happens, there is no income from the farm for that year. This has been the situation for farmers in many areas of Ontario this summer.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and commodity organizations work, on a regular basis, with provincial and federal governments to be sure the best income protection programs possible are available to farmers.

We also work at the international level to ensure trade rules and regulations give every advantage possible to the producers of our food in Canada. Right now we’re working with government officials to achieve labeling rules and regulations that will tell Canadians when they are buying locally produced food. That’s an important fact for the health and safety of consumers.

When weather damages crops on Ontario farms, it also impacts the province’s overall economy. Agriculture is Ontario’s number two industry providing jobs for an estimated 725,000 Ontario families.

Ontario farmers have demonstrated their ability to contribute a variety of energy sources to meet the demands of society. When the weather causes crop losses for farmers, it also reduces their ability to add to our energy supply.

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By Bette Jean Crews, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Canadian agriculture is a multi-faceted industry, and because of Ontario agriculture’s complexities, the people from Ontario agriculture have the background to deal with many of agriculture’s national issues.

This was demonstrated recently when the Canadian Federation of Agriculture held its semi-annual meeting in Moncton, New Brunswick. Representatives from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture figured prominently as reports were presented on a variety of initiatives on CFA’s behalf.

Your president, Geri Kamenz, two Vice-Presidents – Don McCabe and myself, General Manager Neil Currie and Research Manager David Armitage were all there to ensure Ontario’s voice was heard at every venue.

As co-chair of CFA’s food safety committee, it was my responsibility to talk to the meeting delegates about a 40 per cent cut in funding by the federal government for the national food safety program in this transition year of the Agricutural Policy Framework. We’ve been told there would be a smooth transition from APF to the new Growing Forward programs.

This is going to have a huge impact on the Canadian On-farm Food Safety Program and on the work of the Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition. I represent Ontario and CFA on those committees, and I can tell you there will be a major impact on what can be accomplished in food safety programs on-farm and post-farm.

I also presented an update to the meeting on Ontario agricultural industry’s solutions to provincial traceability issues, and outlined what has to be done to fulfil Ontario’s requirements to link to the national traceability program by 2009.

Don McCabe, is co-chair of CFA’s environment committee. He told the meeting delegates about ongoing work to establish a policy on carbon taxes and a domestic trading system in carbon credits. Elements of the OFA environment committee’s policies on carbon taxes and trading were incorporated into the CFA policy.

Under the heading of Strategic Growth, Ron Bonnett, past OFA president and current CFA vice-president, discussed the impacts of the new Product of Canada labeling. Of upmost importance, he said, will be government consultations with the entire industry, including farmers. OFA’s Labeling Task Force has held consultations with Ontario’s commodity organizations, enabling OFA to ensure Ontario’s farm needs are part of the lobby.

Trade issues were presented by OFA General Manager Neil Currie. He reaffirmed that continuation of ministerial exemptions will be part of CFA trade policy. These exemptions currently impact producers of apples and potatoes – it is essential to protect Canadian growers from imports.

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association presented its proposal to establish an International Trade Negotiations Directorate to place and enable key people in a single shop to work through our trade issues. These include gaining access to offshore markets, negotiating disputes and promoting Canadian products overseas. CFA delegates approved the concept in principle and will begin work with CCA on the project.

Steve Verheul, Canada’s chief negotiator at the World Trade Organization, provided details of the breakdown in talks – an inability of the U.S., India and China to agree on a Special Safeguard Provision. He said talk of resuming negotiations is speculative.

OFA is proud of the work it does at the national level with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture on behalf of all Ontario farmers.

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By Terry Otto, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

It all began as a resolution from a county federation in 2005. After gaining approvals at conventions of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture in 2006 and 2007, we’re in the final stages of implementing a new governance structure for OFA, and member participation is important.

Following the 2008 OFA Annual Meeting, the organization’s direction and activities will be established by a board of directors of 18 from all areas of the province. Fifteen of those 18 directors will be elected on a zone basis based on the boundaries used for the Member Service Representative staff.

Earlier this summer, candidates were nominated in each of those 15 zones. Acclamations resulted in four of the zones, and now elections are about to be held in the eleven other zones with 25 candidates seeking the votes of OFA members in those zones.

The acclamations were in Huron and Perth; Northern Ontario; Simcoe, York and Peel; and Prescott, Russell, Stormont and Glengarry. In zones where elections are necessary, voting will be done by mail or at the scheduled all-candidate meetings.

Many of the candidates have provided photos and audio clips that are available on the OFA website. Members are encouraged to review those clips as a tool to better know the candidates in their zone.

Over the coming days, OFA members will receive a mailing providing the candidate information for their zone, and an election ballot to be used prior to September 12.

The three at-large directors will be elected at the 2008 OFA convention November 24th and 25th in Toronto. This will complete the 2009 OFA Board of Directors. To ensure continuity of membership for the board, terms of office vary from one, two and three years – determined by random lottery earlier this year.

The OFA will also be guided on policy matters by a Policy Advisory Council – PAC. It will consist of regional councillors, elected a regional meetings this fall. In addition the PAC will included commodity organization representatives as does OFA’s current Board.

This grassroots input was deemed by our members to be an important part of our new structure. Communications processes will be established to ensure our policy choices reflect the wishes of members.

The OFA encourages all members to actively participate in the election process to ensure that OFA continues to best represent all farmers across Ontario.

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By Debra Pretty-Straathof, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Our farm production continues to suffer as wildlife management and compensation valuation remain almost off the Provincial Government’s agenda.

Farmer frustration is mounting again, not only in the vast agriculture hinterlands of our province, but well within the urban shadow.

These wards of the state wreak havoc upon our crops, livestock, and property. Bears, deer, sandhill cranes, elk, turkeys, are causing mounting damage and losses for the farmers in this province. A lot of this damage is hit and run. While we have the right to use deadly force to deal with certain wildlife, that’s only if we can catch them in the act.

There are also more and more farms captured in the no-shoot zones of cities and towns as they expand their boundaries and enact by-laws limiting the use of firearms.

For years OFA has delivered the message that it’s time for government to act on wildlife issues. There have been meetings, submissions detailing the issues and the required action, but there has been little movement by government.

The challenge of sandhill cranes has seen some action with the introduction of a hunting season, but not nearly enough attention or action is forthcoming from the Ministry of Natural Resources on other predators.

Our recommendations include:

• that the compensation schedule under the Livestock, Poultry and Honey Bee Protection Act be updated. In our riding, all candidates in the last provincial election agreed that this would be something their government could address ASAP. Someone hasn’t been listening – action speaks louder than words;


• it’s also recommendedthat additional livestock and predators be added to the list in the Livestock, Poultry and Honey Bee Protection Act;


• that crop damage compensation funds come from the responsible government agencies;


• that a wildlife crop damage assessment manual be developed;


• that a property damage compensation program (how to evaluate / who pays) be developed;


• that the provincial government reimburse municipalities for the cost of the livestock valuer;


• that there be no further wildlife reintroductions without a full economic assessment;


• that the government create a provincial contact person or team to respond to livestock damage incidents;


• and that MNR develop improved wildlife management strategies including a spring bear hunt, and an elk hunt.

The compensation schedule is about 25 years old, and compensation is only paid to producers of ‘traditional’ livestock species -- cattle, horses, sheep, swine, goats or poultry. Producers of ‘non-traditional’ species of livestock such as deer, elk, ostrich or emu are not eligible for any compensation.

The Livestock, Poultry and Honey Bee Protection Act excludes predation by birds such as ravens, crows, owls or hawks, and only covers predation by wolves, coyotes or bears. Predation by other mammals, such as raccoons, fishers, foxes, weasels and cougars is not covered.

This 30-year-old Act must be updated immediately to reflect protection from damages to standing and stored crops, and orchard losses caused by wildlife.

Wildlife management in Ontario has become wildlife wastefulness. Bears are being necessarily destroyed without a plan. Ontario needs to manage its resources for the benefit of the species, farmers and all Ontarians.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario farmers who rely on Agricorp as an integral part of their farming operation’s business plan will need to continue to be patient. The audit that examined the value for dollars spent on Agricorp has been done and the report issued. We knew there was abundant room for improvements in the management of operations at Agricorp, most verified by the findings of the audit.

Many of the problems the farming community suspected were behind Agricorp’s inability to fulfil its mandate to serve the farming community of Ontario have been revealed by the audit. Correcting those problems will take a lot longer than it took the minister to order the audit.

As an example, the audit found the computer software and hardware used by Agricorp to be inadequate for what it is expected to do. Agricorp’s plan is to update that equipment by 2012, but that’s dependant on funding approval from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. How much longer might that take?

One of the major difficulties that prompted farmers to repeatedly call for the audit of Agricorp was its delivery of the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program – CAIS. Ironically or otherwise, the audit recommends that Agricorp should continue to deliver CAIS.

Fully, 11 of the 17 recommendations address the complexity of the CAIS program and the resulting problems in delivery.

We can hope the move to new, less complicated programs contained in the Growing Forward initiative will result in improvements to the delivery process for Agricorp. If the objectives of the safety net programs are to get funding into the hands of eligible producers in a timely manner, government officials at all levels are going to have to provide program designs and delivery mechanisms more geared to that objective.

A special report for Minister Dombrowsky accompanied results of the audit. It points out many of the problems associated with Agricorp’s delivery of the CAIS program could be anticipated. Complexities within the program make that a given, according to the special report.

It states ‘the CAIS system was not originally designed to process a program as complex and frequently changing as the CAIS program.....it also requires significant manual processing....and has a programming structure that can lead to payment errors.’

Another recommendation of the audit is to provide improved communications with producers. One major improvement would be timely responses to questions from producers – they need to know what’s happening with their application and when payments will be provided. That is fundamental to sound farm business management practices.

Familiar with the effectiveness achieved by its staff of Member Service Representatives, OFA can strongly endorse the audit’s recommendation that Agricorp have field service staff in place to serve farmers on a regional basis.

Now that the difficulties have been identified, we need to press forward with needed improvements. Farming is a massive and complex industry requiring massive and complex financial responses. Delays in delivery of programs intended to put dollars into the hands of farmers during specific crisis cannot be tolerated.

Everything possible must be done to ensure safety net programs are delivered with maximum efficiency. Waiting until 2012 for improvements to Agricorp’s computer system isn’t going to meet the needs of Ontario farmers.

The OFA will press these issues in the minister’s planned consultations to move forward with the audit recommendations.

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Now that carbon dioxide has been designated a toxic substance under Canadian law, the ability of agriculture to sequester carbon in the soil is taking on a dramatic new level of importance within the nation.

This became obvious at a meeting I attended recently in Calgary of the Industry Provincial Offset Group – a body of large corporations, provincial governments, and suppliers faced with the need to locate ways of offsetting their carbon emissions. Officials of these large corporations can face legal action under the Environmental Protection Act if they fail to find offsets for their carbon emissions after January 1, 2010.

Canadian agriculture is known to be responsible for about 10 per cent of the greenhouse gas going into the atmosphere, but we also know we can provide 20 per cent of the solutions for the greenhouse gas problem, if the rules are right.

Agriculture can provide solutions in a variety of ways apart from sequestering carbon dioxide in the soil. We are able to take biogases and turn them into electricity; with precision farming techniques now available to farmers, we can appropriately place the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed for crops and thus reduce the level of nitrous oxide entering the atmosphere.

By using no-tillage cultivation practices, farmers are able to boost the capacity of the soil to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

OFA’s Science and Technology Committee presented a document dealing with agriculture’s role in managing carbon credits. Included in the list of principles – emission removal credits belong to the individual or entity that created them, and carbon sequestered in soil belongs to the landowner. That paper will return to the OFA board meeting in August for further consideration.

Canadian agriculture has much to offer society when it comes to managing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and controlling global warming. We need the cooperation of all levels of governments to give us the right rules and incentives to do what has to be done.

It’s encouraging to see Ontario add is support to the Western Climate Initiative. This is a United States based regional carbon credit trading pact which has attracted the support of British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and seven U.S. states. Premier McGuinty, when he announced Ontario’s involvement in the group said: “We all have a part to play in the fight against climate change.”

OFA and its national partner, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, want to work with our governments and industry partners to plan for optimum success in managing greenhouse gases and climate change.

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By Mark Wales, Executive Committee Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ever since Ontario’s Source Water Protection legislation was being considered, it has sparked debate and concern throughout the province. Farmers and their organizations have identified some of the potential costs for farmers as a result of the legislation and those costs could be enormous.
 
They have also identified the many inequities farmers could be exposed to as a result of the legislation and the resulting Clean Water Act. At this point, we don’t have a clear indication of how many farm properties might be declared high risk

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture recently attended a meeting in Kingston where Environment Minister John Gerretsen was speaking about the Clean Water Act. Compensation has become a word even the minister doesn’t want to use when speaking of the Act and the contributions of so many people to the protection of drinking water sources. He told attendees there would never be enough money to compensate people for the things they may have to do and affected people will just have to live with it.

Other comments from the minister gave hope to those attending the meeting that financial assistance could be provided through stewardship funds under the Act.

‘Precautionary principle’ has been a term long associated with the legislation. It essentially means to err on the side of caution. If the ministry moves to include broad definitions of risk in the Act and the associated regulations, the precautionary principle would bring a large number of farming properties into the definition. If, however, the legislation and regulations are tightly written to ensure only situations posing specific risk to the drinking water systems, the number of affected properties would be much smaller.

OFA’s greatest concern with this process and the minister’s comments is that the largest possible number of farm properties will be drawn into the source water protection process at considerable and unnecessary expense to farmers.

If we compare this process to the purchase of insurance, we understand and appreciate that the more precautions we choose to cover, the more the insurance premium will cost. With the source water protection process, however, the province and conservation authorities are engaged in assessing the risks, but then will direct the affected citizens to cover the costs of reducing that risk.

From the Kingston meeting, it appears to OFA that farmers, as majority property owners, are being targeted by the government in this potentially burdensome legislation. During a slide presentation at the meeting, agriculture, its people and its practices were mentioned at least nine times.

The spreading of biosolids on farmland, a practice approved, monitored and regulated by the ministry of the environment, is included in the government’s list of risks to drinking water sources. Does this tell us something about the ministry’s approach to protecting drinking water sources for the citizens of Ontario?

Minister Gerretsen’s comment that there would never be enough money to compensate people for what the government is expecting them to do tells us he recognizes the unaffordable costs that will be imposed.

Farmers have always used best management practices to minimize their impacts on the environment. OFA believes greater government involvement is essential, through the stewardship funds and direct compensation to farmers. Farmers can’t afford to continue funding activities that benefit all citizens.

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By Wendy Omvlee, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Executive Committee

As the provincial government moves forward with Bill 50 amendments to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and its partners in the Ontario Farm Animal Council are watching closely.

We want to be sure well-meaning legislation does not have unintended consequences for legitimate animal owners and farming practices. To accomplish this, OFA and OFAC have put forth 33 recommendations for improving Bill 50. These recommendations highlight the need for in-depth consultation on the Act prior to its passage, as well as involvement of the farming and food community.

To further protect the concerns of Ontario’s farmers and food producers, we are asking the government to ensure the legislation be written with great clarity, and that public hearings be held across the province to allow farmers and other affected parties the opportunity to be heard.

We are concerned with the sweeping new powers and authority the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) would be given with passage of the amended legislation. Under the proposed changes, the OSPCA’s powers would go beyond investigative to include inspections and warrant-less search and seizure; police-like powers.

The Act makes no provisions for accountability. OFA and its OFAC partners want to see the OSPCA held accountable to both government and the public. This is necessary to ensure any powers given the OSPCA are being used effectively and consistently.

OFA and OFAC want to see the legislation expanded to include regulation of non-governmental enforcement agencies under the Act. Requirements for government oversight and public accountability need to be included into the body of the Act and administered through regulation.

We want to avoid a patchwork of regulations governing animal care across Ontario. To achieve this, we are asking the provincial government to make the OSPCA Act the recognized standard superceding municipal bylaws.

Clarity in detail of definitions and meaning of specific terms used in the act is critical. As examples, we have recommended a specific meaning of the term ‘agricultural activities’ and ‘species’ covered under the various sections of the Act.

Other terms and phrases that require greater detail in the definition include: ‘animal exhibits, entertainment, boarding, hire or sale.’ This is particularly important for the purposes of warrant-less entry, search, seizure and inspections of a building or place since private farm premises are used for both purposes.

We also believe it is important for the government to have further consultation with animal-based communities to address the content and wording of the ‘Duties of Care’ provisions in the Act. OFA and its OFAC partners support the concept in principle, but the wording and inclusion of specific regulatory provisions may prove problematic for commercial livestock and poultry production.

The Act has received second reading and is now in the hands of the Standing Committee on Justice Policy. That committee has scheduled hearings the week of July 21st to 25th with locations and times to be determined. OFA will monitor and contribute input to those hearings. We will also strive to keep members  fully informed of the process.

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By Bette Jean Crews, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Our politicians on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and Queen’s Park in Toronto have returned to their constituency offices for the summer months. That’s our signal to prepare for meetings with them at every opportunity across the province.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture works with local federations and all members throughout the year, but especially at times like this to reinforce agriculture’s messages to government. There are new elements to that message, but unfortunately some of these messages have been presented time and again.

OFA and its members don’t hesitate to repeat messages about its important issues – as often as necessary to gain action from governments. What better setting than a summer barbecue?

When we get together with MPs, we’ll be discussing Product of Canada labelling. The federal government has heard our message that changes are needed to Canada’s food labelling regulations to ensure consumers can identify food actually produced in Canada. Now we need to reinforce the need for farmers to be involved in the development of those new labelling rules.

An issue that’s been circulating and re-circulating for several years – gaining funding for a fair exit program for Ontario tobacco farmers – hasn’t been resolved and will continue to be on OFA’s agenda. We want the federal government to accept its responsibility and act.

New safety net programs have been developed for agriculture and we will be calling on MPs to approve the Agri-Flex program as part of the government’s new Agricultural Policy Framework. For Ontario farmers, it is needed to provide flexible funding for Ontario-specific programs such as the Risk Management Program and Production Insurance for all crops and livestock.

We will also be asking the government to ensure a workable and profitable agreement is reached in negotiations for the World Trade Organization.

Today’s escalating fuel prices prompt OFA to call on the federal government with greater urgency  to eliminate its excise tax on farm fuel. Although that tax is only 4 cents per litre, it adds up to thousands of dollars on the millions of litres of fuel farmers have to buy each year.

The next installment under the federal government’s announced payments to offset rising costs of production needs to be in the hands of eligible farmers. The initial payment of 400 million dollars was to be followed up with payments of 100 million annually, but that next payment has not yet been provided, even though our costs of production continue to rise.

There is an equally comprehensive list of actions needed from the Ontario government. One issue that remains on the table, and is now a critical issue, is compensation for wildlife damage on farms. The current schedule of compensation for farm animals killed by wildlife and crops damaged by wildlife is more then 25 years old.

Compensation is needed within the Clean Water Act. Farmers are being called on to take land out of production to ensure clean and safe drinking water for society, but no mention of compensation has been included in the legislation.

Agriculture is also asking the province for proper regulations for agricultural use in the Pesticide Act, and for fair and prudent treatment of agricultural practices in Animal Cruelty legislation.

But OFA works on behalf of the province’s farmers on these and many other issues. Fair tax issues, energy issues, regulatory issues, and many more. The economy of rural Canada is closely linked to the economy of agriculture. We want to ensure our government members take the time to learn the facts on our issues and provide support to agriculture.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is taking on the responsibility of finding out what competing jurisdictions including the United States and European Union do to preserve and protect agricultural lands – without downloading associated costs to the landowner.

This follows passage of a resolution from the Ottawa Federation of Agriculture at OFA’s recent directors’ meeting. Farmers are conscientious about their responsibility to society to maintain a constant supply of safe, nutritious food at a reasonable cost.  Farmers see farmland preserved for future generations as a public good. 

If we continue to see our productive farmland buried under highways, streets and buildings, growing the safe and nutritious food Canadians want and need will not happen – there just isn’t more productive farmland coming onto the market.

Our provincial government has taken steps to curb urban sprawl with the Greenbelt Act, but this comes at a huge cost to farmers – and an unwillingness by government to acknowledge the value lost to our farm businesses.

The Ottawa Federation resolution talks about ‘ensuring that ag lands 1, 2 and 3 be protected and preserved for agricultural production for present and future generations....’ It also calls on OFA to ‘investigate ways in which landowners can be compensated for the losses and costs when they are forced into protecting land.’

When the Greenbelt was being debated the OFA presented an option in practice in the State of Pennsylvania.  That state established local committees to identify clusters of farmland and viable farms worthy of preservation.  Pennsylvania then pays the farmer an agreed on value for an undertaking to preserve that farm for eternity.  In essence they purchase the development rights on the land.  That land can only be sold in the future as a working farm and it will be sold at a fair farm price, unaffected by speculation.

The money can and has been used by the farm businesses for improvements and expansions.  Viable and stronger farm businesses are the outcomes.  It really is a simple and elegant solution that works for the farmers and the citizens of Pennsylvania.    

Interestingly, experts from such organizations as the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy say the Greenbelt designation has worked contrary to the best intentions of officials.  It has fueled sprawl rather than containing it, their news article states.

Information like this doesn’t offer much encouragement for farmers and their organizations who want to keep farmland for the production of food for society.

Worldwide food stocks are dwindling and costs climbing. Not only do farmers need to continuously improve productivity but clearly, they need to maintain the land base required to feed our growing populations.

The OFA will identify some of the best methods of preserving farmland from around the world, like the Pennsylvania method and present these alternatives to our governments.

Government officials in Ontario must quickly decide how best to protect the farmland for food production for today and for the future. 

The methods used simply cannot be programs that preserve agricultural land at the expense of our farm businesses.  The public at large has a clear and undeniable responsibility to ensure farmland and  farming are preserved.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The pressure keeps building for farmers and their organizations to take action to protect farm business assets and operating practices. This pressure is coming from our provincial government with a variety of legislative measures.

As the government enacts such legislation as the Greenbelt Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, farmers are potentially losing equity or incurring additional costs. In one way or another, these acts restrict farm business operations, impose business costs or reduce the value of our farm assets.

These legislative measures expropriate farmland for the public good and provide no clear or direct compensation to Ontario farmers. In legal terms, these Acts impart injurious effects on the province’s farmers.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture members are now calling on their organization to counteract this form of government legislation. Some of the legislation includes provision for financial instruments or stewardship funds, but it is obvious the legislation will cause farmers to bear the costs of a public good.

Getting legal advice in matters such as this can prove very costly. That’s why OFA is appealing to all County Federations of Agriculture to contribute one dollar per member to a legal fund to examine these legislated impacts. OFA’s wants to determine if there is a cause for legal action that could be pursued to address the injurious effects of the different government acts.

Based on input provided from OFA members throughout the province and recent studies that looked at how land values have dropped because of the government’s actions, it is obvious Ontario farmers are footing the bill for the green spaces our government wants to provide the general public.

We are also finding access to productive farmland disappearing as government regulations impose boundaries to protect drinking water sources for urban populations.

The situation is much the same when government laws are enacted to protect endangered species. Efforts to protect just one identified endangered species can mean the loss of large areas of productive farmland. All at the expense of the farmer under today’s conditions.

Farmers understand the need to protect endangered species, to ensure safe drinking water, and to preserve open spaces so society can enjoy the environment, but we don’t understand why our government expects us to pay the price for these actions out of our own pocket.

That’s why OFA is proposing a legal review to fully explore our options in these situations.

The OFA will investigate all possible options to stop the drain on farm businesses from these three provincial Acts. The work will also set the stage for future legislation and the rights of farmers .

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By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Earlier this year the Federal Government conducted a session to introduce those of us involved with agriculture to the Growing Forward plan from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Consultations with farmers, their organizations and other stakeholders in the agri-food sector were expected to be uppermost in the process as we moved forward.

Many of those same individuals and groups came together again at the end of May in Winnipeg to examine reports on the consultations conducted by federal government officials. As we compared notes, many of the stakeholders were left questioning the goodwill of the process. It appeared the results and recommendations had been prepared and given official status without considering the input from stakeholders.

As an Ontario representative, it is concerning to see no reference in the new document to the Environmental Farm Plan program, something that has developed an impressive reputation within Ontario. Farmers in other provinces have found it worthy of copying, but now federal bureaucrats are prepared to dump it, proposing Agri-environmental Risk Assessments as a replacement.

The EFP program has been a great example of governments working in partnership with farmers to implement on-farm improvements to protect the environment. While there has been government dollars used for this work, the program has attracted millions of dollars from farmers and hundreds of hours of their time and use of their equipment.

Statistics tell us more than 30,000 Ontario farmers have participated in the EFP program. That represents hundreds of millions of dollars invested in improving the environment on farms across the province.

All of this provides a simple illustration of why Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Honourable Leona Dombrowsky, is prepared to attend the next meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture and fight for the continuation of agricultural programming that will benefit all Ontario farmers.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture continues to be a strong supporter of the EFP program. That’s why OFA will working with Minister Dombrowsky at that next conference of the nation’s agriculture ministers to make the case to  continue EFP programs across Canada. It has been a huge success in Ontario, and we believe farmers in other provinces deserve the opportunity to make it an equal success on their farms.

There are other initiatives in the Growing Forward proposal from the federal government that could prove valuable to Canadian farmers and the agri-food industry – such things as a bioeconomy strategy, the establishment of science clusters, science to support commercialization of new agri-based products, and support for national organizations to enhance the skills and knowledge of youth entering agriculture.

OFA and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture are prepared to work with representatives from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to develop other program initiatives that would bring improvements to Canadian agriculture. If such joint ventures are to succeed however, AAFC will have to show greater respect for the expertise of farmers involved.

For now, our focus will be on keeping the Environmental Farm Plan program and all the advantages it holds for Ontario farmers and farmers in other provinces. It has proven to be too valuable to the environment to be tossed aside on a whim.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

For several years now, farmers, their organizations, and just recently government representatives have been talking about the need for food labeling that is truthful – consumers want to know all the facts about the food they buy.

Prime Minister Harper, in a news conference, discussed the topic in the heart of Ontario’s Niagara Region fruitbelt. He promised federal government action that would respond to the need for truth in product labeling.

This follows a meeting of stakeholders in Eastern Ontario last fall. There I had an opportunity to outline the critical issues to an interested Member of Parliament. Clear, transparent, meaningful and content-based labeling legislation to protect Canada’s food sovereignty was my response.

The call for truth in food product labeling isn’t just an Ontario issue. An editorial in the Edmonton Journal delivered the same message. It pointed out how ludicrous it is to see a can of pineapple chunks on a store shelf wearing a label that says ‘product of Canada’.

This is an issue of great importance to Canadian farmers who are working to provide the freshest produce to consumers who are very conscious of health and food safety issues. We can’t expect them to make a wise decision in the grocery store when ‘Product of Canada’ really doesn’t mean the contents were produced in Canada.

When Prime Minister Harper spoke in Beamsville, Canadians need to understand it was only a beginning step toward truth in food product labeling for Canadians. He outlined plans for broad consultations with Canadian stakeholders as part of the process of developing new food labeling regulations.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture have worked long and hard to  reach this point in affecting changes to Canada’s food labeling regulations. In the Prime Minister’s comments to the Beamsville crowd, he promised a label reading ‘Product of Canada’ would guarantee both the contents and processing of that food must be Canadian.

That’s exactly what Canadian farmers and consumers have been looking for.

There are a lot of side issues within this topic, and Canadian consumers are going to have to update their knowledge of the wording on food product labeling. One could easily be misled – a package with a label reading  ‘Made in Canada’ won’t necessarily contain ingredients produced in Canada – that would be ‘Product of Canada’.

When the government says it wants to tighten up the regulations and the wording on food product labels, we look forward to an exercise in giving consumers all the information they will need to protect the health of their families and contribute to the economic strength of Canada’s agriculture sector. We look forward to labeling that promotes and helps consumers buy quality local food.

Earlier this year the OFA said Canada’s inadequate labeling regulations exposed Canadians to unnecessary health risks because consumers couldn’t tell from reading many of the labels where the food products were produced. We’re encouraged by the federal government’s announced plans.

If we get the type of food product label being promised, consumers will be in a much better position to choose for themselves the production and processing sources of the food they feed their families. This will be a major step forward in protecting the health of Canadians.

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By Geri Kamenz, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Daily we see stories of rising food prices around the world. Food riots in Philippines, Haiti and other countries are attributed to these price increases.

Some writers and pundits are drawing links between the high price of food and the use of foods like corn to produce ethanol as a fuel supplement. Some Canadian politicians are wrestling with our government’s support of programs requiring an increased ethanol content in gasoline in Canada.

A recent public poll in the Globe and Mail indicated 77 per cent of respondents don’t support federal government legislation that would boost ethanol content in Canadian gasoline. Is this because they believe there is a link between ethanol produced from corn and the perceived shortage of food in parts of the world? This food vs. fuel controversy seems to be one of the most uninformed debates in recent memory.

Statistics tell us the price of rice has doubled in the past six months, but we all know rice and corn do not compete for the same land base. Duncan Macintosh of the International Rice Research Institute in Manila says ‘the current rise in rice prices is the result of a steady decline in global rice stocks since 2004.’

Available statistics draw no link between the use of corn to produce ethanol and the rising cost of rice in other parts of the world. Jim Jubak, a financial analyst and commentator, says there is a direct link between unstable governments and unstable food prices. These governments subsidized rice prices, keeping them artificially low, while at the same time discouraging their own farmers from producing more rice, he claims. Rising demand is now leading to shortages.

Distiller’s grain is a byproduct of ethanol production from corn. There is no loss in protein value allowing that grain to be fed as part of a livestock ration. The cycle is simple and elegant: the corn produces ethanol, carbon dioxide and protein; the CO2 is used to nourish greenhouse tomatoes and other vegetables which also pump out oxygen. The protein is used to feed livestock; the manure is then used to produce electricity and nurture the next corn crop.

A recent Chicago Tribune story quotes Merril Lynch analysts who say without biofuels, the price of oil would be about 13 dollars per barrel higher than it is. That 13-dollar saving for each barrel could save the United States 65 billion dollars in foreign oil payments. They suggest making flex-fuel – a mix of gasoline and ethanol – an international standard providing competition for oil-based fuels.

North American farmers are enjoying grain prices like they haven’t experienced in many years. Finally they are able to market their crops and expect to cover their costs of production and still have some money to put in the bank.

That extra money becomes available to permit the replacement of old equipment, worn down through years of low commodity prices, and investment in new technologies. This is what farmers do to nourish the local economy, keeping the money in circulation, they invest it in their industry and subsequently in their community.

With no evidence to support all the theories that using grains like corn to produce ethanol is a conspiracy against humanity, it is obvious there are more benefits than harm from the production and use of ethanol.

By Bette Jean Crews, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Producing food in Ontario is a demanding process, and it gets more demanding when some of the partners fail to do their jobs.

I’m not talking about on-farm partners, I’m talking about government partners.

Farmers work hard to overcome a variety of adversaries, things you’d expect like weather and pests, but too often they find themselves doing battle with wildlife – animals that kill farm animals and destroy crops.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, for the most part, does its job providing information and programs to help farmers get their job done.

However, the Ministry of Natural Resources continues to be neglectful of its responsibilities to care for and manage the wildlife of the province.

We know MNR is aware of the problems the wildlife cause for farmers because strategies to deal with the issues have been developed and posted on the provincial government’s Environmental Bill of Rights  (EBR) website. However, the so-called human-wildlife conflict management strategies fall far short of what farmers need.

OFA’s pre-bud