Mark Wales, a horticulture farmer from Elgin County, Ontario, has been named as the chairperson for the Agriculture and Agri-Food Labour Task Force (LTF). The LTF is moving forward with recommendations set out in its Agriculture and Agri-Food Labour Action Plan to address agricultural industry worker shortages. Wales is also the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource… Read More
Tag: Mark Wales
What’s the danger of building regulations on a “precautionary principle?” Is the Ontario government’s push to regulate neonicotinoids moving too quickly? That’s part of the discussion that Real Agriculture’s Bernard Tobin had with Paul Wettlaufer and Mark Wales, both of whom are farmers and directors with Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). In the interview below Wettlaufer… Read More
With so much change and uncertainty surrounding us, the saying (curse?) “may you live in interesting times” is certainly appropriate this year among farmers. I’m hoping farmers are front and centre in everyone’s thoughts as Thanksgiving approaches and their efforts to feed us are remembered, particularly in a year in which they’ve had more than… Read More
The weather and the provincial election campaign are heating up in Ontario. With just over two weeks to go before the vote, party leaders are looking to rural Ontario — and the agriculture and food sector — for votes to win power in Ontario’s fractured and dysfunctional political landscape. Can Premier Kathleen Wynne relegate the… Read More
It’s stated twice, in 2007 and 2012: the $58-million research partnership between the University of Guelph and what is now the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs has an annual economic impact of more than $1.1 billion on the province. That’s a $58-million annual investment, and a $1.1-billion return. Anyone… Read More
I feel for the good people of Leamington as they struggle to prepare for life without Heinz. The company, which has been a huge part of their lives and their community for more than a century, will close next June. Some say they could see the end coming when Heinz was sold to Americans a… Read More
Editor’s note: This is Owen Roberts’ Real Talk, Real Action column. Each week, Owen will offer his insight into how farmers and the agricultural industry can participate in the rural- and ag-related discussions going on around them. Contact Owen at [email protected] or on Twitter at @TheUrbanCowboy. Score one for agriculture. In Ontario, the province is proposing… Read More
After he was re-elected this week as the President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Shaun Haney asked Mark Wales his opinion on the overall health of Ontario agriculture. If you cannot see the below embedded video, CLICK HERE
This week the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is holding its AGM. With a AGM comes an election. On Monday, Mark Wales was re-elected as President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Mark Wales is re-elected & will serve another full year term as OFA President #ofa2012agm yfrog.com/kecl8ulj — Ont. Fed. of Agri. (@OntarioFarms) November 19, 2012… Read More