The federal government has made it clear it will not return fertilizer tariff funds directly to farmers who paid the tax, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has three other suggestions for how the federal government can spend the more than $34 million collected. Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Minister of Finance… Read More
Tag: Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Can governments protect valuable farmland while at the same time build housing needed for ever-expanding cities and urban cities? That question is being asked throughout Ontario agriculture this week after the provincial government passed the More Homes Built Faster Act, Bill 23. The legislation has drawn the ire of critics, as Premier Doug Ford moves… Read More
Agriculture and food issues often cross provincial, national and international boundaries. Being a leader of a farm organization frequently requires representatives to look well beyond the farm gate to tackle issues that impact their members. That’s certainly the case for Thunder Bay, Ont., dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld, who in 2023 will again lead the Ontario… Read More
For the second consecutive year, Thunder Bay, Ont. dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld will lead the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the province’s largest general farm organization. Brekveld was elected president by OFA’s board of directors after the conclusion of the organization’s annual general meeting on Monday, Nov. 22. Mark Reusser and Drew Spoelstra were re-elected as… Read More
The governments of Canada and Ontario are funding two new multi-year mental health initiatives, specialized to support the agriculture sector. More than $7 million dollars through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership will go towards The Guardians Network, a new program modelled after the Farmer Wellness Program, pioneered by mental health specialist Deborah Vanberkel. The program will… Read More
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) have both made contributions to the Hay West 2021 initiative to help cover shipping costs to send hay to drought-stricken farmers in the Prairie provinces. The 2021 Hay West initiative, organized by Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), is moving hay from eastern Canada to the… Read More
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has launched an advocacy campaign called Home Grown in an effort to decrease the loss of farmland to development. “Once it’s paved over, it’s gone forever,” the organization says. Home Grown focuses on protecting and preserving farmland and domestic food production, and is designed to increase awareness on the issue and… Read More
Bill C-208, which would amend the Income Tax Act for the transfers of small businesses, family farms, or fishing corporations, passed its third reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday, May 12, sending it to the Senate for approval. The private member’s bill, introduced by Manitoba Conservative MP Larry Maguire, would make it more affordable… Read More
Addressing the growing labour and talent shortage in Canadian agriculture is going to require a multi-pronged approach of awareness, education and training, and connection between job seekers and job opportunities. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is building off a successful first year of the Feeding Your Future initiative with a full year of virtual… Read More
Peggy Brekveld has been elected as the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA)’s 32nd president, and third female president in the organization’s history. Brekveld will also hold the position of OFA’s director-at-large. Brekveld, of Thunder Bay, Ont., operates a dairy farm with her husband and five children, milking around 75 cows. The new president didn’t originally… Read More
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s board of directors has elected Thunder Bay, Ont., dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld as its new president. Brekveld takes over from Keith Currie who has led the general farm organization for the past four years. For the first time in OFA history, the president and executive committee was elected by the… Read More
Ontario Premier Doug Food offered a sincere thank you to the province’s farmers for helping maintain Ontarians’ confidence in their food supply during COVID-19. “You’ve all pulled your weight and then some during this crisis and I appreciate that,” said Ford during his opening remarks as he helped kick off the virtual 2020 Ontario Federation… Read More
Three of Ontario’s ministries (Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Health; and Labour, Training and Skills Development) have committed to a strategy to prevent COVID-19 transmission, and protect workers and the province’s food supply chain ahead of next year’s growing season. The joint government-industry Prevention, Control and Outbreak Support Strategy for COVID-19 in Ontario’s Farm Workers… Read More
A Freedom of Information request filed earlier this year asking for the names and business numbers of all farm businesses in Ontario has been withdrawn. A joint release put out by all three of the province’s general farm organizations states that, following a lengthy period of mediation, the request for the list of names has… Read More
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW Canada) recently presented to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit to advocate for better health and safety protections for migrant workers labouring in the Windsor, Ont., area. The county and area has been hard hit by COVID-19 at local farms and farm businesses, including hundreds of positive cases… Read More