Ontario farmers push federal election priorities
Addressing trade issues and bolstering support for the agri-food sector top the list of federal election priorities for Ontario’s farmers.
Amid ongoing tariff uncertainty, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is urging federal election candidates to take clear and decisive stances on critical issues affecting farm businesses, economic competitiveness, and food security.
“Protecting our domestic food supply and ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of our farming businesses has to be a priority for the federal government,” says Drew Spoelstra, President of OFA. “This is a pivotal time for Canada and for our sector and it’s important for candidates of all parties, whether rural or urban, to be aware of the strategic importance of food and farming to our economy, our communities, and our country.”
OFA’s priorities for the April 28 federal election include:
Addressing trade issues: Tariffs and other trade barriers threaten Canada’s food system. The agriculture sector needs immediate support to weather this uncertainty, as well as long-term investments that will ensure we can continue to produce food, fuel, fibre, and flowers right here at home.
Support for farm business competitiveness: Programs that help farmers manage business risks beyond their control, like tariffs, trade, inflation, or weather, are critical. Farmers are asking for a permanent increase to the interest-free portion of the Advanced Payments Program to $350,000 per year and improvements to the AgriStability program that will make it easier for farmers to access support.
Permanently scrapping the carbon tax: There are currently no practical, cost-effective alternatives to the fuels used in agricultural production for essential activities like grain drying and barn heating. Although Canada’s carbon tax rate has been set to zero, farmers are asking the carbon tax to be permanently removed from fuels used in agricultural production.
Preventing railways from downloading costs onto farmers and landowners: Federally regulated rail companies are downloading infrastructure maintenance and safety upgrade costs that have always been their responsibility onto farmers and landowners in two major areas – drainage and private rail crossings. The federal government must prevent railways from downloading these cost-prohibitive expenses onto farmers and landowners.
Ensuring consistent access to labour: Lack of labour across the entire agriculture and food supply chain – including planting, production, quality control, processing, distribution, and research – is a critical issue. Farmers need access to reliable, well-functioning labour programs that provide benefit to both employers and workers, and a long-term strategy is needed to address workforce shortages.
Training tomorrow’s leaders for future of farming and food
By Tracey Austen, Director, OFA
Strong leadership is a key pillar of success for any organization, business, or even government. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is led by farmers who have decided to commit their time for the betterment of the farming sector in our province – whether that’s locally as a grassroots member, at the county or regional level as a director or executive member, or provincially as a board director.
These people are the foundation of the organization’s work on behalf of food and farming in our province. My husband and I are dairy farmers near Thamesford between Woodstock and London, and I’m proud to be one of those leaders as a director on the OFA’s provincial board representing farmers from Oxford and Elgin counties.
When I first became an OFA director, I wanted some additional training to help me feel more comfortable speaking in front of people and thinking on my feet. I was looking for a leadership program that could do that while also focusing on the specific needs and realities of our very diverse industry and helping me learn more about the various sectors of agriculture.
My search led me to the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP), an executive-style training program for a cohort of up to 30 people designed specifically for our sector. My participation in Class 19 turned out to be a terrific experience.
Not only did I gain confidence in public speaking and leading discussions and events, but I’m now part of an ever-growing network of AALP alumni across Ontario.
It was also an amazing opportunity to learn more about agriculture in not just our own province but also North America and internationally through the program’s travel-based curriculum components. This exposure to the diversity of agriculture and differing perspectives is extremely helpful in our work as OFA directors, particularly around government advocacy and public outreach.
AALP celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and was first launched in 1984 by the OFA and three other founding partners: the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, the University of Guelph, and the Foundation for Rural Living (now Rural Ontario Institute).
The OFA continues to support the program to this day, investing in the next generation of farm and rural leaders by contributing financially and supporting OFA board and staff member participation as a professional development opportunity.
In fact, six of my fellow OFA directors as well as the OFA’s past president, general manager, and several OFA staff are graduates too.
Last month, AALP marked another milestone: the graduation of its 20th class. This cohort included OFA’s newest board member Greg Dietrich, as well as local federation board members Daniel Vander Hout of the Hamilton-Wentworth Federation of Agriculture and Cassandra Van Engelen with the Lambton Federation of Agriculture.
Growing and developing the next generation of leaders is important for any organization. In a sector like agriculture, where we often talk about the decreasing number of farmers and challenges in attracting young people into the industry, leadership development through programs like AALP is even more critical.
In fact, it’s a key element of the sustainability of our organization and of the agriculture industry, and we need to ensure that we not only attract leaders but that we also equip them with the skills they need to thrive and contribute.
OFA has a dedicated bursary for supporting members of any age who are interested in pursuing leadership development training, including participating in AALP. More information is available at ofa.on.ca/resources/agricultural-scholarships.
We need strong voices at general farm organizations like OFA, but also at our agricultural and commodity group partners, at municipal council, and at all levels of government – and it’s particularly important that those voices come from farmers to help us ensure Farms and Food Forever.
