Establishing councils for animal welfare and environment a priority for new organization

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

by SUSAN MANN

Getting the animal welfare and environmental councils of Farm & Food Care Ontario up and running is an important short-term priority for the organization, says its new chairman John Maaskant.

“There’ll be interest from different members in both councils,” says Maaskant, the Chicken Farmers of Ontario representative and past chair of the Ontario Farm Animal Council. He was elected chair of Farm & Food Care Ontario at the inaugural board meeting May 11. Joining him on the executive are: Larry Lynn of Grain Farmers of Ontario, as vice-chair; Joe Hickson, of the Seed Growers’ Association, as treasurer; and Heather Copland of Grober Inc. as executive member-at-large.

Maaskant says they have to work out the details of how to set up the councils and then notify the membership that they can serve on them.

The councils will be discussing and developing a lot of the policies and ideas for the future. “These are, in our view, very important councils,” he says.

All four executive members previously sat on the boards of OFAC or Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment. Those two organizations amalgamated to become Farm & Food Care Ontario in January. The organization had been operating with an interim board until the first board meeting this month.

The newly elected board focused on setting direction for the year, approved a business plan and financial statements at its first meeting. In June, board members will participate in a strategic planning exercise.

Another priority for the organization that is ongoing is “just increasing agricultural awareness” and promoting environmental and animal welfare issues among non-farmers, Maaskant says.

Farm & Food Care Ontario’s mandate is to provide credible information on food and farming in Ontario. BF