Farmers contribute to pension plan - for now Friday, August 21, 2015 by SUSAN MANN Farmers will have to pay the new Ontario pension plan contribution for their temporary foreign or seasonal agricultural worker program employees, an Ontario Ministry of Finance spokesman has confirmed. But that may change in the future as “the government continues to examine unique workplace arrangements, including temporary foreign workers and seasonal agricultural workers,” finance ministry spokesman Scott Blodgett says by email. The new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan requires employers and their workers to contribute an equal amount capped at 1.9 per cent each on an employee’s annual earnings up to $90,000 if there isn’t a comparable workplace pension plan. Amounts earned above the $90,000 figure in 2014 dollars will be exempt. Temporary, seasonal, part-time and contract workers “will generally be required to participate in the ORPP (Ontario Retirement Pension Plan) if they do not participate in a comparable workplace pension plan,” Blodgett says. BF Ag issues missing from election campaign Grain Farmers gets late September court date
Grain Bin Emergencies Turn Deadly in Seconds, but Training Can Save Lives Thursday, May 7, 2026 Would you know what to do if someone you loved was trapped in a grain bin? The reality is sobering. Compared to a flowing mass of grain, a person is only several bushels in volume. When grain begins moving, escape becomes nearly impossible. In most cases of full grain engulfment,... Read this article online
Applications open for GFO 2026 Legacy Scholarship Thursday, May 7, 2026 Applications are now open for the 2026 Grain Farmers of Ontario , an annual program designed to support students pursuing post‑secondary education that contributes to the future of the province’s grain and agri‑food industries. Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) represents 28,000... Read this article online
Farmland Rents Lag Land Values Thursday, May 7, 2026 Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has released a new economic analysis highlighting a growing gap between farmland values and rental rates across the country, a trend that will likely reshape expansion decisions for Canadian producers. According to the analysis, Canada’s average farmland... Read this article online
How to Keep Your Groundwater Safe and Clean Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Groundwater plays a vital role for families and businesses in rural and agricultural settings. It supports essential activities such as livestock care, irrigation, and cleaning processes, and in many areas, it's the sole source of drinking water. For this reason, it's critical for rural... Read this article online
Rising Waters on the Canadian Prairies and Beyond Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Spring flooding is intensifying across large portions of Canada, placing farms under growing pressure during one of the most important windows of the agricultural year. From the Prairies to Central Canada and into Atlantic regions, saturated soils, elevated rivers, and damaged rural... Read this article online