OFA president and Bruce/Grey incumbent face zone elections Thursday, July 14, 2016 by SUSAN MANNTwo incumbent directors on the Ontario Federation of Agriculture board, including president Don McCabe, are facing elections this year.Crispin Colvin is running for the director’s spot in Zone 6 (Lambton/Middlesex), as is McCabe.In Zone 2 (Bruce/Grey), incumbent Paul Wettlaufer is facing Pat Jilesen, who is currently a director at large on the board.Directors were acclaimed in the other three zones with elections this year. They are: incumbent Larry Davis in Zone 3 (Brant/Haldimand/Norfolk), incumbent Drew Spoelstra in Zone 5 (Hamilton/Wentworth/Niagara North/Niagara South) and Steven Brackenridge in Zone 10 (Durham/Peterborough/Kawartha Lakes/Haliburton). Brackenridge will replace director Bruce Webster, who decided not to run again.All directors take their positions after the federation’s annual meeting in November.For the election in zones 2 and 6, the federation will mail ballots to all members in the zones holding membership early next month, says general manager Neil Currie.There are about 2,500 members in zones 2 and 6.Voting begins Aug. 15 and concludes at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. Voters can submit completed ballots by mail or by phone using a person PIN number that will be included in the letter sent to them. Each member will be given a unique PIN number.If there’s a mail strike, Currie says the federation is looking at other options to distribute the ballots. “We can extend the voting period,” he notes.If there isn’t a mail strike and voting concludes Sept. 9 the results will be announced a week later, Currie says. BF Why are you removing our negotiating power? Dairy Farmers of Canada ingredient strategy won't affect Ontario's, says DFO spokesman
Ontario Promotes Local Food to Boost Economy and Jobs Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Ontario is celebrating Local Food Week from June 2–8, 2025, honoring the people behind the province’s strong and self-sufficient food supply. From farmers and food processors to retailers and restauranteurs, these individuals contribute to the economy and food security. The agriculture... Read this article online
Artificial Intelligence Aiding Operations, But Not Without Concerns Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Artificial intelligence is increasingly being deployed to optimize food production in Canadian greenhouses, offering promising efficiencies in crop management. However, Dr. Rozita Dara, director of Artificial Intelligence for Food (AI4Food) at the University of Guelph, cautions that the... Read this article online
First Ministers and Prime Minister Pledge Action on Trade Growth Infrastructure - Including Agriculture Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Canada’s First Ministers met in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, aiming to strengthen the national economy. They discussed the federal plan to boost major projects through new legislation, called . These projects aim to build a strong and resilient Canada by strengthening security, economic... Read this article online
Canadian Farm Income Sees Sharp Decline Monday, June 2, 2025 In 2024, Canadian farmers experienced a significant financial setback, with realized net income dropping by $3.3 billion, or 25.9%, to $9.4 billion according to Statistics Canada. This marks the steepest percentage decrease since 2018. When cannabis is excluded, the drop stands at... Read this article online
Ontario Crops Progress with Cool Stress Monday, June 2, 2025 Ontario field crops are progressing despite challenging spring conditions, according to OMAFA's FieldCropNews.com. Winter wheat has reached the heading stage in the southwest, with T3 fungicide applications beginning. Fields in the north and east are at the flag leaf stage. This is a... Read this article online