By Tracey Arts, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
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 and 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, 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 and board 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.
For more information, contact:
Tyler Brooks
Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-994-2578
comms@ofa.on.ca