Greg Dietrich, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Once a year, the 18 farmers who make up the board of directors of Ontario’s largest general farm organization have a chance to spend a day learning about agriculture in a specific region of the province.

It’s part of an annual tradition for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) to visit farms and agri-businesses and this year, it was the Simcoe County Federation of Agriculture who welcomed us to their area.

We grow, raise and produce more than 200 food and farm products in Ontario, which right away tells us that our province’s agriculture sector is very diverse. But until you see and experience see that diversity firsthand, it can be hard to appreciate exactly what that means.

I farm with my family near Mildmay and joined the OFA board as the director representing farmers in Grey and Bruce counties earlier this year. The board tour gives directors a chance to learn about agriculture that may look very different from what we see at home.

For me, coming from crop and livestock rich Grey-Bruce, that meant everything from large-scale fruit and vegetable production in the Holland Marsh to a Christmas tree farm running on 15-year cycles from planting to harvest.

Our first stop was the Holland Marsh, often called Ontario’s Salad Bowl. It was an incredible chance to see the unique production and irrigation systems that make this area such an agricultural powerhouse.

What stood out is the region’s water management system. Growers here must work closely with local authorities to balance growing food with protecting the marsh’s unique ecosystem. It really underscored the challenges and responsibilities that come with farming in such an environmentally sensitive area – and also how critical irrigation and transportation infrastructure is to being able to grow fresh produce and get it to market quickly.

Our tour also included a stop at a family farm producing fresh fruit and vegetable crops like strawberries and blueberries. With Barrie and other urban centres nearby, land use planning and urban encroachment are a constant part of the pressures farmers face as municipalities look for ways to encourage industrial, commercial and housing growth.

This stop also highlighted the valuable role temporary foreign workers play on Ontario’s fruit and vegetable farms—and how integrated they are right across our entire agriculture sector as an important part of our industry.

Our final stop was a large Christmas tree farm. I’ve never thought about what it means to manage a crop with a 15-year production cycle, how challenging it is to forecast supply and demand that far out, and the long-term impact weather damage can have on a farm business.

This kind of farming requires a completely different perspective than most industries are used to and it was a powerful example of the long-term planning and risk management that farmers in every sector are familiar with, each in their own way.

Seeing and experiencing the diversity of Ontario agriculture is invaluable, especially for those of us who have been elected by our peers to represent Ontario farmers – and make policy and advocacy decisions that will affect the entire sector all around the province.

Around the board table, we often talk about challenges like land use planning, labour shortages, risk management and more but you gain a different level of understanding when you’ve stood in the fields, met the farmers, and seen the issues first-hand.

These tours also give local county federations a chance to showcase their successes and highlight emerging concerns. That way, when issues come to the OFA board for discussion or decision-making, we have a real-world context to draw from.

And on a personal level, spending time together outside the boardroom helps us as directors get to know each other better, build stronger dynamics, and broaden our perspectives. It’s a once-a-year opportunity to see the incredible diversity, complexity and resilience of Ontario agriculture up close – an invaluable opportunity even for those of us who are part of the sector every day.

 

For more information, contact:

Tyler Brooks
Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-994-2578
comms@ofa.on.ca