By Tracey Arts, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Summer is a time of long days, local fairs, barbecues, community celebrations — and for Ontario farmers, it’s also prime harvest season for everything from hay and grain crops to fruits and field vegetables.

At the same time, summer is also a great opportunity for some informal advocacy about the importance of food and farming. After all, it’s when local MPPs and MPs are home in their ridings and on a break from their Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill commitments, but that doesn’t mean their work has stopped.

That presents a golden opportunity for Ontario farmers and agri-business leaders to engage with MPs, MPPs, and municipal councillors in a more relaxed, face-to-face setting at local community barbecue, open house, festival or other special event — one where interesting conversations can happen outside of the pressures of more formal political settings.

My family and I farm in Oxford County between Woodstock and London and I’m also a director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). As an organization, our job is to build relationships on behalf of our members and or sector and to bring our needs and opportunities to the attention of policymakers.

Although we regularly meet with politicians from all levels of government, it’s just as important that farmers from across Ontario also taking the opportunity to get to know their local elected officials and share their perspectives with them.

Summer time offers the perfect settings for those relationship-building moments. Whether it’s chatting over burgers at a local fundraiser, walking the midway at a rural fair, or attending a farm tour, these casual touchpoints allow politicians to connect with farmers as people — neighbours, business owners, parents — and let them learn about who we are and what we do.

Ontario’s farmers do more than grow food — they help power our economy. With nearly 50,000 farms across the province, agriculture adds more than $50 billion to Ontario’s economy every year.

Our agri-food sector exports more than $26 billion worth of products annually and supports more than 871,000 jobs – that means we employ one in 11 people in Ontario. From field to fork, farming plays a big role in keeping Ontario strong.

Some of OFA’s county and regional federations, including in my own area, regularly organize local open houses, bus tours or other events where elected officials from all levels of government to experience firsthand what happens on local farms and in agri-businesses.

There’s an adage that says a picture is worth a thousand words. I would suggest that so is a first-hand experience that shows just how modern and technology-driven agriculture is and highlights why Ontario needs investments into rural roads and bridges, reliable cellular service and highspeed internet, and affordable energy.

It helps illustrate the importance of workforce supports, mental health resources for the farming community, and streamlining red tape that hinders farm business growth and development and builds not just relationships but also understanding that can carry over into future decisions.

Advocacy doesn’t have to mean organizing a large-scale event, though. Sometimes, it’s as simple as inviting your local councillor, MPP or MP out to your farm or business for a coffee and a quick tour.

The key is finding common ground — around food, community, sustainability, or economic impact. Agriculture contributes to every region in Ontario, and the more our decision-makers understand what we do, the better equipped they are to support policies that matter to our sector and by extension, to our entire economy.

Ontario is uniquely positioned in the world. We can grow over 200 different food and farm products right here at home thanks to our diverse soils, climates and farm types. But that abundance depends on preserving our farmland, supporting our rural communities, and ensuring our food systems stay strong.

It’s important for our leaders know that — not just in boardrooms and policy meetings, but also at local events and informal gatherings.

Because when the time does come to make a formal ask, a relationship built on trust, shared experience, and mutual understanding can make a difference.

 

For more information, contact:

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