In recent years, Canadian research has shown that farming is one of the most stressful industries. Approximately 45% of farmers report high stress, 58% meet the classifications for anxiety and 68% are more susceptible than the general population to chronic stress.

It’s no surprise that farmer members of the OFA identified insurance as number two on the list of issues they’re most worried about in relation to their businesses in the 2024 Farm Business Confidence Survey. The nature of farming means that farmers and farm businesses have special insurance requirements that aren’t necessarily covered by conventional solutions.

Vehicles and farm equipment will be on Ontario’s busy roads this long weekend – and all of us must share those roads responsibly to make sure everyone gets to where they are going and home again safely.

It’s important to encourage young people to consider careers in the agriculture sector. That’s why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture OFA sponsors a bursary program every year to support individuals who wish to work in this industry.

Tariffs and trade are front and centre these days from dominating news headlines and influencing election discussions to figuring prominently in government, business, organizational and even personal decisions nation-wide.

The 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.

As farmers, we often like to say that every day is Earth Day on the farm, and while that sounds a bit cliched, it actually is very true. That’s because in raising livestock and growing crops of all kinds, farmers work very directly with the soil, the air, and the water every single day.

Ontario food and farming is a very diverse sector. We grow, raise and produce more than 200 different farm and food commodities and products right here at home – yet many Ontarians don’t really have a good understanding of how our food gets to the grocery store.

We’re in the midst of our second election campaign of 2025 and like all elections, it’s a perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on the importance of agriculture to our communities, our economy and our country.

Planning for the future of a farm business is important. Whether the ultimate outcome involves a transition to next-generation family members or to a new owner altogether, the process of transition or succession planning is one that takes careful thought and effort from both the incoming and outgoing owners.